#peaky blinders x kaliyah

[geekwritersworld]

Years later

Pairing: Tommy Shelby x witch!reader

warnings: angst, fluff, mentions of animal blood, swearing (it’s peaky blinders, its inevitable)

Summary: As stated below in the Request

Request : @screechingexpertpruneneck Can you write something based on the movie Carrie. Tommy x witch reader. Polly is telling a story to the Shelby's about her old high school prom. And shows them the yearbook and pictures. She says she was in a group that picked on this really nice shy girl. Then at prom they pulled that mean trick and the girl got her revenge but Polly escaped. The reader say’s she’ll get Polly one day and shows up to the garrison still young as she was in high school. Polly instantly recognizes her and do all the Shelby's. Tommy's instantly smitten with her and can’t help it.

a/n: I did add a few changes to the story when compared to your request @screechingexpertpruneneck​, I hope that’s alright 😊

When Polly thought of her teenage years, she knew she’d done ridiculous and unnecessary things. She hadn’t been an easy child to raise.

There were things she’d done and been through, that she just  never spoke off. But the one thing that kept her going back to Church, was the humiliation she’d brought down on a teenager on the night of their prom, years ago.

There wasn't a day, it didn't cross her mind filled with guilt.

Polly hoped that one day, if she saw the woman once again, she'd repent for what she’d been apart of that night.

It didn't help matters that the woman was several years younger to Polly, and Polly had only gone to the dance, though she wasn't in school anymore at the time, to ruin the young woman's night.

She’d been in her mid 20′s while the girl, Kaliyah, had been 17. The night of the dance, Polly and the few girls she ‘d befriended, decided to sneak into their old school, during the dance. 

The young girl was treated as an outcast, while their high school years were supposed to be memorable, she had found hers to be a nightmare.

*

“I signed the business papers with a businesswoman today. Been talking to her about it for a week now, we’re Going to get the shipping started in 2 days time” the smoke puffed from Tommy’s lips, while he sat down in his aunts kitchen. “ she deals with the exports and imports there”

“where are you shipping to?” the chair Polly, gripped her hand on , made a screeching noise as she pulled it out and sat down.

“Nottingham” Came Tommy’s response.

“How fucking illegal is this exportation going to be?’

“The woman, Kaliyah White, she’s made sure the illegalities of the exportation of our Gin are under control.” Tommy spoke, his voice rough and tired. “so not very illegal Pol” 

But even in his exhausted state, even though his eyes burned with sleep and his body ached with the continuous moving of the day, Tommy didn’t miss the way his Aunt paled at his words. 

“what is it Pol?” he sat up straight.

“ Kaliyah White? Kaliyah White, You’ve done fucking business with Kaliyah White!?” the chair made a screeching noise again, against the floorboard, this time because Polly stood up and grabbed the glass of drink from Tommy’s hand and threw it across.

“Fuck sake, Pol, what’s the issue in doing business with Kaliyah, eh? I'm trying to fucking expand our fucking business!” His Aunt had rarely been the reason behind his confusion, but tonight, she’d given him a hundreds reasons to be confused.

“You can’t do business with her alright”

“Pol-” 

“NO! at least let me fucking meet her first and then-”

“then what? I’m not marrying her Pol, I'm doing business with her, what’s this about you meeting her first?”

Her eyes were wide, she looked scared out of her wits, and Tommy felt nothing but confused. He couldn’t understand why Pol had reacted the way she did. But Tommy was smart enough to put some pieces together and understand that his aunt clearly knew the businesswoman he had done business with earlier that day.

“Get the fuck out "Polly spat, turning around and looking at Tommy with an expression that made it very clear to him that there was no conversing left to do.

He rolled his eyes, put his cigarette out and turned around to leave, slipping his dusty black coat on.

Polly poured herself another glass whilst ignoring the broken glass that held Tommy’s drink a few minutes ago. She sat back on the chair, lighting a cigarette, and taking in a deep breathe , she let out a smooth outflow of smoke from her lips. 

Her hands trembled. Tommy turned around looking at his aunt one more time, he noticed her hands shaking. He didn’t often question business deals once they’d been made, but he was now, while walking out. There was nothing he had ever seen make his aunt tremble, but the seemingly harmless woman he met with, seemed to make her tremble in fear. And all he had done was simply mention her.

The night ,for Polly, passed with a slowness that was agonizing. She’d seen what Kaliyah was more than capable of that night, more than 10 years ago.

When the sunlight finally broke in through the curtains, Polly got up and put on her shoes, deciding today she needed to tell Tommy why he couldn't do business with Kaliyah. Because Tommy wouldn’t quit his decision of exporting to Nottingham any other way. He wouldn’t, without asking questions and a proper reason.

She headed into the living room after breakfast, she felt nervous. And she hadn’t felt so, in a long while. It was fatuous, she to this day, couldn’t understand why she did what she did to Kali in high school.

Polly’s slender fingers traced over the different books and albums on her shelf. It had been years since she opened any of these albums, especially her album from high school.

*

The red colored album tucked under her left arm, Polly pushed open the door to the Garrison, walking inside she headed straight towards the private room, where she knew Tommy always sat at this time of the day.

Opening the door to the private room, Polly cursed under her breath, seeing John, Arthur and Tommy sat there , smoking.

“What ya got there Pol?” Arthur inquired, leaning  back.

“I’d fucking ask you to get out but its fucking pointless now” Polly sat down in the empty seat next to Tommy. She almost pretended that the other Shelby boys weren't even there.

“This Tommy is why you need to fucking quit business with Kaliyah.” her hands flipped through the pages. The thick and slowly browning pages had multiple pictures on them. But Polly kept flipping through the pages, until she stopped on one. 

“This the businesswoman?” She pointed at the image of a girl no older than 17,her hair smoothed back , a sad little smile on her face.

“Yeah, and?” Tommy smoked, still feeling no alarm.

John and Arthur furrowed their eyebrows , wondering where this was going.

“This is from more than 10 fucking years ago, from the high school I once went to.” Polly took a deep breath.  

She narrated the events that took place the night of the prom , that often kept Polly up at night. Tommy raised his brows at Polly with amusement , when she told the Shelby’s of the way she and her friends , formed a group. A group solely intended to pick on her. She told them of the way she had come up with the idea. 

John snickered when Polly told them of how she and her friends , though long , almost 6 years done with high school, decided to head to their school dance , and play a joke on Kaliyah. 

The narration of the young girl being humiliated stunned Tommy, Polly’s hands shook as she told Tommy that Kaliyah swore to come after Polly, when Polly managed to get away. The Shelby brothers listened intently to their Aunt telling them of what she’d done along with her friends and how she remembered the screams of her friends and her boyfriend at the time , when Kaliyah unleashed hell on them.

The boys saw a visible shudder pass through Polly’s hands. 

“Jesus Christ Pol” Arthur breathed out.

“A fucking witch” John put his cigarette out, and run his hands through his hair. 

Tommy, however, was yet to give a reaction. He’d found it hard to believe. There were multiple things he found hard to swallow about the incident that his Aunt had narrated to him, but the one most difficult to believe , was that the woman who’d spoken to him with zero judgement and the utmost kindness, was capable of this. 

He wondered, if like Grace, Kaliyah was perhaps using him ? 

“Thomas!” Polly looked at him, with frantic and impatient eyes. 

“I’ll see what I can fucking do, eh” Tommy put his cigarette out, got up, grabbing his cap off of the table opened the door to the private room. 

He put his hat on , whilst closing the door to the room, looking up however , he noticed her standing at the door of the pub immediately. 

There weren’t too many people in the Pub, maybe around 9 or so.

But she was clearly looking for somebody. Her hair, she looked her around the room. Her eyes searching the Garrison, Tommy saw her shoulders drop when she didn’t find whoever it was she was looking for; Tommy had a feeling it was possible Polly , she was looking for. 

The woman , who looked nothing older than 25, walked towards the counter, Tommy watched the way she looked at Harry. The look in her eyes, gave more than enough reason to Harry to just serve her, even though they didn’t serve women.

“surprising seeing you here, Miss White” Tommy walked towards her, cautious with each step he took.

“How’d you know its not Mrs.” She looked up at him with a smile that almost had Tommy walk back into the private room and ask Polly if she was sure it was the same Kaliyah that killed her peers.

Tommy sat on the chair next to Kaliyah’s, and carefully observed her when Harry put down her glass of Gin, in front of her.

“Thank you” the warm tone of her voice made Tommy squint, nobody ever thanked the barman or barmaids at pubs, yet the woman seated next to him did just that. 

“I make sure I know who I’m doing business with, plus you're infamous in Nottingham” He said slowly. Watching the her lips twitch into a hesitant smirk.

“well, that’s another thing we have in common then, Mr. Shelby”  her emphasis on his last name told Tommy that she knew who he was, and of his relation to his Aunt.

“Let’s cut the crap though, Tommy.” her voice turning cold while she slowly placed her glass down, and turned towards Tommy. “where is Polly fucking Shelby?” 

He knew , or at least had a rough idea, of the chaos Kali could bring down around her. And he wasn’t so sure if she would care if she hurt the blinders and others at the pub in that  moment.

“It’s been years, eh-” He started, calmly.

“I don't fucking care. That bitch ruined everything. The minute I felt fucking accepted, the moment I felt there was fucking hope for me, she fucking ruined it.” Her grip on her glass got tighter, her knuckles slowly turning white.

“Answer me this, and I’ll tell you where she is,” he took a breath “ what will it do for you? Will it bring you peace, if she’s dead? happiness? Because I’ve killed a lot of people , Miss White, and I fucking assure you there is no consolation that comes of it. Just more fucking shit”

“What the FUCK what would you know about humiliation? You don’t know what its like to live with the mother I had, or with the constant picking and harassments , that YOU’RE fucking aunt was apart of, you don’t know what its  like to feel like an outcast you’re whole life, and then the one moment, someone finally makes you feel normal, and like you belong, you’re humiliated in front of everyone.”

“you didn’t answer the question” Tommy’s face remained expressionless, yet he felt a multitude of emotions; anger, love, sorrow, and familiarity. He knew what it felt like to feel like an outcast. But maybe not to the extent she did.

“I....I don’t fucking know” her breathe hitched. Her breathing got heavier and her eyes slowly filled with tears. But she was adamant not to let it show. 

“Let me tell you, eh. “ he leaned in, his face only a few inches away from hers. He only know noticed the beauty in her eyes, the soft shade of green and hint of blue, he noticed the natural pink of her lips. “ you think killing Pol will you bring you peace, consolation even. But it won’t. There is no consolation some times, But peace, the only way you’ll ever be at peace, will be if you make peace with yourself and your past. people change, Kali. The Pol , I know now, wouldn’t do that to you.” Tommy could see her eyes soften, the anger slowly, very slowly, yet surely melting away.

Kaliyah, still avoiding his gaze, stared into her glass.

“Ey, the Pol I know now, she would do anything to fucking make it up to you. but fucking killing her won’t do anything. There is no peace that comes from it, only guilt. A fucking lot of it too.”

“If it wasn’t for her, I would’ve had the boy who loved me” Kaliyah sighed. Tommy had got through to her, but making peace with herself and her past would be a long and bumpy process.

She finally turned to face the man she initially intended to use to get to his Aunt. But looking at him now, the years and years of pent up anger slowly washed away. Or so she thought.

Kali took in his deep blue eyes, she’d never seen eyes as blue as his, and they were warm. His lips looked soft, and she almost kissed them, but refrained from doing so.

She could tell this was out of character for him, but nevertheless he slowly , put his hand over his, that still gripped the glass; which Harry feared , while watching from afar, that she might break. He slowly slipped his fingers with hers, loosening her grip and tightening her grip on his hands instead.

“You’ll find someone else then, eh” his tone was hopeful, something he hasn’t been nor felt since returning from the war, that took away his faith in the world.

“Who, Thomas, who the fuck would possible love a witch that's killed people?” Her tone was now broken. The anger that she felt for years may have washed away at the realization that it would bring her no peace, nor would it undo what had been done. But the pain remained unlike the anger.

Tommy’s response went unheard, because behind him, he heard the doors to the private room open. Upon turning around, he saw Polly standing there. Her eyes wide. 

The instant cold that replaced the grip of her hand on his, made Tommy immediately turn around, to stop Kaliyah if needed.

“kal-” but instead Kaliyah was already headed towards the exit of the pub.

Tommy quickly got up and in quick and long strides, he walked towards the doors as well, following Kaliyah.

“I can’t” she breathed out, as soon as she was once again in the cold Birmingham air. I thought I wasn’t so angry anymore, but looking at her again, i-i’m still just so fucking angry. After all these years, i don't-” She didn’t finish , because in that moment, she flipped a car that was parked, with a flick of her hand.

A lamppost, slowly bent. The sound of the hard metal turning, made Tommy look at back and forth between the metal and Kaliyah. With very unsure hands, Tommy slowly, reached out towards Kaliyah. 

Her hands, covered her ears, her eyes shut tight, tears rolling down her face. 

“Look” Tommy softly placed his hands on hers. Trying to loosen her grip on her ears, yet he was careful trying to not trigger her further.

“Kaliyah, listen to me alright” he managed to slip his rough and calloused but warm fingers through hers, and slowly loosened her grip on her ears.

“I fucking can’t, just the sight of her” she broke down further. Tommy got closer, and wrapped his arms around her, tightening his arms slowly.

“It’ll take time alright, all those years of anger isn’t going to fucking go away in a matter of minutes.” he whispered, which for him was unusual.

she said nothing, but just nodded, holding onto him, like he was the only thing keeping her sane. Because he was. But she couldn’t tell him that.

“I would” 

“what?” she furrowed her eyebrows , confused.

“the answer to the question you asked me inside a few minutes ago; I would” He said it in a very nonchalant manner. But it was, once again out of character for him, never , even with Grace, did he feel so awfully comfortable or close, as he did with Kaliyah, that too within just knowing her for only a week.

Kali recalled what she’d asked him inside, and once she realized, her eyes widened.

For once, she felt, safe. She felt as though she could maybe finally let down her guard, even just for a minute. 

He held her and she held onto him, for as long as either wanted. He held on to her, because she didn’t let go of him, and she didn’t let go of him, because he didn’t let go of her.

Polly didn’t step outside. The guilt came back stronger. If Kaliyah let her live, she’d spend as long as required, trying to make it up to Kaliyah.

Outside, Kaliyah finally let go of Tommy, “ it’s getting cold” she whispered.

“I think this’ll help” she said before leaning in closer to his face. The warmth of his breath hitting her face.

Tommy held the back of her head, while she connected her lips with his. The air turned warmer, or maybe it was his ears turning red, either way, it felt just right. 

They way it never did with Grace. 

She held his face, his skin soft under her cold fingers. 

“I think it worked.” she breathed out, when they finally broke the kiss.

#tommy shelby imagine #tommy shelby × reader #tommy shelby imagines #tommy shelby #tommy shelby fanfic #tommy shelby fluff #tommy shelby x ofc #tommy shelby x y/n #tommy shelby x you #tommy shelby soft #tommy shelby one shot #tommy shelby angst #tommy shelby x witch!reader #peaky blinder fanfic #peaky blinders x reader #peaky blinders one shot #peaky blinders imagine #peaky blinders x you #peaky blinders x y/n #peaky blinders angst #peaky blinders x witch!reader #peaky blinders x witch #peaky blinders request #Tommy shelby x kaliyah #peaky blinders x kaliyah