#Shelby!Reader

[multifandomwriter56]

As It Was

A/N: Hello! I know I've been MIA for a long time. Life has been crazy and going back to college while having a full time job has taken a lot of my time. But I'm hoping to get back to writing on this blog. I've missed it and I have missed everyone so much. I make no promises but I'm going to try.

Summary: Arthur and Y/n have always been super close; but when the boys get back from the war, things have change.

Characters: Arthur Shelby, Tommy Shelby, Sister!Reader

Warnings: language, mentions Arthur's attempt at suicide

Word Count: 2,698

*gif is not mine*

The rumor about the men who came back from the war are not the same men that left; It’s true. No one came back the same after the war. Not a single soul.

But it wasn’t just the soldiers who changed. Those who were stuck at home, waiting for their loved ones to return. They changed too.

Y/n couldn’t pinpoint exactly when she changed. She just remembers one day realizing she’s not the little girl who loved to draw rainbows, horses, and flowers anymore. Or the little girl who taught Finn how to aim at a moving rat, even though their Aunt Polly despised them touching guns. Not even the little girl who would take walks with her favorite brother, Arthur.

Y/n would never say she has a favorite brother aloud, but she knows her family sees how close the oldest brother and youngest sister are. There may be eighteen years difference between them, but they would sometimes act like twins.

Y/n enjoys John’s company and loves his jokes. Finn, she will always protect and care for. Ada, well they clash on fashion and boys, but they would kill for one another. And Tommy, well, the two siblings have never been able to get along. Tommy had big dreams that didn’t include his baby sister. Greta wanted to change the world and wanted Tommy to help her. Y/n wanted Tommy to help take care of the family instead of spending all his time at the docks waiting for the young woman to show up.

Even at a young age, Y/n knew it would always be Tommy who would provide for the family; be their leader. She loves Arthur, but he’s more of a follower than a leader. Tommy has always had ideas and Y/n knew those ideas would help them rise in Small Heath.

So with the boys off fighting in the war, Y/n made sure to follow her brother’s orders on how to run the shop.

Polly was the only one Y/n would let stray from Tommy’s list.

“You’re ten years old, Y/n. You are not the boss and know nothing about bets.” Her aunt admonishes.

“I know enough, Polly. I have Tommy’s list and Arthur’s notes.”

“So now you’re an expert at running betting shops?”

“I wasn’t saying that.” The ten year mumbles.

“Then you’ll do your best to remember who is in charge of the business.”

Y/n knows when to stop when it comes to her aunt. “Yes, ma’am.”

Y/n will admit, she learnt a lot from her aunt; not just business, but women’s business.

But now that the war is over, Y/n’s noticed how more involved Tommy is; how he keeps adding to the business.

Arthur is less present when it comes to his baby sister. They don’t go on walks anymore.

The fourteen year old moved into Arthur’s home when they came back. She wanted away from her very controlling brother and closer to the brother she knows best.

Except now, it seems that she understands Tommy more than she does Arthur.

The war may have changed all of her brothers, but something broke in Arthur. His nightmares keep her up at night and the one time she tried to wake him up, he almost choked her to death.

After that, she would either lay in her bed, listening to his screams or she would get John if the screams lasted longer than ten minutes.

“You shouldn’t be at Arthur’s alone.” Tommy tells his sister as he lit a cigarette.

“I’m not alone. Arthur is there.”

“You know what I mean, Y/n. Arthur is struggling and you being around isn’t helping.”

Y/n scoffs. “Actually, I think I help Arthur more than you can ever imagine trying to help him. You just hate that I’m not under your roof and you can’t boss me around.”

Tommy points his lit cigarette at her, his eyebrows raised in warning. “You will do as you're told or I will turn you over my knee.”

Y/n once again scoffs. Tommy has never disciplined her, he wasn’t ever around to take her in hand. That dirty task was left to their aunt. “Not only am I fourteen years old, but you have never raised a hand to me. Why start now?”

“Don’t push me, Y/n.”

Yeah, he’s bluffing, Y/n thinks. She stands to her feet. “Yes sir, Sergeant Major. If that’s all, Sergeant, I would like to finish my studies. Wouldn’t want to show up to school without my work now would we?”

Tommy pinches the bridge of his nose, resisting the urge to keep arguing with his sister. He, instead, waves his hand in a dismissive gesture without even glancing up.

The day Y/n dreaded came. Arthur had tried to commit suicide by hanging himself after he fell for their father’s con. She had found him at their home, raging and destroying the room. She skillfully dodged his swings and shouted at him.

“Arthur! It’s me! It’s Y/n!” She ducks when he throws an ashtray at her head. “It’s Y/n, brother!”

“Y/n?”

The broken voice has Y/n on the verge of tears. “Yes.” She nods her head. “It’s Y/n. I’m here.” She makes her way to her brother as his knees buckle and he lands on the floor. She holds him close, his chin digging into her shoulder as he sobs.

Y/n doesn’t know how long they stay in this position but she loses feeling in her left shoulder and feet.

When Arthur finally is able to compose himself, he stands to his feet, rubbing a shaking hand through his hair.

“Arthur, what happened to your neck?”

The older man covers the deep bruise around his neck. “Nothing.”

Y/n starts to shake her head, the pieces falling together. “No, no. You wouldn’t. You wouldn’t leave me here.” She stops talking but her head is still moving side to side; not wanting to accept that her brother, her hero, tried to kill himself.

“Y/n, I’m sorry, I-”

“No!” She sharply cuts him off. “Don’t apologize. I just need a moment to process.” She sits in a chair that he hadn’t flipped yet. “I need to figure out what to do. I need- no you need some of Polly’s ointment, and a drink… yeah, yeah.” She stands to her feet, ignoring the concerned look coming from her brother. “Sit down, Arthur. I’ll pour you some whiskey and get some ointment to help with the bruising.

“Y/n, I don’t- fuck.” Arthur curses when she completely ignores him and heads for the kitchen.

Only a few minutes pass until Y/n comes back. She hands the glass of whiskey to him and starts applying the ointment.

Y/n stayed with her brother until he decided to go to bed. She heads up to her room. In the morning, she’ll tell Polly. Fuck knows what Tommy will say if he hears about this. She never knows if he will help Arthur or make it worse.

In the morning. Y/n told her aunt and she should have known her aunt would tell their fearless leader. So she wasn’t surprised to see him walk in as she hands Arthur a cup of tea.

The look Tommy sends her is clear.

She smiles softly at her eldest brother. “I will be up in my room if you need me.” She tells him, her invitation not extending to the other brother.

She heads upstairs but does not go into her room. She sits on the top step, listening as Tommy belittles their brother. She rolls her eyes. She should’ve known Tommy would never express real feelings.

“Just use a fucking gun, man.”

“Are you fucking serious?” Y/n shouts as she storms down the stairs. “That’s all you have? Next time, use a gun?”

“Leave it be, Y/n.”

Y/n glares at Arthur. “No, Arthur, I can’t just leave it be.” She turns her glare back at the brother she is upset with. “I know it’s hard for you to express feelings now, but I would rather you not say anything at all than talk to our brother that way. He deserves better.”

“Y/n, that’s enough.”

“Fuck off, Thomas!” She shouts as she steps in his space. “You only care about having Arthur around so he can beat and kill people who piss you off. That’s all that matters to the all powerful Tommy Shelby.”

The slap echoes throughout the whole house, each sibling frozen in their place.

Y/n holds a hand over her now stinging cheek, staring at the man who has never raised a hand to her. Her and Tommy may not get along but she never thought he would physically harm her. Never.

She turns to Arthur, wondering how he will react. To her surprise he’s staring at her in disappointment.

“You shouldn’t have spoken to Tommy like that, Y/n. You were out of line.”

“I was out of line?” She snaps. “What am I supposed to do, Arthur, eh? Am I supposed to stand at attention and wait for the sergeant to bark orders? Huh?”

“Enough.” He doesn’t shout, but his voice still booms, causing his baby sister to flinch, preparing for another blow.

The guilt had already come, but seeing her flinch made Tommy feel sick to his stomach. “Y/n, I-” He reaches out to comfort her but stops when she steps back.

“Don’t you fucking touch me. I hate you.” She looks at Arthur. “I hate you both.”

“Let her go, Arthur.” Tommy orders when the eldest Shelby stands to follow Y/n who ran out of the house.

***

For a month, Y/n stays with John and his kids; but as much as she loves her nieces and nephews, she refuses to stay there another night.

Lizzie Stark, who’s been helping her brother with the kids, tells her to go back home, to work it out with Arthur.

“And Tommy?” The fourteen year old asks the older woman.

Lizzie smirks. “Tell him to fuck off.”

Y/n smiles at that. She hopes her brother doesn’t wait too long to give Lizzie the ring he’s been hiding.

Knowing exactly where her brother will be, Y/n heads to the Garrison. Taking a deep breath, she knocks on the locked door.

“We’re closed.” Is the muffled response from the barmaid.

“It’s Y/n Shelby.” She knows that’s all she has to say for the doors to open. Grace has been kind to her since she’s started working at the pub, and Y/n appreciates that, but she doesn’t trust the barmaid. She’s not sure why, but she has a hard time believing this Irish woman just decided to move to Birmingham without a real reason.

When the door opens, she smiles politely at Grace before squeezing past her. She heads straight to the back room, knowing her eldest brother will be attempting to balance the books.

She comes to halt mere centimeters from the entrance, her heart racing. What if he really is on Tommy’s side? What if he thinks she really did deserve to be slapped? What if she’s completely lost the only person to ever love her for her?

“Gracie, is that you? You ready to help me with these numbers yet?”

Y/n laughs quietly through the breath she was holding. Who is she kidding? Arthur is one of the kindest, loving people she knows. How could he hate her… right?

“It’s me, Arthur.” She barely gets that short sentence out above a whisper.

“Y/n?”

She steps fully into the room, her arms behind her back. “Hi.”

Arthur just stares at his baby sister, the anger, the pain of not seeing her for days, and the guilt… the guilt that has literally eaten him alive, rises to the surface. His loyalty to his brother clouded his love for his sister and he will hate himself for the rest of his life.

Being a Shelby makes it hard for them to express their emotions through words. No matter the emotion, the words usually fail to spit out, but actions, they’ve never been a problem for a Shelby.

So instead of saying the words, “I’m sorry” Arthur jumps to his feet and pulls the young girl into his arms, holding as tight as he can.

And since Y/n is not only a Shelby but also able to read her brother like a book, Y/n returns the hug and her anger disappears.

“You’re coming back home, ain’t ya?”

Y/n smiles, glad she was right. “My bag is already back in my room.”

Arthur squeezes her one more time, dropping a wet kiss on top of her head before releasing her. “Good.”

Y/n goes to ask him about how he’s been but a familiar voice stops her.

“Arthur, Tommy told me to get you. Family meeting in ten.” Finn turns to his sister, hope in his eyes. “Are you back?”

Y/n had kept in touch with Finn, having him fill her in on everything that was happening while she was gone. Finn didn’t know much, but she was able to fill in the gaps on most of what he told her.

“Yes, I’m back.”

Finn smiles. “Good. Arthur’s been too emotional and Tommy’s about to shoot him if he hears him complain one more time about you not being at the family meetings.”

Y/n laughs at Finn’s blunt statement; laughing harder when Arthur spouts profanities as he takes off after the youngest Shelby. She follows the duo, figuring it’s time for her to show her faceto the rest of the family.

Her smile stays in place as they make their way to Watery Lane, listening to her brother banter back and forth about what to tell and what to keep to yourself. So far, Finn’s winning the argument.

She can feel her smile start to get smaller the closer they get to her old home; and the smile completely disappears when Arthur opens the door for her. She comes to a halt at the threshold of the betting shop, her eyes immediately on the Peaky Blinders leader.

She’s thankful he hasn’t noticed her yet, but that little comfort quickly disappears when her aunt tells him to shut up as she makes her way to her niece.

Y/n easily accepts the hug from her aunt, the woman who practically raised her, but winces when she gets a clip to her ear.

“A month is too damn long, girl.”

“I’m sorry.” She whispers as Polly releases her; a small smile appears when her aunt gently caresses her cheek.

Knowing she needs to face the elephant in the room, or more commonly known as Thomas Shelby, Y/n peels her eyes off her aunt and stares straight into her brother’s eyes, hoping he can’t see the fear in them.

Compared to the other family members, Tommy is a mute when it comes to emotions. The only time words and emotions are mixed together is when he’s angry. He doesn’t say “I love you”, “I need you”, or anything that is remotely tied to emotions.

That said, the man is a master at showing his emotions through actions. One look can tell you so much about the gang leader. You just have to know how to read them; and Y/n is a master at this skill. She’s almost as good as their aunt.

So when she sees the barely noticeable nod of approval, and watches as Tommy pulls out a chair; she knows she has been welcomed back by their fearless leader.

And after she sits, he gently kisses her cheek, the same cheek he hurt a month ago, and she knows he’s asking for forgiveness.

She grasps his hand before he can pull away, giving it one good squeeze, so he knows he’s been forgiven.

They will never have a relationship like her and Arthur, or like him and Ada; but they can coexist together in their family; and that’s enough for them both.

Peaky Blinders: @psychkunox @theshelbyclan @lilymurphy03 @findinghisredrighthand

Forevers: @desiredposion @theseakrakence @simonsbluee

[anonymooseforever007]

The Proposal

(Technically Pre!Luca Changretta x female Shelby reader)

Summery: Despite the assumption of many others Thomas Shelby didn't like unnecessary bloodshed and neither did Luca Changretta. So before a full out gang war could begin, they came up with a plan to make peace between the families.....And obviously the best plan they could come up with was an arranged marriage. And even more obviously not everyone one was pleased....namely the bride.

A/N: Hi Y'all! No trigger warnings other than usually Peaky Language and discussion of arranged marriage. Y/N is furious. Luca isn't in this one but he's technically the groom so....I wrote this purely to prequel another part I'm still writing! Also this is technically S4ish but it breaks away from cannon and is my idea of how a Shelby sister may react if Tommy tried to marry her off to prevent the vendetta! Enjoy❤️!

WC- 1.5k

Main Masterlist Part 2

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You walked into the Shelby Company Limited, waving and exchanging happy greetings with those who offered them. Lizzie looked at you as you approached her desk. 

"Hi Lizzie! How have you been today? I absolutely love your dress today, the color is brilliant! You wouldn't happen to know if my brothers are in would you?"

Lizzie smiled, "Hello Y/N. Thanks, I got it at this new shop. I can give you the address of the store later if you'd like. I've been alright, your brothers are planning something though. Been in since this morning I've got no clue what it is though."

"Ohh that would be perfect! Thanks. It was, as always, nice seeing you," you nodded pleasantly to your friend as you started to move to the private office. "Oh and Lizzie? I'm sorry about the noise,"

"Wha..."

"THOMAS MICHAEL SHELBY!!! I WILL STRIP YOUR FUCKING BALLS AND USE THEM AS SKIPPING STONES!!"

The entire betting shop went deathly silent as the you stormed in, heading straight into your brother's office. Slamming the door behind, you ignored everyone else in the room and went directly for your target, grabbing him by his collar to bring his face closer to your attacking fist. 

Unfortunately you, and luckily for him, Arthur and John had just barely managed to grab you by the waist and drag you back a few steps before your fist could make contact. Unluckily for them, you turned your wrath another way, practically jumping in the air to land a foot of yours on each of theirs, before dragging them both forward so their heads collided with a hard thud. Both men groaned while you made another break for your older brother. This time he was expecting it and grabbed you in a hold that would be harder to escape. Your hands were trapped between your two bodies and Tommy had one arm around your back, preventing you from pulling back. He'd even managed to wrap one on his legs tightly around the back of yours to prevent any attacks aimed in "softer areas". If someone hadn't heard your words previously, it may have even looked like he was hugging you. And not just that, but hugging the way Charlie liked to do whenever you saw him, wrapped as tightly around you as possibly, keeping you from moving away. And while you absolutely adored such cuddles with your young nephew, this was most certainly not like those times. 

The entire company seemed to be frozen in silence waiting for what would happen next. Those outside the office listened for the sounds of more yelling of even the possible shot of a gun. And those in the office looked on at the brother and sister locked tensely together, seeming to have a ferocious conversation without a single word. The furious glare you were giving Tommy would make any man question himself, but your brother only met your glare with an equally strong stare of his own. 

Then with an annoyed sigh you finally relaxed in your brother's arms. You looked at your captor with a raised eyebrow signalling to him that this is the part where he lets you go. Tightening his grip slightly, Tommy raised an eyebrow of his own. 

"Are you done?"

".....Yes."

"Really?"

".....Yes."

"You're not gonna shout anymore?"

"....Yes."

"You won't punch me?"

".....Yes."

"You gonna apologize to John and Arthur?"

"No."

"Alright," he concluded, finally relaxing enough to let you step back from his grip. 

...

...

You lied...

It was mere seconds later when Tommy's head was turned to the side with an echoing smack. His glasses cracked when they hit the other side of the room. You started to bat your hands at any brother trying to approach you.

"How fucking dare you!!! FIRST of all: sending Finn, FUCKING FINN, OUR BABY BROTHER, MY FINN to tell me because you don't have the balls to do it yourself! I was so worried when he came looking like he was going to throw up, you fucking bastards!! I thought he was hurt or someone died because he was so FUCKING anxious. But NO! He thought that I was going to STOP LOVING HIM because he was the one who had to tell me about your little WEDDING PLAN! DING DONG RING THE FUCKING WEDDING BELLS," you spat venomously, thinking of the absolutely miserable look on your youngest brother's face as he came to see you only an hour ago. Apparently, your other brothers thought if he was the only to break the news of your impending engagement you'd take it willingly, maybe even happily if it came from your favorite sibling. And to be fair, from him you had. You knew it wasn't his idea and given the fact he honesty looked like he was going to cry possibly, thinking you'd hate him forever because of his message. Like it was him who signed your death warrant. No, for Finn and only him you'd taken the news calmly, telling him it was alright and you'd didn't hate him. Reassuring him once again you loved him, and that he could come to you for anything at all anytime and that you also wanted him home by midnight; you'd left him with a tight hug, quick kiss on the side of his head, and some money to take the sweet girl he'd been talking with to the movies....

Then you set out for your older brothers....

Now here you were, giving them your real opinions which they hoped Finn would soften the brute of.

"AND on that note! Who THE FUCK are you? THINKING YOU THINK YOU HAVE ANY FUCKING RIGHT TO MARRY ME OFF FOR YOUR LITTLE PISSING PARTY," your volume increasing as you raged, while dodging around your brothers to climb on Tommy's' desk so you could yell at them without being cut off as easily. "JUST BECAUSE YOUR LITTLE BIRD BRAINS ONLY UNDERSTANDS PLANS INVOLVING FIGHTING AND FUCKING DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE WHAT YOU SHOULD USE!!," John yelped as you stomped on his hand trying to grab your ankle to pull you off the desk. "I!! I WILL NOT BE USED IN ONE OF YOUR SHITTY LITTLE SCHEMES TO MAKE PEACE BECAUSE YOU MEN FUCKED SOMETHING UP AGAIN!! DO YOU FUCKING HEAR ME! I AM NOT SOME BARGAINING CHIP TO BE BET IN YOUR GAMBLING GAME," you kicked Tommy's stapler backwards towards Arthur's head as he tried to grab you from behind. "I WILL WORK WHERE I WANT. I WILL LIVE WHERE I WANT. MEET WHO I WANT. FIGHT WHO I WANT. AND FUCK WHO I WANT!! DO YOU YOU FUCKING UNDERSTAND?!"

Again the room was silent as you and Tommy stared at each other. You from on top of his desk holding his empty whiskey glass, ready to throw, and him right in front, a bright red handprint blooming in his pale skin. Tommy opened his mouth to speak and you opened yours, still angry and ready to refute whatever he said. But then Tommy raised his arms in peace and took a few steps back slowly, keeping his eyes on yours in a show of surrender. 

"Alright. Alright Y/N we've heard what you have to say..."

"Don't fucking patronize me Tommy. I'm not a fucking horse you can calm or sell on a whim," you refuted, sighing as the fight finally left you. You were still furious yes, but you were tired of yelling. It wasn't something you did often and even now you were really only doing it to keep yourself from hitting your brother again. He couldn't listen to you if he was unconscious. Still moving forward with his arms slightly raised Tommy tried again.

"Alright," Tommy repeated raising one hand to pinch the bridge of his nose like he did when he was stressed. Sure he expected you to be mad, you had even been pissed when he arranged John's marriage with Esme, and you adored the women as much if not more than John himself did. He knew your feelings on marrying for Love and not business and to be fair he didn't disagree. And even if it made him slightly sick to think of having to do this, a pact bound with marriage was the only was Luca would agree to reconsider the black hands.

'A bond thorough blood bound or blood spilled' those were his words.

"I get you're angry Y/N. And I'm sorry it had to be this way," Tommy spoke firmly but vaguely, and there was almost a slight pleading there, ask if he was asking you to let it go just this once. As if he was asking you to grab his jacket instead of tie yourself to a man you'd never met. "But you don't understand the situation we're in." Tommy moved to grab one of the papers you'd knocked off the desk in your ranting. He reached up to hand it to and you grabbed it before staring at it for a moment processing what was before you. And for some reason you couldn't explain but that paper was all it took for your anger to return full force. Who at kind of death threat even was this?

"YOU EXPECT ME TO GET MARRIED TO A STRANGER BECAUSE OF A FUCKING FINGER PAINTING?!"

....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Part 2

Main Masterlist

[zodiyack]

Closed Doors

Pairing: Tommy Shelby x (nonship)daughter!Reader, Shelby family x (nonship)Shelby!Reader, Best friend character x fem!reader lol

Warnings: slight angst, fear of homophobia?, fluff, mention of drinking

Words: 414

Request: Hi! I was wondering could you do a pesky blinders fic where the reader is Tommy’s daughter and is gay but too afraid to come out until he finds her making out with her best friend one day (much like your Tommy’s son fic but with a lady?)

Note: oh god i haven't been able to write for a while, and im posting this on mobile (also meaning it'll take a bit to put it on my master list) regardless i hope it's okay. I also forgot who all is on the taglist now, this is just the taglist from when i saved this as a draft. Hope you enjoy!

Taglist: @matth1w, @redspaceace-writes, @fandom-puff, @darling-i-read-it, @simonsbluee, @captivatedbycillianmurphy, @jenepleurepasbaby, @sebastianstanslefteyebrow, @stuckysslag, @psychkunox, @i-love-superhero, @marquelapage, @peakyxtommy, @stydia-4-ever, @babylooneytoonz, @livlaughquinn​, @bubsonnobx​

Masterlist | Peaky Blinders Masterlist

Tommy walked along the street, pointing out random boys and joking with his brothers. "Wonder what kind of lad Y/N will end up with..." Not that he'd accept just anyone in his daughter's life.

Arthur snorted, "any guy out here would have to go through me. John and you too, no doubt."

John and Thomas nodded with a hearty laugh. "They'd have to fight that friend of hers too, she never leaves her side."

The men continued to bicker and chortle on their walk to the house.

"Hello Mr. Shelby!" Sonia chimed. Sonia was always welcomed, Y/N's best friend. She never had to ask, simply walk through the front door. He greeted her back as she sped up the stairs to Y/N's room, closing the door behind her.

After a few hours, and after the rest of the company went out, Thomas decided he wanted to go to Garrison. As he was the only one home, aside from the two girls, he made his way up the stairs to notify them of his absence.

The courtesy of knocking escaped him as he pushed her door open, the payment for such action taking a gasp from his parted lips. Before him was the sight of his daughter and her best friend, lips upon each other's, quickly separating at the sound of the door.

"Dad-" Y/N's eyes welled with tears, crushing Tommy's heart, and seemingly Sonia's as she looked to her friend with concern.

"Mr. Shelby, I promise-"

"Don't." He looked down and leaned against the door frame. "Why do you feel the need to hide away? Why couldn't you tell me?"

"I'm sorry..." She sobbed quietly.

"Don't be. It's who you are, what is there to be sorry about?"

Sonia perked up, "you're not mad?"

Thomas let out a genuine chuckle. "Why would I be?"

"My parents...they weren't too fond of my attraction to Y/N. We feared that you'd feel the same." He felt empathy for the shaking girl, her gaze averted in shame.

"I take pity that your parents are ignorant. You cannot control who you love. In this case, it's my daughter. My only asks, are that you treat her well..."

The girls looked hopeful, staring at him anticipating his continuation. "And?"

"And that you keep the door open when you're in her room. I trust that you can respect these requests. Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to go to the Garrison and have a drink."

-

Bonus:

"do you think he's drinking because of us?" Sonia asked fearfully.

Y/N chucked, "no, he just likes to drink."

[mindful-of-ideas]

Headcanon: Peaky Blinders

-Being the second youngest Shelby and being really close to John and Esme (fem!reader)

A/N: requested by anon right here, thanks again! Sorry for being a little late, I hope you like it.

As a kid, John always tried to shelter you. All of your brothers did, maybe trying to protect your innocence for just a bit longer, but John was the one who was trying the hardest. Arthur just didn’t know how and Tommy, as much as he wanted to shelter you, needed to make sure the rest of the world wouldn’t eat you right up.

Not having a mother was really hard. Sure, you had Polly and Ada, but it never felt like having a real mom.

Still, your childhood was filled with beautiful memories. You remember the boys taking you and Finn out whenever they could. You would go to the beach or just run in a field of flowers. Every day out of Birmingham was like a blessing to you. You couldn’t stand its ashy damp streets and its misery that seemed to seep out of every crack in the walls. John was always there to make sure you wouldn’t forget those beaches and fields.

“Y/N!” John called out coming up to you and Finn sitting on the ledge of the bridge, throwing rocks in the water. “What?” you asked, trying to slick back your hair that was getting frizzy from the humidity. “Look what I got for you,” he said pulling out the prettiest seashell out of his pocket. “Wow! It’s for me?” “Of course!” he said stuffing it in your hands and ruffling your hair.

Seeing you happy was enough to make him smile.

Then John got married and had children, and already you could feel the two of you drifting apart. You hated that. You hated it because you were jealous of his kids. You, you were his kid for so long and now you could see how easily you could be replaced. You hated it because those kids had a mom, which you could never have. But mostly, you hated it because you felt so bad about being jealous that you were the one who decided to put some distance between you and John. But it didn’t last very long.

“Y/N? Come here!” John said, hearing you walk in the house, “Come here I said!” he said grabbing your wrist and pulling you towards him, “Come sit with me for a second, will you? We barely talk anymore, what’s going on?” He pulled you onto his lap “I don’t know…” you said, “Why would you even want to talk to me anymore…” you mumbled. “What was that?” “Nothing…” “Y/N?” he said putting his hand on your head and pulling you close to his chest. “You’ve got your own kids now, why would you spend your time caring for me?” “I will never stop caring about you, Y/N. You’re.. you’re like my own kid, okay? Don’t ever forget that.”

After that, you stop being afraid to hang out at John’s place and you grow quite close to Martha too.

But that all stopped when the war started.

You got really scared when John was sent away to fight. It felt like the world had decided to rip away the only beautiful thing in your life. You were scared that everything was going to go dark while he was away. And what if he never came back…

While John was away, you were always around to help Martha. You helped her with the groceries, watched over the kids or even cooked. She was really nice to you too. She would brush your hair, braid it, let you try on makeup, and dance with you in the kitchen.

But John came back and she was the one who ended up leaving you. It was really hard on you. You stayed locked in your room for days, barely coming out to eat. John would sit in front of your door trying to coax you out. You could hear him cry sometimes. And you cried too. Because you missed Martha. Because you wanted to be there for the kids. Because you were supposed to be the one making John smile.

You got out of your room, slowly sitting down on the floor by John’s side. You weren’t crying anymore, but couldn’t really bring yourself to smile. You rested your head on his shoulder. “Do you remember her favourite song?” you asked quietly. “Of course I do,” he said,” she will dance to it all the time. You did too.” “So did you,” you added. “Maybe we could put it on… and dance…” “I think I would like that…”

At first, you were completely against John marrying Esme. Why would he marry someone he doesn’t even know! And why replace Martha! You understand it, of course, from a business and strategic point of view, but that’s all.

It doesn’t take long for you to notice how happy John is with her. So as much as you want to hate her, you can’t bring yourself to do so. When John finally presents you to her, you can’t hide how happy you are.

“Y/N, this is Esme, my wife,” John said proudly. “Hi,” you said, waving your hand shyly. “So you’re the famous Y/N,” Esme said, crouching to be on your level. “Famous?” you asked curious. “Yeah, famous,” she said pushing back a strand of hair behind our ear, “John can’t shut up about you, acting like a proud dad and stuff.”

And that was enough to make you fall in love with her. After everything, the war, Martha’s death, you felt like you were going back to your old self. You were happier than ever, always smiling and ready to help out.

Esme was really grateful for you too. John’s kids were still young, and seeing you close to Esme, trusting her, made them feel more comfortable around her. Very much like Martha, she took care of you, but unlike her, she wasn’t trying to keep you in the house. She would push you to go out and explore the world on your own.

You could tell something was wrong when her cocaine addiction was getting out of hand. You tried your best to be kind to her but she always seemed down and moody.

“Esme,” you said unsure. “What is it, sweetie?” “You… you… you look like you’re not feeling well,” you finally said. “I’m okay,” she mumbled, “don’t worry about me.” “But I can’t help it!” “Come here,” she said, quickly wiping and tear from her face, “Come on, smile for me, you’re our ray of sunshine aren’t you?” “Yeah…” you said smiling weakly, “But Esme, I really am worried…” “Shhh, let me do your hair for you,” she said spinning you around, “That will put a smile on your face, right?

Moving to the countryside estate is probably the best thing to ever happen to you. Esme was the one to invite you, saying that this could be your first step to getting out of Birmingham. It feels like living in a childhood memory. You would enjoy long walks in the field with the dog, drinking tea on the terrasse and watching the sunset over the trees. You were older now, of course, but you would still fall asleep to John telling stories to his kids.

It all gets destroyed, torn apart, when John is killed. A big red stain is spreading across your perfect life. You can’t stay there anymore, it makes you feel sick. You try going back home, spending time with Finn, then going to Ada’s, but nothing seems to be working. You start to spiral down

If people doubted you were a Shelby, they believe it now. You’ve been up to all sorts of troubles, petty crime, drinking, and fights, but nothing could fill the hole in your chest. Ultimately, you wound up getting a bunch of guys really pissed off. Something about you being a prude or something. You were so drunk by then that you could barely remember what they said. You could however remember how scared you were when they cornered you in an alley near the Garisson. You could remember how badly you wanted John to just show up and get you out of there.

It was Esme you showed up. She had been looking for you ever since you left the countryside estate. She brings you back home and tends to your wounds, making you feel at home once again. 

“I didn’t mean to cause that much trouble,” you said. Esme was finishing up the bandage on your arm. “It’s alright Y/N,” she said,” don’t worry about it.” There was a long silence before any of you spoke again. “Why are you doing all this?” you finally asked. “Cause I care about you,” she said, picking up a hairbrush and sitting behind you. She was taking her time, slowly detangling the knots in your hair. “But…” you started, not knowing what to argue. “Cause you’re like my kid,” Esme said, cutting you, “And I’ll be there for you no matter what!” You turned around, suddenly hugging her. “I love you,” you whispered in her ear. “I love you too,” she whispered back hugging you tighter.

[shadowchancorgi15]

I don’t know to say talk about people even if people or adults this will still harm communities who are in them please be safe.

Please I seen things on the internet where i worry for people people are hateful and all kinds of work. I’m slow at point we’re I don’t care what other people think of me.

These bill and law all can hurt us.

[dreamlandcreations]

I'm back for more, darl! What would you do with the title, "The Devil's Gift"?

Aunt Polly always called you gifted, not just for your sharp mind but for almost spookily accurate intuition. It was like you had another sense that told you what was the right decision in many cases and as you grew older this became handy more and more often, in business as well. Until Tommy returned and took over.

For a while, you weren't allowed to go near the family work, with your brothers being more overprotective than ever. Then Tommy called you in a meeting with a Jew...

SEND ME A MADE-UP FIC TITLE AND I’LL TELL YOU WHAT I WOULD WRITE TO GO WITH IT

[imagines-fandom-backup]

Chapter 2.1

Masterlist

Warnings- Usual PB violence, swearing, allusion to SA at the very end

2 years later

All of us were gathered around Freddie's casket. Tommy stepped forward. "I promised my friend, Freddie Thorne, that I would say a few words over his grave if he should pass before me. I made this promise before he became my brother-in-law, when we were in France, fighting for the king. And in the end, it wasn't war that took Freddie. Pestilence took him. But Freddie passed on his soul and his spirit to a new generation before he was cruelly taken." The service ended right after that.

I took a little walk with Thomas and Ada. 

"We thought now that Freddie's gone, you might come back to Birmingham."

"We really miss you, Ada."

"God, do you know how funny it is that Tommy's got chauffeurs in uniform now?"

"It's just for the occasion."

"Do you know how unfair it is that you have 4 Bugattis when half the country's starving?"

"So now they've made you ashamed of us, eh?" We stopped walking.

"Sometimes when I think about how I used to be, it makes me embarrassed." Tommy and I glanced at each other. 

Polly walked up to us with a smile. 

"Karl is with his cousins. I caught them trying to pinch flowers off a grave. Ada, are you coming home?" 

"I'm going home."

"We make her embarrassed," I mumbled. 

I looked at Ada who rolled her eyes. 

"That's not what I said."

"There's another reason we want you home. We're planning an expansion. I'm taking premises in London."

"Tommy, it's a funeral. Business can wait."

"Polly, if Ada was weeping, then I'd stop. But she's not. The expansion means it's gonna be dangerous to be a Shelby in London for a while."

"Yeah. Well, I'm not a Shelby anymore. And I'm not a Thorne now either. I'm free. I've got to get Karl home." She walked away. 

She left the 3 of us standing there. Polly turned to look at Tommy. 

"I told you to let me do it."

"It's alright. I'll have some men watch her house till the danger passes." We watched a man on a motorbike ride up to Arthur. 

He quickly whispered something to Arthur. Arthur waved Tommy over as he started walking toward us. Aunt Polly leaned over to me. 

"Till danger passes."

"That'll be the bloody day." She nodded as we walked towards the crowd. 

Tommy, Aunt Polly, a few of our men, and I went to the Garrison. Someone had blown it up. We walked underneath the chains to get a better look. A copper was already there waiting for us. "It happened at exactly 7:00 a.m. Nobody saw anything. Our patrols were not in the area. Mr. Shelby, you got any idea who might have done it? I'd say it was something to do with the gas." 

We both know that's not true. We knew exactly who did it and why. He handed money to the copper. "Just been fitted." Aunt Polly walked inside. "Madam, the structure hasn't been declared safe. Madam," he yelled after her. 

She bent over to pick something up off the ground. ​​"This is all over the place." She handed some to Tommy. It was green confetti. What the hell? Tommy nodded to the copper.

"You can go."

"Right." He walked away. 

We stood there looking at the building. "Who? Who did this to us," Aunt Polly asked. Tommy and I went to a pub to find the people who did this. "Whiskey, Irish. None for her." He flopped his hat down on the counter. The bartender poured him the drink. Tommy put the money on the counter only for it to be pushed back to him. 

"Heard there was a bit of a bang in your part of town."

"Gas and electric don't mix. Who would've thought they would, eh?"

"How's business otherwise, Mr. Shelby?"

"You know something? In these times of hunger and hardship, business is surprisingly good." He turned to lean against the counter. 

He took a swig of his drink. A little boy walked down the old wooden steps. His heavy footsteps echoed through the small building. "Which one is the Peaky Blinder devils?" Tommy downed his drink to follow after the little boy. I was right behind him. We followed the little boy through backyards and alleyways. 

We had no idea where he was taking us. We walked inside a warehouse with one pig hanging up on a metal hook. It was naked and gutted. 2 men grabbed us from behind. They stripped us of our hats, guns, and coats. They put bags over our heads before pulling us along. They sat us down on wooden chairs before taking the bags off. 

We were sitting in a tiny room. A man and a woman sat across from us. There was an old table separating us. There was barely any light in the room. The only light was from the spaces between the boarded-up windows. 

"Thomas and Anna Shelby."

"You blew up our pub."

"Anger defeats fear. Good."

"You blew up my pub." 

"Tommy has a reputation to uphold," she looked over at her partner.

Her partner looked Tommy up and down. He finally spoke. 

"A reputation for not being scared of anything."

"In all the world, violent men are the easiest to deal with," she seemed to almost laugh.

Tommy glanced at me then back to them. "So tell me, which brand of rebel are you...eh? I read somewhere that you Paddies started fighting amongst yourselves now. The king offers you a peace treaty and you start a war about it. That's funny, don't you think? A war about peace." It went silent as the 4 of us stared at each other. 

"So are you for the treaty or against the treaty? Forgive me, I get confused," he leaned back in his chair. Her partner slowly reached for the gun. He got up from his chair, dragging the gun on the table as he walked over to me. The lady crossed her arms over her chest.

"You are one decision away from your deaths, Mr. Shelby." 

"So stop fucking smiling," her partner snapped.

I cleared my throat as I shifted in my seat. "Your name is Irene O'Donnell. You have a son at the Cherry Wood Road School in Harborne. He has irons on his legs. His name is Sean. He comes last in every race...poor boy. Poor boy, race is important. If you know what I mean, Irene." The gun was cocked and held to the side of my head. 

It was cold on my temple. Her partner didn't seem too smart. "Oh, she speaks. There are other ways of carrying out this mission. Please allow me to put the bullet in the scum tinker's head." Irene watched as she waited for my reaction. She wasn't getting one out of me. 

She still stared at me. 

"No. They research their enemies. That's why they've been chosen."

"We are chosen," Tommy asked. 

I looked at her partner. "I'm chosen."

"Can the chosen one smoke," Tommy asked again. 

The gun was taken from my head. Tommy reached in his pocket for his cigarettes. 

"A vacancy has appeared and you are going to fill it."

"Chosen by whom?"

"An informed consensus."

"We have things to do. So perhaps you could tell the chosen ones what we've been chosen for."

"From now on, you shut your fucking Gypsy mouthes and listen to your instructions." We were ushered out of the room. 

Our jackets and guns were hanging on the hooks next to the naked pig. We didn't say anything to each other as we got dressed. "Fuck," Tommy yelled as he knocked over some boxes. I stood aside as I watched him. Why can't anything just be normal? He wiped his mouth with his hand before putting on his coat and hat. 

I went home as Tommy went to his office. I guess the look on my face told Aunt Polly that I didn't want to talk about what happened. She could hear it from Tommy. We had a family meeting soon anyway. We sat around waiting for Tommy to get here. Finn was pacing back and forth. "Sit down, Finn," Arthur snapped. 

Finn finally sat down next to me. John looked at Aunt Polly who was staring out of the window. 

"Where the bloody hell is Tommy?"

"He is on his way."

"Alright then, while we're waiting patiently...Whiskey. Left over from the explosion. Good stuff." He put a crate on top of the table. 

He started pouring us all glasses. After the day I've had, I wasn't going to say no. John cleared his throat. 

"Right, before Tommy gets here, I think there are a few things we need to get straight between the rest of us."

"You think?"

"Yes, Anna. I want to know...when did we take a vote on this expansion south?" He waited for an answer. 

Aunt Polly turned around, walking closer to the table. 

"You have anything to say, you wait for Thomas."

"Polly's fucking right," Arthur agreed. 

"I see all the books. Legal and off-track. So stuff you don't see-"

"I see the books too, John-"

"And in the past year, the Shelby Company Limited has been making 150 pounds a day. Right? A fucking day! Sometimes more. So what I wanna know is why are we changing things? Polly, look what's happened already. Haven't even set foot in London yet, they've already blown up our fucking pub."

"Who said anything about Cockneys," Arthur asked. 

"Who else," Esme asked. 

"Do you know who did it," I asked as I turned to look at her. 

"No, she doesn't know who did it," John interjected. 

"I'm told only family is allowed to speak." She looked back down at her book. 

Tommy walked into the room. No one saw him until he spoke. "Everyone is allowed to speak. On your feet, Esme. Let's hear what you have to say." John cleared his throat. He stood up a little straighter as he planted his feet firmly on the ground. 

"I speak for your household. So could-"

"John, this company is a modern enterprise and believes in equal rights for women. On your feet, Esme." Esme looked at John as she put her book aside. 

She slowly stood up. 

"I'm not a blood member of this family. But perhaps indeed because I'm not a member, I could see things in a different light. So I'll get to my point."

"That would be nice."

"Aunt Pol," I whispered as I gently nudged her. 

She shrugged as she lit her cigarette. "As my husband said, Shelby Company Limited has become very successful. But London...I have kin and Shepherd's Bush and Portobello. It's more like wars between armies down there. And the coppers fight side-by-side with them. And there are foreigners of every description. And the use of bombs is the least of it. I have a child. Blessed with the Shelby family's good looks. I want John to see him grow up. I want us to someday live somewhere with fresh air and trees. And keep chickens or something. But London is just smoke and trouble, Thomas. That's all I have to say," She sat back down. 

Arthur stared straight ahead. "That was a lot of words. A lot of words. Wash them down with a nice drink." He handed Tommy a glass of Whiskey. "Thank you, Esme." Tommy finished his drink. 

He lit his cigarette. 

"Firstly the bag in the pub had nothing to do with London, understood? The bang is something I'm dealing with on me own. Secondly, we have nothing to fear from the proposed business expansion as long as we stick together. After the first few weeks, nine-tenths of what we do in London will be legal. The other tenth is in good hands. Isn't that right, Arthur?"

"That's right."

"Some of you in this room have expressed your reservations. Fair enough. Any of you who want no part in the future of this company, walk out the door. Right now. Go raise your chickens. For those of you with ambition, the expansion process starts tomorrow." Tommy walked out of the room. 

The next morning, I was invited to go on a holiday with the boys. Arthur and I waited outside of John's house for Tommy to get the car and for John to come outside. I called up to his window. 

"Tommy's here."

"Alright, hold on." Tommy got out and stood next to the car. 

"John," Tommy yelled this time. "I'm coming!" John's voice sounded louder this time. 

Arthur took a swig out of the bottle he was holding. Tommy looked over wondering what it was. "Seven o'clock, twelve, ten if I'm still sober. I got it from the doctor." He handed it to Tommy. "It keeps me nice and calm." Tommy smelled the brown liquid. 

He pointed it at Arthur.

"Same thing they gave us in the trenches, stop us fucking wanking."

"Polly said it's good for me temper. It slows me down. "

"Arthur, there are some things Polly doesn't understand." Tommy turned the bottle over to pour it out. 

"Tommy," I shouted. 

He shook the bottle to get the remaining drops out. "I need you fast, not slow." He tossed the bottle to the side. John finally came out of the house.  "She wouldn't let go of me fucking leg."

"I bet that's not all she wouldn't let go of," Arthur laughed. 

"You know she's against this, Tom. She's got opinions."

"Nothing wrong with opinions, John."

"Get in the fucking car."

"Shut up!" We all climbed in. 

I sat in the back with John as Arthur climbed in front. "Peaky Blinders are going on fucking holiday," Arthur shouted as he stood up. "Sit down, you mad bastard." John pulled him back into the leather seat. We drove until we hit the field. The boys got out to take a pee break. I got out of the car to stretch my legs. 

They were making jokes about raising chickens and living in the countryside. As we walked back to the car, Tommy ripped up a tarp from the very back seat. There was a body in the back.

"Who the hell is that?"

"It's Irish business. I thought it'd be best to deal with it meself."

"I was sitting that close to a random dead guy? I'm not helping." I hopped into the front of the car as they buried him. 

We finished our trip to London by night. We walked into a crowded club. It was full of drunks and druggies. The music hurt my ears. The people dancing around us were giving me a headache. John seemed to like the atmosphere. I did not. 

We found a table in the middle of the room to sit at. They brought out a bottle of booze. "Isn't this Sabini's club," I yelled over the music. Tommy nodded as the waiter put the bottle down. 

"Jesus Christ. Everybody in here is a fucking face."

"Just the lieutenants, John. No sign of the officers." 

"Let's line 'em up," John smirked as he lined up the glasses. 

He started to pour us all a drink. A different waiter walked over to our table. 

"There has been a mistake. I'm afraid you are going to have to leave."

"We just bought a fucking bottle," John shouted.

"A couple of the men know you from the tracks in the north."

"We get that a lot."

"They say you have no business coming south of the line without prior agreement."

"What line would that be, my friend?"

"They say, this is provocation."

"Right, well, you tell them we're on holiday," I smirked as I held up my drink.

I took a drink as did Tommy. "You're breaking the rules. They say you are the Peaky Blinders." A glass was thrown at our table. It shattered everywhere. "Peaky scum," someone shouted. Tommy immediately turned to that person. 

A giant fight broke out. We fought until a gun went off. The waiter was pointing a gun at us. "Get out," was all he said. We had no choice but to make our way outside. "We came here not to make enemies but to make new friends. Those of you who are last will be first. You know where to find us," Tommy announced on our way out. We took the bottle of booze with us. 

We walked back to the car. Arthur reached into his mouth. 

"I think I lost a fucking tooth. At this rate, I won't have any. Some fucking holiday this is."

"Yeah. You lost without your fucking medicine now, Arthur?"

"Here, this'll fix you."

"Give me that." He took the bottle of Whiskey from Tommy. 

Tommy pointed to John as we walked along. 

"You John-boy, eh? How are you? Or should I ask your fucking wife?"

"Give over!"

"No more talk of chicken, you hear me?"

"Fuck the chickens," Arthur slurred as John broke out into a fit of laughter.

Tommy walked a little further ahead of us. "Got 50 quid in my pocket. Let's go paint the town, eh?" That's exactly what we did. We didn't get back home until late morning. We were all exhausted and drunk. It was a miracle that we made it home in one piece. It was the most fun any of us had in a while. 

I sat with Tommy in his office late at night. He sighed as he looked up from his paperwork. 

"Polly is pissed at me."

"Why's that?"

"I poured out Arthur's medicine and this came in an hour ago." He handed me a slip of paper. 

'Let's break bread.' It didn't have a name but it came from Camden Town. I sighed as I put the paper down. "Do we go see Alfie?" He shrugged as he took a drag of his cigarette. After he finished his drink, we made our way out to the garage. We didn't feel like walking home in the rain tonight. 

I flinched at the sudden cold raindrops. Luckily, we didn't have to walk far. I sighed in relief when we made it under. I put my hand on the cold door handle. The back door creaked open. A man with a gun pointed at me stepped out. I held up my hands as I backed up. 

Another man came out, then another. We tried everything to keep them off of us. They just kept coming. Tommy and I were both on the ground in seconds. They were punching and hitting us as if we were trash. I had no idea how many men there were now. I didn't even care at this point. 

I knew one or both of us were going to die. I was drifting in and out of consciousness as I lay on the wet ground. They were still working on Tommy. I wished I was unconscious. I was surprised I already wasn't. The pain was too much. "Get her over here," one of them screamed. 

They pulled me away from Tommy as I screamed. I couldn't move. Fire ripped through my body every time I did. I couldn't fight them anymore. I got a glimpse of Tommy. It was almost too dark in the garage to see. He was lifelessly laying there.

I was barely above the surface as they pulled me up. The last thing I felt before everything went dark were hands on the buttons of my pants. 

[tommyshebyisdaddy]

Hope all is well with you and those around you 💙

I’m pretty sure you wrote ‘Miss Little lonely’ as a one shot ,But I have to ask do you plan on making a part 2?

Yes I am planning to make a part two but I’ve been really busy at the moment. But I’m writing it now 💕

[randommultifandomrants]

Being a girl is: wanting to go to bed early but deciding to just get on tumblr/wattpad/Ao3 for a little bit and then end up finding a fic series that you really like and read until well past your usual bedtime then keeping on because it’s already past your bedtime. Then being mad when you wake up in the morning because you overslept your timer.

[itshelia]

Taking anti-depressant pills?? Seeing a therapist??? Journaling???? No need babe, my fav writer just dropped another x reader fic.

[multifandomwriter56]

"Everyone in my family hates me." Tommy tells his maid, Frances. He orders her to have the chef prepare food for dinner before turning on his heel and heading out the door.

He was not expecting his four year old daughter to be standing behind the door, waiting. "Y/n?"

"I don't hate you, Daddy."

Tommy sighs, the weight of the world still heavy on his shoulders. "You should." You will.

Y/n smiles, shaking her head. "Never."

And just like that, the weight of the world lifts from his shoulders, a small chuckle escaping as he exhales. He crouches down, holding his arms out and wrapping them around his world. "Cheeky little thing, eh?"

Y/n shakes her head. "No. Just honest." She wraps her arms around her father's neck, the gesture telling him she wants to be held.

Tommy stands to his feet, Y/n safely in his arms.

"I love you, Daddy."

She may love him today, but he knows. One day she'll say the dreaded word the rest of his family says.

I hate you.

A/N: Just a little something short and semi-sweet.

Forevers: @desiredposion @theseakrakence @simonsbluee

PB: @psychkunox @theshelbyclan @lilymurphy03 @findinghisredrighthand

[nareclipwse]

me if being obsessed with older men was illegal

[venusbyline]

i can fix him (no really i can)

[mindful-of-ideas]

A/N: Finn and Polly aren’t in the gif, but they’re there, I promise!

You couldn’t remember the last time you were here. It felt like years since you last saw Birmingham, and even longer since you set foot in the betting shop. You would’ve gone home first, but you knew you had better chances of finding your family here. As you walked down the street, the shop in sight, memories flooded in.

Ever since you were little, you knew you wouldn’t stay here. You were too different, too clever and too kind to ever be a real Peaky Blinder. And well, you were a girl. But that never stopped you from trying your best… and getting up to no good. Growing up, you and Finn, your twin brother, were ruling the neighbourhood. You would do anything to annoy people. Parents were often mad at the both of you, but you still kept doing it. But as you grew up, you started getting a lot of praise from teachers and adults for doing good at school. The only way to get further was to stay in line though. So you kept your mouth shut. Slowly, you drifted away from your family destiny, focusing on your study. With help from your aunt Polly, you managed to get into a college in London and find a safe place to stay. And you had been there ever since. You found a job working as a secretary for one of the researchers to pay for school, which meant working even when the semester was over. But the researcher had fallen ill and you had enough money on the side to allow yourself a visit to your family.

You stepped into the betting shop. And it was empty.

“Well…” you said quietly.

You were about to turn around when you heard muffled voices. That ought to be them. They were probably having a meeting in the parlour. You looked around the room, trying to find a place to sit when someone cleared their throat.

“Who are you?” asked a man, stepping out of the shadow.

“Who are you?” you asked in return.

“I’m not telling you my name until you tell me yours.”

“And I’m not telling you my name until you tell me yours.”

“You think this is funny?”

“You think this is funny?”

This was definitely funny.

“I’m not here to play games with little girls.”

“And you think I am? I was about to step out when a little girl asked me my name,” you replied, looking the man up and down.

Man was a strong word. He was more of a boy pretending to be a man. You hated that type of guys, always thinking they were above everyone when they actually knew nothing about anything.

“No one talks to me like that, you understand!” he said, suddenly walking towards you.

“And who would you be?” you asked, hoping to trick him while he was angry.

“Michael Gray”

Oh shit, was that Polly’s…

“Well, Michael, unlike what you might believe, I am not here to start a fight. So you can just take a step back and a deep breath.”

“The shop is off limits today, what kind of idiot doesn’t know that,” he said, taking a step forward.

“I don’t know, you tell me,” you said, also taking a step forward.

“Are you calling me an idiot?”

Another step.

“I don’t know, you tell me.”

Another step.

“What even is your name?”

Another step.

“I don’t know, you tell me.”

Another step.

“Not this again! You better shut up before things get bad,” he said.

He was close, too close now. Yes, you were a Shelby but if this man was Polly’s son, then chances are he could match you in a fight. He looked you straight in the eyes and with a single finger lifted your chin.

“Are you scared yet, little girl?”

You smiled. The voices in the other room had stopped.

“Are you scared yet, little girl?” you finally replied.

“That’s it!”

He pulled back his fist, ready to punch you and the face. Before he could even reconsider, Tommy grabbed his arm from behind. You dashed between the two and jumped into Finn’s arms.

“Finny!” you said, hugging him tightly.

“Y/N, how did you… when did you…” he tried to ask, hugging you back.

“Well, if it isn’t the child wonder,” said Arthur, putting his hand on your head.

You flashed him a smile before hugging him too.

“Hi,” you mumbled, your face buried in his shoulder.

“What, how… who is that?” asked Michael, his expression a mix of disbelief and disgust.

“Michael, meet Y/N Shelby,” Tommy said, as you made your way over to John.

You hugged him too, but he quickly pushed you back. You and John had always gotten along well, sometimes even more than you and Finn. You knew he was worried that seeing you here meant you had to quit college.

“I’m on break and my boss is ill,” you whispered to him.

“That’s amazing then,” he said, pulling you in for a second hug.

Your aunt then made her way to you hugging you and kissing the top of your head. She knew you were coming, so this wasn’t really a surprise for her.

“How was your trip?” she asked.

“Great, it was him that was the worst part,” you said, pointing at Michael, “No offence.”

“None taken,” she said, smiling at you, “In the future, Michael, don’t hit people.”

“She started it,” he replied.

“He started it,” you said back.

“Alright, stop it!” said Tommy.

All you wanted to do was walk up to him and hug him. It was his turn after all. But his eyes were so cold. He didn’t even smile when he saw you. It’s been so long since you last saw him, how much could he have changed?

“Where’s Ada?” you asked.

“Home,” Tommy replied, looking straight at you.

“Oh…”

“I’m glad to see you Y/N.”

“Are you? You should tell it to your face.”

You gasped, putting both hands on your mouth. You had fucked up. Michael had gotten you all riled up. Being on a break surely didn’t help either. You had fallen back into old habits of pushing people’s buttons until they snapped. But this wasn’t someone you wanted to snap.

“Sorry…” you said, lowering your hands.

Tommy didn’t say anything then suddenly started laughing.

“It’s good to see you Y/N. Seems like things don’t really change, um?” he said, opening his arms to you.

You went in for the hug, still shocked by his reaction.

“It’s good to be home,” you finally said.

[dreamlandcreations]

Chapter 1 - Lost in Time

King!Alfie Solomons x archaeologist!Reader

Summary: You are stuck in the past after you interfered with the events of history and missed your window to return home…

Warnings: injury, tension of all kinds, a tiny bit of reader description (of having long hair) and more of an implied description by supposed relation (you'll get what I mean or see the tags for spoilers), a long Tommy-Alfie interaction (yes, that's a warning), tenses might be messed up

Series masterlist • Next chapter

Oddly, the first thing you are aware of isn't the pain but the presence of someone else in the room with you. It is as if he can sense you waking up, his own eyes open from the light sleep he was lulled into as your own flatter open and widen in fright at the sight of him.

You gasp in pain as you try to sit up to put some distance between you, as if you could run away from this colossal screwup and pretend it never happened. You do not get far though, he reaches for you and helps you sit up.

"Careful, little dove," the king murmurs. His hands still under your bent knees and behind your back where he supported you to be able to move without tearing at the stitched-up wound.

It is as if time stopped, you are both frozen, just gazing at each other with fascination and disbelief.

He moves first, and with a featherlight caress, he brushes along your cheek with the back of his hand and it reminds you how he was holding you in his arms after you've been stabbed. Your thoughts only wander away for a second or two, then his palm envelops your nape and he leans closer, slowly, giving you time to pull away.

Your breathing gets erratic just as your heartbeat, which you can hear drumming in your ears. His lips barely brush against yours but the touch sets you on fire and it seems he feels the same way because you both move to pull the other closer.

He deepens the kiss, tangling his fingers into your period-typically long hair as you grab onto his shirt to keep him close. It's desperate and wild and you quickly get lightheaded so you have to pull away but you can tell he would chase after you if it wasn't for the doors bursting open with a shattering thud against the wall.

Two loud men enter the room, talking at the same time.

"I'm sorry, my lord. He wouldn't listen..."

"What in the hell do you think you're doing?!"

You flinch at the sudden yell of "Shut up!" coming from the king beside you, who still hasn't moved away. He sighs heavily and with a last longing glance at you, he turns to the intruders.

"Ollie," he addresses the younger man, "be a good boy and leave us." It looked like the boy wanted to argue, but he quickly shut his mouth in response to the stern look he received from the king.

"Oh, and tell the doctor she is awake." The king yells over at him as an afterthought.

Ollie exits in a hurry, shutting the door behind him, leaving you alone with King Solomons and the man you recognized as the recently crowned Thomas Shelby from the neighbouring kingdom.

"Tommy!" the king grumbles his name as a warning and a question.

"I came here to see how my cousin feels," he nods in your direction, "and to give her this."

Your eyes widen at the sight of your watch and Tommy doesn't hesitate to approach you after you silently asked for it by reaching out with both hands. You grab it as soon as it's close enough but he doesn't let it go, forcing you to look up at him and meet his gaze as he nods meaningfully, trying to let you know that he is well aware of what the object is and who or more likely what are you. When he gets a subtle nod as a reply, he lets it go.

While your thoughts run wild, you examine the watch and try to figure out how to avoid causing more damage. But the two kings start to argue over you.

"Your cousin?"

"Yes, Lady Gray is Polly's daughter." Came the calm answer to the accusative question.

"Polly's daughter? The one who died years ago after she and little Michael were kidnapped to be raised by the enemy so they can use them against you. That daughter?" King Solomons asked, with every word dripping a ridiculous amount of mocking scepticism.

"Yes, Alfie, that is exactly what I'm saying." He crosses his arms over his chest with a disapproving expression as he goes on. "Now, if you could behave like a proper royal and put some distance between you and the lady, that would be much appreciated."

Alfie huffs but doesn't argue with the request and moves to sit back in the chair beside your bed while Tommy takes a seat on the edge of the bed, putting himself between the two of you.

The following conversation between them is like watching an intense game play out, with all the quick back-and-forth of questions and answers as Alfie tries to catch Tommy with a lie.

"I precisely remember you telling me that she was dead. Would you care to explain this miraculous resurrection?"

"I thought she was dead. We only found her recently. And I did not want to subject her to the court, yours or mine, until she had a chance to settle down into the new circumstances."

"In that case, what was she doing here, on a ball among so many people?"

"She wanted to come with me. It was a masquerade ball, she could have remained unnoticed through the whole night..." For the first time, Tommy hesitates and you think he might have difficulty coming up with the rest of the answer but you realise it was very much deliberate as he continues. "I don't know what happened."

But you don't have time to fully calm down because his convincing performance put the attention directly back on you.

"Well, why don't we ask our little lady?" Alfie inquires as he turns to you, still not convinced but asking with the ulterior motive of finally hearing you speak.

They both look at you expectantly and for a moment you can't find your voice.

"I didn't mean to cause any trouble." The little panic in your tone is absolutely real, as you fear you might screw this up even more.

Alfie takes your hand in his, assuring you with a soothing tone that "It's alright, dove. You are not in trouble. Just tell us."

And you are pretty sure he means to tell him the truth about everything but you decide to go with your instinct and play the innocent girl card while actually trying not to lie. You had a feeling you couldn't deceive him, even if you wanted to.

You look at Tommy as you start. "I know I should have kept my distance but I just couldn't help it. After all the stories I've heard, I couldn't help my curiosity getting the better of me."

Alfie immediately asks "What stories?" but you just shrug, pretending to be shy and look away, hoping he would let that go and he does.

"And the man with the blade?" He interrogates you further, with his playful demeanour gone but you know his well-hidden anger is not directed at you.

"He was acting strangely," you say with a frown as you try to remember exactly what happened. "He bumped into me but didn't stop or even look my way. His attention was entirely aimed at you, in a very unsettling way and... I don't know... I didn't even realise what I was doing until I felt the pain and..." you are breathing hard as you relive the incident and you don't know what else to say so you look at Tommy but it seems he has nothing else to add.

Alfie just nods and you think that was it but he finds another hole in the story Tommy started.

"A man called after you from the crowd but he disappeared since then."

Thankfully Tommy replies for you. "He was there to protect her and when he failed, he came to find me. It just took time to get through your people."

'"Really?" Alfie's tone indicated doubt, in that mocking way of his that you were starting to get used to. "And why was he calling her another name? Isn't she supposed to be Anna?"

You can't help but smile at that. He was clever, not saying the name, your real name, and expecting Tommy to fail this test but you intervene, quickly turning back their gaze to you from their stare-down, saying your name like you are asking Alfie to confirm what he heard. He silently nods with narrowed eyes but his harsh look quickly melts as you smile at him and simply state, "It's my middle name, I prefer it now."

Tommy sighs, feigning annoyance at what you suspect to be relief, acting like he had had enough of the game and asks, "Are you done with the interrogation?"

"For now," Alfie concludes just as the doctor arrives.

You are examined again, thankfully in private but by the time he is done all your energy leaves you and you are fighting to stay awake. With the doctor done and reporting to the two kings, you had a minute to think.

You need to find out what Tommy knew and you even ask for him but he sees how exhausted you are so he assures you that there will be time to talk later.

"Rest," he commands as he squeezes your hand in reassurance, "I will be here in the morning, I promise."

With that, you close your eyes and sink into a deep, dreamless sleep.

[stillinracooncity]

that feminine urge to read something that makes you cry, get angry, scream, laugh like a hormonal teenager, turn up the heat, feel like the most unique and beautiful human being on earth. *sighs*