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zablife · 6 months

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The Swimming Lesson

Finn Shelby x Adeline (OC)

Summary: Adeline makes a terrible mistake when she underestimates the vengeful nature of the youngest Shelby brother.

Author's Note: A lovely anon requested a dark!Finn fic. I included the John love triangle bc it added motivation. I hope you enjoy it!

Warnings: dark fic 💀, drinking, misogyny, murder

“Finn, say something,” Adeline urged her friend, the confession of a budding relationship with his brother John still hanging in the air between them.

Attempting to forget the refusal of his kiss, Finn stopped pacing along the bank of the pond as an irresistible notion came to him. “Will you go for a swim with me?” he asked.

Adeline paused, “So, you’re not upset about John?”

Finn shook his head as he proclaimed, “I don’t want to talk about that anymore. I’d like to have some fun with you instead.”

Adeline held her breath as she felt him take her hand in his, wanting to believe he was happy for her. However, something cried out within her at the rough grasp of Finn’s touch, the distant look in his eyes which had turned dark as obsidian glass. “You want to go in there?” she asked carefully, raising one eyebrow in a look of uncertainty.

“Why not? Are you afraid?” Finn taunted with a mischievous grin.

She peered down into the cold, murky water and gulped. “You know I can’t swim."

“You going to let that stop you when you have me with you?” he urged. Placing a hand to her lower back, he pushed her closer to the uninviting water.

“I suppose a quick dip couldn’t hurt,” she conceded as she removed her shoes.

“That’s my girl,” Finn praised, relishing the sound of it on his tongue. He watched with lecherous delight as she stripped her stockings down her legs, discarding them beside her hat and shawl before tentatively slipping her toes beneath the water. Modestly gathering the hem of her white dress in one hand, she tip toed forward, a pathetic squeal escaping her lips as she felt a fish skim against her calf beneath the thick green algae.

Finn went first with his back to the pond, holding her hand as she ventured into his waiting arms. He was captivated by every intake of breath and needy squeeze of her fingers against his. She was at his mercy and he relished every second of it. When her foot faltered along the slimy bottom where it sloped downward into greater depths, she cried out “Finn, I’m slipping!”

“S’alright, I’ve got you,” he replied confidently, flexing the muscles in his arms for her benefit.

“Can’t go much further,” she warned, biting her lip. The look in her eye begged for understanding, a sliver of mercy, but Finn only tugged at her wrists more insistently.

“Let’s try a lesson, shall we?” he said with a look of amusement.

“No, no, please!” her voice trilled anxiously.

“C’mon, you’re a big girl, you can do it,” he insisted, hands moving to clutch her waist and pull her into the center of the pond with him. She released a frightened cry as he did so, grappling onto his shoulders as she felt herself become weightless.

“Finn! Finn, this isn’t funny!” she wailed, realizing she could neither see nor feel the bottom to ease her fears.

“Relax,” he commanded firmly as he pried her hands from around his neck. He chuckled inwardly at the way her nails clawed at his bare back and forearms, thinking of the suggestive tales he could tell.

Without warning, he turned her onto her back in one swift movement, hushing her whimpers as her hair dipped and swirled in the water. “I taught all my nieces and nephews this way,” he informed her, patting her dampened locks down gently. His fingers slowly crept along her arms, unfurling them from her chest so they reached out from her body like a crucifix. She couldn’t say if it was the chill from the water or his hands dipping perilously close to the curve of her breasts, but she shivered beneath his touch.

To her surprise she found herself floating easily, ears submerged below the water line listening to the muffled sound of her heartbeat thumping in her chest. Finn’s face hovered above her imposingly and a nervous twitch pulled at her cheeks. She watched Finn’s mouth moving out of synch with his words she could barely hear through cotton stuffed ears. Her brow furrowed as she tried to connect the words she thought he'd said, “I loved you." They made her chest rise and fall quickly with uneven breath, disturbing her balance. Something about the slight sneer of his lip and the intensity of his gaze made her tense suddenly, muscles clenching until her middle began sinking downward precariously.

Then Finn reached a large hand beneath her lower back to support her. With his opposite hand grasping under her chin, he elevated her face toward the heavens so she might breathe evenly again and she sighed in grateful relief. Eyes fluttering against the breeze, Finn swore she batted her lashes at him in that moment. “You’re so beautiful,” he couldn’t help mumbling, his Adam’s apple bobbing in desire. Despite their proximity, he wondered if he had actually said it aloud. The moment of perfect silence stretched on as he cradled her into him adoringly, not a ripple to be seen all around them.

The peace soon shattered with the force of Adeline’s impish laughter which forced her chin from his hold. Finn’s jaw clenched as he suffered the indignity of her rejection for the second time that day. The shred of affection for her dissipated with the faint echo of her voice as it skipped over the water. His resolve returned as he became more certain than ever of his decision.

Adeline bit her lip as she noted the look of displeasure cross his face and wiggled beneath Finn’s grasp. Attempting to right herself in the water was a useless endeavor, however, as Finn kept her prostrated before him. Recapturing her cheeks with his long fingers, he pressed into her flesh slightly as he scolded, “Wait, we’re not finished." Then he queried softly, "Do you trust me?”

“I-I do,” she affirmed, not knowing how else to respond. She screwed her eyes shut in concentration before exhaling shakily, “What are you going to teach me?”

Finn smirked at her obedience, knowing she’d sink like a stone without his aid, her fate literally in his hands. Leaning over to brush his nose against the shell of her ear, he whispered, “Oh, this is a lesson you won’t forget.” He allowed himself a moment to savor the feeling of his lips pressed firmly to her temple the way he imagined he might after making love to her. He swallowed harshly as he realized that could never be. Adeline did not want him. The hours spent in her company had been a lie and he felt like a fool. With that thought, he released her to the murky depths where she belonged.

Her eyes shot open in abject fear as she felt herself falling, mouth gaping in shock as she felt his strong hands shove her toward a watery grave. The air from her lungs escaped to the surface in massive bubbles as she attempted to cry out. Arms and legs fumbling in uncoordinated panic, she resurfaced momentarily. Her hands desperately grasped for a hold, fingertips brushing Finn's ever so slightly. "Now you want me?" he taunted.

Swimming an arm's length away to watch the look of betrayal and horror on her face, he felt righteously vindicated. Closing his eyes, he listened to her jagged screams pierce the air, sending the birds from the trees in alert. Then he paddled back to the shore, barely registering her torturous fight, thrashing in the dark waters until exhaustion overtook her weakened body.

Sitting upon the muddy bank, he witnessed her final struggle as she silently slipped beneath the algea, white dress billowing above her like a cloud. The ripples left behind by her futile attempt at survival, beating against the shore in one last, quiet protest. Finn’s breathing came calmly and evenly as he thought of walking home to sit by the fire. His sopping wet clothes clung to his body in the way her perfume still hovered in cloying sweetness and he longed to be rid of the sensation.

The late sun had gone, dipping below the horizon in tranquil undulations of pink and orange. As Finn looked over the hazy water with a blank stare, a surge of pride swept through him. The powerlessness he’d felt earlier, washed away with the mocking sounds of Adeline’s laughter. As he gathered his shirt and cap, he closed his eyes to relive the sounds of the splashing and screams, trying not to forget their satisfying melody.

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Tag list:

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@kmc1989

@chaosinkest1996

#Peaky Blinders fanfic #Peaky Blinders imagine #Finn Shelby fanfic #Finn Shelby imagine #Finn Shelby x OC #dark!Finn #Finn Shelby

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collecting-stories · 1 year

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The Lakes - Finn Shelby

Summary: reader contemplates all the ways they’ve fallen in love with Finn.

A/N: this is just some fluff nonsense that I found half finished in my drafts.

← Folklore Masterlist | TS Anthology Series →

✰ and I want you right here ✰

“You know what that’ll do to you?” Finn was already lighting up your cigarette as he asked the question, watching you draw in a breath of smog before blowing it back out, hazy and white in the dusk of Small Heath. His own cigarette lingered between his fingers as he waited for your answer, as if he was dependent upon a reply. 

“I’ve a mind to find out,” you replied, looking away momentarily, back down the street where he’d come from, the looming church in the distance. “My mum says it’s not proper.” 

You could hear her voice in the back of your head, lithe but shrill, warning you that bad habits would chase away good suitors. There was only one you had in mind, the same one you’d been saying since you were small. You could remember still, even looking at him now all tall and lean like his brothers (save for Tommy who’d inherited his mother’s height), toking on a cigarette as if he were contemplating the whole of the world, the way your heart had pounded up into your chest the first time you laid eyes on Finn Shelby in a different light. 

Ten years old, troublemakers in your own rights, Polly used to remark that the pair of you were thick as thieves whenever she saw you playing together. When you were little, dirty knees and scraped palms seemed like the perfect forever. You couldn’t imagine a different kind of life, the world was only as big as Small Heath and you had everything you needed right on Watery Lane. It wasn’t all true anymore, you’d seen London and Edinburgh and heard stories from Grace about America. The world was vast and you had an itch that begged for exploration. But everything you needed was still right there, in the middle of Watery Lane behind a black door. Tall and lean and ginger, with a smile that melted your insides and made your heart feel warm. He had freckles like constellations across his face and shoulders and other places that would make your mother blush if she knew you’d seen them.

“If your mum wanted you to be proper she’d have kept a closer eye on you,” he teased, eyes lighting up as he smiled. 

“You think that would’ve stopped me?” You asked, as if Finn wasn’t as magnetic as the sun, pulling you into his orbit with little effort. A smile directed at you was enough for him to have your whole heart. 

“Not at all,” he replied, curls bouncing as he shook his head. His hair was unusually unkempt, soft ginger curls enticing and free of gel. His typically shaved sides and back grown out just enough that you could run your fingers through it but not grasp it yet. He’d trim it by the weekend for the party but for now, he’d let it go. Finn liked the uniform look of the blinders, mostly because it meant that people recognised him immediately. If not instantly as the youngest Shelby brother than at least as a blinder. But he knew you liked when he didn’t bother with fixing his hair. The beeswax tended to make you break out in hives when you came in contact with it and more than looking like a blinder, Finn liked the feeling of your hands in his hair. 

He was rewarded for going without the product when you reached out and brushed some fringe out of his eyes, fingers dancing along the freckles on his face as you cupped his cheek. Your other hand held your cigarette, somewhat over the idea of smoking with Finn. You’d suggested it, if only because he said he had to get back home and you were trying to stall him. 

“Are you still going to London this weekend?” You asked, a faint smile gracing your features as he turned his head into your hand and pressed a kiss to your fingers. 

He hummed, green eyes meeting yours, “are you going to come with me?” He’d been asking you to go back to London with him whenever the opportunity arose. You’d been once with your family and once with him (something that your mother had not been thrilled to discover) and Finn had been clear about wanting to take you back to the city. 

There was a charm about London that didn’t exist in Small Heath. This town was your whole world but sometimes it felt suffocating, everyone knew Finn and by association, you. There wasn’t a place you could go that you could just disappear into the crowd, where it could just be you and Finn without the pressure his brothers provided. 

London meant work but it was also a city too big for everyone to know who Finn was. When he got away from whatever his brothers needed him for and it was just the two of you, there was something distinctly peaceful about it. 

“My mum’s not keen on me going down to London,” you replied, even though it was silly to mention. Finn was well aware of your mum’s opinions though it always surprised him that she didn’t try to keep the two of you apart. 

“Is that a no?” He asked, taking another drag of his cigarette when you pulled your hand away. 

You placed your own between your lips but then removed it just as quickly, as if it was only a place holder while you were debating what to say. “No.” You shook your head, “I’ll go.” 

Finn’s face lit up, eyes sparkling and smile ear to ear. You swore a little piece of your heart ached at the look of absolute happiness he gave you, so much like the ten year old boy you once knew, and folded away the image for another time. You could’ve spent the rest of your life carefully annotating every look that crossed Finn Shelby’s face, every emotion that he felt charted for you to recall someday when he wasn’t with you anymore and it was all memories. 

“Someday you won’t have to worry about your mum’s permission,” Finn mentioned it as if it was something he’d considered before. 

“Doubt it’ll matter if I’m married, she’ll be there giving me her two cents about whatever I’m doing,” you replied, “though I’ll hopefully not be under the same roof.” 

“Pol‘ll just drive you mad instead,” he mused, “though she’s always had a soft spot for you.” 

“I’m moving in with Polly when I get married?” You asked, mirroring back the happy expression he’d had moments ago.

“Maybe just at first, then we’ll get a place. Like Tommy, out in the country and away from the smog.” 

“Wouldn’t matter to me,” you mused, “I’d brave the smog for you.” 

#Finn Shelby imagine #Finn Shelby fanfic #Finn Shelby fic #Finn Shelby fanfiction #Finn Shelby x reader #Finn Shelby x you #Finn Shelby x y/n #finn shelby x oc #Peaky Blinders imagine #Peaky Blinders fanfiction #Peaky Blinders fanfic #Peaky Blinders fic #peaky blinders one shot #Peaky Blinders drabble #collecting stories imagine

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lovelyalways · 2 years

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Nelly's sibling dynamics

Arthur

she's his favourite sibling

his flower <3

all the siblings are protective of her, but Arthur is just on another level

because he’s the oldest of the family, she respects him a lot

he’s always going to baby her, whether anyone likes it or not

Thomas

brother and sister? more like father and daughter

he pushed her to always do well in school, cause of the family's history with academics

he has always treated her more like an adult, something Polly hates

she has this ability where she can detect just anything about him, he hates it but loves it at the same time

she’s very thankful for everything Thomas had done for their family

John

he teases her the most out of everyone

tbh when she was a kid, he was the only one that treated her like one

he taught her how to use a gun, take that however you would like, but Polly obviously almost killed him

he just finds it important for her to know how to defend herself

whenever she feels anxious or scared, she stays close by his side

Ada

sister duo <3

when Nelly was born, Ada was so happy not to be the youngest girl anymore

very close bond

she wishes someday Nelly will get out of Birmingham and move somewhere else

cause in Ada’s opinion, Nelly deserves way better than she gets now

Finn

Finn is her baby

she used to walk him to school

he admires her a lot, because of how smart she is

no matter what the situation is, he takes her side

they would do anything for each other tbh

together with Isiah, they’re such a team

#nelly shelby #peaky blinders imagine #shelby sister #shelby!sister #peaky blinders fanfic #shelby!oc #tommy shelby x oc #tommy shelby x shelby!sister #arthur shelby x oc #john shelby x oc #ada shelby x oc #finn shelby x oc

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aliypop · 1 year

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It’s Always You

Word Count: 5,853

Writers Notes: I wanted to do a Drabble with my peaky Oc Claudette and Finn with expanding on a few scenes from the fic Series I made Back To Black, so I hope you all enjoy it!

Warning: Fluffy, angsty usual show stuff

Pairing: OC ( Claudette Hilda Williams ) / Finn Shelby

Tag List : @shelbydelrey

Christmas Eve 1943- Small Heath

Claudette sat around the fireplace, watching her daughter Serena sat by the tree, opening her presents, "Look what Uncle Tommy and aunt Ellie got me from America!" holding up a dress. The fourteen was ecstatic. Claudette had begun to remember when she was her age, happier that she didn't have to go through everything that she and her father went through,

"It's beautiful,"

"I wish papa could see me in it," she sighed, "Me too, angel," patting a spot next to her, kissing her forehead. Every time Claudette looked at Serena, she saw traces of Finn, from her freckles to her clear blue eyes,

"Do you miss him..."

"Every day," she smiled, the radio on as they only talked about the war,

"Every day?"

"Of course, " she smiled, "You see, your father's my best friend," she smiled, looking at her daughter,

"I thought it was uncle Isaiah?"

"Second," she laughed, "He and I were inseparable..." Serena was in awe of her mother as she then looked up at her, "When did you two meet?"

"1919, we were young, a bit foolish, but even then, we were in love."

1919 - The Garrison

"You could've gotten yourself killed!"

"But I didn't, Mr. Shelby!" the young girl said, holding her Birmingham finds her coat pocket, one of the treasures being Ada's pearls. To say that John Shelby was worried about this kid was an understatement. After all, before the war, Claudette Hilda Williams had lived as an orphan amongst the streets, pickpocketing, picking locks, and getting herself into a business she had no doubt getting into.

"You should know me by now." she giggled, her messy curls gathered together in a red ribbon that Eleanor tried her damndest to tie,

"I wish we didn't." John laughed, watching as Finn sat beside her. John noticed something between the pair. Finn was soon to be eleven in a couple days, and Claudette in a couple months, yet John only let Finn keep her around so he wouldn't always poke his nose in the peaky business as well as Aunt Polly wouldn't nearly shoot his head off again.

Finn and Claudette had both waited for John to turn his back so they could make their way toward the bar, which was where the new barmaid Grace had been giving out Whiskey as if it were money,

"And what can I get'cha two."

"I'll have a Gin!" Claudette exclaimed, her hazel eyes large and round as Finn only looked over, trying to muster how to impress her,

"Whiskey."

"Are ye sure about that,"

Finn nodded as Grace gave them a curt nod until the most drunkenly loud voice boomed from behind them.

"This one, ill have a beer. The girl will be going fucking home." Arthur growled,

"You can't make me go home..." Claudette stuck her tongue out at him. It wasn't that Arthur didn't like Claudette. He didn't trust her, especially with her being part of the third largest crime family that could become a threat at any moment to the Shelby name.

"Maybe I can't, but he can, Oye Tom." she gulped as the devil's piercing blue eyes looked through her. He had a glare that was harsher than anyone, let alone any scolding mother she ever grew up around to know,

"Does she have to go..." Finn asked as his brother glanced over at him, lighting his cigarette as if to say yes,

"It's okay, Finn. I'll see you around, right?" tapping him on the shoulder as his face flushed red,

"Y...Yeah," watching her leave, Tommy took notice of the article of clothing missing from Finn's head.

"Forgetting something," Tommy asked as she shook her head, her vision clouded by the hat on top of her head, "You sure about that..."

A deep groan left her lips as she handed Tommy Finn's hat. He had a feeling this wouldn't be the last he'd see of this young girl, "One day, I'll be a Peaky you just watch." she left out the pub. Thomas shook his head. She was still the same old little pain in the ass that Finn would never let him get rid of

"Hello, Julian come to take me home?" she asked. Julian Shelby was a friend of the Williams girls. He couldn't let either family know for certainty that he knew the other. Here he was with his second favorite, Claudette. Saving her hide as usual.

"Actually, Ettie, I just got home..." Julian sighed, looking at the child before him. As much as he didn't want to drive back past London and then to Kensington, he also didn't want Eleanor or Virginia to come looking for her, which would stir trouble, and Tommy would have him on fight Arthur if he were lucky of such punishment,

1922

"And where the hell have you been," Polly asked, watching Julian. He was dressed in a tuxedo which wasn't a bad look, but it wasn't his usual overcoat and hat either, "London. it's been fuckin nuts down there." he laughed, the lack of sleep showing just from how exhausted his voice had sounded, "And Tommy's business with the horses and some other club-"

" You mean The Black Pearl Company and their deal?" she questioned, her cigarette in hand, "Be careful with the company you keep," she smirked, gesturing towards the kitchen table as Julian stood there in complete shock.

Eating sandwiches were Finn and Claudette, dressed in her cousin's old clothes, with a hole in one of her stockings.

"How'd she even get here..."

"Says you brought her."

"That little rat." he groaned.

"We're going to the Epsom Derby, I'm told," Finn said, watching her eyes as Michael walked by,

"Mhmm, the derby." she bit into her sandwich, "I was wondering if you wanted to be my date and maybe see the horse and-" Michael flashed a smirk knowing, After all, he had his fair share of playing shy, himself when he was their age,

"Michael, are ya going to the derby?" she asked, ignoring Finn's presence.

"If Tommy can convince my mother to let me go," he said, leaning against the counter and looking at his pocket watch. He was sophisticated, Conrad Veidt, the example of class and grace. If she'd ever seen it, which she did living in Kensington.

"Well, do you need a plus one? My sister is going with my brother, and I'll be bored and alone." holding her head in her hand. Finn rolled his eyes, watching as his cousin took her hand and kissed the back of it, making sure that his "dreamy" gaze was only on her and no one else, smoldering his way into her first heartbreak,

"Maybe If you were a little older, sweetheart." he winked, " I'll be 14, which isn't far from 16!. " She said with a frown that had been present on her face.

"Don't go frowning on me. Maybe one day when you've grown up to be a woman." he kissed her cheek as he walked out of the kitchen, her heart nearly fluttering.

"You can still go with me..." Finn turned to look at her, his blue eyes reflecting the sunlight,

London

Sitting by Tommy's car next to Finn was Claudette wearing her nightgown and robe, the two keeping watch as they had been instructed to do so.

"So, hows Isaiah doing," she asked, making small talk, something she was never good at,

"Well, he and Michael got arrested," Finn began to laugh,

"For what?"

"Settin a pub on fire. It was for a good cause,"

"And he got caught," she scoffed,

"Yeah, he did..."

"How fucking pathetic. Everyone knows if you're gonna burn something to the ground, you should at least wait when everyone's asleep or get someone else to do it for you," Claudette rolled her eyes, "It's common knowledge," she grumbled as Finn laughed, at that moment he could see all the attraction to Michael leave her eyes, and he could hopefully slip into her heart if she'd let him,

"So what else is new?"

"Well, you know there's this girl I've been seein and-"

"What's she like?"

"She's something..." Finn started as Claudette sat closer to him, "She's fiery, short-tempered, got curly hair like Fairy floss, cept it's brown." he began to swoon, his freckles more apparent by his blushing,

"Does she know what you do?"

"Sure she does, and she's a big fan of it, sometimes even a big help," he smirked, sliding closer towards her,

"Did you tell her you like her?" she asked, feeling a drop of rain hit her skin. Finn placed his overcoat and hat on her head so she wouldn't catch a cold,

"No,"

"Then you should tell her!"

"I like you."

"Yeah, just like that." she nudged him, "Same tone and everythin. She'll love it, I assure you."

"Finn !!." Tommy shouted, looking as he saw the two by his car,

"You should go..."

"Will I see you at The Garrison," he asked, leaning in as if he would kiss her,

"Will Isaiah and Michael be there so I can laugh em?"

"Yes."

1924 Small Heath

Claudette and Finn were sixteen years old now. And much like Finn, Claudette was starting to feel alienated from her family. They started keeping things from her, becoming too busy to talk to her when they did. They'd only talk about how she should be shadowing Eleanor or helping Virginia with the brothel or Andre with the numbers. It was never about her day or how she felt,

But nothing was closer than her bond with The Peaky Blinders, "Oh, Lorcan says he'll be late, by the way. He went to go steal a horse or somethin." Claudette smiled,

"Who's he stealin it from?" John asked, keeping the peace of his brothers,

"My brother Andre." she laughed, "He's shit at picking horses, unlike me, Ellie, or Ginny," she mumbled, taking a sip from Finn's beer. Isiah laughing,

"Oh, and Mr. Shelby," Tommy turned around to look at the now short-haired pain in his ass call his name,

"What is it now, Claudette."

"Eleanor has news for you."

"How soon can it wait."

"You should call her and see." stealing a glance at Finn, then back at Tommy, "And another thin." chewing on a toothpick,

"What's that."

"When are you going to make me a Peaky?"

"Fucking never, kid," Arthur said, taking Finn's hat off her head,

1924 - London The Pearl

"Mr. Williams..." Claudette laughed, sitting in the chair backward. Andre looked at his adopted sister, sickened by her appearance. She was wearing black breeches, a button-up shirt with pearls, a vest, a black overcoat with dressy oxford heels, and suspenders keeping her pants up,

"Claudette, it's been a while since you've shown your face..." he laughed, "I've done some thinkin, reinvented meself," removing her gloves as she turned to Isaiah, "Butt me, will ya," handing her a cigarette,

"Anything for you, Etta, " he smirked,

"Thank you, Saiah. Now Tommy Shelby sent us here because it appears your fuckin with his shares on his Gin..." looking into her cousins' eyes as he laughed,

" A group of children policing me, oh this is fresh." Andre laughed harder, mocking them.

Finn and Isaiah stood up as Claudette motioned for them to sit,

"Have you or have you not been keepin the money to yourself?" Finn asked, his trigger-happy hand on his gun,

"I broke his deal off," a smug look on his face as he lit his cigar, "Passed it to a woman who really cares about this shithole of a place." motioning his index finger in a circle, "Who'd that be," Isaiah questioned as Claudette leaned forward,

"Your mother dette," he smirked as her brown face went pale, " I partnered with her to start getting kids your age something to do; I think, what you slum rats call snow?" he smirked,

" You snake!" pulling out her razor blade from her overcoat pocket as it was under his neck. The two boys and their guns were drawn, ready to blow a hole in his head if need be,

"Look at this. This isn't you. You were the cute pearl to be, Eleanor 2.0. and-" feeling blood drip from down his neck.

"I'm not from Manchester and be careful who you call a slum rat. Last time I checked, You were born freed slaves who could barely afford the scraps on ya table. But we fuckin worked for what we 'ad. So yeah, this is me," she laughed, "Workin' with everythin I fuckin 'ave!" Andre's eyes grew wide to see the girl who called him her brother betray him in such a way, almost as if it were first nature to her,

"I hope Will was good to you, Lorcan," Virginia said, pocketing her money and giving half of it to Julian and John,

"He was an angel with a throat that wouldn't let go." Lorcan laughed, the five coming down the stairs as Andre rolled his eyes,

"I train my girls and guys to do only the best." she grinned, Lorcan taking the keys to his car out of his pocket as he fixed his hat,

"You know, back home, we have Lizzie Stark, " Lorcan said as John's skin nearly began to heat up, she's great, but every man in towns had Lizzie," commented as John plucked him in the ear,

"I remember my first time with Lizzie," Julian and Virginia said in unison. Virginia looked over the railing, and she then noticed Claudette. She had to admit that the Peaky look was looking good on her, as was the grasp of power surrounding herself. This was the Claudette that had always been inside her,

"Look at you, Ms. Williams." Virginia smiled, motioning for them to disarm themselves,

"It's Hilda, Claudette Hilda," taking a long drag of her cigarette,

"Forgive me, Ms. Hilda. turn so I can look at ya." Claudette turned as Andre was still stunned from the cut, Finn handing him a napkin to dab his wound with, "You carry power well. I'm sure Nora would be proud if she'd seen you." hugging her cousin tight as Claudette hugged her back,

"Aye, Ms.Hilda, you ready?" Finn asked as her face flushed, turning a deep red by the cheeks,

"Coming, Mr. Shelby." she winked at him as Finn got flustered,

" What's that about," Virginia asked,

"Never you mind. Oh, and Andre, clean your hands. You're dripping blood on Eleanors' floors." Stomping out her cigarette and walking out the door, both siblings looked at each other,

"That was a ballsy move, Etta," Isaiah said,

"He better be lucky I haven't got a hat yet." taking Finns as she ruffled up his hair, placing it on her head, "Claudette Hilda Shelby," she grinned, "Could you imagine that?"

"Gotta nice ring to it." Lorcan looked back at the three as Julian and John snickered,

"Could have a ring to it..." Finn mumbled enough for Isaiah to hear it.

Small Heath

"Good mornin, Aunt Polly," Claudette smiled, walking through the halls of the gambling den,

"Mornin dear," Polly responded from her office, cup of tea on her desk and a fresh cigarette in hand. As Claudette kept walking, she passed Finn, who was flirting with another girl, her face green with envy, which caused Tommy to look up from the paperwork on his desk, but with a slight smirk on his face, not that he was interested in seeing what would happen between the two.

"Finn, can I talk to you..." Claudette asked as he ignored her,

"You probably make everyone jealous," the girl's eyes looking directly at Claudette,

"I wouldn't say that." checking over the numbers. "Besides, you ain't bad looking yourself." he winked at her, tipping his hat, "Oh Finn," she sat down on the table, leaning over so that her breast was in his face, the age-old trick of girls their age, playing hard to get but fast to catch,

"Finn!" Claudette shouted again as he shrugged her off,

"Would you be free tonight?" he asked, the girl's ginger hair draping over her shoulder,

"Fine, if that's the game he wants to play..." walking off, she took his keys and a pack of his cigarettes, putting them in her own pockets,

"Try impressin her now, flyboy."

"Ay, I saw that..."

"Mr. Gray, how's the accountin going." sitting on Michaels's desk as he laughed, "It's shit. I don't get to be out on the field there like you, which is odd considering you're a girl in breeches." he looked at her, her face frowning up, "Don't give me that look Dette," his index finger under her chin, pulling her closer towards him,

"You know I hate it when you frown," he whispered.

Finn walked by, clenching his fist as she gave him a quick peck,

"And I hate it when you tell me not to." Getting off his desk, she gave him a wink, straightening out her pants as she turned to face him,

"Oh, and more one thing, check the total shares of The Pearl club and trading company," Michael was stunned at her actions, "And why should I take your orders..."

"Let's say Tommy's a little pissed at ya for not catching the added surplus charges we 'ave to pay." she walked out of his office, "Hope you don't die from a big fuck up, or maybe you will." she shrugged off her threat against him as Arthur laughed,

"How's me, favorite little lady?" Arthur asked.

Arthur had now embraced her presence rather than seen it as a threat. And maybe it was because he understood her,

"Still wantin her hat," she joked, sitting next to him, watching him drink Whiskey,

1925

"No....No....No...NO!" Claudette screamed, jolting out of her bed. She was sweaty and sticky, her hair felt stuck to her head, and her body felt like dead weight, "No, don- don't touch me!" Claudette screamed, backing away from Finn as she flinched. Finn's eyes had gone wide until her breathing was faster and shallow, her body trembling in fear, and she was known to never fear anything.

"I'm not gonna hurt you. Just tell me what's wrong..."

"I-I C...Can't," her teeth chattering as hot tears pricked her cheeks. Her body shaking like a leaf,

"Darlin, tell me, please."

BLOOM!

"NO!"

A crack of thunder across the sky only caused her to panic more, "They're coming for me..." she whispered, laughing out of anxiety, "He's coming for me, and he's going to kill me..." Finn tried to touch her again, as another sound of thunder happened,

"TOMMY!" she shouted, "Where's Tommy..." she asked. Claudette was 4 again, cowering in fear, screaming, kicking, and crying like she was that night.

"In his office," extending his arm out to her, Claudette took it. Trying not to focus on the shadows surrounding her or the many tricks her nightmare-stricken mind played on her, "Could you take me to him?" Claudette asked, counting his freckles, trying to calm herself down, "Yeah, uh, Claudette..." Finn locked eyes with her. Something about the moonlight and the vulnerability of how close the two were was taking over his senses,

"Yes, Finn..." the two walking towards the gambling house offices, "I wanna tell you somethin if that's okay..." he asked, as she was snuggled up into his warmth,

"Tell me,"

"I'm here for you." he kissed her forehead. Tommy looked up from reading Michaels's reports as he smirked to himself. Finn was growing upright, and he was proud. As Finn wiped away a loose tear,

"If you need me, I'll be in John's old room," Tommy cleared his throat startling the two,

"Finn bed... now," Tommy grumbled as Claudette straightened up,

"Tommy, sorry... I." Claudette took a deep breath,

"Why are you up. It's 3 in the morning," Tommy pointed out,

"You're up too," she glared at him, "To answer your question, I had a nightmare..." she sighed, "But you wouldn't care 'cause you're busy workin," Tommy had finally looked up at her, puffy red eyes and drenched clothes, "I'm all ears now, tell me what was it that made you scream like a fucking banshee."

"You heard me, and you didn't think to help!"

"Can't depend on me all your life." he shrugged, "Gotta learn to do things on your own sometimes," Tommy was right, but it wasn't what she wanted to hear,

"That's why I got shot in my dream..." she mumbled, "Because you weren't there, You know Andre... he haunts me in my sleep every night, and Eleanor isn't here to tell me it's okay, and Virginia's drinking her sorrows out with Ada as we speak, so forgive me if I wanted sympathy from THOMAS FUCKING SHELBY!" she broke down and cried screaming as Tommy scooped her up and held her, something he wished his own father would've done for him when he was little,

"Hey, hey, hey," he cooed, brushing out her hair with his hands. He may not have been as paternal to Charlie, but he was learning through Claudette,

"Talk to me..."

"Promise you won't leave..." she asked, looking at him, trying not to cry himself, remembering how it felt when he asked his father the same thing,

"Claudette..."

"Promise me, even if you don't mean it!" she sobbed into his waistcoat, " I'd get it. No one wants me, not my father, Eleanor, or mother. They all left me,"

"Claudette Hilda Shelby!" Tommy took her chin to look up at him,

"Don't you ever fucking say that, yeah they left you, but Elle, she's coming back, and the rest of us, we never left you, and fuckin won't," his hands on her shoulders as he bent to her height, "I'm not fucking leaving you," he smiled at her wiping her tears away, Claudette looked up at him still teary-eyed,

"I'd even do the shittiest Charleston for you," he began to dance as she shook her head,

"Eleanor does it better," she mumbled,

"You bet she fuckin does, but just know we'd throw ourselves in front of every damn bullet with your name on it to keep you safe."Hugging her back made Tommy feel like, just for one time in his life, he deserved to do something good, to have something good,

"You really think of me as a Shelby?" Claudette asked, her tired puffy eyes nearly closing,

"I don't know..."

"You called me Claudette Hilda Shelby..."

"You're delirious go to bed," he said, sitting back down about to type on his typewriter,

"But I'm not tired..." yawning as he peered over his glasses,

"Okay, I'm going, but you better go to sleep too,"

Walking down the halls, Claudette heard a whispered noise. Looking for a weapon, she grabbed the nearest bottle and swung it like a bat. The creaking of the floorboards as the nose got closer to her, she felt a halting motion towards it.

"Put the Whiskey down..." Finn glanced at her,

"Finn..." she sighed, "You scared me..." taking the bottle from her hands as they brushed against each other, "Just tryin to keep you safe," he winked,

"Finn!" she gasped, " What are you tryin to do?"

"We could drink a little Whiskey, maybe..." he smirked, "Calm down those nerves of yours..." Claudette rolled her eyes as if he didn't have her with the mention of Whiskey.

"Whadya say?"

"Cups or the bottle?"

"We drink like Peaky's out the fuckin bottle," he smirked, taking the first swig and passing it over to Claudette, who nearly drank the entire bottle, "I see why Arthur told us not to touch the Whiskey," she laughed, "Kinda burns." Finn chuckled as she got a bit giggly, the two laying in bed as he held her closer, their lips inches away from each other,

"Finn..."

"Yeah... Claudette,"

"Can we always be this close?" she whispered as the wheels in his mind began to turn.

Seven years he'd been trying to get the girl, it seemed the seventh time would be the charm,

"Why do you like me or somethin." he asked, "I wouldn't say I like you. But... lately, I've wanted to kiss the freckles on your face and punch that girl you've been talkin to," she grumbled as Finn laughed, to think Tommy's advice was working, "Are you sure it's me you think of and not Michael or Isaiah," Finn asked, a dorky grin on his face,

"I'm as sure as a rainy day that I only think about you." she snuggled into his side, and Finn took in her features. They were soft, like her brown skin. And her curls. She looked at him like he was her world, kissing her nose as she giggled, "Finn, kiss me?" she murmured,

"In the morning."

The sun rose only halfway as it did in the winters of England. A cold, pale landscape, but it was home and somehow comforting to both Finn and Claudette. The taste of Whiskey was still fresh on their lips. And her hands were everywhere, not knowing where to go at first,

"Claudette, have you ever actually been kissed," Finn asked as she looked away from him in embarrassment.

"You haven't..." he laughed a little.

"I haven't done a lot of thins but don't go fucking laughin at me!" she pushed him playfully,

"It's cute." he smiled, "But let me show ya how to really kiss," he winked at her as she rolled her eyes,

"Then fucking do it, Fi-" her eyes closed as her arms around his neck.

She was breathless but fully breathing. Claudette felt like her body was on fire, but also felt like she was flying, "How was that,"

"It... it was good but uncomfortable," she said,

"Uncomfortable ?"

"Yeah, layin like this on my side, no," she grumbled,

"Fine then, what's more, comfortable." Claudette sat in his lap, looking at his lips, " That's uh comfortable very..." his brain short-circuiting. Claudette ran her thumb over his lips as she smirked,

"Soft. I like that in a man."

"Claudette, will ya please just kiss me alread-" Claudette leaned in, kissing him as the lingering taste of Whiskey smoke and sleep took over. His hands were around her waist, pulling her closer to him, goosebumps peppering Claudette's skin.

Biting his bottom lip, Finn flipped her over. So he was on top of her with his hands on either side of her head,

"I can stop if you'd want."

"By all means, please continue, Mr. Shelby..." hoarse from the kiss, Finn kissed her neck, then her cheek as he loomed right over her lips. Claudette had pulled him down to finish what she had started,

"The French invented this one..."

"Invented what?"

"Finn, have you ever been French kissed," she smirked, taking his face in her hands and licking his lips as she snuck in her tongue. Finn was flustered for once. And by the one woman he found peace in. His fingers were in her thick curly hair, lost in everything that was,

"Claudette..."

"Where the bloody hell is Claudette..."

BLAM!

Claudette and Finn both pulled apart from each other as their hazy gazes cleared on the sight of Arthur,

"What the fuck were you two doin?" both Claudette and Finn were lost for words,

"Fuckin snoggin, wait till Tommy 'ears about this." Arthur laughed, "Family meetin, by the way," he left as Claudette giggled,

"Get dressed..." Polly said, walking by, her cigarette in hand,

"And before you two get any more ideas, separate rooms!"

1926-The Garrison

"This is a big fucking day for Claudette, so everything has to be perfect," Finn commanded, Tommy and Arthur, looked at him as if he were a new person,

"It's a big day for you, Shelby's. Winning another race, getting rid of that prick Luca, And Tommy, the soon MP of South Birmingham." Virginia said, looking over at Ada,

"The MP of South Birmingham... impressive, Mr. Shelby," Bernadette nodded, a man who could change the world, yet her daughter was with a man who'd change whatever his parents wanted,

"The Black Pearl textile factory would be happy to advocate for you. I'm sure Eleanor would be pleased to see your efforts." Tommy only gave her a nod. Eleanor was just as much of a touchy subject for Tommy as Grace was,

"Alright, Claudette will be walking in any minute, so everyone just act fucking normal."

"I'm fine. Really I am," Claudette said as both John and Julian helped her walk down the street,

"What if you fall..." Julian remarked,

"What if someone targets ya and blows your damn brains out, Claudi..." Julian suggested,

"They won't..." she rolled her eyes,

"So is this like a family meeting or a departure or... " Lorcan opened the door, Finn rushing to her side, hugging her as Isaiah walked over,

"You look good,"

"Thanks, Is, " she smiled, hugging Finn back,

"Missed me that much huh..." her head on his shoulder,

"You two lovebirds make me fuckin sick." Arthur walked by them as Johnny Dogs. And Virginia laughed,

"They're in love." Ada smiled,

"We're just friends!" Claudette's cheeks were dark pink, and Finn's freckles had a red glow to him,

"What she said."

"Anyways... we got a surprise for ya, Right Tommy?" John said, smoking his cigarette,

"Is it Whiskey..." she asked, "Or another mission or money or-"

"Claudette, shut up and let Tommy speak." Virginia rolled her eyes as Bernadette sighed,

"Thomas, continue."

"Ms. Dupont, the watch.." he then looked at his brother, Arthur, "Arthur, you go get the other thing..." Bernadette stood by Tommy as Claudette looked surprised and nervous, hoping she didn't do anything wrong,

"I can't fuckin find it, Tommy!"

"Behind the bar..." he shook his head. Finn, Isaiah, Julian, John, and Lorcan had all been by Tommy's side, making Claudette feel smaller, than she looked,

"Found it."

"Probably fuckin placed it back there..." Julian mumbled,

"I heard that. You fucking idiot..." he grumbled,

"Alright, Tommy, I got it." Arthur walked over,

"What's going on..." Claudette questioned,

"Ms. Dupont, Virginia, would you two do the honours." clipping the pocketwatch to her waistcoat, Virginia was teary-eyed,

"You've grown up to be an amazing young woman. I wish I could be as courageous as you," Virginia smiled, putting the watch in her hand as Bernadette finished clipping it to her,

" I ain't really good at speeches, but," Arthur smiled, "This little lady has been a pain in our asses since she ripped the streets of Birmingham off and had her first taste of Gin at 11 years old." he sniffled, "She's been nothing but the right kind of trouble, always askin about gettin a fuckin hat, being the one kid who's ever loved the Peaky name, and saw it as anything but a curse, and for that... Claudette Hilda, Welcome to The Peaky Fuckin Blinders. You finally got that damn hat you wanted."

Tommy took the hat putting it on her head, as her eyes watered a little, "I won't let you down, Tommy..." she then looked at Bernadette and Virginia with a big grin on her face, wishing Eleanor could have seen her, a shadow the front of The Garrison,

"Claudette, since you're a Peaky, I think it's time you see where we keep the good stuff," Finn said. Claudette took his hand,

"What if they notice we're gone?" she glanced, "Everyone except maybe Tommy is drunk," Finn laughed, "Never really seen him drunk, actually," he mumbled, pulling Claudette into the room, cases of every illegally made type of alcohol were in that room, it was heaven for the cops and hell for any gangster if ever caught with it, she was in heaven, "The Pearl has... had a bigger supply..." she winked as Finn laughed, "Yeah well all this is ours," spinning her around as she laughed, he loved her laughter, it always brought a kind of joy to him when he heard it, the bubbling sensation in his stomach as his heart beat faster, that was the feeling Finn craved on nights that were spent with prostitutes or empty lovers, yet Claudette was always there, "Hi..." she said pent up against the wall between Tommy's Gin,

"The moon looks beautiful on your skin," Finn smiled,

"You'd look beautiful on my skin," she gasped,

"I'm so sorry ... did I just-"

"Mhmm," tilting her chin, his eyes on her lips as she became flustered, "Kiss me..." Claudette's knees nearly gave out from under her as he kissed her, the taste of tobacco and Gin on his breath. He smelled like Tommy's cologne, but that didn't matter. Biting her lip. Finn was pleased with the squeak that left her mouth. Pulling her closer to him, he grabbed her by the waist as she grabbed him by his suit jacket,

"We're not just friends, and you know it..." Finn said, pulling away from Claudette as she was panting, wanting more from him,

"Finn..."

"If you don't love me, say it..." he kissed her neck as she laughed, Finn!" Claudette laughed. Finn then bit her neck as she closed her eyes, "Damn you, you Shelby..." she bit her lip,

"Say you don't love me, angel,"

CLICK!

The bright bulb nearly blinded the two as Tommy sighed. He wasn't surprised. After all, this hadn't been the first he'd walked in on these types of things,

"We were just, uh..."

"Claudette, sweetheart. Friends don't go off to an abandoned room alone to snog,"

"What about you and your women friends..." Tommy laughed, "They fuck," Finn said, as Claudette smirked, "Out fucking now!" Tommy pointed to Finn as Claudette mouthed sorry to Tommy, "You're a French trotter, and he's like Stallion, so be careful." he looked at Claudette as she nodded.

Christmas Eve 1943- Small Heath

"And then what happened after Uncle Tommy found you two?" Claudette then chuckled, the fire simmering as Serena began to yawn, "Well, a few years later, we got married and had you," she kissed her nose. Serena then let out another yawn. A loud knock was heard on her door, signaling her daughter to go upstairs. Claudette grabbed her revolver, pointing it toward the door,

"Who's outside" she growled, ready to shoot as if her life depended on it. Serena took a peak from the curtains as her eyes lit up from the view from outside,

"Rena, who's at the-" as the door knob turned, Serena grew more excited. It was her Christmas wish coming true before her eyes,

"Well, if it isn't my favorite girl waitin for me," Finn smiled. Claudette stood in shock as she looked at the man in front of her. She couldn't believe he was home in time for Christmas, "Finn, you're home," tears in her eyes as she peppered kisses all over his freckles. She could see the terror of war leave his face, all while he had her in his arms,

"And we're standing under the mistletoe..." dipping her as he gave her a passionate kiss, giggles coming from the stairs, another pair of arms wrapped around him,

"It was always you."

#peaky blinders #peaky blinders fanfic #peaky blinders fanfiction #peaky blinders oc #peaky oc #finn shelby x oc #finn shelby #Claudette Williams #new oc new oc new oc

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lelapine · 1 year

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Modern Finn/F!OC

I wrote this some time ago, thinking I’d add something more to it before I post... anyway, here’s my take on modern Finn

There wasn’t much she could do to change the course of the future actions – everything was carefully planned ahead and everyone, no matter if they agreed anymore, had their role and no way out.

She didn’t like the plan from the beginning, but if she chickened out at any moment, everyone would be inevitably facing various charges – from drug dealing, and assisting murderers to possible terrorism. But that’s what happens when you have a connection to the Patriarch of Shelby’s family – your voice lacks importance.

Dilay nervously tapped her fingers on her computer mouse, but not enough to make it click in its digital form. Finn, who was sitting across the table, smiled slightly into his cup of tea – he was already too jittery to have more coffee – and without intending to, she had to smile back. He laid his hand on hers and was about to lean in and kiss her – probably, she was never sure what he could do for a bit of a laugh – when both of their phones rang.

The change in the mood of their table had to be obvious to the whole room – she would swear she felt everyone look at her as she picked up her phone to read the text message she got. After sending a short reply, she looked over at Finn and drew in a deep breath. His usually smooth forehead was wrinkled with the lines of worry and thinking as he nodded to what the person on the other side of the line was saying. With a quick motion of his finger, he directed Dilay to start picking up their things.

When he ended the call, Finn raised his eyes back to her and picked up the strap of Dilay’s bag. “We have to move. Someone ratted out and raised the alarm.” He murmured as he grabbed her hand in an attempt to look like a pair of students leaving the library in hurry.

She nodded silently and moved along. As she always did – and as she always would.

#Finn Shelby fic #Finn Shelby x OC #Finn Shelby x Dilay Acker #modern peaky blinders #finn shelby

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forevercillianmurphy · 8 months

Text

im sorry, tommy shelby.

- warnings: death, swearing, violence.

- word count: 3.7k

- my own timeline since I haven’t watched past season 2 lol

- Tommy x oc sister !

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rebecca was born on a cloudy day some December 1902, twelve years after the head of the family; thomas shelby was born. ever since that day (and finn's birth) he promised not only himself but his family that he'd take care of them. they were the most important thing in his life, and after the war that never changed. though, it grew harder with the night terrors and feeling as if the two had a bounty on their heads every time they stepped out into good ole birmingham. though, the family never once made it seem that way. the two younglings thought nothing much of it really, thinking that that was how everybody else lived. always having people following them around for protection especially if arthur, john or tommy could not be there. so when rebecca turned 20 in 1922, she did not understand why she couldn't come 'out' to society, like everybody else her age. she did not realize how dangerous it was. because again, her and finn had lived in a bubble; something that polly made sure of.

˚ · .·˚

the very night she returned home from school that spring, rebecca was fuming, teeth seething and hair falling out of her braided bun, "why on earth can i not take part in the event tom! how else am i supposed to be seen as an adult and not a child?" she demanded, hands on her hips. tommy had watched his youngest sister scream and shout, pull at her hair for the better part of the hour. once she had realized her name wasn't on the list of the debutant ball, she quickly came home to give a piece of her mind to the head of the family. he said nothing, just watching. she stopped her frantic movements, turned back towards tom and shrugged. she was simply giving up, something that she never did. because she was a shelby, fighting till the very last second. tom saw the defeatedness wash over her like a waterfall, and then saw the tears forming in her eyes. oh how he hated to see her or finn cry, especially at the expense of him. she shook her head, knowing he was about to stand up or say something, and she put her hand up. "you don't want me out there, fine. but just know that i will resent you for the rest of my life as i go leave for university this upcoming fall." she paused beginning to walk out. she took one last look at him, "and just know that i wont come back to this shitty hell hole." and with that she left. tom sat there for a few minutes finishing his whisky and freshly lit cigarette. he sighed, looking up at the ceiling knowing that polly was going to be giving him an earful right about - now.

"thomas michael shelby, what the hell is wrong with you?" she quipped, slamming his office door and shaking his now iced glass. "pol-" she cut him off, "don't poll me, boy." she stated promptly and he knew to shut up. "your sister is this close, this close!" she said emphasizing with her fingers. "to slipping away, and do you really want that? really want that boy?" she seethed, "i don't care what you have to say thomas but she is going to that ball whether you like it or not." she said standing her ground, and he knew it was golden. one to be left untouched. he sighed, "but its dangerous." he stated and she shook her head. "if its so dangerous, find a way to make it not dangerous! you have this whole empire, use it for something good." she stated before walking out. tommy rubbed his eyes, before standing up to go speak to arthur and john, who no doubt would be at the garrison. he knew deep down, he had to let rebecca do this and if he didn't he no longer would have a sister.

˚ · .·˚

rebecca brushed her hair as finn her little brother by 7 years, went on and on about his day at school. she giggled at naiveness and plain stupidness him and his little friends possessed. yet she adored it, and how they still saw life in the most purest form. rebecca on the other hand, her world slowly began cracking a year ago. she accidently walked into the garrison during a 'family meeting' that was in the back and therefore they hadn't heard her. then as they believed her to be sleeping, she heard more speaking and whispers late one night. the world she once saw was not what she saw now. she realized how dark, cruel and unforgiving it could be. so it came to no surprise when her name was not on the damn list but a huge part of her wish it had been. she wanted to be like every other university girl in this town, but she was afraid she'd never be. "alright fi, time to get to bed." she smiled turning around in her vanity chair. fi was a little nickname she gave to him one cold night during the war and it had stuck between the two since. "i don't want to." he huffed, crossing his arms. "you have to, it is quite late. don't let our big scary brother find out i let you stay up past your bedtime." she grinned, running over and tickling him. finn's laugh filled up the room, alerting the whole house he was still awake. francis smiled as she tidied up the kitchen. tommy stirred in his cat nap, feeling a ginormous headache coming on. but as he listened to the laughter and shrieks coming from upstairs his heart softened. his cold and locked heart, always swelled just a bit more when he heard finn's laugh. a contagious one at that.

rebecca shooed the boy after a minute, and wrapped her arms around the almost 13 year old boy. "i cant believe you're going to be 13 in a few days." she hummed, and he started to squirm in her arms. "oi don't become a teenager just yet." she giggled, and he stopped fidgeting. the two sat on her bed for a few minutes more before deciding it was time to get him to bed, "come on love, time to go to sleep." she said letting him get off of her lap. he yawned, and she grinned knowing full well he'd been trying to hide his exhaustion so the two could stay up just a bit more to talk. rebecca was truly all finn knew, he was only 8 when the boys went off to war and when they came back it was a shell of what they had been. rebecca cared for him like he was her own for as long as she could remember. just as tommy thought of her and finn as his own, sometimes. "come on." she whispered, taking ahold of his hand and walking towards the conjoined rooms that were separated by a thin wall and door.

tommy heard from his office the fight that finn was putting up and then it stopped, and he smiled softly knowing his exhaustion finally won. he'd always have trouble getting finn to sleep especially when everybody was over but rebecca - becs - always had a way with him. she was soft, kind, heart warming and gave the best hugs in the world. oh, and a cookie here and there. he looked at the grandfather clock in his office and decided it was late enough, and that he'd finish everything in the morning. he slowly walked upstairs, saying goodnight to francis and he stopped without knowing in front of rebecca's door. he heard her mingling about, getting ready for the next morning and trying to find her one book she'd hid without realizing. he knocked softly on her door, and she knew who it was. she walked over to her door, and opened it to reveal and tired and somewhat bothered tom shelby. she rolled her eyes, and walked towards her bed. he took that as a cue to walk in, and she faced him once she sat on her bed. she sat pretzel style, waiting for him to speak.

"becs, there are things-" she cut him off, "cut the bullshit tom. i don't want excuses." she said coldly and his eyebrows knit together in confusion and then in understanding. "you know?" he asked almost in disbelief and she rolled her eyes again, nodding. "when?" he asked, trying to figure out when she'd heard things. "the garrison last September, right before university started. then again over winter break, here at the house. and then last week when i woke up from a nap." she explained and he stood there processing it. "i know you've tried to keep me and finn safe but tommy." she paused, and he looked up at the nickname. "you cant keep my cooped up here forever. i cant live like this nor will you be able to when I've turned this house upside down." she said a bit lightheartedly. he grinned, "its not like you haven't don't that already." and she smirked. "i am the only female in this bloodline, it was to be expected." she smiled, a genuine smile. "and the only blonde and blue eyed one." he said and she pointed at him, in agreement. he looked down, and thoughts plagued his mind. "tommy...i need to do this. you need to let me do this, i cant stay in birmingham forever. i want a life outside of this place, i dream of faraway places. i dream of chicago or los angeles, i dream of a air so clean it hurts. i dream of a place where i don't fear to step out of my house, where i can be who i want to be, wild and free." she paused as tommy looked up. "i want the fairytales mum used to say and the one's aunt pol spoke about...i want my prince charming far, far away from here. you-you need to let me go tommy. or ill never escape this thing- this place." she said saying the words he'd longed to hear. just not the america part.

"okay." he simply stated, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion. "ok-ay?" she questioned, and he nodded. "okay." he repeated. she felt her heart flutter and butterflies grow with excitement. she jumped off the bed, and threw her arms around the usually stone cold brother. he froze for a second before chuckling, and wrapped his arms around his baby sister. "thankyou thankyou." she said genuinely, feeling as if she was on top of the world. until she wouldn't be.

˚ · .·˚

rebecca walked down the stairs to find michael and aunt polly waiting for her, at the bottom. because her brothers were out of the age frame, it was determined that michael would 'send her off' and accompany her that evening. she smiled at michael who truly was her brother, as the two had stuck with one another during the war. and being so close with aunt polly, cemented it further. finn shouted from the top steps as michael was about to walk out with her. "becca wait!" he screamed, and she turned around to see her kid brother rushing to hand her a single rose. she knew exactly where he got it from, mrs.hanovers front garden two blocks over. "oh bubba, thankyou." she smiled hugging him. "i hope you have a good time tonight, and break a lot of hearts." he joked and she giggled nodding. "i love you, don't forget that." finn said pulling her in one last time. she smiled, "i love you too fi." she said before kissing his cheek and michael retook her arm. he hooked his other arm on pollys and the three left finn with franics.

the shelby boys and their partners were already at the grand hall, polly walking in shortly before rebecca and michael would walk in after being announced. he looked down at his cousin who practically was his sister at this point, and he saw the nerves beginning to seep over. she could not shake the feeling of dread, and one of fear. she had woken up during the night in a terror, finn quickly running over to check on her. he'd found her in a cold sweat, heart and mind racing. he held her as she shook, not understanding what her mind was fighting. thoughts so unfathomable for her, and one's that would not be dared to be spoken. michael rubbed her arm, and that comforted the blonde. "thankyou michael again, for doing this." she smiled up at her younger cousin - by only a year he liked to joke. he nodded kissing her temple, and she held on tightly to the rose finn had given her.

polly on the other side of the curtain found the boys and their partners, nodding to tommy who stood just a little taller. grace at his side, smiled softly knowing polly had settled his nerves just a bit. the crowd turned their attention toward the debutants and their partners. the crowd gushed, oohed and ahhed over the affair. it was now rebecca's turn, and she felt butterflies flooding her body. michael winked at her and then they walked out. rebecca's champagne-colored dress dazzled the crowd, her blue stone necklace glinting just a tiny bit in the light. rebecca amelia shelby, the girl who shall not be named was finally being seen by many. the shelby girl kept in the shadows for most of her life, raised by her kid brother and so called addicted aunt, had barely seen the light of day for school. let alone, the slum of birmingham. she smiled widely as the crowd clapped for her like they did for every other young lady tonight. michael walked her over towards the family as he had spotted them rather quickly, while rebecca was lost in her own world. they turned towards the family, as the crowd murmured about the young girl. she would not be forgotten, not now and not ever.

they walked up to the group and john quickly hugged rebecca, then arthur and then tommy who only nodded at her. oh for the love of appearances, rebecca silently cursed. aunt polly gushed about her dress and entrance, to which grace and esme agreed. rebecca thanked the women and turned around to look at the two debutants who had just been introduced. she politely clapped, and quickly found her best friend, olivia who Michael had become quite fond of. "please excuse me." rebecca said to the group before walking over to her and brother. "if it isn't miss beauty-" olivia started, "miss grace-" rebecca giggled. the two had recently become quite fond over america and the idea of the west, and what it could possess. their interest peaked when they saw there was a miss america pagenet and olivia was smitten. "miss united states." olivia whispered the last part causing rebecca to laugh loudly. "so did you tell him?" olivia questioned, eyeing tommy who was also eyeing the two. rebecca shrugged, "you didn't tell him?" olivia eyes went wide. rebecca shook her head, "its not like you haven't talked about since the very day you turned 18 and we were roommates." olivia said as a matter of factly. rebecca sighed, "its not that easy you know him, you know them. they'll never let me go. besides i told him about it awhile ago but i know he hates the idea of me in chicago or los angeles without them." rebecca stated and olivia rolled her eyes. "if i didn't love you as much as a sister, i'd march right up to him and go ballistic. y'know that?" olivia smirked and rebecca nodded. she'd been keeping her best friend at bay for months now.

"besides i just got archie to come with us when we do hit the west." olivia said cheekily and rebecca's eyes went wide. it was true, rebecca was smitten the older boy of two years. she had been for years, and olivia loved to tease her about it. "he's going?" rebecca in a whisper and olivia nodded, "he said he couldn't let his little sister fend for herself without him." and rebecca laughed loudly and boldly at this. arthur and john looked over along with tommy who'd been eyeing her the whole conversation. "see shes having a great time, tommy boy." arthur said clapping a hand on his shoulder. to which, tommy shoved off.

"maybe ill have to get michael to come with or at least visit us until you see how madly in love he is with you." rebecca giggled like a little girl. "rebecca amelia." olivia prompted, and rebecca clicked her tongue. "you twisted girl." olivia said sipping her champagne fluke, and archie gave one to rebecca. she smiled at him and thanked the hazel eyed boy who smiled back at her. "whos the rose from?" olivia asked and rebecca smiled, "finn." she said and olivia gushed. "that's so cute where'd he steal it from?" she teased and rebecca laughed. "mrs hanouver two blocks east." and olivia gasped, "that little grifter." olivia said about finn, and rebecca rolled her eyes. she looked back to see her family dispersing just a bit, while tommy and grace stood in the same place talking to another older couple. "i should head back, but i will see you later...at the after party?" she whispered the last part, and olivia smirked. "don't you know it." she smirked, and then rebecca turned towards archie. "as always it is a pleasure." he smiled, taking her hand in his and kissing it. her cheeks turned crimson and she let it fall to her side before turning around and walking towards tommy and grace. he turned towards her, as she walked up to them. he stopped the conversation short, and grace went to go find polly. tommy gave his sister his full attention, and she smiled. "see? that wasn't so bad." she teased, taking his outstretched arm. he chuckled, knowing that the threat of life was not over and done for the evening.

"so what do you think of the idea of a trip out west this winter?" she said gaging his response. "i heard al capone is a great guy." she teased and he chuckled briefly. he'd been in contact with guys in new york and new jersey and knew just how great of a guy he was. somebody just like tommy but even worse. "tell me why you know who capone is?" he questioned softly and she shrugged, and tommy rolled his eyes now. "oi! don't be rolling your eyes at me." she playfully joked and tommy could not help but crack a little bit more. he just laughed, as the crowd began to disperse into the bigger ballroom to have dinner and have some dancing. tommy and rebecca stood their for a brief moment, looking at one another. he pulled a piece of stray blonde hair behind her ear and questioned softly, "when did you grow up?" and she blushed. "i did a long time ago tommy..you just didn't want to notice." she smiled softly. despite all of the rules and regulations he imposed on her once he came back from the war, she wouldn't have had it any other way. the amount of nights in she received with finn from tommy, and her brothers were ones she was going to cherish. "tommy." she said just as he was about to take another step towards the grander ballroom. he looked back and saw nerves and anxiety plagueing her features. he tried searching her eyes but came up short, "i wanted to let you know that i wasn't joking when i was talking about going west." she began and he felt her slipping, slipping from his fingers. "i am going west once i graduate this spring, olivia and i will be going together." she said not sure of his response. but she never got it. as soon as tommy opened his mouth, he looked forward and saw the commotion that he had worried about. an italian mobster outstretched his hand with a silver weapon, pointing it at tommy. for it to only hit rebecca instead as arthur pushed him over.

chaos rose throughout the hall, as tommy screamed. rebecca fell in his arms as he had tried to push her back behind him. her champagne dress now crimson red. she looked up at tommy, as he cradled her in his arms. she could not hear a thing, as she looked up at him. as he yelled for an ambulance, for somebody to help. she pulled his face to look towards her's, eyes swelling with tears in her blue eyes. she knew these were her last moments, and she did not want them to be filled with the ceiling but on somebody she loved. could of been arthur, michael, finn- anybody. her hand finally unclutched the single rose as polly kneeled down. "i'm sorry, i'm so sorry!" tommy cried looking down at rebecca. he cried, as she was losing her grasp on this world. arthur was the first one to look back at his sister, then john and then michael. it was as if time was frozen, as the four men in her life watched her breathing her last few breathes. "im sorry." tommy whispered again, words spitting with salty tears. rebecca shook her head, "you did-did everything you thought was right. i-i-i could never fault you for that tommy." she said slowly and brokenly. "i love you so much, tommy." she cried out, and that made tommy cry even harder. "i love you too, blondie." he sobbed. arthur fell to his knees, as rebecca slowly took one last breathe; fighting gravity as her chest weighed down. once tommy realized she'd stop breathing, he lost it. his sister was not supposed to leave this world at the hands of his doings. she was supposed to live a long beautiful life somewhere far away from here, with her two kids, dog and husband she'd long to have. she was supposed to get out of this place and never look back. she was never meant to have her demise be here in birmingham.

tommy cluthed his sister's lifeless body as his world was breaking. polly clung to michael who'd now kneeled beside her. arthur sobbed face down and john grabbed ahold of olivia as she tried to see where her best friend was.

rebecca amelia shelby, the long lost daughter of the shelby clan, the one who shall not be named would be named forever in this town of birmingham.

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

oh my goodness!!!!! i hope you all enjoyed, and if you did so please like, comment and repost-- i will love u forever xx

also not me playing the titanic suite medley and crying at the end lol

#tommy shelby x sister!reader #tommy shelby #arthur shelby #peaky blinders #John shelby #Tommy Shelby x oc #peaky blinders x oc #peaky blinders x sister!reader #Michael gray #polly gray #aunt polly #cillian muprhy #finn cole #I have no idea what to tag now lol

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evita-shelby · 8 months

Text

Reader insert Masterlist

Part 2

(Masterlist 1)

Ran out of space lol

Tommy Shelby

Only Joys will come (part iii of nights on the January)

Happy wife Happy life (drunk!Tommy x wife)

Promise (tommy x sick!reader)

Chance (tommy x ex!reader)

Ths Red Room (tommy x reader x eva) vampire!au

Torture (tommy x wife!reader)

Fatal Attraction (tommy x assassin!reader)

Cuddling(part 2 for happy wife happy life)

Death shall set you free (tommy x wife!reader)

The Devil of Small Heath (kelpie!Tommy x witch!reader)

A Dull Party (Tommy x Eva/Reader x Tatiana)🔞

Dad!Tommy fics

Ghosts of New Year's Past (Tommy & Diane(oc daughter) & Polly’s Ghost)

Luca Changretta

Persistence (luca x shelby sister)

Jack Nelson

The fabulous miss shelby (part 3)

Two for One (Luca x reader x Eva)

The professor

Hunt(vampire hunter au)

Michael Gray

Finn Shelby

Preacher's Daughter (kid!finn x Jeremiah's duaghter!reader)

Isiah Jesus

#tommy shelby x oc #thomas shelby fanfic #thomas shelby x oc #peaky blinders fanfiction #thomas shelby imagine #tommy shelby x reader #tommy shelby x fem!reader #tommy shelby x wife!reader #tommy shelby x male!reader #luca changretta x fem!reader #luca changretta x reader #isiah jesus #isiah jesus x reader #finn shelby x fem!reader #michael gray x fem!reader #michael gray x reader #jack nelson x reader

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omgkatherine01 · 1 year

Text

Fallen Angel: Chapter 2 - The Shelby

Series Masterlist

Chapter 1, Chapter 3

Pairing: Tommy Shelby x female reader

Warning: Men been creepy, Mention of Self harm

Please comment, like and share

Should I go that way or that way? Viktoria thought to herself with a sigh while taking a cover from the rain under a roof of a store. She cleaned her cut with paper towel in the store moments ago, ignoring the looks she received from the three people inside it because of her clothes.

The door of the store opened and Viktoria stepped a side, ignoring the man who came out. The man however, couldn't ignore her, and smirked, "Hello, love."

Viktoria glanced toward him with a frown and then away, "Hey," she muttered, hoping the rain would stop already so she could leave the area.

"Where you heading off to?" the man asked, lighting up his cigarette. Viktoria made a face on that and stepped away as he smoke, not answering his question.

The man continued speaking to her when she didn't answer, "If you want, I could take you to my place for the night--"

"Yeah, thanks, but no," Viktoria said and looked at the next store not far. She took a step to go there and hope the man wouldn't follow.

But he took a grip of her arm, making her turn to him with a glare, "Hey! Let go."

"I'm speaking to you," the man said, giving her a glare back.

"Yeah, and I answered, now fuck off," Viktoria snapped and shoved him away as she pulled her arm from his grip. "Creep."

The man took a step toward her before pausing when a car pulled up in front of them. Viktoria looked at the car with a frown, and blinked in surprise when Ada stepped out from the passenger seat.

"Viktoria, are you alright?" she asked as she moved closer, and glanced from her to the man, before back at her as she took her arm gently.

Viktoria nodded and frowned at a young man stepping out from the driver seat, and slamming the door shut as he walked closer. He smoked a cigarette as he stared down at the man who grabbed Viktoria.

"Mr. Shelby, sir," the man stuttered and glanced at Viktoria in horror before at the young man. "I--I--I didn't know she was yours, sorry, sir."

The young man didn't say anything and continued to smoke as he stared down at the older man, who seemed like he was ready to take off running, which he did after a moment.

Viktoria frowned as she watched him running away. The young man turned to his sister and her, well, friend. "Did he hurt you?" Ada asked her.

"No, I'm--I'm fine," Viktoria answered, glancing from her to the young man.

"All right, come on," Ada said, tagging her gently to the car.

"Where we going?" Viktoria asked.

"To our house," the young man answered, throwing the cigarette to the floor. "Let's go."

"I don't know you," Viktoria told him and she looked at Ada, "And to be honest, I don't know you, either. You don't know me, so, why are you helping me?"

Ada shrugged lightly and gave her a small smile, "If it would have happened to me, I would have wanted someone to step in and help. So, come with me and my brother, and will get you something to eat, and some warmer clothes."

Viktoria looked at her for a moment and nodded slowly, letting her pull her to the car by the hand. She glanced to the young man as they walked pass him.

At his intense look, she looked away from him. Ada opened the backseat door, and Viktoria got in.

She watched Ada and her brother getting in the front seats and she saw the brother glancing at her through the front mirror before he drove them away.

Viktoria was feeling a little awkward standing in front of Ada's family. "This is Viktoria, the one I spoke of," Ada said, "Those are my brothers, Arthur, Finn, John, and you've already met Tommy. And this is our aunt, Polly."

Viktoria nodded, "Hey," she muttered and Finn, the youngest one, smiled up at her.

John glanced from one member of his family to the other, "So, what do we do with her?"

Polly's eyes moved down to Viktoria's arm, and down to her wrist where she could see a clean cut on it. "Get out," she said.

Viktoria frowned a little while Ada frowned deeply, "Aunt Polly," she said.

"Not her," Polly said and glanced at the boys, "You boys, out of the room." She looked down at Finn, brushing her fingers through his hair, "That means you as well, Finn."

"Come on," Arthur muttered as he led his brothers out.

Polly's eyes darted from Viktoria's wrist to her face and stepped closer. She looked at her wrist again and took it. Viktoria tried to move her arm out but the older woman had a strong grip on it while looking at the cut.

"Ada, bring a cleaned towel," she said and moved with Viktoria to the sink. When Ada quickly left the room, Polly glanced to Viktoria as she washed her cut. "Did you try to harm yourself?"

Viktoria glanced toward the woman before back to her wrist. "Wasn't deep enough," she said softly as she stared numbly.

Polly glanced at her and after a moment, looked back at the cut, finishing cleaning it completely as Ada walked in. Ada gently wrapped the towel around her arm and Viktoria held onto it. "Thank you," she muttered.

"Where you from?" Polly asked as Ada and Viktoria sat down.

"Um, Bulgaria," Viktoria answered. "But moved to London when I was a kid, after my mother passed away."

Polly's body tensed as Ada spoke softly, "My mother died as well when I was younger. Finn was only a baby when that happened."

"I'm sorry," Viktoria said softly.

Ada nodded slowly and shrugged, "My father must be alive, who knows and care, right?"

Viktoria nodded with understanding, "Bad relationship, huh?"

"Yes."

Polly looked at Viktoria, narrowing her eyes slightly, "Ada said you most likely not from here."

Ada glanced from her aunt to Viktoria as she nodded slowly. "Yeah," she muttered as she took a moment to actually look at the kitchen, "It's a messed up story."

Polly noticed, "Who sent you?"

"Aunt Polly," Ada groaned as Viktoria looked at her.

"I'm sorry?" Viktoria asked, confused as she looked between them.

Polly opened her mouth to speak again, but then the doors opened and Tommy walked in. "Times up," he said, walking in with his brothers.

Polly glanced at them and looked back at Viktoria, "I asked who sent you?"

Viktoria looked confused and she frowned, "Sent me for what?"

"To spy, get intel's. Who?"

"Aunt Polly, I hardly think she's a spy," Ada said, giving her a look.

Viktoria looked between the family and her eyes landed on the aunt, "I wasn't send here to spy," she said, "Look, I can go if--"

"No, it's alright," Ada said, giving her family a look of annoyance. "You can stay the night here. You will be staying in my room." She gave Arthur a look when he gave her back.

Tommy lighted up a cigarette, "Finn. Take her to Ada's room." He bend down and spoke something to the young boy's ear, and he nodded up to him.

Finn walked around the table and took Viktoria's hand, "Come."

Viktoria hesitated before standing up. She looked at Ada, who nodded and she walked out of the room with the youngest brother.

"I don't buy it," Tommy said when she and Finn left.

"Of course you won't," Ada muttered.

"Where did that girl appeared from?" Tommy asked.

"I found her, and we started to talk," Ada started as she crossed her arms over her chest. She cleared her throat, "And... when I said that I don't think she's from here... I meant I don't think she is from here. As in..."

"As in, what?" Tommy asked.

Ada hesitated, "She asked me a weird question, as in what year is it, and she had a strange device that she said calls 'phone', and most of all, her clothes are very much different to our time."

John scoffed, "You not suggesting what I think you suggesting, right?"

"Look, I know this sounds nuts, but from the look I saw her give when I told her it was 1919... I think--"

"She's nuts," Tommy said, "She broke out from an asylum." He looked at Polly, "Check to see if there's a Viktoria Wilson in the closes asylum here."

"Tommy," Ada snapped.

"I'm not buying that this girl is from the future," Tommy said.

"And if she is?" Ada challenged, "What then?"

Tommy stepped closer to his sister, "We'll see, but only if there will be no records of this girl in any asylum, then I won't think she's so crazy after all."

Ada narrowed her eyes and rolled them when her brother turned and walked out.

Taglist:

@esquivelbianca, @inalovesrabbits-blog, @memariana91, @l1-l4, @thoughtfuldonutdragonherring, @smellyzcat, @sysymei

#peaky blinders #peaky blinder imagine #tommy shelby #tommy shelby imagine #tommy shelby x oc #tommy shelby x reader #tommy shelby x y/n #thomas shelby #arthur shelby imagine #john shelby imagine #polly grey #ada shelby #ada thorne #finn shelby

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rysko · 4 months

Text

Kings of Spades - Part 2 l Luca Changretta x M!OC

Summary: Juliusz really isn't looking forward toward talking to the Shelby family, before he does that however, he visits an old acquaintance before leaving London.

Previous chapter Next Chapter

Warnings: Peaky-typical swearing

A/N: Couldn't wait till next week to post the second chapter here, since the first one is just a bit of a taste. There isn't much Luca here, but he'll be back next time with a blast :* Make sure to have fun! Juliusz isn't having any! <333

The only sound in the hotel room is the echo of a door crashing.

“Dovremmo mandare qualcuno a seguirlo?” Matteo suggests, looking at the closed door.

“No,” Luca says, almost too fast. “I’ve got my own eyes on him.” He steals a look through the window, and a cruel smile graces his face as he sees Ferenz’s state. It’s pointless to send someone after him now, Changretta’s men won’t get through to Small Heath.

Now it’s three people in the Shelby family he’s got a hold on, well, maybe two and a half, Michael Gray can’t rally do scrap tied to a bed. But both Polly and Julius are willing to put Tommy out of his misery for the boy’s safety, so he’ll keep a special eye on him. Especially since even the lawyer seems to care for the Gray boy, despite them not being related, maybe he could be of use after all…

One of his men walked in, Angelo, as far as he could remember, a more distant cousin of his. He laid down a stack of papers on Luca’s desk, amongst many others.

“They were supposed to be here an hour ago.” Changretta picks up one of the files and points it at Angelo.

“We had trouble with the cops, stopped us to check documents.” He replies, almost too casually. Luca only mumbled something under his nose in Italian, dismissing his soldier.

Left alone in the room, the last strands of the evening sun peek through the thick curtains and fall on an old file.

JULIUSZ T. FERENZ

Luca opens it with a small hum, takes a sip of barely tolerable English coffee, and starts reading.

***************************************

He was lucky to put in a favour from Solomons, though it was less of a usual favour and more of a “please let me get myself presentable and get me a train to Birmingham without asking any questions” favour. Surprisingly, one of his workers only shrugged and let him in the bakery the lawyer used to work at. As soon as Juliusz came in, Solomons greeted him in his usual work attire. The Pole smiled at him slightly as his ex-boss patted him on his back way too hard for his wounded body.

“You look like shit, mate.” Solomons poured him a hefty amount of rum, which Juliusz gratefully took and downed in one gulp, to Alfies’ disapproval.

“I know.” He sighed.

“And I mean, more like shit than usual, because usually you look like a normal shit, the kind of shit that a healthy dog leaves, you know? It’s still crap, but it’s healthy and presentable.” Alfie rambles, as usual. “Now y’look like a shit that you step on a rainy fucking day, you can see bits of blood on it and everything.” He points lazily in Juliusz’s direction.

“I…have no comment.” He sighs, though smiling unwillingly, feeling oddly at home in this illegal distillery. How he missed the chaos and the sheer utter madness Alfie Solomons gave to the table. All those years ago when Juliusz came to Britain, working for a group of Jewish gangsters wasn’t on his list, but that’s what happens when money from defending petty criminals and women that want to divorce their shitty husbands isn��t enough. Because of Alfie Solomons, he then saw an opportunity at Shelby Company Limited, which could finally let him be a registered law advisor, while still having satisfying profits.

“Well that’s fucking unusual mate, you are supposed to give comments, no? It’s all you learn in lawyer school, right.” This earned a snort from Juliusz.

“I guess you can say that.” He was feeling slightly better, maybe because of the rum slowly warming up his body, or the distraction in the form of a conversation with Alfie.

“So what, we stitch you up real nice and send you back to the man that took my best lawyer away from me? What’s Tommy got you up to in London anyway, looks like you got jumped or what?” He rambled on, and Juliusz felt he didn’t have the right head for comprehending everything Alfie said, despite the monologues being welcome, he felt a migraine coming.

“I had some personal business, Mr. Solomons, nothing you should worry about.” He let out. God, he’s so fucking tired. He feels like he can’t look down, or else he’ll see bloody hands and bruises, which is nothing good to see if he doesn’t want to have a breakdown in front of his ex-employer.

“Oh, of course, be my fucking guest mate, you show up at my door looking like a used-up ladies' pad and I'll turn a fucking blind eye, sure,” Alfie grumbled in an exaggerated voice as he took out a rag from his apron, downing it in the same rum he offered Juliusz beforehand. “That was sarcasm on my part.” He clarified shortly before reaching and tapping the rag over some deeper wounds on his ex-employee's face, hands, and upper body.

“Yes, yes I know.” Juliusz flinched each time he felt the cold material on his skin. “As much as I appreciate your help, I got this, if it calms you, I’ll make sure Thomas gets wind of what happened. He’ll send you compensation for materials and the train ticket from my paybook.”

“A few pounds’ worths of rag and rum aren’t hurting my pocket, mate. You saved me thousands in legal fees back in the day anyway, right, like when these fuckers from the government-” Juliusz drowned out every possible sound as he closed his eyes, only feeling the occasional wet feeling of a rum-drenched rag and the low rumble of a friends’ voice.

A longer moment passed between them, after which, Juliusz felt a few pats on his knee.

“All set, you’ll live another day, eh fancypants?” Alfie looked at him with his usual raised eyebrows and pursed lips.

“You know, Mr. Solomons, back in the day I thought you didn’t like me.” Juliusz leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees, trying to relieve his neck.

“True it is.”

He stammered. “Wh- Really? How come you’re helping me now?”

“I don’t like YOU, I think you’re a fucking smartass mug, right. But you were one of mine back in the day, and I have standards for my employees. You never caused trouble for me.” Solomons busied himself with cleaning up their makeshift medic’s office, after a few seconds, he turned around to meet Juliusz’s gaze again. “Also, from one jewish sodomite to the other, I don’t think we should make our lives more difficult than they are, right? Now get back to Tommy and your work, and don’t get involved in London business that gets you jumped, eh?” It sounded more like an order, than a question when they finally reached the exit on Bonny Street.

“Of course, thank you, Alfie.” Juliusz nodded and bid him goodbye, off to the train back to Birmingham and to a conversation he really wasn’t looking forward towards.

***************************

Tommy was trying to work, he really was, but between Polly looking at him unamused and Arthur's pacing there was no way in hell he could focus. He put his pen down and leaned back in his chair, taking out a cigarette from his jacket’s inner pocket, halfway through lighting it, he saw Finn approaching the office door. Polly looked over her shoulder, while Arthur finally stood in place, but still appeared on edge.

“His flat’s empty.” These were the first words that came from Finn as soon as he opened the door. “No message, all his suitcases empty. But it doesn’t seem like anyone broke in.”

This earned a deep sigh from Tommy, accompanied by a loud curse from Arthur, Polly said nothing, her eyes still on a shaken Finn.

“Tommy, you think they-” Finn blurted out.

“I don’t know. I already sent some boys all over Birmingham.” Tommy said in an exhale, cigarette smoke spewing out of his mouth as well as words. This didn’t seem to calm Arthur.

“Are they looking for Julius, or his body, huh Tommy?” He said, an angry kind of annoyance in his voice as he glared at his younger brother.

“Would they do it so quietly?” Polly remarked, seeming more curious than concerned. “Maybe they want us to find the company lawyer in a ditch somewhere, like a spit in the eye.” She took a sip of whiskey that had been sitting for far too long, grimacing at the taste.

“They’d show us, Changretta is set on showing us…Me,” Tommy explained, which only seemed to upset Finn and Arthur, the oldest Shelby punched the table he was leaning against in frustration. “Arthur, calm-”

“DON’T tell me to calm down!” Arthur snapped at Tommy, taking a few steps toward his desk, and pointing at his younger brother angrily. “you’re sitting here waiting for him to fucking show up and keeping me here-”

“There’s nothing else we can do Arthur. They want to get us angry and to follow them-” Tommy raised his voice, gesticulating to make his point clearer.

“First they kill John, and now I have to wait until I find my friend’s body floating in The fucking Cut?!” Arthur slams his palms on Tommy’s desk, business cards and pens flying. They’re interrupted by Polly’s voice.

“Boys!” She almost screams to get their attention. “The phone.” The telephone across the room was ringing, Polly looked at Tommy like she was waiting for him to do something. Tommy stood up and waltzed over to the phone.

“Yes?” He sighed, this better not be factory business, or Changretta calling to let Tommy know that he’ll find his employee's head in a suitcase, he pondered which was worse.

“Tommy, how’ve you been mate?” An all too familiar voice rings on the other side of the telephone.

“This isn’t the best time Alfie.” Tommy rubs his temple, annoyed, but slightly more relaxed. The mention of Solomon’s name made the already on-edge Arthur groan out a frustrated ‘for fuck’s sake’.

“It’s always ‘not the best time’ with you eh, Tommy? You send letters, call whenever you have the time, and think ‘Oh, I’ll call my dearest friend Tommy to see how he is’ and what you hear in return is that kind of bollocks talk. You know Tommy, if I didn’t know any better I’d say you’re not a gipsy bloke, but a typical Jewish woman, right?” Tommy, frankly, had no words, only staring at the wall wondering where Alfie was going with all this. “So, what do you need?”

Tommy paused, perplexed. “...You called me Alfie.”

“Oh, well, I'm just letting you know I sent over your lost bun on the train to Birmingham, right? Quite beaten up he was, I didn’t think I’d get a visit from him anytime soon.” Solomons explained, surprisingly casually.

“Lost…” Tommy’s brows furrowed, confused. After a short moment, he realised what the Jewish gangster meant. “You saw Julius?”

Everyone in the room perked up, getting a glimpse of what Tommy might be talking about. Arthur moves closer, wanting to hear what Solomons is talking about and why he’s seen his friend, but Tommy stops him.

“I did, yeah. Listen, mate, I don’t know what you feed him over there, but he needs more than that. Back in London, right, I had my cousin slip some extra latkes into his bag when he came into the office. You know what latkes are, right? Juliusz likes them ‘cause they make them back in dumpling land as well, anyway-” Usually, Tommy would happily endure one of Solomons’s tangents, but he’s got other things on his plate right now, more important than delicious potato pancakes, he imagines.

“I’ll call you back Alfie.” He cuts off, promptly setting the telephone down. “I guess we’re waiting for him to show up, eh Arthur?” He looks up at his brother, eyebrows raised in a smug victory.

******************************

“Tommy asked to see you,” Linda didn’t even look up from the betting book, checking over what seemed to be some math Lizzie was doing.

“Oh really?” Juliusz asks, sarcastically, trying his best to seem all right and put together. The few hours he sat on the train didn’t help. The only thing he thought about was those Italians, the oldest Changretta’s deal and the still everpresent taste of blood in the back of Juliusz’s throat that didn’t seem to have been washed out by the rum. He takes a step towards Tommy’s office but stops, first taking out a tiny blue bottle, out of which a small dose of a white powder falls onto his thumb.

“Tommy isn’t going to like you using snow.” Linda mused, earning a scoff from the lawyer as he rubbed the powder on his gums.

“Oh hush, don’t pretend you’re not snorting it after you finish your rosary for the day.” Juliusz looks over to her and sees the woman unamused.

“Well, he doesn’t care if I do it. Plus I ran out, with Michael in the hospital.” She shrugs. Ah, the kid, he really needs to visit him after this.

“Here, knock yourself out.” He tosses the bottle to her, which she catches. “Keep it between us, and Michael probably.” he clears his throat and heads for Tommy’s office, Juliusz’s head just a smidge clearer.

Before he can even touch the door, it’s swung open by Polly, who pulls him inside to find Thomas, Arthur and Finn patiently waiting. Suddenly it’s hard to speak, or more so, start the fucking sentence Juliusz was building during the whole train and car ride to Small Heath.

“Thomas, I was-” He starts, throat dry.

“In London, we know.” He interrupted, nodding in the general direction of the phone. “Italians?”

“Yes.” Juliusz sits on an opposing armchair. “Got me outside of the office, in broad daylight.”

“Fucking hell.” Finn blurted out, probably more to himself than anyone else.

No one said anything, Juliusz felt everyone’s gaze on him, some worried, some suspicious or curious.

“Changretta wants me to spy for him.” He breathes out, looking at Tommy intently. “He offered my life, for yours.” Another silence. Thomas said nothing, looking at Juliusz almost emptily. After a long drag of a cigarette, which to the Pole lasted almost an eternity, Tommy spoke.

“You agreed?” Juliusz couldn’t decide if Tommy’s tone was a genuinely asking one or a cold accusation.

“It didn’t seem like I had any other fucking choices.” He explained himself, what else could he do? If he spat in Luca’s face like he internally wanted to, he’d be draining out of his split neck already. “So what now?”

“Now, we do nothing,” Tommy said like it’s the most obvious thing he’s ever said.

“What?”

“You agreed. You’re going to see Changretta and convince him you’re on his side, then feed him what we want him to think,” Tommy explains in one big exhale, gesticulating with his hand holding the almost-ending cigarette.

Juliusz looked around the office, dumbfounded. No one else objected, Polly was looking between him and Thomas, one eyebrow raised in consideration. Arthur definitely wasn’t pleased, but only nodded slightly and rested his gaze on the floor. Finn, genuinely, looked like he had no idea what he was still doing here.

“Thomas, are you mad?! If he gets wind of this my head will be on a fucking spike!” He rose from his seat, ribs aching from the quick change of position, but he didn’t care. Changretta isn’t stupid, Tommy seems to underestimate him.

“All our heads will if we don’t play all the cards handed to us.” Tommy’s stern voice rises.

“So I’m a fucking card now? Just like John’s funeral?” Juliusz is not sure if what he’s feeling is frustration, anger, fear, helplessness, or everything all at once.

“You can still leave Birmingham, be my guest, but your name is written on a bullet too.” Polly jumps into the conversation.

“Fuck.” He lets out, slumping down in his seat once again. “I’m not dancing with Luca goddamn Changretta, Thomas,” Juliusz says in a rough, tired tone.

“Listen, the fact that you’re still alive means Changreta sees use in you, John didn’t get that chance.” Tommy leans forward in his chair, his calculating piercing blue eyes meeting Juliusz’s green ones. “If we want to get out of this alive, we need everything we got, even if it means putting our necks on the line.”

“Contact him, meet in a public place. Agree to his terms and make him trust you.” Polly adds, like a teacher schooling a young lad, Juliusz has seen it before when she lectured Tommy. “You’re not a Shelby, it’s more logical you’d want to save your skin rather than defend Tommy.”

Weirdly, that’s what Juliusz thought before.

“It is, yet here we are.” Juliusz sighs. “Fine. I guess I do have no other choice.” It does seem a bit nonsensical to an outsider, to defend people like the Shelbys in a time like this. But one thing the lawyer has learnt when working with the Brummie gang is that after a while, shit just stops making sense.

“You'll be fine, Jul. It’s nice to have you back, eh cowboy.” Arthur pats him on the back, his good brotherly humour seemingly back. “We’ll show these wops.”

Oh, we will . It’s just that Juliusz isn’t sure what exactly it will be.

#peaky blinders #peaky blinders fanfic #luca changretta fanfic #luca changretta x oc #luca changretta #tommy shelby #alfie solomons #arthur shelby #linda shelby #polly gray #finn shelby #kings of spades

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writerunblocked · 8 months

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Bullet Proof Heart: I. The Agreement

Synopsis: After her idiot older brother, a man notoriously bad a counting, accidentally short-changes the Peaky Blinders for who their father pays for protection, Anya Rosenthal finds herself engaged to the much older and the most powerful man in Birmingham. The leader of the gang The Peaky Blinders and her now former employer, Thomas Shelby.

Trope: Arranged marriage trop. I know it's old, but I like it.

TW: Death and dying, antisemitism, drinking, drunkness, and smoking, swearing

WC: 3560

Read Part 2, Out of the Bag, here. Read Part 3: Acceptance here

It was a bleak late August morning in Birmingham, England. The people went about their business, dogs barked, and she could hear children laughing outside. Nothing about this morning could predict the day Anya Rosenthal would have.

Waking up, getting dressed, and running into the kitchen to greet her mother who had been up for hours, the 22-year-old was greeted by her mother mopping the floors and muttering things in Yiddish under her breath. Looking at her mother’s blotchy face and red eyes, she looked like she’d been crying. She walked over to where her mum kept the liquor, grabbed the bottle of Jameson, walked over to the tea and poured her mother a glass with more Jameson than tea. Placing it down on the table, she walked over to her mother who was muttering in Yiddish ‘no good piece of shit. Marrying her off without my knowledge. I thought he loved her. To him!’

“Mame, vas geyt far?” Anya asked. (Mum, what’s going on?)

Anya's blue eyes met her mother’s blue ones. And Anya could see herself in her mother. The two were practically identical. Both had curly blonde hair and piercing blue eyes that caught the attention of everyone. Anya was said to be the most beautiful woman in all of Birmingham. Except her family was dirt poor. Her father had been hurt during the war and the family of eight had fallen upon hard times. Her brothers had taken up jobs running for gangs while her father had started growing Cannabis, something that was still taking off.

Her mother stopped mopping and walked over to where the tea cup was. Anya followed. “Antshuldigt mir, Anya,” she whispered while taking a drink of the tea. Anya knew it was extra strong with no milk, just how her mother, and also Anya, liked it. “Bite visn az ikh keynmol gevalt dos far ir.” (I’m so sorry, Anya. Please know that I never wanted this for you.)

Anya was now terrified of her mother’s own words. In her 22 years on God’s Earth, she had never seen her mother cry. Her own mother, who’d raised six kids while her husbands and three oldest sons were off at war and raised Anya and her older brother Isaac while simultaneously running the family pot business. Many soldiers would flock to it after they came home from the war, her three oldest brothers and father included.

But her father was sick, they couldn’t afford to take him to a doctor, and he didn’t have much longer left to live. He struggled to breathe and he struggled to walk. With every laboured breath, the Rosenthal family knew that their father was close to death. Her oldest brother Abraham, better known as ‘Abe’, would take over the business.

“Vas tut zikh?” Anya asked her mother. (What’s going on.)

But her mother couldn’t even look her in the eyes. All she kept on saying was ‘sorry’ in Yiddish over and over and over again. She was worried her mother was on the verge of a mental breakdown and she’d have to be whisked away. She was hysterical and that terrified Naomi. Her mother had led the charge for their immigration from Krakow, Poland, to Birmingham, England fleeing the Pograms. Anya was only a little girl but she could remember their neighbours being murdered by the townspeople. They’d packed up and fled to England, the only country that was willing to take them. Her father and brothers would then sign up to fight for the Crown, not knowing if they would come back alive. They all did, but no one knew how or why. They were in the Somme and worked as tunnelers.

“ANYA!” her father roared. “ANYA ROSENTHAL GET IN HERE!”

With her mother’s silent sob, she got up and walked to her father’s office. She wondered who was behind the door as she smelt the familiar smell of cigarette smoke and her father only smoked cigarettes when he was meeting with someone. As she opened the door to her father’s office she saw the man sitting at the desk with a cigarette in one hand and a glass of whisky in the other. But on the other side of the desk with his back toward the door was a man with a partially shaved head and a familiar cap that she saw every day at work. She nearly wanted to scream, for Anya recognised the man, it was Thomas Shelby, leader of the Peaky Blinders. No wonder why her mum was crying. No wonder why she was inconsolable. This man wanted her for something. And she hoped it wasn’t about last night at the Garrison, where Anya worked as a barmaid.

“Anya, you’re here,” Mr Shelby said, turning around to greet her. His electric-blue eyes looking into hers. She felt weak in the knees. “I’m glad you could make it.”

“Is everything alright, Mr Shelby?” Anya asked tentatively, taking the only empty seat which was beside him. “Look, about last night, I didn’t know that Connor would try something like that—”

Mr Shelby cut her off. “What happened with Connor?”

Fuck. Anya thought. Fuck me in the ass and call me a bitch. “Nothing,” she said. “Nothing at all.”

“We’ll talk about it later,” Mr Shelby said. “We have other things to discuss.”

“A raise?” Anya asked hopefully. “Controlling the creepy men? Finding my sanity?”

“Enough, Anya!” Her father grumbled though he did seem amused with his daughter’s antics. His warm and mischievous smile that he'd given to all six of his children coming through.

“You’re my new fiancée,” Mr Shelby said. “Your father and I made a deal. He got caught up in something and you are unfortunately caught in the middle.”

And though Mr Shelby seemed saddened by the fact she’d gotten caught up in their business. Anya didn’t know what to do. It felt like everything was falling to pieces around her and all she could do was watch it happen helplessly. Anya had no intention of getting married in the first place and was happily content with being the crazy single Auntie at every Seder who gave sweets to her niece and nephew. She wanted to travel, have fun, and go out. The last thing on her mind was marriage. Anya was pulled out of her thoughts by her mother’s violent sobs from the kitchen. Anya hated how powerless she felt with the whole ordeal. Her youngest getting married, her little girl growing up, and starting a family of her own. People usually married for love, but Anya wasn’t given that choice.

Anya felt numb, completely and utterly numb. As the world crumbled around her, she wondered if it was possible to melt into the chair. Not even her mother’s sobs could pull her out of this. Sure, she and Mr Shelby did know each other, intimately as they had started sleeping together recently, she didn’t love Mr Shelby.

Tears staining her blue eyes, she didn’t move, she didn’t say anything. As her world crumbled around her, she wondered if she could turn invisible. She wanted to strangle her father. And Mr Shelby as well. Her father passed her some vodka and she drank from it. “Who’s idea was this?” She whispered. “And what did you do, Dad?”

“A deal gone wrong,” he sighed.

“My idea,” Mr Shelby announced.

Anya rolled her eyes and glared at Mr Shelby, probably a death sentence to anyone else. “Don’t you see enough of me?” She asked. “I’m on your payroll.”

Before Shelby could respond, Abe barged into the room and nearly lunged at their father. The pure rage that could be seen in his brown eyes was something that startled Anya. “SHE’S NOT A PIECE OF MEAT!” He roared. “SHE’S NOT YOURS TO MARRY OFF!”

“I’M SECURING HER FUTURE!” Her father roared. “I’LL BE DEAD IN THREE MONTHS!”

The entire house went cold. Everyone looked at him in shock. “What?” asked Abe. The atmosphere in the house turned cold as everyone processed their father’s statement.

“When did you find out, David?” asked Mr Shelby.

“Last month,” he sighed. “I found out last month.”

Everyone knew that David Rosenthal would die and that he was on borrowed time. They didn’t realise it would be this soon. Her father had been going downhill lately, he struggled going up the stairs, he struggled to breathe, he struggled to even move. Her mother walked in, her eyes stained, her face puffy as she looked at her husband. Anya knew her parents had known each other for their entire lives. They grew up next to each other in Poland, they met the day her mother was born. They got married young and moved to England together with their family fleeing the Pogroms in Poland. She wondered how her mother would handle the death of the man she had no memories of without. Abe would become the head of the family and life would go on like nothing had happened.

“I have a condition to the marriage,” Anya gulped. All eyes turned her, her mother gasped another sob. “I’ll go through with it if and only if you take care of my mum for the remainder of her life. And my nieces and nephews are put through school.”

Mr Shelby nodded. “That can be arranged,” he said.

“And I want that in writing,” she stated. “If not, there’s no deal.”

"Anya,” whimpered Abe. “You don’t have to do this.”

Her mother was sobbing violently now, but she’d been crying for so long that no tears had come out. Anya could also see that her mother’s violent sobbing was getting on Mr Shelby’s nerves.

Mr Shelby got up and looked at her. “You’re no longer an employee of Shelby Co because you’re my fiancée.” He put his hand on her shoulder. “I’ll pick you up later tonight, Anya.”

Anya nodded her head, barely being able to look at her now fiancée. “See you later tonight, Mr Shelby.”

“You’re my fiancée now, there’s no need to call me Mr Shelby,” he said.

“You later, then, Tommy,” Anya responded in a shaky voice. He walked out of the house.

Anya got up and also walked out of the house. Grabbing her purse, she walked down the street and made her way to the nearest pub where she took a seat and took a drink. The bartender saw her and laughed. He had a moustache and a darker complexion similar to Abe’s and wore a Star of David, he looked over at her and smiled, “Hi, Naomi, what brings the most beautiful girl in town back?”

Anya rolled her eyes and scoffed at the comment. The bartender and owner, Sam Lebowitz, had always been a flatter, but he had no interest in her. And when the news got out, no one would dare touch her for fear of the Shelbys. Sam had been a friend of her dad’s for years and she considered the man an uncle figure in her life. “A pick me up,” Anya admitted. She needed it after the day she had.

He walked over to her with a shot of Irish whiskey and vodka. He handed them to her. “How’s your dad?”

She took a deep breath and gulped. “Three months,” she whispered. “It’s getting to him.”

She could see the horror in Sam’s eyes when he heard that. Sam had been her family’s first friend since they emigrated and also served in WWI. As tears threatened to spill from his chocolate brown eyes, he brushed a piece of black curly hair away from his face. “Are you guys planning on sitting Shiva?” He asked her.

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “That’s a thing to ask my mum, she’s been a wreck all day. She’s been sobbing on and off. The poor woman can’t even cry anymore.”

The atmosphere between the two people turned melancholic. Sam kept on filling her glass and she kept on knocking them back one by one. She didn’t care that she was losing track of time. She just wanted to forget this horrible day. She’d found out that she’d be married off like royalty, she found out her father was going to die in the coming months, and her life would consist of her looking over her shoulder because of who her inlaws were.

She thought of herself looking out of Arrow House in Warwickshire, being arm candy to Tommy, being at his beck and call. She wiped her eyes from the tears that continued to spill as the alcohol flowed. The whiskey and vodka started tasting like water, but she just continued to drink and drink and drink. She didn’t care.

The pub turned quiet but she downed another glass. “Another, Sam,” she slurred. “I need another.”

“That’s all for you for tonight,” he said. “You’ve had more than enough, Anya.”

“My dad’s dying!” She slurred.

“And you’ve still had enough. Just because you’re immune to hangovers—” he stopped and then looked straight behind Anya. “Mr Shelby, is everything alright? I paid you yesterday.”

FUCK. Anya thought. Of course this pub’s under the Blinder’s protection.

“I just need to speak to Anya for a moment,” Thomas Shelby said grabbing me.

“Leave the girl alone, Mr Shelby. She’s had a rough day. Her dad’s dying,” he said.

“I'm only here to help,” he said. “Come on, love, Abe’s worried about you. Your mum’s a wreck. It’s past sundown.”

“It’s not Friday,” she grumbled. “Ikh viln vodka! SAM, PASS ME THE BOTTLE!” She hollered reaching for the bottle of vodka.

Sam looked at Shelby and then Anya who was looking hungrily at the bottle like it was her mother’s latkes with applesauce. Sam looked at Shelby, then back to Anya, then back to Shelby once again. With one arm on her, Shelby pulled out a tenner and put on the counter, “Here’s for her tab for your best vodka.”

Her ears perked up as she heard vodka. She reached for the vodka while trying to squirm her way out of Shelby’s arm, but his grip was tight. “I’ll get her home, Mr Shelby,” Sam said pushing the tenner back. “She’ll be safe with me. I’m her uncle and I need to go talk to Chaya.”

“I can do it, Sam,” Shelby assured with a glance to Anya who was now looking at Sam with a guilty expression.

The two men stared each other down. Sam had to be the bravest man in all of Birmingham or the dumbest. All Anya knew was that this could end badly if she didn’t say something. She was going to lose her father, she couldn’t lose Sam too. “I’m her uncle,” he said. “I’ve known her since she was born, I will take care of her until the morning,” Sam stated again.

“I can take care of my own fiancée, Sam,” Shelby said. “The engagement was today.”

The look on Sam’s face was one of pure horror like he’d just gotten the worst news in his life. The horror in his brown eyes, the hurt, the betrayal. “Let me speak to you in your office,” Shelby responded.

Reluctantly Sam went, and Anya and Shelby followed. Looking around the dark wooden room, the air smelt like stale cigarette smoke and booze, but there was no laughing, no talking, no dancing. Everyone except the three of them that is.

They followed Sam into his office filled with photos of Anya and her five brothers throughout different life stages. Photos of Sam and her father when they were growing up. And photos of her mother smiling and laughing. The black and white photographs would never be able to capture her mother’s beauty. The beauty that Anya had inherited. The desk was filled with papers and weights, a typewriter sat in the back of the room, and a leather chair where Sam sat.

Anya was laid on the couch by Shelby, who grabbed a blanket, pillow, and trash for her. “Get some rest, love,” Shelby said.

“You’re not my mum!” She snarled. The urge to throw up came over her and she puked her guts into the trashcan. She felt sober now. Sam passed her a towel and she whipped her face, he then passed her some water and she drank. She nodded and got up. “I’d prefer to stay with Sam, Mr Shelby. If you don’t mind.”

“Your parents are worried sick,” Shelby stated. “And don’t call me—”

She cut him off. “Then maybe my father should have thought of that before he sold me to you like I’m royalty. Yes, he’s sick, yes, he’s dying, but I’m still pissed at him for giving my life to you!”

“I’ll take good care of her, Sam,” he said. “I can provide for her and I’ll be setting aside money for Gal and Noam that will take care of them for the rest of their lives. Chaya will be taken care of after ”

“Is that what you said when you showed up to David’s place on Tuesday night?” He snarled. “He told me about your meeting. He was so horrified that he couldn’t even speak on the phone. I had to go over there. You’re taking advantage of a dying man, Thomas Shelby.”

“Sam,” Anya pleaded. “Sam, please. I need you here, I’m losing my dad, I can’t lose my uncle.”

“I’m not going to do anything to him, Anya,” he assured her. “What do you want with the Rosenthals?” He asked. “It can’t be because Abe saved your life in the trenches.”

Anya perked up. That was news to her. She knew Shelby was a war hero and so was Abe. Anya knew that her brothers and the Shelby brothers served together, but she didn’t know Abe saved his life. She was young when they’d gone off to war but she remembered it being just her and her mother while the men were off. She remembered her mother praying every night that her boys would return home. God must’ve said ‘yes’ and her brothers and father returned home. She’d been at the ceremony when she was eleven seeing her brother get handed the medal. But he told her that it meant nothing to him, most of his friends hadn’t come back, and he was still haunted by what he’d seen in the Somme and Verdun. She knew Shelby felt the same way about it as well. She knew he did opium to forget in his past. He’d bought it from her father after all.

“Don’t take advantage of them, Mr Shelby,” he said. “I was already terrified when I found out she was working in your brother’s pub.”

“I have no interest in hurting her,” he said. “I can provide for her. I know you have money set aside for all of them in the case of your death, but that won’t amount to much. I can provide for her.”

“How do you know that?” Sam asked shocked.

“Because I know all the information on everyone who pays for protection from the Peaky Blinders,” he stated. “I know that you care for her, but I can provide for her.”

“Is that what that Gypsy tongue of yours used on her ailing father?” he asked.

“He’s worried that she’s getting too wild and is in needing of marrying off,” Shelby responded. “Better me than someone else.”

“The most I do is get drunk,” she sighed. “I don’t go crazy, I don’t do coke.”

“You once went through half my vodka supply,” Sam said.

“I haven’t—”

“That was last week,” he said cutting her off. He turned to Shelby, his eyes now also filled with fear. This was his niece after all. “She’s out of control and you think you’re the one to pull her back?”

“I’M A HUMAN BEING!” Anya roared tears staining her eyes. Sam passed her another glass of water. “I’m a human being. I’m not to be brought, I’m not a prize to be won, I’m not a piece of land. I’m a human being. A human!”

Shelby led her back to the couch and put his hand in hers. “You are human, love,” Shelby said. “No one’s saying that!”

She jumped up and Shelby got up with her. “THE REST OF MY LIFE WAS SIGNED AWAY!” She hollered. “SIGNED AWAY TO YOU! RIGHT NOW, I’M THE PROPERTY OF MY FATHER, AFTER THE MARRIAGE, I’M YOUR PROPERTY. MY LAST NAME CHANGED, EVERYTHING ABOUT THE ROSENTHALS ERRASED AS I’M JUST KNOWN AS THOMAS SHELBY’S WIFE!” She pushed Shelby away. “Does anybody ever stop to think about me when they’re throwing my life to the wolves?”

Shelby looked at her and sighed. “I understand where you’re coming from,” he said. “You won’t be cut off from your family.”

She was shocked at what came out of Shelby’s mouth. He was assuring her that she wouldn’t be cut off from her family. She scoffed, she knew the answer. “You genuinely want this,” she laughed. Anya's laugh wasn’t one filled with humour that people called ‘infectious’. It was filled with shock and disbelief. “Good God, you want to go through with this. What happened, Mr Shelby, at the Pub that made you want this?”

“Your father got caught up in some business with the Blinders,” he told her. “You got caught in the crossfires.”

He grabbed Anya and led her out of the Pub. Uncle Sam was reluctant but didn’t object when she sent him a pleading look. And with that, she was on her way to her parents. Her mum was probably worried sick about her.

#tommy shelby x oc #thomas shelby #peaky blinder imagine #peaky blinders #arthur shelby #finn shelby #john shelby

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themultifandomgal · 1 year

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Finn Shelby

Evil- YN gets jealous of the girl flirting with Finn.

Double Trouble- Finn and YN always get themselves into mischief.

Sweet Treats- YN’s family own a bakery and Finn asks if YN can teach him to bake.

Blackmail- YN has always been close to the Shelby’s. They helped her through an abusive relationship and when YN’s ex comes back into the picture the older Shelby brothers deal with him for good while Finn comforts his girlfriend.

Hungry- YN and Finn are expecting a baby and YN feels hungry all of the time. Finn makes sure his wife is fed even in the middle of the night.

#peaky blinders #peaky blinders imagine #finn shelby x y/n #finn shelby imagine #finn shelby #finn shelby x reader #finn shelby x oc

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zablife · 1 year

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Dark Games (Part 1)

Arthur Shelby x Evelyn (OC) x Finn Shelby

Summary: (Dark AU) When power hungry Arthur is left to run the Eden Club unchecked, he forces his women into dangerous games with the characters of the London underworld. What happens when Finn interferes with his newest girl?

Moodboard credit: the lovely @shelbydelrey

Author's Note: Written for @shelbydelrey Peaky x Lana Festival. Inspired by "Dark But Just a Game" by Lana Del Rey.

Warnings: mention of violence, weapons, mention of blood, ethnic slur, drug use, drinking, pregnancy, mention of abortion, assault

The faces of all the women Evelyn knew who suffered or simply vanished, flashed through her mind as she slept, each one reaching for her as though she might gain purchase. But they all slipped from her grasp like sand, leaving her defeated to face a mirror. Her own blank expression stared back at her as Arthur’s large hand encircled her neck. His mustache tickling the delicate skin beneath her ear as he whispered, “Evie, my pretty little fool.” As she turned to face him, the glass shattered and he was gone. Stooping to gather the pieces, a large, jagged shard sliced her palm until the blood ran down her fingertips and dripped onto the floor. It collected in a puddle at her feet which quickly turned to inky blackness all around her, creating a suffocating fear. She awoke with a start, covered in sweat and heaving for breath. It had been the same dream since she left London.

Evelyn could recall the evening the Peaky Blinders took over the Eden Club well. It had been a a night ruled by violent chaos. Chairs and tables were overturned as patrons ran from the hoodlums who produced flying fists and razors. Mario was stabbed in the face with a broken bottle trying to stop them. He held a few of them off long enough for some of the girls to hide, including Evelyn.

She took cover backstage, watching with wide eyes as a tall lanky man approached the microphone declaring the establishment was now under new management, "By order of the Peaky Blinders." She readied the knife she hid in her garter belt, thinking of a time when she laughed at the prospect of needing one in a place like this. “I’m not going to change,” she told herself when she’d first arrived, but the girl waiting to stab anyone who came near her begged to challenge that notion.

It was there that Arthur Shelby found her and quickly disarmed her. “Who might you be, angel?” he asked with a devilish smirk, wild hair drooping over his eyes in a rakish manner and and blood dripping from his brow. Pressed close to his lean muscle, there was something about him that intrigued her. It was an unexpected attraction that overwhelmed her senses.

“I’m Evelyn," she replied breathily. "Aren't you going to tell me your name?"

“Thought I’d made it clear, love. I’m a Shelby. Name’s Arthur,” he said proudly.

“You’re bleeding, Arthur. Will you let me help you?” Evelyn asked, venturing a hand to brush the hair from his forehead. Arthur leaned into her touch slightly, his rapid breathing slowing momentarily. His eyes locked onto her as though he were assessing her intentions. When he found nothing but sincerity lying beneath the offer, he accepted and she lead him downstairs hand in hand.

They didn’t speak a word as she found the items necessary to clean his wound and care for him. Arthur watched her graceful movements with awe, something akin to peaceful reverie coming over his face as she sat before him. She quickly realized how touch starved he was when she brushed his face with a cool cloth and felt pity for him despite the acts of violence she’d witnessed earlier.

When she finished her work, she sat back and observed his now calm features asking, “Can I ask why? What does this place mean to you?” She waited to see if her questions raised his ire, but found him more than willing to talk with her.

“We don’t mean you no harm. It’s time for a change is all,” he said, going on to explain that the blinders were expanding their territory and what she had seen was nothing more than a show of their power. Darby Sabini was being run out and he would now be in charge.

“You don’t have to be afraid of me, love” Arthur assured her. “Those wops don’t know how to take care of their women, but I’m going to look after you from now on,” he said, placing a large, calloused hand to her face. She felt her breath hitch at his words. No one had ever said anything like that to her. She’d been on her own for as long as she could remember and the offer of protection was tempting. The Sabini’s had been terrible employers so how could the Shelbys be any worse? Evelyn wanted to trust Arthur in that moment and she did because there was something in his eyes that told her she was safe.

———————————-

It had been a month since the Shelbys had taken over and the club was flourishing. There were new customers coming in every night and Evelyn was making more in tips than she ever had before. Her instinct to trust Arthur had been correct. He was protective of all his employees, especially Evelyn. He didn’t hesitate to throw a punch if anyone disrespected her which made her feel special and if she dared to think it, powerful. She held her head a bit higher knowing no one would cross a woman protected by the Shelbys.

Truthfully, everyone’s mood had improved. Arthur’s younger brother John was around occasionally and his raunchy jokes were a favorite amongst the girls. Although he was married, he had a few affairs she knew of with Elisabeth and Marie. They all giggled about it afterwards, claiming he had the biggest cock they’d ever seen and stamina to match. The early days were full of heady gossip.

The girls also talked about the youngest brother, Finn, though he didn’t come round as often. He worked for the boss, Tommy, back in Birmingham. Finn didn’t seem to be as free to make his own decisions and worked harder than his siblings, always off on errands and chauffeuring them about town. Evelyn felt sorry for him because they spoke to him like hired help rather than a brother and rarely invited him for a drink at the family table.

The older brothers had a habit of gathering at a large booth in the back where the men discussed business and watched their customers with a keen eye. John would saunter over with a girl on each arm and Arthur would call Evelyn to his side, holding court as he laughed and cursed. It seemed as though the party would last forever.

--------------------------

Three months in and the club was seeing an increase in Jewish patrons. The girls all whispered about the reasons for this sudden change, considering their previous clientele had been Italian men. Some believed it to be the influence of a new gentleman with a cane at his side and crown tattoos on his hands. He visited Arthur faithfully every Sunday. Whatever was said in their private conversations agitated Arthur greatly and he was never quite the same afterward. Despite her questions about the mysterious man, Arthur kept that business to himself. He only asked Evelyn to keep him company afterwards. A good fuck was all Arthur needed to forget the irritating man who took up too much of his time.

After a stressful night negotiating with the mad baker, he was particularly agitated. With Evelyn too fatigued to offer solace, he offered up his favorite remedy. “We call it Tokyo. It’ll help ya, dove,” Arthur said, pushing the little blue vial into her palm.

“I don’t know,” Evelyn said, tracing her fingertips over his chest. “I know some girls who got in trouble with this stuff,” she said uncertainly.

“Don’t be so serious, Evie. It’s just a bit fun, yeah?” he said, tapping the white powder out onto his hand for her. “Go on,” he said with a charming smile. Without another thought, Evelyn snorted it and felt the most intoxicating rush of her life. There was no turning back after she found this new cure for lack of energy and depressing days. Of course, Arthur never denied her. She was too trusting of Arthur in those days she would recall later.

----------------------

The only person who seemed to notice or care about her habit was Finn. When he began to notice her weight loss, he made a habit of dropping in to check on her. It always brought a smile to her face seeing his impish delight at stealing her away.

“C’mon,” Finn would urge with a wave of his arm. “Let’s get out of here,” he always said, checking the hall.

“Finn, I can’t leave,” Evelyn pretended to protest, knowing he would carry her out if she didn't follow.

“You’re with a Shelby. You can do whatever the fuck you like,” he said with a cheeky grin and she couldn’t help but smile back at him, giving his hand a squeeze as he pulled her out the back door toward a cafe. He would buy her food they would often share as he entertained her with stories about his mischievous nieces and nephews.

Some days he could tell she was sad despite the laughter. He could sense Evelyn wanted to talk about her problems, but she never really did, preferring to sit and smoke, leaning her head against Finn’s broad shoulder for comfort. He wondered if Arthur had anything to do with her unhappy moods and hated taking her back to the club, knowing he was delivering her into the hands of his wayward brother. Finn often found himself thinking about how Evelyn could stay with someone like that.

—————————————

It was nine months before Evelyn noticed girls from the club were leaving. Well, perhaps not leaving so much as disappearing. They would be tasked with providing company to gentlemen and never return. Evelyn and the other girls were urged not to ask questions about anyone who left employment. Truthfully, with girls coming and going so often and the lack of sleep, Evelyn lost track. She was spending so much time with Arthur that she didn’t have time to learn their names anymore. Perhaps is was the effect of a busy life or the drugs, but she rarely noticed the details.

One evening after a long shift, she returned to Arthur's flat, calling out, “Arthur? Arthur, where are you?" She had finished at the club without any snow, but only barely. Her skin crawled with need. Turning the pockets of his discarded coat inside out for the little blue bottle she craved, she whined when she came up empty. As she stomped her foot in frustration, a giggle echoed down the hall. Following the sounds of splashing water all the way to the bathroom, she opened the door to find an intoxicated Arthur, sunk beneath a layer of bubbles, and a girl from the club sucking a bruise into his neck as she pumped his shaft below the water.

“Evie!” He slurred, removing one hand from the water to slick back his hair. “Join us, darlin’,” he said with a wolfish grin, unashamed and completely unaware of her shock and sadness at finding him with someone else.

The girl’s head rose to nod in agreement as she bit her lip. Removing her hand from the side of the tub, she grasped Evelyn’s wrist before she could leave. Like a siren she called out temptingly, “Stay and have a sniff of snow?” She knew her words had the desired effect as Evelyn’s eyes darkened. Although Evelyn didn’t want to stay where another was clearly doing a fine job of satisfying her man, she listened to Arthur’s commands to kneel and take what she badly needed off the woman’s ample breast, his hand at the back of her head holding her in place as he cooed at her how beautiful she looked.

“Come on, love. Get in,” he urged and that was enough for her to undress for him. He sighed at the sight of her, letting his head drop back against the edge of the tub, watching in enjoyment. It wasn’t a difficult choice from there as she saw how much he wanted her. She even began to believe him when she felt the surge of her high kick in, riding him and feeling Clara pushed to the side. “Been waitin’ all day for you,” he groaned, hips thrusting up into her roughly.

“Then tell her to leave, Arthur,” Evelyn said, leaning forward to kiss him. Arthur’s hand came up to grasp at her throat possessively as a wicked smile crossed his lips. Then he nodded, flicking his eyes toward the other girl. “Get the fuck out,” he growled at her and Evelyn had never felt more powerful.

Later as they lay in bed a tangle of arms and legs, Arthur turned to Evelyn and watched her with hooded eyes. Voice low and full of gravel he proclaimed, “You ain’t like other girls, Evie. You help me shut out all the noise when my head gets too loud,” he said, rubbing circles into her hip with his thumb. “I love you,” he said quietly, wrapping his arms around her tightly. Silence descended before he kissed her forehead. Then he rolled her onto his chest, falling into a deep sleep with his large hand splayed across her back. Evelyn basked in his words and warm embrace, knowing her connection to Arthur was far greater than anyone else’s.

Evelyn had never carried a sense of superiority over anyone. Raised by poor people in a dirty slum, it was never her expectation to do better than the life she’d known as a child. However, Arthur allowed her to glimpse the possibility of something more and it was thrilling. Good food, fine clothing and her own dressing room set her apart from the beginning. However, now she could add Arthur’s promises of their future together to the glittering array offered before her like a queen.

It was thoughts like these that caused her to overlook the mistreatment of those around her. It would be another month before she happened to overhear a conversation as she passed outside Arthur’s office that would change all that. She only stopped when she heard the cries of a girl who had been at the club almost as long as she had. Sandra wasn’t prone to theatrics so the cries Evelyn heard surprised her.

“I can’t stay here, Mr. Shelby,” Sandra pleaded.

“Why the fuck not? Solomons likes ya,” Arthur said, pouring himself a drink and taking a seat behind his desk.

“That’s the problem,” she said, voice wobbling.

“You’re talking in bloody circles. I ain’t got time for this. Are you going to get the information from him or not?” Arthur said testily.

“I can’t do that to him. I’m carrying his child,” she confessed.

“You stupid fucking bitch. Thought I told ya…” Arthur warned, chair scraping the floor in shrill protest as he stood to confront her.

“I know what you said, Arthur, but this is different. He loves-“ Sandra attempted before Arthur cut her off with a harsh scoff.

“You going to say he loves you?,” he laughed as he took a sip of the whisky he held in his hand. “Say that myself sometimes after I’ve emptied my balls. Doesn’t mean shit.”

“Alfie deserves to know,” she challenged Arthur.

“You’ve got fucking work to do. Last thing you need is a bloody kid,” he huffed. Slamming his glass down on the desk as he instructed darkly, “Get rid of it.”

“Wh-what?” She stammered in disbelief. “You can’t be serious!” Without thinking she kept going, “I’ll tell him everything, I swear I will. And when Alfie finds out…” she warned.

Heavy footsteps could be heard and then a loud slap as Arthur connected with her face. A loud thud reverberated as Arthur pinned her against the wall by her neck. “Don’t you dare threaten me,” he rumbled. “Could kill you right now if I wanted to. He’d never come lookin’ for ya,” he hissed, squeezing the air from her lungs. A faint gurgling sound could be heard over the course of the next few moments, along with the desperate scratching of nails against the wall.

Evelyn struggled to catch her own breath, frightened Sandra might be dying. Tears pricked her eyes as she bit her fingers, willing her feet to move and do something to stop what she was hearing on the other side of the wall. Just then, Sandra gasped for breath. A sharp wheezing and deep coughs emanated from her as Arthur grumbled, “I’m not gonna let you fuck this up for me. So you’re not sayin’ a word. Understand?”

A small sob that sounded like a yes echoed out along with a few sniffles. Arthur grunted as she ran from the room. Evelyn ran as well, scared and confused by what she’d just overheard. It was a side of Arthur she didn’t want to believe existed.

With his office empty and free of distraction, Arthur picked up the telephone and called for Isiah. “Be at the club tonight by nine,” he said. “Need you to take care of a problem.”

Cont. reading Part 2

-------------------------

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#Peaky Blinders fanfic #Peaky Blinders imagine #Arthur Shelby fanfic #Arthur Shelby imagine #Arthur Shelby x OC #Finn Shelby fanfic #Finn Shelby imagine #Finn Shelby x OC #dark!Arthur

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toms-cherry-trees · 2 years

Text

A Piece Of Me || Michael Gray Flashback

Summary: Not every search ends in a gain

Word Count: 2062

Warnings: Violence, mentions of canon death, implied past child abuse and possible PTSD, you know the drill

Author’s note: I have no justification for this one. Enjoy!

Let me know if you wanna be in my taglist

The car jolted gently every time the wheels hit a bump on the road, causing the passengers in the back seat to rock rather abruptly from side to side. Charlie kept dozing off in Michael’s lap, unable to fully fall asleep with the noise from the engine and the perpetual bumping. Or perhaps he felt uncomfortable with the vice tight grip his uncle kept around his little body, as if he feared the little child would slip again at the smallest chance.

Or perhaps it was Michael who needed someone to hold onto.

The events kept replaying over and over again in his mind. Not those of the last 2 hours, but in fact the last 17 years. Every single thing he had been through since he was ripped from his mother and placed in foster care, with the so-called “holy fathers”. Holy my ass, he thought to himself, his arms tightening a bit more around Charlie. They shielded behind their white cassocks and golden crosses, bathed in their feigned purity, when they were as rotten and dirty as the worst ones the world had to offer. Michael wasn’t sure there was a God up there, because no God would stand his envoys behaving the way these men did.

He entered the parish house, but never left it. The boy who walked out of the orphanage, hand in hand with Mrs. Johnson was not him. Not quite. He had something missing. Something deep and meaningful he had brought with him when the parish took him, but had been lost along the way, bit by bit, every time he saw a child who was not himself leaving with a new family, and every time Father Hughes summoned him to his office for confession, every Monday before bedtime. A little something he had been searching for ever since.

He could not recall what life had been before. He didn’t have any memories prior to his life as Henry Johnson. They had indoctrinated him until he didn’t know who he was anymore.

And he could not recall a single moment in his life in which he didn’t feel angry.

Even in times he truly felt joyous, like sharing with his classmates in the schoolhouse’s little yard, or kicking the ball with his little brother under the scorching summer sun; picking fruits in the orchard with his adoptive mother until the skin in his palms cracked, all of those memories were obscured by the shadow of resentment. Seemingly unjustified, focused on nothing and no one in particular. Just a never ending, seething fury against the world.

How many hours he spent sat in the meadow, his gaze fixed in the wishing well with the white bricks. Surrounded by little colourful flowers, buzzing with life in the summer, and withstanding the elements in winter. His “mom” used to tell his little brother that fairies lived in the flowers, and the buds closed down in the winter so they could take shelter from the rain. Michael felt like snorting when she repeated that story, every single day when they passed the well on the way home. He wanted to go up and stomp on the dainty little flowers until only roots remained, and then rip the roots off the earth with his bare hands, and spread them all over the bright grass for everyone to see. And then he’d load up the pretty little well with explosives, just like his father had told him they did in the western front, and blow it up to smithereens. He’d probably get blown up too, but it would be worth it just to see it gone.

But Michael never destroyed the flowers, nor did he try to damage the wishing well. Because the only thing he wanted more in this life than ruining that pretty meadow was fitting in. He wanted to belong, fit in, just a regular teenager in a regular world. And for the sake of it, he kept it all inside. All his rage, his resentment, his eternal thirst for revenge, all carefully stored within the depths of himself; far from reach, where no one would ever be able to find it. Buried between the shadow and the soul, where it would hopefully one day wither and die, and he’d finally be able to fit in.

But destiny had handed him an opportunity. A new family, although it didn’t exactly count as new. They were his family, the one he had been unjustly taken from; the one where he truly belonged. Where he didn’t have to change himself to fit in; he didn’t need to struggle to find a place. What had Tommy said to him? “You are Polly’s son alright” And he had just proven it, twice in one day. He may carry the Gray surname, but he was a proper Shelby now.

The gun had felt natural in his grip, an extension of his own arm, just like they told him that night in Arrow House, when John and Arthur filled him with liquor and thrusted a pistol in his hand. He felt all the boundaries built over the years melt away in a wave of whiskey and testosterone. All that pent up rage, bubbling from the bottom of his soul like a shaken up champagne bottle, ready to pop the cork and spill out. He had tethered so close to the edge that night, so fucking close, he had tasted it. They drove him to madness, and he had played along. He could have let loose and released the beast, but fate and his nosy mother had stopped him last second. But who knew, perhaps it had been better that way. He had saved his first time for something bigger.

But that first shot had been nothing. Just a blur, and act without thought, something which entered his brain and immediately slipped away. All he could remember was a surge of adrenaline coursing through his veins. He didn’t even see the face of that man; he didn’t know his name. All he saw were a pair of large hands holding Tommy’s collar, and then a hole right through the skull. He didn’t falter, didn’t stutter and didn’t miss. As if he had been meant to hold onto that gun all along. As if he had been meant to kill someone.

The real deal came later on.

When he left the parish home, he never expected to encounter any of them again. Not any of the orphans…nor any of the fathers. When he laid eyes again on Father Hughes, an icy coldness spread down his body. His muscles tensed and his pulse picked up; he walked on the tips of his toes, ready to sprint into a run at the slightest hint of danger. Fly or fight mode, acquired over long nights where the boys took turns guarding the door at night, perking up their ears in anticipation of steps going up their stairs. They had learned to distinguish between the low heels of the sisters and the polished shoes of the fathers, and could tell the priests apart by the sound of their gait and the smell of their clothes. He could recall Hughes smelled of cheap cigarettes and dampness.

He could still remember the crack. A crack in the wall behind Father Hughes’ desk, right in middle, almost reaching the roof. It was shaped like a spiderweb. When Michael stared long enough, he could imagine a big spider, with long legs and a big red splotch on its back, crawling out of it, its pincers clicking and its beady black eyes fixated on him. The idea of something coming out of that crack terrified him, but he still stared. Because he didn’t want to look the priest in the eye. Because he wanted the big black spider to come down and eat him whole.

But he had no crack to stare now to distract his mind, nor any hopes that a magical creature would aid him in his cause. Just his gun, the life of his nephew on the line and an unclenched thirst for revenge.

He could have shot, point blank, the moment he set foot through the door. He had him, right in his line of vision, no obstacles in the way. The gun uncocked, the bullet in the chamber. But he couldn’t. Because he wanted Hughes to know it had been him. He wanted to stare at him, right in the eye, in the same way he was forced to do while he “took confession”, while the bullet went through his brains. He wanted Hughes to know he had come back, like the ghost from Christmas Past, to claim what had been taken from him.

But even there, with the upper hand, with the surprise factor, the barrel of his gun shoved right into Hughes’ eye, he couldn’t help but shiver. His own body betrayed him, his palms sweating and his heartbeat quickening. His mouth dried up like sandpaper. And for a moment, for a split, fateful moment, he was once more little Michael, aged just five years old, sitting in front of a big desk, his feet dangling from the chair, while a grave looking priest told him that he had been given up by his mother for being a bad boy, but that they would help him atone for his sins. The priest had placed a big, coarse hand in the back of his head and given him a piece of candy, whispering that he would take good care of him.

Just for a moment, his determination faltered. Fear had overpowered his determination. And in that brief hesitation, he had lost his upper hand. Hughes had beaten him and trashed him around, and now he had him on a table, his hands tightly wrapped around Michael’s throat. He could see black spots dancing on the edge of his vision. The images in front of him blurred and he seemed to be slipping away…

And then the splash.

Michael couldn’t even recall putting a knife in his pocket. He didn’t know why, or how he got it. But he felt so thankful at the moment. Yes he had brought a knife to a gun fight and not he did not care it was honourable. He wasn’t honourable. He was a gangster through and through. And the satisfaction he felt, pushing that blade through the priest’s neck, couldn’t be compared to anything in this world. He felt again that coursing of adrenaline through his veins, stronger than any drug they could offer him. It got to his head and warmed him from the inside out. His pupils dilated and his cheeks flushed. He could breathe easier, a heavy weight finally being lifted from his shoulders. He stood on top of the world.

But like all highs, afterwards came the drop.

He had not noticed the car halting to a stop, nor the driver opening up the door for him. He moved like his body did not belong to him; like a puppet, with an unknown puppeteer. Charlie had calmed down, clinging to his uncle’s shirt with his head propped on his shoulder.

Somehow, Michael had found during the journey the integrity of mind to wipe his face, but that only left a dried red smear across his cheek, with dark specks dotting his skin and the collar of his shirt.

When he crossed the threshold of Shelby Company Limited, in less than a heartbeat he had two crying women on him, prying Charlie away and making the boy cry too. He stood there, a dumbfounded grin tugging at his lips as his mother finally locked eyes with him. Their shared glance made up for unneeded words. She knew. She knew he had taken a step that could never be undone, one she had hoped and prayed he would never do. Something she didn’t believe her darling son was capable of. Her fingers caressed his face, and Michael only smiled, and walked away, his grin never faltering as he moved past Polly.

He may have gotten back what the holy fathers took from him. What he spent his whole life searching for. But he had lost something else, and that one, he’d never get it back. No matter where he went, nor what he did. That piece of him was forever lost.

#michael gray #michael gray fanfic #michael gray one shot #michael gray imagine #michael gray x reader #peaky blinders fanfic #peaky blinders one shot #peaky blinders imagine #peaky blinders s3 #father hughes #michael gray solo #michael gray x oc #marsie writes #marsie posts #finn cole #Michael gray x you #charlie shelby

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mrs-shelbysolomons · 2 years

Text

Do You Think It's Easy? - Michael Gray x OC

Plot: Thea Sikes had been previously engaged to the infamous, Michael Gray before he was forced off to America due to the Vendetta of the Italians. However, she was left pregnant and a few months later, without a fiancee. Now, Michael has returned however with a new pregnant wife on his arm.

Inspired by Season 2 of Friends (where Ross with Julie and he discovers Rachel's feelings for him.)

disclaimers; swearing and angst.

“We got the books.”

“Oh, that’s…” Thea trailed off, unaware of what to say to Michael’s comment, as she stood there in front of him, tea towel in hand from cleaning up after their daughter. “…interesting.”

“No. Its not interesting, okay?” Michael responded, shaking his head back at her. “Its very very not interesting, Theadora.”

Oh, did Michael strike a nerve there. She never let anyone speak to her if they were planning on using her full name. She hated it as it reminded her of the mother that long abandoned her hence going her nickname instead.

“I got it, Michael!” Thea interrupted, raising a hand to stop the boy from going on any further.

“You had no right to tell you that you still kept feelings!” He snapped back, pointing a shaking finger in the direction of the young mother.

“What?”

“I’m doing brilliant with Gina! Didn’t you hear that we’re fucking married and she’s got one in- “

“Do want a fucking medal?” Thea yelled back, thanking the Gods that Polly was keeping her daughter for the night. “Can’t you see that she’s bloody using you!?”

Michael refused to listen to the accusations (which were probably true) as they didn’t matter to him, at this point in time. “Whatever, just I was doing well with Gina before I found out about you!”

“Hey, I was doing great before I found about you!” Thea snapped back, the tear ducts threatening to break. “You think it’s easy for me to see you with Gina?”

“Well then, you should’ve said something while you had the chance!” He cried back, bringing his hands to run through his gelled curly hair.

“You refused to answer your fucking phone!” Thea was becoming overwhelmed. Hearing those words come out of Michael was much too unlike him. Much different to the boy she fell in love with, all those years back. “How come you didn’t do that!?”

“There was a never a good time!”

“Oh, that makes perfect sense!” She smiled sarcastically, waving her arms around. “You only had a year, and you were sulking in your penthouse all night!”

“How did you—”

“Your mother told me.”

“It wasn’t every night.” Michael responded in a firm stone, his brown eyes glaring back into her green ones. “And it’s not like I didn’t try, Thea, but things got in the way! Like the Italians and Gypsy boys!”

He was referring to her brief fancy with Bonnie Gold, Thomas Shelby’s other kestrel. He couldn’t blame her on the inside. She was on her own, especially due to John’s death and Esme taking off with the kids. Polly was there, as was Arthur and Aberama, but they felt more of parents to her rather than someone she could fling around with.

“Hey! There was only one Gypsy boy!” Thea reminded, pointing her finger back at him. “I’d show him some fucking respect considering he convinced his family to let you travel with him to avoid your fucking death. Do you even have a point, Michael!?”

Michael stepped closer, the gap becoming them now mere centimeters as the tension increased. “The point is, I don’t need this right now. It’s too late.”

“So, you’re just going to put away your feeling or whatever the bloody hell that was?” Thea sniffed, the tears spilling out as she trying to hide them back; refusing to let Michael see her ever so vulnerable.

“Hey, I’ve doing it since for five years, I’ve gotten pretty fucking good at it.” He hissed, his face inching slightly closer, his view was fixated on the wet red cheeks of hers.

“Alright, fine, you go ahead and do that, Michael!” Thea ordered, pushing his chest as she held out her arm, moving him closer to her front door.

“Fine! Fine!”

“I don’t need this!”

Michael followed her request, not even shutting the door, just walking straight out as Thea ran up to the door, stepping out to shut it herself.

“And you know what!?” She yelled, so he could hear. “Now, I got closure!”

With that sentence, she slammed the door, refusing to look back at her once lover, walk down the cobbled streets of Watery Lane. Collapsing on the front step of the staircase, she let the tears dance freely down her pale cheeks.

Her memory became clouded of old memories of the two. The oldest one being of when she first made eye-contact with him in Polly’s old kitchen after he was finally reunited with his mother, thanks to Thomas Shelby. She never thought someone to be so handsome as Michael did in that moment. He wasn’t a Peaky Blinder then. He was a country boy with a true heart and a bold love for horses, especially bay-mares.

However now, it was all corrupted. He no longer had that look of astonishment in his eye whenever they caught each other’s gaze but rather a look of despair and victim as hers was full of shame and worry once she saw Gina approach him, the stupid little smirk playing on her lips.

‘This was silly’ she thought. Realizing she needed her rest, she brushed down her dress, as to avoid any reminders of her crying and went to lock the door however was interrupted by a rather violent knock.

It wouldn’t be Polly, after all she had the baby. Arthur would be at the Garrison or flat out in his armchair, which Thea wished she could be there to look after him. Aberama? He never visited through the night, knowing sleep was the love of her life currently.

Her hand grasped the doorknob, carefully pulling the wood open to see who was frantically asking after her.

Michael.

The two refused to move. Just staring back at each other.

He was soaking wet from the heaving rain and yet he remained adamant to stay in his spot, taking in her appearance, fearing it would be the last time they would lay eyes on one another.

Taking his shot, he stepped a polished shoe forwards towards the entrance of the house of Watery Lane and cupped the two cheeks as he connected their lips as quickly as he could.

Thea gasped at his action however kissing him back as if it was her source of life. Reaching her arms around his back to cradle him close; from what she had seen of Gina, this type of passion was hardly welcomed in his new life.

Michael kept his lips locked onto hers, wanting to live in said moment rather than sulk back to his wife however he knew of Thea’s morality. She relied upon it like Polly relied on God itself. As Thea, brought her hands to rummage through the gelled hair, not seeming to give a flying fuck whether it was messy or not, Michael smiled into the kiss lightly, pulling her closer with the grip he had on her.

Despite her determination to carry on, Thea pulled away, giving herself the chance to stare back at the country boy (now turned Gangster). She ran a soft finger over the now puffed lips while all he could do was melt at the sight of her worrying eyes, soaking every inch of his thoughts.

“Its always been you, Thea.”

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