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call-sign-shark · 3 months ago

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Heaven in Your Eyes || Arthur Shelby x You

Summary: It was supposed to be an entertaining evening. Boxing fights, booze and party. It wasn't supposed to be one of the worst days of your life. || Featuring Tommy Shelby x Reader

Words: 4.5k

TW: angst+++, alteration of canon events, canonical violence, depictions of slaughter and body horror, main character death, Reader's husband dying, suicidal thoughts, graphic murder. Parts in bold are direct quotes from the show. Parts in Italics are direct quotes from preceding chapters. Also, Tommy will take more space in the next chapters.

Notes:

✞ Shorter chapter because it's extremely violent and angsty. Also, I'm super rusty so I tried to write it in a more direct style so it's prolly less poetic and beautiful.

✞ This is chapter 16 of the Arthur Shelby x You series Heaven in Your Eyes. Each chapter can be read as stand-alones but reading the whole series will make the experience far more intense.

PREVIOUS || Masterlist || NEXT PART

The extraordinary general meeting of the Shelby Ladies Club.

This is what Polly called this unexpected little meeting in the bathroom right in the middle of the rigged fight happening a few rooms away. When you entered the lavatory with Ada complaining about the sparring between Goliath and Bonnie, Aunt Pol was taking a cigarette from the silver case she was holding while Lizzie was fixing her hair.

“I love your messy bun, Heaven.” Lizzie complimented when she saw your reflection in the mirror she was using.

“Thank you Liz. Ada scolded me and decided that it would be a better hairstyle for tonight.”

“You never style your hair except for braids and it’s a fucking shame considering how beautiful and long your white mane is.” The young Shelby sister insisted.

“If you say so,” You snorted, amused, “What are you doing here? Plotting and scheming? Leave these for Thomas.” You smirked, sitting on the edge of a sink with movements as nimble as a cat. Your little cutting remark had the expected effect: the three girls laughed with sincerity, somewhat amused by the beef between you and the family’s boss. They had eventually learned that nothing could ever ease the tension between the two of you, so laughing about the matter was the only thing they could do. A part of you couldn’t help but think that they wouldn’t find it that amusing anymore if they knew the unhealthy turn your mutual hatred had taken.

What did you feel when we kissed? A shiver ran down your spine as you heard Tommy’s husky voice, as charming as venomous, whispering in your ear. It might only have been a memory, but you could almost feel his hot whisky breath brushing your skin.

“Heaven has some news.” Polly’s voice resounded in the bathroom, snatching you from your thoughts.

“Me?” You asked, batting your bambi lashes in incomprehension before the understanding of the situation slapped you right in the face.

“Well, tell her. Now! While the men are screaming for blood.” Polly sneaked a cigarette between her thin, red lips.

Your blood momentarily froze in your pale veins for this unexpected pregnancy wasn’t something you wanted to talk about. For sure Aunt Pol didn’t mean to do harm, but the surrounding chaos and your last encounter with Luca Changretta seriously eroded your wish to have a baby. The baby who made you so vulnerable during times that were anything but good. Moreover, a quick glance at Lizzie’s sad and anxious eyes had been enough for you to understand that something was weighing on her shoulders. Something you had guessed for a few days. Something she needed to talk about more than you. The corner of your mouth turned up in a half-smile.

“Well, I discovered something about Lizzie but I think she should be the one making the announcement. Shouldn’t you, Lizzie?” You winked, replacing one of your long white strands of hair behind your pierced ear with a naive pout. Glitters of hope and gratefulness suddenly sparkled in the ocean blue of the secretary’s eyes to whom you replied with a discreet nod before grabbing Polly’s cigarette case.

“I’m up the duff. And it’s Tommy’s.”

You took a long drag on the cigarette and slowly exhaled the smoke by your nostrils as the attention was now on Lizzie. Even though Ada almost choked on her sip of gin, she quickly showed interest in the tall woman’s pregnancy. The only one you didn’t fool was old and cunning Aunt Pol who gave you a brief “okay I get it” glance before turning back to Lizzie.

It’s a girl. Call her Ruby. Ruby Shelby. She’ll be a star in a Hollywood movie.

You watched the scene with a light smile floating upon your plump and glossy lips, satisfied by the outcome of your little trick as well as the surprising unconditional support Lizzie was receiving after years of being seen only through her job as a prostitute. Admittedly, the reason behind the little push you gave to Lizzie Stark was purely selfish, but you couldn’t deny the fact that you kind of liked the woman despite never really interacting with her. She got the attention, and you got peace. It was a win-win situation.

“Congratulations, Lizzie.” You said, your siren-like voice as soft as a lazy ocean.

“She’s a real Shelby lady now. Just like you, Devil.” Polly’s smirk betrayed her amusement. You rolled your eyes teasingly before proudly showing your left hand and wiggling your small fingers to display the magnificent wedding ring Arthur had gifted you.

“What about you Hev? When are you planning to give us a little Arthur?” Ada suddenly asked, Lizzie's news had visibly rendered her sour mood better.

“I think one Arthur is enough for now, don’t you?” You got up from the sink and carefully smoothed the folds your revealing black dress, “Anyway. Ladies, let’s rejoin our gentlemen.”

“I guess the meeting is over.” Ada added with a little chuckle

Joining deeds to words, Polly gently hooked her arm with yours in a motherly gesture and guided you outside, where the crowd’s roars were echoing.

Laughs and cheers filled the room as Johnny Dog put on a show to get more men to bet on the winner of this fight. Swallowing a mouthful of gin, your seraphic traits turned into a wince at the burning sensation the alcohol left in your throat – that new batch was strong, indeed. The sweet taste that exploded on your tastebuds, when the tip of your rosy tongue licked your juicy lips, made you grin, or maybe it was the all-consuming smell of sweat and blood that lingered in the air. It might come off as surprising for other women, but you enjoyed watching fights. There was something brutal but so real about them. After all, humans were just animals wearing suits. Animals which, according to you, had barely learned to speak instead of growling.

Your lips pinched the cigarette as you took another drag you quickly blew, your eyes following blood spurting from Bonnie’s nose and splattering the ground. Although quieter than Polly, Lizzie, and Ada, who were laughing, screaming, and sometimes nudging you in excitement at each violent blow the Romani boy gave back to his opponent, you had a lot of fun. Until a peculiar but familiar feeling blossomed within.

It started with a chill creeping down your spine and ended up with light tremors shaking your frail silhouette. Instinctively, you raised your piercing gaze and searched for Arthur somewhere among the crowded rows of folded seats. Your usual calm demeanor faltered as you noticed that your husband seemed troubled by something, rapidly glancing from here and there, attempting to read the room for whatever reason. He didn’t even pay attention to you, far too busy observing the men that were around the boxing ring. Eventually, Arthur stood up and left, his steel blue eyes fixed on someone he followed through the depths of the building. Let me do my fucking job! That’s what he barked at Tommy, or at least what you thought you overheard.

You frowned as a strange sensation rippled through your mind – like a distant, haunting whisper of something looming, a threat. Nervously swallowing your saliva, your first reflex was looking at Tommy. You couldn’t place it, but the odd feeling gripped you tightly like an omen you couldn’t shake, warning you of an approaching storm. It seemed like little King Shelby shared your inner agitation though, for his mesmerizing turquoise eyes dived into yours with the same nervousness and incomprehension. Whatever the many reasons behind your hatred, you were definitely on the same wavelength at this very moment. The silent conversation, expressed through brief eyebrows and eye movements, was more or less the following:

-Where is he going?

-I don’t know. It’s prolly the booze and the pills.

-It’s not. I’ll check.

-Don’t fucking do that.

You stood up from your seat with a clenched jaw and, feeling the vibration of this bad omen quaking your soul itself, you nimbly snaked in and out through seats and followed Arthur’s steps. As was the case for your husband a few minutes ago, the dark corridor into which you rushed engulfed your ethereal silhouette like a hungry giant.

“Fuck.” Tommy mumbled, straightening on his seat and leaning forward, “Fuck.” He repeated, torn between his own doubts and his disdain for you. Nevertheless, if there was one thing he had learned since you joined the family was that your gut feelings were never wrong. You proved it several times, starting by foreseeing Charlie’s abduction. The dark-haired gangster sniffed and nervously rubbed his chin, his catlike eyes going back on forth between the corridor and the crowd. A few minutes later, Tommy finally left the fighting pit.

Something was definitely off.

Cautiously walking through the maze of dark hallways dimly lit by a bluish light, you tried to ignore the maddening beat of your heart that was drumming so loud you felt it hammering in your temples. You didn’t really know where you were heading, nor where Arthur went, but the more you moved forward, the more this unbearable feeling of dread and panic invaded you. Your aimless wandering came to an end when the strong and metallic smell of fresh blood and the atrocious sight that followed jumped at your face.

No.

Your heart nearly stopped when you saw him – your husband, slumped on the ground, blood soaking through the collar of his shirt as it gushed from the wound across his throat.

No!

Time seemed to slow down, and your heart seemed to stop as you took in the scene: the gun the Italian bastard was holding in his steady hand aimed at Arthur’s head.

Panic crashed over you like a tidal wave, washing away everything but the rage that had piled up within you during all these years. In that moment, something primal and destructive snapped inside of you. In a blur of rage and raw instinct, and with a guttural scream that seemed too inhumane to come from you, you launched yourself at the mafioso, who barely had the time to turn around. Another furious shriek escaped from your quivering lips, similar to the rabid screech of a wounded banshee, and with your fingers curled into claws, your sharp nails slashed across his face.

“PUTTANA!” The man yelled and gasped, taken aback by your unleashed fury.

The mafioso fired with his gun in a desperate attempt to kill you but the brutal impact between your two bodies threw him off balance and the shot reached the wall instead of your brain. As his spine crashed against the tiled ground, Changretta’s henchman dropped the weapon. You gave it a brutal blow to make it slide away from him.

Another wave of insults followed as he realized that he struggled to overpower you. You were fighting like a cornered animal, wild and relentless. Your claws scratched him again and again, leaving raw and jagged lines of blood all over his face. The mafioso's strength was starting to falter as he realized that you weren’t just fighting to win; you were fighting to kill him, your body moved by the instinct of a bloodthirsty beast that refused to be caged.

"Stop it, you fucking bitch!" A scream of utter pain brutally tore the air as, completely out of your mind, you dug your thumbs into his skull, pushing harder and harder in an attempt to gouge his eyes. The Sicilian man produced a second sound so twisted that it seemed beyond anything a human throat could produce. The more you pushed with your thumbs, the more you felt his eyeball turning into a viscous pulp. The feeling of the moist and warm liquid on your fingers didn’t stop you. Nor the man’s wails of pure agony, with its pitch far too high and too broken.

“Ajùtami! Ajùtami!” He pleaded, his hands felt the ground in panic, searching for anything he could use to push you away from him. Anything to make you stop. Realizing that nothing was around him, not even the thread he used to attack Arthur, he managed to overcome the pain and gather his strength to grab your throat.

With your air squeezed, you wheezed and removed your fingers from his skull to claw his strong hands. “S-Stop!” Panic flooded you as your vision blurred, black spots dancing at the edges. The harder you fought, the harder he strangled you. Seriously lacking air, you clawed at his arms, desperate to breathe, but his grip was iron. Now you had to do something and do it quickly if you wanted to have a chance to save Arthur.

Your thoughts raced, frantic, until instinct took over.

I love your messy bun, Hev!

The judas stick – now you had a chance. With one quick movement, you brought your hand to your bun and your fingers fumbled for the sharp metal judas stick that was holding your hair in place. It came in handy. With a choked sound, you drove it upward and sunk the sharp edge of the stick into the man’s side.

One time.

Two times.

Three, four, five, six…

Side, chest, shoulder, face…

Each impact was vicious and powerful, tearing through the flesh like butter and drilling into organs and bones with the sheer will of maiming your enemy. Hot blood splashed all over you and around, but you didn’t care. The only thing that made you stop stabbing him was when you felt the man’s grip loosen around your throat until his arms dropped on the red-smeared ground in a loud thud.

“Fuck!” You sucked in a sharp breath, your voice hoarse from being choked. However, you quickly got up from the corpse to run to your husband. “Arthur!” You screamed, rushing to his side, your hands trembling as you knelt beside him – or rather as you dropped to your knees, your legs unable to support your weight anymore. Panic seized you even more violently as you saw Arthur's deep wound and the blood—too much blood.

“No, no, no… not like this,” You whispered, voice cracking. You couldn’t lose him, not here, not now. Never. Your fingers brushed over his chest and, in your deepest desperation, you looked for his pulse. A pulse you found, but which was becoming slower and fainter as seconds flew by. “Arthur! Please!” You started sobbing, tears streaming down your face and mixing with the fresh blood that was painting your skin in a disgusting shade of red. You had to face the truth: Arthur was dying. The damages were too serious and the bleeding too much… But you were a witch. The gift of healing was coursing through your veins. The only problem was that if you tried to save him by using your magic, you’d hurt the baby. After all, that was what happened when you tried to kill Luca Changretta with a heart attack.

The baby.

Your husband or the baby?

Your heart painfully raced in your chest. Your erratic breathing and your sore throat made you feel like you weren’t getting enough air.

“I’d love to have kids with ye, eh. Little white-haired and blue-eyed us running barefoot in the forest… Little embodiments of our love brightening our life.” His voice was merely a whisper now for he was slowly falling asleep, “I’ve always wanted to be a dad… but thought I was too messed up for that.”

You could save him. You had to. Despite this torture of a dilemma and the harshness of the decision, nothing could change your mind, not even the feeling of your heart shattering into millions of shards. Closing your eyes, you placed one hand over his throat, the blood warm under your palm, and the other on his chest. Wasting no time, you channel all your strength – the connection sparked, and the raw, untamed magic you inherited from your mother surged through you. It seemed to work at first, his pulse lightly responding to yours.

But the more the magic surged, the more you felt a terrible pain in your belly. It started as cramps but quickly escalated into suffering so high that you felt like someone was stabbing you. A trembling squeal escaped from your red lips. You were killing it, you knew it. You were killing your own baby.

"Come on, come on," You muttered, pushing harder, forcing your will into his body. "Stay with me, Arthur," You whispered, tears streaking down your face, each sentence cut by muffled cries of the mafioso you had slaughtered and who was still alive— not for too long to be honest. He seemed to say something in Sicilian but you couldn't understand what. And you didn't care. "Just... stay with me." You gritted your teeth, doing your best to put up with the pain.

Click.

You froze.

“You nosey little slut. You should've stayed with the others.”

Your heart missed a leap at the unknown male voice, carried by a thick Italian accent. The mafioso’s colleague looked at you, gun pointed right to your head.

"Remember me?" He asked with a wicked smile, recalling the moment he had offered you a cigarette a few hours ago. During your brief chit-chat, he told you that his name was Damiano but you didn't make the connection between Changretta and his Italian heritage.

“Don't cry, you're going to meet with your husband again very soon." the imposing man added, a few seconds away from ending your life. However, Damiano didn't know what you were capable of. Even less now that you were driven by pure rage and despair.

“Shut the fuck up!” You suddenly yelled, your claws firmly anchored in your husband to make Damiano understand that no one would snatch him from your arms. Your voice, a seductive melody that could enchant like a siren’s song, suddenly sounded monstrous. Raw and primal, the way you screamed the threat echoed in the entire maze of hallways and made Tommy’s blood freeze in his veins, a few corridors away. “Fucking die!”

Damiano didn't know that he never stood a chance. You sealed that man's demise with one blunt arm movement as if you had wanted to chase a mosquito from your face.

"Wh-What..."

Damiano, fell on his knees next to his dying friend, and writhed on the floor. With his two hands pressing on his chest, he suddenly started to choke and, right after, threw up a great amount of thick blood. Apart from the vomiting, blood soon seeped from his eyes and ears, bubbling like something inside was boiling them alive.

"P-Please!" He begged but you didn't stop. The man obviously tried to scream but the only sound he could produce was disgusting gurgles.

"Don't worry, you're going to meet your friend pretty soon." You replied with a cold and sardonic tone before closing your fist, the man's lungs responding to your gesture by imploding in his chest. Like his colleague's arms did a few minutes ago, Damiano's whole body crashed against the floor with a thud.

Quickly, you shifted back your attention to your husband and kept giving him all your energy while ignoring the black dots that were dancing in front of your eyes, as well as the awful, unbearable stabbing sensation in your core. You were definitely hurting yourself by using your power that much but you didn't give a fuck. “Arthur, please.” You growled, a feeling of dizziness building up so bad that you didn’t even hear the hurried footsteps that were coming closer, nor the hoarse, familiar voice of your brother-in-law.

"FUCK!" You exclaimed. You were losing Arthur again.

The three bodies lay strewn like discarded puppets, their lifeless forms twisted and broken on the blood-flown concrete floor. The once clean backroom had transformed into a nightmare realm of gore and horror that made Tommy's stomach turn upside-down.

The Peaky Blinder's boss took two steps back and brought his calloused hand to his mouth, fighting against the urge to puke – and God knew it took him a lot considering the atrocities he witnessed and did during the war. His turquoise gaze scanned the room, which had turned into a slaughterhouse. A fucking pool of crimson blood. First, he saw the limp and distorted corpse of Damiano, whose eyes were open wide in horror despite him being dead and cold. The terror in his frozen facial expression left no doubt about how awful his last moments must have been: he had suffered, and he had suffered more than a lot. Then, he caught a quick glimpse of the second victim. With his eyeballs reduced to a reddish foul mush, the lacerations on his face, and the abnormal number of stabbing wounds, the mafioso’s body was so maimed that it looked disgustingly grotesque.

Then he saw Arthur.

"Oh my God. Oh my fucking God — Arthur!"

Amidst the chaos, where the air hung heavy with the acrid and pungent scent of blood, Tommy's screams echoed far away in the distance as you knelt there, eyes wide open and silent tears streaming down your cheeks, mixed with dark trails of ruined mascara.

Tommy reacted immediately and knelt near his brother with a panic so uncontrollable that it swept away every ounce of coldness and self-control he usually displayed. He slapped his brother's cheeks several times in a vain attempt to help him come back to a conscious state but it didn't work. Thomas Shelby's fist hit the floor with frustration as the feeling of powerlessness crept into his heart. He was losing another brother and there was nothing he could do to save him.

But you could.

"Heaven, d'ya hear me?"

You let out a muffled whimper, or at least you thought you did as your senses saturated with one unique sound: a relentless ringing that echoed in the hollow caverns of your mind. With each pulse of your heart, the sound intensified, threatening to consume the last remnant of sanity you had left. The world around you had seemed to fade into obscurity, your sight blurry and reduced to only one color: red. Vibrant red splattered everywhere, on the walls, and yourself but most of it was on the floor. In fact, the ground itself seemed to writhe beneath the weight of the corpses, as crimson rivers flowed freely, painting the concrete in shades of crimson that gleamed like freshly spilled paint.

“Oi! Listen to me!” Tommy’s powerful voice suddenly snatched you from your daze just enough time to catch your attention and plunge his turquoise iris into your Arctic eyes.

“I—I can’t. I can’t, I can’t...” You repeated in a whisper, just like a broken record, because your husband’s pulse was weakening again, blind to your exhausting and painful efforts. Arthur was dying, your baby was dying and the intensity of the pain you went through was so insufferable that all you wanted to do was curl up in a ball and wait for death to make this nightmare stop.

Tommy rapidly shifted his body to be by your side, his sharp eyes focused, but softer than usual. “You’ve got this,” he whispered, meeting your panicked gaze. “Keep going. Don’t stop.” He pressed his hand firmly over yours, steadying the trembling fingers that worked to save his brother. His voice was low, gravelly, but laced with a quiet strength he tried to share with you. His grip was warm, grounding you in the chaos, his presence like an anchor. At that moment, the weight of the world felt momentarily lighter with him by your side. You replied to his help with a muffled sob.

"You've got this!" Tommy tried to keep you from falling apart but the sight of a thin trickle of blood slowly running down your nose worried him almost to death. He looked at you and he knew. He knew that you had given everything – every ounce of your energy to save his brother, your magic now drained. Your hand trembled, still pressed to Arthur’s chest, but the world around you was seriously fading to black.

Caught amid this Hell with Tommy by your side, you didn't hear nor feel Polly, who had found the crime scene.

"Oh lord please help us, oh Lord, oh Lord..." Polly cried, horrified by the bloodbath as well as by the sight of you clinging to Arthur's limp body. She had already lost one of her nephews and couldn't bear the weight of losing another one. Not her sweet Arthur. Not him,

"We're fucking losing her too!" Tommy exclaimed, "fucking help me!"

"Heaven!" She called, grabbing your shoulder and shaking you but all you did was scream one last time. A haunting and otherworldly wail that pierced the darkness. A sound so agonizing and inhumane that it seemed to tear at the very fabric of existence. It echoed across the building, carrying with it the weight indescribable of sorrow and despair as your arms tightened your grip around your dying husband.

The smell of blood hid Tommy's musky perfume that was tingling your nostrils. The deafening ringing in your ears covered Polly and her nephew's voice. Your breaths came shallow and weak, your body becoming heavier as darkness crept in. Slowly, your eyes fluttered shut. In one final movement, you collapsed beside your husband, your last thought a silent hope that he would live.

Or that you would at least die trying to save him.

✞ Any comment, review, reblog, or constructive criticism is welcome. Your reactions really motivate me and keep me alive, so please don't be shy. English is not my first language. gif by the wonderful @alicent-targaryen.

✞ Taglist: @adaydreamaway08 @theshelbyclan @jomarch-wannabe @esposadomd @woofgocows @anathemasworld @anastasia000 @kate654 @kxnnxy @babayaga67 @meowtastick @shelbyssins @sarai-ibn-la-ahad @bluevenus19 @raincoffeeandfandoms @kishie8 @zablife @alexandra-001 @alexizodd @helen06dreamer @kmc1989 @peakyswritings @peakyltd @chaosinkest1996 @vanhelsingsbigtoe @cherubswhispers @lokigirlszendaya @justrainandcoffee @mischievouslittlecreature

#Arthur Shelby #Arthur Shelby x Reader #Peaky Blinders #Peaky Blinders imagine #Tommy Shelby #Tommy Shelby x reader #Arthur Shelby x oc #Paul Anderson #Heaven Shelby #Peaky blinders oc #John Shelby #Polly Gray #Luca Changretta #Luca Changretta x Reader #Arthur SHelby imagine

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watmalik · 4 months ago

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IT REALLY IS THE END OF AN ERA UGH

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theoceanandthestars · 4 months ago

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TK's Sponsor

Owen Strand x Reader

A/N: My first time writing for 991 Lone star, apologies for any mistakes and the generally poor quality of writing I'm busy but felt like i needed to write :) Hope you enjoy or at the very least don't hate it. Also any requests from 911 and 911 Lone star are always welcome :)

Word Count: 2.8k

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‘Okay everyone, Great job!’ you called as you paused the music playing in the studio, ‘Just sit where you are for a minute, I have a couple of things to tell you before we do our final dance of the day’. Seeing the faces of the 5-year-olds taking your friend’s dance class filled your heart with a warmth you hadn’t felt in a while and you couldn’t help the smile that accompanied it.

You hadn’t danced in any professional capacity for years but since your friend, who normally taught the class, was going on vacation for 4 weeks you’d agreed to take over while she was away. This was only the second week of you teaching and you’d been enjoying it far more than you anticipated and had even begun to consider teaching a dance class in your free time. The building in which your friend taught had multiple studios, so the idea of teaching dance again was currently constantly on your mind.

Currently there was only one other class going on at the same time as this one, the 5 to 10 years ballet class, a class that was hugely popular judging by the sheer volume of pink tutus you had seen skurry into the studio early today. The thought made you smile again, you had been one of those pink tutus years ago, and even if parts of your life hadn’t gone the way you had planned you still had dance and the same studio you had danced in all those years ago. It made the building feel homey.

Looking down at all the excited faces in front of you, you carried on telling the class that in 3 weeks’ time you would have a mini recital to show their teacher what you had been doing while she was on vacation. Which was suddenly met with excited shrieks and all the children jumping up and down and running around in excitement. Once again you allowed yourself to smile at the sight before calling them back to sit down. But before you could stop yourself and the children from laughing, their infectious happiness having spread to you, the smell of smoke hit your nose only seconds before the fire alarm began to blare causing absolute havoc in the studio.

‘Okay everyone!’ you shouted loud enough to gather the attention of all the tiny ears currently in the room, ‘I need you all to listen to me very carefully, you need to all grab each other’s hands and we are going to form a big chain and leave the studio, okay?’

‘No need to panic’ you said as the children held on to each other and you started to briskly walk them from the studio, ‘We’re all here together so everything is fine’.

As soon as you made it to the grassy area outside of the building you began counting the children in front of you and once you had triple checked they were all there you finally let out a breath of relief. Although no flames where currently visible the smoke billowing from the building had already garnered the attention of many passers-by, many of whom were clearly ringing the fire department. You turned to Mrs Jenkins who had been teaching the ballet class and was now just a few feet from you.

‘Do you have everyone?’ you asked her hurriedly as the flames began to become visible. Watching as she scanned her eyes over the sheet in front of her your heart suddenly dropped when her face paled.

‘What? What is it?’ you asked.

‘I forgot, one of the girls, Sophie, oh god she’s only 6, she wanted to go to the bathroom, I forgot to get her. She’s still in there!’, the older ladies voice shook as her panic began to set in.

Before you could question what you were doing or consider the risks, you turned to Mrs Jenkins, pushed the clipboard you had been holding into her hands and told her to watch all the kids. Her face suddenly scrunched in confusion before realisation sunk in, but you had already set of at a sprint back towards the burning building.

The flames had now started to lick at the sides of the studio as smoke billowed around the room. The cracking of the beams sending pain hurtling through your ears while the rooms temperature rapidly rose. Despite the thick clouds of smoke, you continued to climb over the fallen parts of the building, ducking and running through the flames towards the direction of the bathroom.

As you made your way through the crimson rooms, your throat burned as you called for the missing girl, only stopping to cough out the smoke you had been inhaling. Finally, you were almost at the bathroom which the flames of the fire had only started to reach.

‘Sophie!’ you continued to scream her name, your throat burning from mixture of the screams and smoke. Suddenly a large crash shook the building, sending you to the floor as wooden beams sent cinder towards your arm.

‘Ahh’ you hissed in pain before forcing yourself up, the sounds of the flames engulfing the building, crackles and the crumbling of the structure filled your ears. Before you could rip her name out of your mouth again, the sounds of sobs reached your ears and fuelled with adrenaline you made your way into the bathroom.

Suddenly you saw Sophie, crouched under a sink in her little pink tutu, her body shaking with sobs as the flames got closer to her. Frantically searching, you found a fire extinguisher outside the door, making a path to get to Sophie.

Finally, she seemed to realise your shouts and her eyes locked with yours as she shot towards where you stood in the entryway.

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The flames began to rise outside the building as the dark grey smoke filled the sky. The children had been gathered around Mrs Jenkins before the 126 had arrived. Immediately, Owen ran towards Mrs Jenkins and the children.

‘My name is Captain Owen Strand I’m with the 126, Is everyone okay here?’ he asked placing his hand on the older lady’s shoulder, but she didn’t respond to him, her gaze fixed on the fire and where you had run into the building with was now.

‘Ma’am?’ he asked finally capturing her attention.

‘She’s still in there!’ Mrs Jenkins exclaimed as her eye movement became rapid and anxiety flared in her chest. Owen took her in as he began to formulate a plan in his head.

‘Who is?’ he began, but before he could ask her the myriad of questions in his mind so that he could plan how to get this person out of the building Mrs Jenkins spoke up again.

‘She ran in there to find one of the girls. She’s been in there too long.’ By now most of the 126 was gathered around their captain, their faces shifting at the realisation that their was two people still in the fire. Owen’s and the rest of the 126’s thoughts were interrupted again, this time by Judd as he shouted that he could see her as he rushed towards the fire.

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You and Sophie had made it most of the way out of the studio, her latched onto your back with her hands and legs wrapped tight around you as her tiny body continued to shake as you manoeuvred through the flames and wreckage. Suddenly the door was in sight and the searing pain in your arm while, worsening by the minute, was forgotten.

You knew that any minute the entire building was going to come down as the fire roared, the building shook and cinder and building materials fell around the both of you. Seizing an opportunity as the flames licked up the walls and revealed a path to the door you sprinted to the door of the building.

The sudden force of the cool air sent you into a fit of coughs as you ran from the building behind you. The lights of the fire engines that had arrived lit the street, which was now darkening, and the crowds of people stared at the sight in front of them.

The first thing you saw though was a firefighter rushing towards the pair of you from the direction of where you had left Mrs Jenkins and the children, shouting to people behind him as he pointed at you both. He reached you both and guided you as you all sprinted towards the group of firefighters, who had sprung into action.

The sound of the crowd clapping and cheering didn’t quiet reach your ears as the adrenaline pumped through your veins. Suddenly you stopped as you reached the paramedics and fire captain. Before you could register anything they were saying, you felt the arms around your neck tighten, causing another fit of coarse coughs to expel themselves. As you turned to Sophie who was clinging on as if her life still depended on it, you realised that one of the paramedics, whose badge read Vega had tried to coax her away from you.

‘It’s okay Sophie your safe now, they need to check if you’re okay sweetheart’, for a second she let go, only to move in front of you and cling to you as she sobbed into your top. ‘I promise it’s okay now Sophie, the paramedics have to check to see if you’re okay.’

Still, she clung tighter to you, shaking her head.

‘Will you let me check if you’re okay Sophie?’, to your suggestion Sophies shaking slowed, her grip loosened, and her little head nodded momentarily. As you began to check her breathing the paramedic who had since introduced herself as Captain Vega, looked at you questioningly.

‘Miss, you should really let us do that.’ She stated firmly.

‘It’s okay I’m a doctor’, you quickly stated, ‘I was helping a friend out and teaching her class.’ At this information Captain Vega slowly nodded and began handing you equipment.

After you had checked Sophie over and she appeared fine, you were about to move, when a familiar voice stole your attention away from the now much calmer Sophie.

‘Y/N?’ Recognising the voice immediately you turned around to see TK, but before you could respond the fire captain turned to look at TK as he asked, ‘TK, you know this woman?’

‘Yeah, this is Y/N.’ Tk stated before glancing at you in silent questioning, at your nod in response TK continued, ‘She’s my sponsor, and my friend.’

This gathered the attention of most of the firefighters who had since put out the fire and were gathered around the back of ambulance where you stood. Without warning Tk then lunged at you, wrapping his arms around you, which you returned gripping him as tightly as you could. All of a sudden, however, a sharp pain ran up your arm causing you to flinch at the contact and an involuntary hiss to leave your mouth as well as a mumbled curse.

‘Are you hurt?’ questioned TK, scanning you with his eyes and hovering his hands over your arm as his eyes landed on the burns, that now with the light outside you realised where worse that you had realised. He quickly began to work on the burns. ‘Why didn’t you say anything?’

‘I’m fine TK, I’ve lived through much worse, besides they’re first-degree burns, maybe second at a push and I’m a doctor I can put a bandage on a burn.’ You tried to reassure him with a smile but he wasn’t putting up with your answer as he pushed your shoulder forcing you to sit on the back of the rig.

‘Really TK, I’m okay, I promise.’ Looking into his eyes you suddenly realised he looked anxious, causing your heart to drop, you knew exactly where he was about to go with this.

‘Your clearly not Y/N, people who are okay don’t run into burning buildings!’

‘That’s ironic coming from you’, you stated as Tk rolled his eyes, ‘but Tk that wasn’t what this was about, I’m clean, I’m sober and I’m happy. Frankly I wasn’t thinking when I ran in’, he scoffed but the anxiety seemed to have started to dissipate, ‘I promise you T, I just couldn’t leave her there.’

Silence lingered as the pair of you maintained eye contact while TK scanned your face for any hint that you might be lying. You had always hated talking about your addiction but after becoming a sponsor to TK when he moved to Austin, that all changed. It was no secret to Tk that you credited him with your ability to now be open about your addiction and removing the shame that had lingered over you for so long. And being only slightly older than him you had become fast friends and now although you talked about your addictions you spent more time hanging out together than anything.

A cough cut into the silence, breaking your eye contact as your eyes met with the captain you had now seen several times since you had escaped from the fire. The eye contact lingered longer that it should have and eventually his eyes drifted to Tk and a look of astonishment fell on his face.

‘You have a sponsor?’, he asked, brows furrowing.

‘Look dad’, TK began, his shoulders visibly tensing, ‘I would have told you but I didn’t want to jump to conclusions or…’ but before he could continue the fire captain who you were now realising was TK’s dad, whom you had heard so much about.

‘You don’t need to explain TK, I’m proud of you’, seeing TK and his dad like this together after hearing so much about him made your heart melt slightly, seeing how far they had come from the stories Tk had told you when you first met. Suddenly, it hit you that TK’s dad was actually in front of you.

‘Wait your Tk’s dad!’ you exclaimed jumping up from where TK had forced you to sit.

‘That’s me’ he chuckled.

‘It’s lovely to meet you Captain Strand’ you said smiling as you offered your hand to him which he took immediately with a smile matching yours.

‘Please, Its Owen.’ he remarked still holding eye contact with you, him smile shifting slightly into somewhat of a smirk. And it was at this point that you couldn’t help but notice just how attractive the fire captain truly was. It was also at this realisation that you realised just how well and truly fucked you were.

‘Well Owen’, you spoke softly as you looked slightly up at him, aware that your hands where still currently attached, ‘I’ve heard a lot about you.’ You weren’t sure how long the pair of you held each others gaze without saying anything but it was interrupted by another cough, this time TK was the culprit, causing your hands to move.

Both you and Owen turned expectantly towards him only to be met with a flat, ‘No.’ as he began shaking his head, looking between you and Owen.

‘No what?’ You asked in unison with Owen, eyebrows raised and head tilted slightly to the side. However, his was only met with a pointed look from, which shifted between the two of you.

‘I wasn’t’, you started exasperatedly, but before you could defend yourself and claim that you weren’t flirting with his dad, TK continued.

‘You were!’, and in all fairness you were, or at the very least, you were about to. Glancing up from the ground from your scolding once again your eye caught Owen and his silent laughter only caused you to begin giggling. He then turned his scrutiny towards Owen, ‘That goes for you too.’

But Owen just responded while shrugging, ‘I have no idea what your talking about’.

‘yeah, sure you don’t’, turning to walk away from the two TK was met with the other members of the 126 attempting to hold back their laughter, whose attempts only fell apart under his gaze.

Turning around once he had reached the rest of the 126 he looked at you as you spoke to Owen laughing and standing far too close for TK’s liking.

‘You know they are perfect for each other.’ Stated Marjan, the only one brave enough to break the silence.

‘Marjan has a point, I mean she literally ran into a burning building like some kind of badass superhero’ added Mateo.

‘Which was incredibly reckless’ exasperated TK, ‘come on guys she could have been killed!’

‘Remind you of anyone?’, questioned Judd, causing TK to sigh.

Finally, he conceded, ‘Ok so maybe I’ve thought once or twice that they’re actually very similar.’

‘Only thing she needs to do now’ concluded Matteo, gathering the attention of the 126, ‘is punch someone and she’ll be exactly like Cap’. Matteo’s statement promptly sending the firefighters into fits of laughter.

#owen strand x reader #owen strand #911 lone star #911 lonestar #marjan marwani #tk strand #paul strickland #judson ryder #judd ryder #tommy vega #mateo chavez #nancy gillian #911 fox #x reader #y/n #owen strand x y/n

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halloweensqueen-supreme · 3 months ago

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Love how everyone is freaking out about Billy, and AgathaxRio and Wanda and whatever else they’re freaking out about, and all that like all the episodes are already out. Meanwhile I’m just scared that it’s gonna seem like it’s working up to something great and then it’ll have that horrible Loki esc ending. Which for those who don’t know, was horrible for everyone who is sane, this is not opinion but fact and it held out the potential of potential until the very end and just kinda failed. So essentially, I just want there to be a satisfactory ending with no big missing pieces and no major cliffhangers or loose ends that haven’t already been either confirmed or largely speculated to be solved in something else. And as this is AGATHA all along I really just hope that the last 2 episodes are super Agatha centric and that Agatha either 1. Gets a happy ending or 2. Is basically confirmed to have more to do in the larger MCU and more spotlight type moments later on. And I also kinda hope that this next episode kinda keeps the same vibes as episodes 3+4 since this is def gonna be Lilia’s trial and I want her to have the same treatment as Jen and Alice. (I think we all know that Agatha, Rio, and Billy are special)

And there is my hopefully unproblematic view on the last few episodes of Agatha All Along, everyone pretend to be happy even tho I know it’s basically impossible but imo this is one of, if not the, best thing to come out of marvel since like season 1 of Loki at best.

I will say tho that I think the hating AAA because no Wanda isn’t cool. I personally didn’t think I’d see Wanda in this any more than I’d think I’d see her in ant man. It’s not fair to either character to have Wanda come now, she’ll almost definitely overshadow Agatha in her own show, and she should be able to have a return that is just about her, and that also shouldn’t happen unlit Billy, Toby, and Robo Papa are sorted out first.

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passionwillow · 2 months ago

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POV: You’re dating Judd Ryder

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meddybears · 6 months ago

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The Final 8 | Men's Singles | 2024 Wimbledon Championship

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hazeystar · 3 months ago

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binged all of season 3 in less than 24 hours and can i just say i'm in LOVE

like bros. nancy calling carlos bc she's the number one believer in the show, and he still comes!! bc carlos loves tk!! and tk in his coma still loves carlos and aghhhh

then when he wakes up... bro the way i was screaming when tk said 'breathe' and carlos just took the largest inhale. obsessed

the parallel!!! of carlos telling tk that of course he can wake him up at 3am if he needs to talk to someone while he's going through recovery. and then tk waking carlos up at 3am to propose!!! my english student heart loves the parallel and i'm so obsessed

honourable mentions:

the lead up to the baseball game. ladder 126 ain't playing around with their stereotypes except for the fact that they literally are their stereotypes

tommy!! my queen she's just trying to cope with charles' death and then julius shows up and she's like 'nope, not today satan.'

then her absolutely wanting julius in her life it's amazing

grace!! grace I love you my queen my icon. every scene she has? amazing? sassing billy tyson, dealing with the whole dave problem

bruh I love wyatt too. he's amazing. judd as a father, also amazing

nancy and mateo!!! they're so cute as a couple just like ahhhhhh

paul and marjan as my platonic soulmates! literally it kills those two to be apart they are such great friends

'in this house, we catan.' god i love that line, it's been stuck in my head since that episode

#911 ls #911 lone star #carlos reyes #tarlos #tk strand #they are my everything #tk strand x carlos reyes #911 lone star season 3 #nancy gillian #mateo chavez #marjan marwani #paul strickland #judd ryder #grace ryder #tommy vega #wyatt harris

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alicent-targaryen · 2 years ago

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ALFIE, ARTHUR & TOMMY ▸ Peaky Blinders, 3.5

requested by @raincoffeeandfandoms

#tommy signaling arthur not to do it #arthur's rage and pain though #peaky blinders #cillian murphy #tommy shelby #thomas shelby #gif by ria #tv #alfie solomons #tom hardy #alfie x tommy #tommy x alfie #arthur shelby #paul anderson #requested #tw long post

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starstruckbyacomet · 1 month ago

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Three Firefighter Shows & Their Queers

Station 19 vs. 9-1-1 vs. Lone Star

A. THE FIREFIGHTER SHOWS

Station 19 is a TV show about firefighters, created by Stacy McKee with Shonda Rhimes as Executive Producer, launched by ABC in Jan 3, 2018. It's a spin-off of Grey's Anatomy.

9-1-1 is a TV show about firefighters, co-created by Tim Minear with Ryan Murphy as Executive Producer, launched by Fox in Mar 22, 2018.

Lone Star (or 9-1-1: Lone Star) is a TV show about firefighters, co-created by Tim Minear with Ryan Murphy as Executive Producer, launched by Fox in Jan 19, 2020. It's a spin-off of 9-1-1.

They sound repetitive? Wait until you get to the next parts.

B. THE TOKEN QUEER COUPLES

Station 19 has only one queer (bisexual) main couple: Maya Bishop (main character) x Carina DeLuca (main character) or MARINA. Maya Bishop is a member of Station 19, while Dr. Carina DeLuca is a medical doctor in... Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital (duh 🙄).

Cheating issue: Maya cheated on Carina with her ex, Jack Gibson.

Parenthood issue: Initially Maya didn't want to be a parent, but Carina wanted to. Maya changed her mind later.

Adoption issue: Marina's effort to adopt baby Liam was far from smooth. First, they needed to foster Liam. They also faced a risk of losing the baby.

9-1-1 has only one queer (lesbian) main couple: Henrietta Wilson (main character) x Karen Wilson (recurring character) or HENREN. Henrietta Wilson is member of 118 Firehouse, while Dr. Karen Wilson is an aerospace engineer.

Cheating issue: Hen cheated on Karen with her ex, Eva Mathis.

Adoption issue: Henren's efforts to adopt Denny, and later Mara, were far from smooth. They also faced a risk of losing their children with each adoption or child fostering 🙄.

Lone Star has only one queer (gay) main couple: TK Strand (main character) x Carlos Reyes (main character) or TARLOS. TK Strand is member of 126 Firehouse, while Carlos Reyes is a police officer, later a Texas Ranger.

Parenthood issue: Initially Carlos didn't want to be a parent, but TK wants to. Carlos might change his mind later.

(Potential) adoption issue: TK wanted to adopt Jonah, his little step-brother. By the time this piece is posted, Lone Star final season is still ongoing. We don't know yet what will happen to the adoption plan.

C. THE OTHER QUEERS: THE "ETERNAL BACHELORS"

Station 19 has only one other queer main character: Travis Montgomery (gay).

Relationship journey: He became a widow after his husband, Michael Williams, died. Since then he had a string of failed relationships.

Final relationship status: By the end of the show, Travis got a brand new boyfriend (Dominic Amaya), whom he could build a relationship with.

It is an odd choice to make Travis went through a string of failed relationships until the end of the show (May 30, 2024), when other main characters got their one 'true love'. Sure, other main couples have their ups and downs during their relationships, but each of them got a 'soulmate', someone who audience assumed would be their end-game partner. Since Station 19 already had Marina set and settled, it is as if the show was afraid to upset the general audience if there were more than one queer couple had a lasting relationship with a happy ending.

9-1-1 has only one other queer main character: Evan Buckley ("Buck") (bisexual).

Relationship journey: He had a string of failed relationships with 4 women and 1 man during Season 1 to Season 8A (current season). Currently he is single.

Final relationship status: Yet unknown, since the show is still ongoing.

Other prominent queer (gay) character on 9-1-1 is Josh Russo (recurring character). He had one failed relationship portrayed on the show during Season 2 (Josh' 1st appearance) to Season 8A (current season).

Lone Star has only one other queer main character: Paul Strickland (transexual).

Relationship journey: Paul had one date with Josie on ep. 5x01 "Studs", but they didn't pursue a romantic relationship after that. Currently, he's in a relationship with Asha Fulton, whose appearance is almost as rare as UFO sighting 🙄. So far, Asha's only appeared in 5 episodes in total, all were in Season 4.

Final relationship status: Yet unknown. Currently the show is on its final season and has aired 9 of 12 episodes of the season. Paul's girlfriend has not yet made an appearance, but there is also no sign that their relationship is in trouble. If fans were lucky, Asha would make an appearance at the final episode of the show 🙄.

D. THE DIVERSITY QUOTA

All the three firefighter shows are marketed towards the general auidence. Each has only one queer couple who enjoys a lasting relationship, and (most likely will) get a happy ending at the end of the show. The other queer characters are not so lucky in love. Either they go through a string of failed relationships, or have an elusive romantic partner when the shows end.

What ABC did to Travis Montgomery of Station 19 is particularly telling. Why Travis didn't get a lasting romantic relationship with a happy ending? Station 19 has resolved any other problems with their characters, except for this one. The show tried to compensate it by giving Travis a major career boost and a brand new love interest. However, it means he had to build the relationship from scratch... again. And it still didn't answer the question: why didn't Travis get a lasting romantic relationship, when other main characters on the show did?

Paul Strickland's elusive girlfriend in Lone Star must sound familiar to Tevan fans, because that's how 9-1-1 treated Tommy Kinard during his term as Buck's boyfriend. Fans celebrated a less than one minute scene and zoomed his figure in the backgrounds, because Tommy's appearance was so few and far between.

Since Buck is bisexual, there's a chance that he'd get a lasting relationship with a woman. Another option is making Buck the Travis Montgomery of 9-1-1. He'd have a string of failed relationships throughout the show. When 9-1-1 ended, he could be in a brand new relationship with a man, because the show wouldn't need to portray the relationship any longer. Giving Buck an elusive boyfriend ala Paul Strickland seems unlikely, considering his personality. And by reflecting on what happened on other shows, the chance of Buck has a lasting relationship with a man is slimmer than celebrities on Ozempic.

It is as if there is a diversity quota for TV shows marketed towards general audience. If anyone disagree, let me ask this:

Why is there no show marketed towards general audience, which has more than one queer couple with a lasting romantic relationship & a happy ending at the end of the show?

'Coincidence' is not a logically acceptable answer, simply because the sheer number of shows marketed towards the general audience. The possibility of coincidence is also practically out of the window when we question 'why Travis of Station 19 didn't get a 'soul mate' while other main characters on the same show did?'

'There is no such diversity quota. I live in LA and have been working in the industry for decades, so you should trust me' is also not a logically acceptable answer. My question starts with 'why'. Logically, the answer should start with 'because'. That kind of answer reminds me of the dispute between Galileo Galilei vs. the Catholic Church. When Galileo promoted the heliocentrism doctrine based on the phases of Venus, the Catholic Church basically answered 'the doctrine is wrong. We've been studying God and his creations for centuries, so you should trust us.' We know how the story ended.

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