#isiah jesus x oc

[themultifandomgal]

Isaiah Jesus- We’re Getting Married

When I told my brothers that Isaiah and I were getting married, they were not happy. I am the youngest Shelby, as Arthur puts it 'our baby sister'. Thankfully though my brothers came around and now here I stand smoothing down my dress as Esme places my vail in my hair

"You look beautiful YN" Lizzie gushes

"Thank you, but so do you both" I look at Esme and Lizzie through the mirror in front of me

"Ready?"

"Yeah" I smile turning around to Lizzie

"I'll go let Arthur know" she says leaving the room. A few minutes later Arthur knocks the door with his hand over his eyes

"We're all decent you can come in" I tell him. He takes his hand away and I can already see the tears in his eyes "don't cry because you'll make me cry"

"I'm sorry. It's just... my baby sister is getting married"

"Ok no smudging the makeup" Esme says stopping both me and Arthur from crying

"I think Isaiah is waiting" Lizzie places her hands on her hips

"Your right. Come on" Arthur holds his arm out for me to take.

As I wait for the doors to open to reveal Isaiah I start fidgeting

"Don't be nervous"

"I'm not. I'm excited. I love him Arthur"

"I know you do" finally the doors open and in walk Lizzie and Tom, then Esme and John. Then in walk my bridesmaids and finally Arthur walks me to Isaiah who's stood at the end of the aisle looks so freaking good. I notice he's got a tear running down his smiling face which cause me to cry a little. Arthur gives Isaiah my hand then kisses my cheek before taking his seat next to the rest of my family

"Welcome" the priest starts "today we are here to witness the marriage and bond between YN and Isaiah. Are you prepared, as you follow the path of marriage, to love and honor each other for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do"

"I do" we both respond

"Before we start. Is there anyone here who has reason that these two should not marry?" Thankfully neither Isaiah or I have to be nervous about anyone standing up "since it is your intention to enter the covenant of Holy Matrimony, join your right hands, and declare your consent before God and his Church" Isaiah and I hold hands

"I, take you , to be my wife. I promise to be faithful to you, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love you and to honor you all the days of my life" Isaiah says looking into my eyes. I repeat what he says

"May the Lord in his kindness strengthen the consent you have declared before the Church and graciously bring to fulfillment his blessings within you. What God has joined, let no one put asunder. May the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, the God who joined together our first parents in paradise, strength and bless in Christ the consent you have declared before the Church, so that what God joins together, no one may put asunder. receive this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity. In the name of the father, and the son, and the Holy Spirit. Who has the rings?" The priest asks. Charlie steps forward with both of our rings. Isaiah then takes my left hand

"Receive this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity. In the name of the father, and the son, and the Holy Spirit" he then places the ring on my finger. I repeat

"Now let us humbly invoke God's blessing upon this bride and groom, that in his kindness he may favor with his help those on whom he has bestowed the Sacrament of Matrimony. In the sight of God and these witnesses, I now pronounce you husband and wife! You may now kiss" the room is filled with applause while Isaiah and I share a kiss.

It's now the after party at the Garrison and I've changed into something a little more comfortable so I can dance in. Isaiah and I had our first dance then Arthur clears his throat

"Can I have everyone's attention" I take Isaias hand in mine "I'd like to raise a toast to my sister and now brother in-law. Now when you first starting courting I wasn't happy" this makes us all laugh "in all seriousness though, I saw the way YN looked at you and the way you looked at her. It's a love that can't be ignored. I can't wait to see where life takes you both, but no babies yet I'm still not recovered from this wedding" again this makes everyone laugh "to YN and Isaiah"

"To YN and Isaiah" everyone shouts before we all take a sip of the champagne. I turn to my now husband and look up at him

"I love you"

"I love you too" he leans down and kisses my lips.

[evita-shelby]

Reader insert Masterlist

Part 2

(Masterlist 1)

Ran out of space lol

Tommy Shelby

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

Happy wife Happy life (drunk!Tommy x wife)

Promise (tommy x sick!reader)

Chance (tommy x ex!reader)

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

Torture (tommy x wife!reader)

Fatal Attraction (tommy x assassin!reader)

Cuddling(part 2 for happy wife happy life)

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

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

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

Moon (tommy x witch!reader)

Lamb(sequel to moon)

Crawl home to you(tommy x wife!reader)

Dad!Tommy fics

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

Promise? (Tommy & adopted!daughter)

Luca Changretta

Persistence (luca x shelby sister)

The fabulous miss shelby (part 3)

Two for One (Luca x reader x Eva)

Jack Nelson

The professor

Hunt(vampire hunter au)

Michael Gray

Finn Shelby

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

Isiah Jesus

[heavencanbeaprisontoo]

[evita-shelby]

they are just so sweet 🖤🖤🖤🖤

Isaiah and Evie-Coffee Shop AU

She was sitting there, across from him wearing that open mouthed smile of hers. He fucking hated being a stupid seventh wheel. Yes, seventh. Their group that was once just four, slowly expanded over time. Martha met Robert, Evie introduced Finn to Mary, and well...to his dismay, Evie met Peter.

Fuck Peter.

They all watched as their order was placed neatly along the table. Peter looked down at Evie with that smirk. Isaiah knew the smirk because it was the same smirk every man gave the lady they liked. A dumb one that you can't push down.

"Here, Evelyn," Peter said as he passed her a white ceramic cup filled with coffee.

Before Evie could say a word, Isaiah said, in utter disgust, "Evelyn? When do you ever want to be called Evelyn?" He looked at Peter. "It's Evie-"

"I like when Peter calls me Evelyn-"

"And coffee?!" Isaiah pointed open palmed to the steaming cup. He sighed, taking it and snapping his fingers politely to the barista. The gentleman walked over. "Hot chocolate, made with cream, whipping cream on top, and make sure to grate some chocolate on top-coffee!" He sighed. "What were you thinking? Evie doesn't drink coffee...it's hot chocolate."

[peakyswritings]

My Father’s Daughter

Time to Say Goodbye

Arthur Shelby x Daughter!OC

Summary: sometimes the hardest decision is the better one.

Warnings: mentions of death, alcohol and drug addiction, rocky father-daughter relationship, tiny reference to sex, angst, season 6 spoilers, English is not my first language.

A/N: guess we’re starting from the ending! Each chapter will be a standalone. They will be linked, but they can be read separately. This is set in season 6.

Edit: putting this here cause I think I haven’t been as clear as I wanted to, since it created a bit of confusion🙈 This is the end of Rosalind’s story - or at least, of her story within the family. I wanted to try something different than what I usually do and start from the ending. In the next chapters I’m going back to 1919 and from them on I’ll explore how things turned out the way they turned out.

MEET ROSALIND

SERIES MOODBOARD

In the dim light of a room she knew all to well by now, Rosalind looked for her undergarments among the mess of clothes lying on the floor. The sun was about to set, and she needed to leave before it got too dark. These days, the streets of Birmingham weren’t safe even for a Shelby.

She slid into her slip, the cool material bringing some relief to her skin, still warm from the activities that had been going on up until a few minutes before. Although she didn’t want to admit it, she would’ve liked to stay a while. He would’ve liked it too. But it would just mean to pointlessly carry over something that was bound to happen all the same. She had never been one for cuddling, anyway. Running a hand through her ruffled red locks, she glanced at her… whatever Isiah Jesus was to her.

He was still lying in bed, a cigarette lazily hanging from his lips. He kept his gaze on her, watching her every movement. “So you’re leaving.”

“Yes.”

“Does your father know?”

“Not yet.”

A sigh escaped her lips as she zipped up her dress. She had to tell him, she knew she did. As tempting as the prospect of just leaving without telling anyone else was. “I’ll tell him tonight.”

“Y’know where he is?” he inquired. Isiah was no stranger to Arthur Shelby’s habits, and the course they had taken of late. One could never tell whether he’d go back home or spend his night in the Chinese shop whose business was thanks to the generous amount of money he spent in it.

“Drunk, somewhere,” she shrugged. “Maybe high. Maybe both.”

She wasn’t worried. She knew her father would show up, eventually. He always did. He needed someone to take care of him when he was too wasted to even stand. She couldn’t be that someone anymore. And it wasn’t like he deserved it. She loved him, of course she did, despite everything. But love was not enough.

“I can’t convince you to stay, can I?”

Isiah’s question hung in the air for a while, then, just like it came, it faded away. He knew the answer, she didn’t need to say it. It was more like himself talking to himself. There was a glimpse in his dark eyes, one of sadness, perhaps. Sadness, and something else Rosalind refused to see. That look could’ve almost compelled her to stay, had things been different.

“What will I do without you, eh?” He let out a chuckle, a poor attempt to lighten the atmosphere. “You’ve been pestering me since you came around.”

“Well it’s time you got yourself a woman. Start a family,” she teased him, sitting on the bed to put on her shoes.

He laughed, shaking his head. The only woman I’d start a family with doesn’t want to hear any of that, he thought to himself. But he didn’t say it. Cause he couldn’t.

Rosalind would’ve missed him too, there was no point in lying to herself. But there was no point in dwelling over what could’ve been either. It was time for her to turn page, to leave that life behind. Was she running away? Yes, she had no intention of hiding it from herself. Maybe if she ran fast enough she could escape the old curse. Polly had said it once. It’s in us. In our blood. We need to move, or it catches up with us.

Maybe it would catch up with her anyway.

Her gaze rested on Isiah one last time. She wondered if she’d forget about his face, overtime. If it would deform and fade until it became an indistinct blur and she could no longer picture it in her mind, like it had happened with her mother. She leaned in to press a kiss on his lips. It was chaste, tender, so different from the ones they had shared until then. She wanted to imprint the feeling of his soft lips against hers. That was the one thing she didn’t want to forget.

“Goodbye, Isiah.”

The sound of Rosalind’s heels on the cobblestones resounded in the empty street, breaking the uncanny stillness. Wrapping herself tighter in her expensive coat, she watched are her breath came out in little white clouds in the chilly air, illuminated by the street lamps. Small Heath was so different from the way it used to be years ago. There used to be workers in every corner, striking iron, shovelling coal, lighting fires. Now it was dead silent.

The gun she always carried with her granted her a faint feeling of safety. There had been a time when she was untouchable. When she would walk down the street knowing no one would dare look at her twice, let alone hurt her. Then Aunt Polly was killed, and all of her certainties came tumbling down. If Elizabeth Gray could be taken out, there was no hope for any of them.

When she walked through the front door of her house, she was hit by the reek of booze and smoke. Her father was there. He was sitting at the head of the table, with rumpled clothes, disheveled hair, and an empty look in his eyes. He didn’t say a word. She wondered if he had noticed her stuff was missing, or if he was too stoned to pay attention to anything. She took a seat in front of him, trying to figure out whether he was lucid enough to have that conversation. Or any conversation.

“I’m leaving.”

A heavy silence hung in the air. He didn’t look surprised. In fact, there was almost no emotion on his face. He looked like a dead man forced to stand by some invisible string, like a puppet in a theatre. It wasn’t the first time she got the impression that all the shit he took - the booze, the cocaine, the opium - had drained all the life out of him, leaving just the shell of the man he once was.

For the first time since she had entered the house, he raised his gaze on her. The gaze she met every time she looked in the mirror. That was the one thing she could never escape from.

“Leaving where?”

“America. New York.”

“To do what?”

“I’ll figure it out,” her voice faltered. All the firmness she had armed herself with was threatening to slip away. Her father’s stare was hard, unflinching. She didn’t let it intimidate her. “In truth, I asked uncle Tommy if he needed help with anything, in New York. He said I should talk to you first.”

As if her father was in the conditions of having that conversation.

A silent question arose in his face, but he didn’t say anything. She didn’t give him the chance to. “Then I changed my mind. Whatever I’ll do, I’ll do it on my own.”

Her father nodded to himself, leaning back in his chair and folding his hands in his lap. “So ye’re walking out on us. On your old man. On your family.”

That attempt to instil a sense of guilt sent a wave of burning rage through Rosalind’s spine. She didn’t give in to it, though. She didn’t raise her voice. She didn’t snap. She limited herself to raise her eyebrows and and let out a scoff. “What family?” she asked dryly.

Her father shifted uncomfortably in his chair, lowering his gaze, his own facade crumbling.

She could’ve stopped there. She could’ve spared him the pain. But she didn’t. “Aunt Polly’s dead. Uncle John’s dead. Esme and her kids have vanished into thin air. Michael’s in America, and he hasn’t been a part of this family since he’s been sent away. Uncle Tommy’s not himself anymore. Aunt Ada’s raising two fatherless children. God knows what Finn’s up to. And you…” she paused, grimacing. “You’re a mess.”

A pained expression crossed her father’s face. Her words were more venomous than poison. She knew she was hurting him. Part of her felt bad for that, but the other part wanted to make him feel a tiny part of the pain that had been inflicted upon her since the day she was born. That was the one thing she’d always carry with her.

“Linda left you because you fucked up. I didn’t like her, you know it. But she took care of you, and you fucked up. She left, and even that didn’t change you.”

She didn’t blame Linda for leaving. She had a long list of things to resent her for, but leaving with Billy was not one of them. She couldn’t take care of him anymore. And now Rosalind knew how Linda felt. Everyday she was waiting for the news that her father had been found dead in an alley, with a syringe in his arm. Or killed in one of the fights he engaged in, chasing the thrill of his long gone backstreet days. She had prepared herself to hear something like that a long time ago. She had come to terms with the fact that he was beyond saving.

Her father loosened the collar of his shirt as if he was choking on the truth his daughter was dumping on him. A glimpse of guilt shone in his eyes, and yet, no apology left his lips. “Walking out on yer old man,” he repeated in muffled words.

“You walked out on me first.”

None of them said another word. Not Arthur, who was still digesting what his daughter had said to him, nor Rosalind, who hadn’t meant for their confrontation to take that turn. But too many things had been left unspoken for too long. And Arthur Shelby, despite his efforts to be better, had not managed to escape the curse that had been passed on to him by his father, and by his father before him. His inability to apologise was the proof.

With nothing left to say or do, Rosalind walked out that house she couldn’t call home, and closed the door behind her.

That was the last conversation she ever had with her father.

My Father’s Daughter taglist: @strayrockette @justrainandcoffee

General taglist:

@iamngoclinh08 @lilywinchesterlove @fandom-puff @capitanostella @caelys

@lucillethings @peakyxtommy @queenofkings1212 @lyarr24 @kmc1989

@call-sign-shark @ce1iat @red-riding-wood @optimisticsandwichgladiator

[hb-writes]

The Routine

Summary: Routines are nice. Familiar. Predictable. Safe, even when they hurt. Self-reinforcing bits of comfort that have Isiah and his Small Heath girl biting their tongues and swallowing down their desires.

Characters: Isiah Jesus x F!Reader/ Unnamed OC

Content Warning: Some implied sexual content but nothing graphic.

A/N: A little delayed, but this piece is for @amysteryspot's 1k celebration (Congratulations again! ❤️ ) - Read the other submissions here.

Here's the AO3 link if you prefer to read it over there.

Peaky Blinders Masterlist

Peaky Blinders (Little Lady Blinder/ Shelby Sister) Masterlist

The evening sky seemed impossibly light, a hazy veil revealing not even a single star, pale with the promise of the season’s first, and probably only, snow. The winter weather would be a welcome addition to their walk home, she thought to herself with her face tipped to the sky. A pleasant end to a busy week, at least.

And then there was the hope that a snowy Friday night might give way to a slow Saturday morning, what with the covered streets making it so there'd be no place to be before midday. Or at least, she hoped that might be the case.

She hoped the snow would mean John and Esme wouldn’t be calling her over to theirs before the sun was up. The impending snow brought with it a smidgen of hope that John and Esme would spend their morning in, snuggled up with their lot, delaying their usual Saturday outing by a few hours at least. And as much as she loved the routine, she’d be happy to not have John Shelby greet her at his door before six in the morning with a cup of strong tea in one hand and a screaming infant in the other.

Less than six hours prior, she'd almost used the responsibility of sitting with the kids as her excuse to say no to Isiah's invitation in the first place, a justification to spend her night alone at home instead of at the loud, bustling pub. It was such an easy excuse. She'd relented only when Isiah reminded her how many times she'd turned them down lately and when he reminded her she’d be good for nothing by Saturday afternoon whether she went to the pub or not.

Isiah wasn’t wrong. She was never quite sure if it was her or John’s kids more in need of being put down for a nap by the time their parents arrived back. She always spent the rest of the day lounging about regardless. And she never drank much anyway, sipping slowly from a whiskey, maybe a second if she was thirsty or needed loosening.

Tonight she’d needed loosening, enough so that she still felt light, a steady hum ringing through her as Isiah walked her home. Whether or not the snow postponed her morning plans, allowing her a late lie-in, the impending snow meant she would sip her evening tea in a special kind of peace, allowing her mind to clear itself of the fog of alcohol as she looked out the window at the blanket of white steadily covering the dusty Birmingham lane she called home, the cobbled streets pure and clean and untouched while most of Small Heath lay bundled up in their beds, the rest of them still getting properly boozed up, unaware of the wintry weather or anything outside the walls of whatever pub they’d selected for the night.

"He's been after her for two weeks now," Isiah continued on with his report on Finn’s latest romantic endeavors, something they hadn’t been free to discuss at the pub, "a bit hopeless, really, but—"

She giggled as the first snowflake caught on her eyelashes, a second and third quickly following to melt against her warm cheeks.

The sound of her laughter cut Isiah off as he slowed his pace, turning to watch her twirl in the falling snow, his stomach clenching as he watched the unfettered glee on her face.

"Snow's a nice change, isn't it?" she said, tipping her head to look at him, his hands shoved into his pockets to spare his chilled fingertips.

It was better than the rain, Isiah supposed, but it was still bloody cold, especially at this time of night. He glanced up at the same sky she’d been watching for most of their journey and then he nodded towards the row of back-to-backs on either side of the lane. “Yeah, it'll be nice until they’re all up and about muddying the streets.”

She snorted. "Isiah," she whined, "must you always be such a—"

"I'm right," he interrupted. "You know I am."

She hummed, shrugging her shoulders as they got moving again. "You are right about our Finn, I suppose. A bit hopeless."

She idly wondered whether Isiah thought the same of her. She was over a year older than Finn with no prospects of the romantic sort. At least Finn made an effort. No one would say the same of her.

"Maybe you should've gone over, Siah. Help him catch the posh girl."

Isiah grinned as he glanced at her. “Yeah, and who would you entertain yourself with if I did that?”

Celia’s name was on the tip of her tongue, but it was a wasted argument even though Celia was her closest confidant. The girls had only spoken a handful of words the entire night, wrapped up as she was with Michael these days, and even if Celia’s attention hadn’t happened to be directed elsewhere, Isiah rarely left her side if his pestering was enough to get her to the pub. It was simply the way of things between them. Isiah forged on before she could even suggest otherwise. “And what does our Finn need my help for anyway? Boy’s a royal fucking Shelby prince, ain’t he?”

She smiled at that bit of truth. Their dear friend was a Shelby boy, a title that afforded him an edge over most lads in Small Heath regardless of whether he knew how to wield the power or not. But there was another bit of truth that Isiah didn’t always tout—not with her at least—but she knew it anyway.

He was a handsome boy, always had been, even when they were kids. It worked in Isiah’s favor more often than not, but it also meant that the presence of one Isiah Jesus was of little benefit to his friends. His cheeky smile muddled things, and that was before he deigned to open his clever, ever so charming mouth.

Regardless of intentions, the only person Isiah helped in order to bring a girl home at the end of the night was Isiah.

She tried to remember the last time she’d walked herself home from the pub, or the last time it had been anyone other than Isiah escorting her for that matter, but nothing came to mind, not since she’d started working at the Shelby offices, at least.

They’d made a habit of it, slipping out during the sliver of time she’s come to think of as the in-between, the time after homes were shut up for the night but before the pubs closed. The time seemed to belong only to them, like the quiet streets of Small Heath were theirs and theirs alone.

Isiah always made the offer to escort her at just the right time, the gesture always coming just before she’d been poised to stifle a stubborn yawn behind her hand, almost as if she were on some sort of schedule and Isiah had memorized it. Memorized her.

Not that memorizing her would be a terribly difficult thing to do. She wasn’t an enigma like some girls, far from mysterious or intriguing like the girls Isiah usually chased after. She was a bit of routine to him. Easy. Steady. Consistent.

Her nights out at the Garrison were just as predictable as her days at the company offices, tucked away with correspondence letters and rows of accounting from eight in the morning onward, taking her lunch at the same time each day—enjoying the same sad meal, too—always having to be reminded to head home by someone at the day’s end.

By Lizzie or Michael or Finn or Isiah, usually.

By Tommy Shelby or Polly Gray, on the far rarer occasions.

‘Go on. Go enjoy your evening. Must be something you’d rather be doing.’

That’s what they all said, but she found she liked the routine of work. She liked having something to keep her mind busy. She liked that it was predictable. Correcting words and grammar in the correspondence before it went out, tallying up the numbers at the bottom of the page. They were consistent things.

Safe.

Calculable.

Expected.

Comforting.

Like her, they didn’t often hold many surprises.

Just like how things were with Isiah.

Routine.

Expected.

There was a certain cadence to their interactions—smirks and laughs shared at Finn’s expense, one accepted invitation spared for every three of her declines for a night out with the boys at the pub—all of it the comforting balance of a friendship well-maintained and understood.

She knew their routine, knew him.

She’d done some memorizing too.

She could always be sure that Isiah would keep her company at the pub and predict her yawns, escorting her home before the whiskey glazed her eyes, and by the time she was tucked away behind a locked door, she knew Isiah would be back to the pub. She knew he would end his night with one of the girls sitting beside whatever girl Finn was sweet on for the night.

Tonight, she imagined it would be the brunette. The one who had been eyeing Isiah for half the night. The one he’d smiled back at.

In her mind, Isiah was a different person after he dropped her home or on the nights when she didn’t venture out in the first place. It was almost like there was a side of him he didn’t show her, a side that they both knew didn’t quite fit into their routines. He showed up in the tender moments they both retreated from, the brushes of hands when he passed her drink or a turn of phrase with a particular form of charm.

But she knew Isiah didn’t shy away from girls. He charmed relentlessly and got up to mischief. He always left with someone. He had his own pattern, his own little routine that didn’t involve her.

“Well, she had pretty friends, at least. I’m sure you can take one of them—”

Isiah’s feet skid on the cobblestone as he rounded on her, his eyes on hers, a smirk touching his lips as he watched her, her lips parted in surprise at his sudden closeness.

His hand brushed her waist before dipping into the pocket of her coat, his fingers fumbling around for her keys. “I’ve already got my hands full taking you home and putting you to bed, don’t I?”

Isiah slipped his hand back out and dangled the ring in front of her, his eyebrows raised in wait of a response. Her mouth felt too dry for a rebuttal, her body still searing from the feel of his hand against her side, almost like she could feel his touch in every limb.

She cleared her throat to cover the betraying whimper released from her lips and snatched the keys from Isiah’s hand, quickly moving around him to the door. Her heart pounded in her chest as she worked the key into the lock, struggling as Isiah settled leaning against the door frame beside her.

Part of her wondered if he could hear her heart beating so painfully hard in her chest, She couldn’t imagine him not hearing it considering how quiet it was out on the lane—nothing between them but the crinkle of falling snow and the subtle scraping of her stubborn house key against the lock.

She huffed when the door finally gave way, stepping in and aside to let Isiah go first, another of their routines. She shifted out of her coat and slipped out of her shoes, watching as he moved about the flat, switching on the lights and surveying the small collection of rooms. He lingered in the living room with the couch between them as she finally stepped out of the hall and started tidying the space, readying herself for her evening in.

“Big plans this evening?” he teased.

She rolled her eyes at him, tugging a blanket from the back of the couch and reaching out for a book, which Isiah picked up first, holding it out for her to take.

He knew what she did once he left her alone just as well as she knew what he did once he made it back to the Garrison. She’d drink her tea and read her book and head to bed once her mind grew clear and her eyes grew tired though she imagined clarity might take a bit longer tonight. She was feeling muddled, something she’d like to blame on the whiskey though a part of her, the part that fluttered at meeting Isiah’s eyes as she took the book into her hand knew very well it was more than that.

“Right, of course,” she snorted as she cradled the novel, flipping idly through its pages. “The nice lad from down the way slips in just after you leave.”

She’d expected a laugh out of it, her attempt at a little banter, her voyage into the unexpected, but when she turned to face him, Isiah’s face was distinctly unreadable. She looked at the floor then, swallowing at the lump in her throat and internally smacking herself for the deviating words.

Isiah cleared his throat, finally steering them forward through her jumbled mess.

“Well, I supposed I should take my leave, then.”

Back on course, she thought to herself, her head nodding without a conscious effort.

“Wouldn’t want to leave the lad waiting out in the cold.” Isiah’s voice was teasing though the meter read as slow and meandering, a bit uncertain even if she was too distracted to hear the distinction. “And it’s probably best to get him in before the snow comes. Wouldn’t want to leave any footprints for the neighbors to find. You know how people talk.”

She let the words settle between them, any chill left over from the walk home leeched from her body as heat flooded her instead, the warmth of embarrassment hot in every inch of her. Hotter even than the weight of Isiah’s hand against her waist had left her as he sought her keys.

This was why she didn’t play, why she left the deviations and forging of new paths to Isiah, happy enough to remain in her lane. This was why she kept to their routines, harder to muck things up that way.

“Right,” Isiah said, stuffing his hands back in his pockets when the silence between them stretched beyond comfort and he grew certain she wasn’t going to give him a response. “Well, I guess I should leave you to it, then. Get back to the pub and make sure our Finn doesn’t hurt himself, eh?”

She forced herself to laugh, to meet his eye for a moment, to rebound with something familiar to them both.

“I’ll walk you out,” she said, dropping her book on the couch, moving toward Isiah and the hall that led to the front door.

She wasn’t sure what it was—maybe the extra glass of whiskey at the pub or the lingering feel of Isiah’s hand against her waist or the arresting feel of his eyes on her as she approached. Maybe it was a magic spell put on her by the unexpected snow—but without thinking, she deviated again, slipping in front of Isiah before he could reach the door.

Her hand closed over the cool metal of the knob and she waited, stuck somewhere in between her desire to keep to their routine and her desire to chase after the all-encompassing feeling that coursed through her veins, the one settled in the pit of her stomach and flooding her mind, the cold of the doorknob against her skin the only thing grounding her.

This was the part of the evening where she bid him goodnight. Where he parted from her with a smile and a bow of his head while he stood out on the walk, always reminding her to lock up after him. She’d roll her eyes and nod before closing the door.

She never knew Isiah waited outside every time, lingering on her threshold to hear the comforting sound of the lock clicking into place. The summation of their humble routine.

“Your lad will be wondering what we’re up to if you don’t open the door soon, love.” Isiah kept his tone light, but tension still welled up in her body. She rolled her delicately covered shoulders, Isiah’s eyes venturing up and down her back as he tried to read her.

“There’s no lad,” she mumbled, breathing deeply through her nose, her eyes closed, her teeth pinching the tip of her tongue as a few other words welled up inside her.

Isiah’s voice sounded so close she imagined his lips were mere inches away from her ear when he responded, his body hovering just beside her, so close she could feel him.

“I know,” he said, a lie, because while a part of him thought—hoped—her words had been nothing more than a put-on, there was a nagging part of Isiah that knew it could be true.

He’d made no move, retreating from his desire every time something surfaced within him, dismissing any of her movements as nothing more than friendship. It was easy enough to believe there could be someone other than him, someone other than the men in her novels.

“You gonna open the—?” Isiah stopped himself as she turned, setting her back against the door, eyes still squeezed shut.

“What if you didn’t go back?”

Isiah wanted to see her eyes. He wanted her to repeat it. He wanted to hear it again to be sure. She squirmed against the door as the silence between them grew uncomfortable once again.

Isiah smirked when she finally opened her eyes. “You want me to stay?”

“Only if you…”

Isiah’s hand caught her warm cheek, stopping her before she hid her face away from him in order to study the hardwood. “What do you want, eh?”

She hesitated for only a moment, her head leaning into the gentle caress of his hand for a cycle of steadying breaths before she reached a hand around the back of Isiah’s neck to pull his lips to hers.

Isiah’s hands found her waist, the same scorching fire from before burning through her as his fingers moved over the thin fabric of her dress.

“I want you to stay,” she said, dropping the entrancing words into the desperate space between their kisses.

Isiah tugged her body to his, slipping a hand from her body just long enough to click the lock in place, a new summation to their humble routine. From now on, she would be the only girl Isiah Jesus ended up with at the end of the night.

[ugly-crying-over-bucky-barnes]

Until You Return From the Front Line *Isiah JesusxOC

A request from @everythingandyou

Summary: Tommy’s eldest daughter, Avis, falls for Isiah Jesus but before they can have a whirlwind romance they’d always dreamed of, Europe crumbles. 

//Judging that the ages for the children in the series are wonky enough, I’m just going to have Isiah, Finn, and Avis in their late 20s, Charlie 18, and Ruby as 14.

           Dear Dad,

It’s been about a month since I’ve arrived in France. There are a lot of lovely girls my age. There’s a girl from Birmingham as well! I hope you’ve heard from Uncle Finn and Michael as I haven’t received any letters from them as of yet. I heard from Charlie about a week ago and it sounds like he’s becoming acclimated. It’s been a bit difficult as I’ve never seen such wounds before. There was a young man, couldn’t be more than twenty, who lost a leg. I’m hopeful the war won’t last very long. But I worry for Isiah and the others. Give Ruby and Lizzie my love and let them know I’m always thinking of them.

Love,

Avis

           It was an absolute nightmare. Tommy thought he could raise his children and never have them know the horrors that he and his brothers knew. The War was in the past, Charlie would never know the fear of being buried alive by a tunnel or the sound of bombers in the air and rifles through the night.

           But no longer. Britain had once again declared war and no able-bodied young man was safe from the draft. Charlie, a proud boy enlisted much to Tommy’s anger.

           The two fought over the decision for a few days. Charlies argued that it was the same thing his father had done. Tommy argued that, yes, it was the same thing he’d done and that’s why he was trying to protect his only son.

           Despite the power he had both in Parliament and in the community, Tommy couldn’t pull enough strings to get his son discharged before he was shipped off.

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

           Before Charlie left, they had a party for him at the Garrison. Tommy’s three children were all there. Avis was the oldest and the last thing Tommy had left of Greta Jurosi, the first love of his life. Next was Charlie, and finally, little Ruby who was actually taller than her older sister and nearly as tall as her brother.

           Drinks were flowing and spirits were generally up even though Charlie was leaving for the front lines. Everyone tried to remain optimistic. Maybe things would be settled and the young man would never even see a lick of combat. That’s all they could hope for.

           Across the room, Tommy spied Avis. She was a beautiful young woman with dark hair and her mother’s green eyes. Ever since she was little, she wanted to be a nurse. Growing up in Small Heath and around the rise of the Peaky Blinders she’d seen more than her share of injuries. So, with Tommy’s support, she completed nursing school and worked with ill children. Despite her rough upbringing, she was a gentle figure in the family.

           And now she was dancing very close to Isiah. The sight wasn’t too strange as the two had grown up together. She, Finn, and Jeremiah’s son were inseparable on the streets of Small Heath.

           Little did Tommy know; Isiah was Avis’s first kiss. Her first love. When they turned eighteen, he gifted her a promise ring which she never removed.

~~~~~~~~

           As the music slowed down, Isiah pulled Avis closer. “I need to tell you something.” He whispered to her.

           “You’re enlisting.”

           He frowned. “How did you find out?”

           Avis pressed her cheek to his shoulder. “Finn told me you two went.” She answered quietly. “I didn’t want to believe him until you told me yourself.”

           “I’m sorry but I can’t stay here while Charlie’s over there.”

           Avis nodded and the two were quiet for a moment as they considered the possibility of being separated. Neither were sure the longest time they’d gone without seeing each other. It was like they were magnets, just due to be drawn back to each other at the end of the day.

           “I’m going too.” She finally spoke again.

           “What?” Isiah stopped swaying with her and lifted her chin so she was looking at him.

           “They told us in the hospital that they needed nurses.” She explained, her green eyes locked on his. “And I signed up. If you’re all going then I am too.”

           He shook his head but he knew there was a very slim chance she would ever change her mind. She had strong convictions and that was one reason why he loved her so. “I’m guessing there’s nothing I can say to make you stay here?”

           She smiled and shook his head. “No.”

           “Stubborn girl.” He sighed and pressed his forehead to hers. “I love you.”

           “I love you too.”

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

           Tommy pulled his daughter aside the next morning. “There something you want to tell me?” He asked.

           Avis attempted to feign innocence. Mostly because she wasn’t sure what her father was trying to call her out on. Her relationship with Isiah? Her decision to enlist as a nurse? That one time when she was ten and broke a plate but blamed it on Charlie? “Tell you what?”

           “I saw the way you were with Isiah last night.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “How long has that been going on?”

           Avis averted her eyes and rifled around her purse for a cigarette. “A while.” She admitted. “Why?”

           “Av, I don’t want to control you. You’re old enough to make your own decisions.”

           “But you’re worried that people are going to look down on you because your daughter’s dating someone who’s black?” She snapped and glared at him.

           “What?” Tommy shook his head. “Absolutely not. I’m talking about him providing for you. He’s a Blinder, Avis.”

           “And?” She threw up her hands in disbelief. “He’s intelligent, dad, you know that. If you gave him and Finn more responsibilities on the tracks then maybe they could make more money.” She accused.

           “That’s what you want, aye? Your husband working on the tracks? You could date someone of better social standing, Avis.” Tommy wanted nothing but to have his children succeed. To never allow them to see the slums of life, the worst of the worst of living. They would never go hungry, they would never be cold in the winter, they would never be afraid of being evicted.

           “I want someone who I love more than anything else.” Avis shot back at him. “I’m not marrying someone I don’t love.”

           Tommy ran a hand over his face, deflating slightly. “I understand you love him but…”

           “But nothing, dad. There’s nothing you could say to change my mind. I love him, isn’t that enough?”

           He looked at his oldest daughter, the apple of his eye. Perhaps he was just making up excuses. Maybe he was afraid of her getting old and starting a family of her own. It probably wouldn’t have mattered who she loved. He would protest because time had moved too fast. She’d grown too fast.

           “Dad, I enlisted.” Avis decided the time was as good as any to tell him the other news. “I’m going to serve as a nurse.”

           “No, absolutely not.” Falling in love was one thing. Going into a war zone was another thing. “I will not have you and Charlie over there. Absolutely fucking not.”

           “What am I meant to do here? I’m a nurse and I want to do what I can!” She cried.

           “What if I lose you both, aye?” Tommy stood up and began pacing anxiously. “What if you two both come back in boxes? I’m gonna have to tell your sister that you’re gone?”

           “Nothing’s going to happen to us, dad, we’ll be okay.”

           “You don’t fucking know that!” He shouted. “Neither of you have no idea what the fucks happens in those trenches. You both want to be proud of your fucking country when this country left me and your uncles for dead, buried alive!”

           Tears began to brim in Avis’s eyes. “I won’t be worthless. I’m going to make a difference.” She whispered tearfully. “I won’t sit around while men die. I’m going.” She asserted and left before Tommy could yell at her more.

~~~~~~~~~~~

           Avis returned home from France a few weeks before Isiah and Charlie. Tommy refused to let go of her for quite some time. She was home, now he just needed to get his son back and the world would be right again.

           It was like there had been a never-ending alarm over the world for years. But finally, at that moment, everything went completely silent. The echoes faded and now everyone was left to pick themselves up, gather their dead, return home, and find out what normal had been.

           Isiah had been shot twice, once in the leg and once in the shoulder. Finn had nearly lost his arm to a grenade. Charlie had grown very ill from the gases. Michael had a bullet lodged in his back that would have to be taken out by surgeons in London. They’d all been through hell and back but at least they were returned home alive.

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

           Isiah grinned and dropped his bag when he saw his Avis pushing through the crowds on the train platform.

           “Baby!” She squealed and leapt into his arms.

           “Oh, I missed you so much.” Isiah spun her around, hugging her tightly and then kissing her deeply. He never wanted to let go of her again.

          After a moment, Avis pulled back for a breath. She took in his handsome features, tracing her thumb over his cheek. “I missed you more.” She sighed with relief and kissed him again. Feeling him hold her again was reassuring. Not even a world war could tear them apart. They’d always return to each other.

Masterlist 

[smcc212]

Fearless

Word count- 1, 077

Pairing- Tommy Shelby x Son!, Finn Shelby x nephew!, Isiah Jesus x Male OC(platonic)

Warnings- None really? Referenced bullying, and my awful writing.

A/N- We’re all just gonna big fat ignore the fact the I haven’t posted in 238 days, okay? Okay. Great.

Thank you to @fandoms410 for requesting this, I’m so, so, so sorry it took this long xxxxx

Tommy always worried about Liam, he couldn’t help it. Having a son that couldn’t feel pain, and was bullied as a result of that, well, who wouldn’t worry? After the incident with John kids, and the kids from Liam’s school, however, that fear only grew worse.

He felt himself just wanted to bundle Liam up in bubble-wrap and bring him everywhere with him. He was even nervous about letting Liam go out to play with Finn. Although, he knew he couldn’t keep Lee locked away forever.

He watched from his office window as Lee waddled after Finn towards Jeremiah Jesus’ house. A very excitable Isiah quickly hugging his dad before joining the Shelby boys. Liam rushes to hug Isiah, and the older boy didn’t hesitate to hug him back before picking him up and heading off towards the cut.

Tommy sighed, sitting down at his desk and attempting to get on with his work. He trusted Finn, and Isiah for that matter, with Liam; It was the other lads he didn’t trust. He just hoped, prayed that they kept a close enough eye on his little boy.

Finn watched as Isiah pretend to be much slower than he really was, letting Liam catch him as they were playing tig. He fought to keep in a laugh as Isiah dramatically acted shocked that Liam caught him.

“How are you so fast, Lee?” He pretended to wonder as Liam broke out in a fit of giggles.

“You’re just really slow, iz,” he laughed. Isiah gasped in mock offence.

“You little monster,” He said before launching into an attack of tickles. “How dare you.” Finn stopped holding in his laugh at that and instead joined Isiah’s attack.

“Stop,” Lee stammered in between laughs.

“Not until you admit that I’m a fast runner.”

“B-but you’re not.” Isiah gasped again, continuing to tickle to boy. After a couple of minutes Lee caved in. “F-fine! You’re a fast runner,” He exclaimed.

“Thank you,” Isiah said stepping away, Finn did the same. “That wasn’t so hard was it?” He beamed at the boy. Liam moved his hand to rub at the tears of laughter that had formed on his face, trying not to press down too hard.

After that the boys went to Charlie Strong’s yard to see the horses. Isiah making sure to hold Lee’s hand as he had a tendency to run in the stables excited and spook the horses. Isiah remembered clear as day the ice-cold fear he felt when he saw the horse buck, he only just managed to grab Liam before the horse cracked his skull open.

“Hello, boys,” Charlie greeted.

“Hi, Charlie. We were wondering if we could see the horses?” Finn asked politely. Upon seeing the hesitation on Charlie’s face Isiah spoke up.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got Lee. I’ll make sure he doesn’t hurt himself.” Charlie nodded.

“Alright, but only for a little bit, Curly and I have to clean the stables soon.”

“Thank you, uncle Charlie!” Liam exclaimed, pulling on Isiah’s hand.

“Hold on, Lee,” Isiah started, crouching down to the boy’s level to make sure he had his attention. “I need you to promise to be calm around the horses, okay? I know you love them, but you don’t want to scare them, yeah? And I don’t want you to get hurt. So, promise me, yeah?”

“Okay, I promise, iz.”

“Okay. Good.” He stood up again, keeping a hold of Liam’s hand. “Let’s go then.”

Tommy had tried, and failed at getting his work done. His mind to preoccupied by his anxiety over Liam’s safety to be able to focus on the business. Liam was the only thing that could keep Tommy from working.

He decided to go see Charlie and see if he’d seen Liam. He knew his boy loved horses, so that was the most likely bet.

“Morning, Charlie,” He greeted in his usual emotionless voice.

“Morning, Tom. Finn, Isiah, and Liam are in the stables if you’re looking for them.” Tommy nodded, heading to find his boy; he needed to calm his disquiet. He stopped at the door, seeing Isiah holding Liam on his hip.

“Slowly, Lee. You don’t want to scare her, do you?” He heard Isiah say quietly. Liam shook his head softly, and cautiously lifted his hand up towards the mare. It sniffed softly at the boy’s hand. Liam let out a little giggle, making the corner of Tommy’s mouth curl slightly.

“Tickles,” He whispered to Isiah.

“Yeah, they do that,” Isiah chuckled back. Finn was just standing in the corner watching the other two boys, much like Tom was doing. He and Tommy locked eyes, sent each other a small smile and a nod-silently agreeing to not interrupt.

The mare tilted his head down slightly, giving permission for Liam to pet her. Lee turned to Isiah, his blue eyes full of awe and a silent question.

“Yeah, go on, Lee,” Isiah encouraged, cause Liam to smile and gently run his hand along the mare’s head.

“I’m doing it, iz,” He whisper-yelled excitedly.

“I know,” Isiah replied in a breathy laugh. “I’m proud of you.” If it was possibly, Liam’s smile got even wider. Tommy felt like someone was pulling on his heartstrings. His beautiful boy seemed so thrilled to do something as simple as pet a horse, he wondered if Isiah being there with him made the little boy more excitable.

Suddenly, the bubble was burst as Charlie walked in, followed by curly.

“Right boys, sorry but times up.” Isiah pulled Liam away, placing him back on the ground and taking ahold of his hand. When he turned around a saw tommy, a look of pure shock covered the boys face.

“Hello, Mr Shelby,” He said. Tommy smiled at him.

“Hello, Isiah.”

“Lee, wanted to pet the horse,” He explained nervously.

“I know, Isiah, I saw. I was just checking on on him, but I can see he’s in good hands.”

“Iz,” Lee said, pulling on the older boy’s hand.

“Yeah?”

“Can we play hide and seek? Me, you, and Finn?” Lee looked at Isiah with pure awe, as if the boy was a prophet.

“Yeah, of course we can. Coming Finn?”

“Yep. See you later, Tom.” Finn chirped, following his best friend and nephew.

“See you, boys.” Tommy watched them walk away for a moment, before heading back to work. The worry he once held gone after witnessing the love Isiah seemed to have for his boy.

Taglist:

@the-makingsofgreatness

[writerinthedark21]

The songbird and her lover

Isiah jesus x black!oc

Summary: Ruby shelby had known isiah ever since she had stumbled into an abandoned church and decided to sing as if no one was watching. Little did she know Isiah was right above her listening to the most angelic voice he had ever heard. 

Word count:  4,170

Warnings: Slight angst (my first fic)

---

Ruby shelby.

The second youngest in the shelby family. Born only 3 years before Finn

No one dared to question how she inherited her melantied complexion or coily hair that reached up to the heavens above them. 

At least not after Thomas overheard a snide remark made towards Ruby at just the age of 3 and that man was never seen again after he walked out of the garrison. 

Even though Ruby seemed to be born with never ending confidence and a smile as bright as the sun over the years the light within Ruby grew dim as she truly realized the world she lived in.

She learned to keep the parts she loved most about herself secret. The outspoken, radiant, excited parts of herself she learned to be ashamed of.

It was only when she had found herself wondering into an abandoned chapel on a saturday afternoon when she had finally let that side of herself out.

The silent chapel was soon filled with Ruby’s voice as she sang the lullaby her aunt Polly used to sing to help her sleep.

Unbeknownst to her a silent listener was sitting on the church's balcony in a paralysed state as he listened to her angelic voice bounce off the tattered walls and broken windows. 

After a couple minutes of singing, the song had finally come to an end and for the first time in years Ruby had finally felt at peace as she started to walk out of the old building.

Isiah only gained back feeling in his legs when he heard Ruby’s footsteps descended into the distance. 

And that’s when the spark between the two started to light.

A songbird and her listener.

Ruby and Isiah only officially met when he joined the peaky blinders.

“Ruby, Isiah” Thomas says as Ruby had walked in and noticed the new boy in the room.

Isiah was doing everything in his power to not make himself look like a fool in front Ruby.

He had heard so many boys talk about how beautiful and pretty she was and he’d be lying through his teeth if he disagreed. 

Without thinking he outstretched his hand praying that she’d shake it. With a soft smile on her face Ruby took his hand and it was like electricity ran through the both of them.

“I just um....I’ll head up to my room now...” Ruby said feeling a new type of heat run up to her cheeks.

Hearing her voice was like he finally had the finale piece to the puzzle beautiful voice he hears every Saturday ever since he was 12.

Isiah tried not to stare for too long as Thomas continued with whatever he was saying before Ruby walked in.

Over the years the two became closer but it was only in group settings. 

The first time Isiah and Ruby truly had a moment on their own was when Ruby had turned 15 and Isiah had taken her to a cafe that sat right across from the theater Ruby loved with all her heart. 

Little did she know Isiah had secured two seats to the newest show.

As they sat and waited on their food and drinks Isiah finally asked a question that had been itching his brain for the past couple days. 

“What do you want to be when you get older?” 

The question had made Ruby freeze in place. Not from fear but surprise. No one really cared or had the time to ask her what she wanted to be. 

“um I really don’t know...a nurse I guess...I was always good at stiching up my brothers and what not so...” Ruby says fidgeting with the hem of her dark blue dress hoping he couldn’t see through her lies.

“Okay that’s nice....now the truth” Isiah says refusing to look away from Ruby as a small smile spread on her face. 

“I wanna....one day I want to be a singer....to see ‘The marvelous Ruby shelby’ up in lights and sing on some big stage and everyone throwing bouquets at my feet...”

“Yeah....that’s my dream” Ruby finished with a sigh as she gazed to the theater across from the cafe. 

Isiah had never loved Ruby like he did in this very moment. 

“I’m gonna make that happen” He lets out without thinking.

A laugh flies out of Ruby’s mouth not thinking he was serious until she finally tore her eyes away from the theater to find an expression she had never seen before on Isiah’s face.

“I’m gonna hold you to that....” Ruby says a smile forming on her face as she looked back out to the theater.

It wasn’t until Ruby’s 17th birthday when a moment like this happened again.

“Happy birthday, Ruby” He whispers handing her the record.

For years Ruby had been wishing and praying for this album. Every time Ruby had mentioned it in front of Isiah he made sure to rummage through every record store in London.

And finally after months of searching he had found it and he didn’t even look at the price before buying it.

Because Isiah knew the look on Ruby’s face when she opened it was worth the large dent in his pocket.

“Oh my god” Ruby’s voice was filled with shock and joy as she finally tore off all the wrapping paper.

“You like it?” Isiah asks half joking, but picking at his skin to hear her response. 

“DO I LIKE- Isiah-” She set the record down before pulling him for the tightest hug he had ever received.

For a moment Isiah was too stunned to even move. 

The feeling of her soft skin on the back of his neck, the smell of her vanilla perfume filling up his nostrils, and the thought of holding her like this for rest of his life made him paralysed.

It was when he started to feel her pull away when he finally reacted. He pulled her in like he was scared of losing her.

As if she was dying and the only cure was his loving embrace. 

For a moment he had completely forgotten that her whole family was in the room watching them. 

A small snicker could be heard from arthur.

They pull away with heated faces. 

Ruby knew she felt something in that moment but decided to hold it down and bury it until one special day only months later.

Isiah had been become more secretive over the months. Not showing up for meetings, more distracted than ever before, and even pulling away from Ruby.

No one could figure out why until he walked in one day with a girl wrapped around his arm. 

They all had could already guessed it but actually seeing isiah seemingly in love with a girl that wasn’t Ruby had all shocked them.

“I’ll be out for the day I just had to stop by to keep something-”

“Here you go-” Ruby had stopped mid sentence when she realized that it wasn’t just Isiah that had walked in.

“Who’s this?” Ruby asked feeling a bitterness grow within her as she noticed Isaiah's arm wrapped so nicely around the girls shoulders.

At that moment many of the man found excuses to walk out of the room leaving only Ruby, Polly, Isiah and the girl he had brought with him.

“My um....Ruby this is pearl...my date to the theater” 

“Pearl, Ruby.....Ruby, Pearl” Isaiah finished.

Ruby swallowed the bitterness rising within her as she moved the present to one arm and shook the girls gloved hand. 

“Nice to meet you Pearl”   

“You as well Ruby....” A striking silence soon filled the room.

“Well I think we should get going....Thanks for keeping this safe for me” Isaiah says as he takes the present from Ruby’s arms.

“Yeah no problem....hope you two have fun...” Ruby says refusing to truly look at Isiah until they turn to walk away.

Finally looking up to see Isiah help Pearl put her jacket on to protect her from the nightly chill broke Ruby’s heart in two. 

Watching him walk out the door was more painful than it had ever been before. Seeing him hold a certain admiration and care for this girl had hurt Ruby in a way she never thought could. 

“You okay over there?” Polly asked suspiciously from behind the newspaper.

“Yes aunt Polly....” 

“Sure Ruby, Sure” Polly says before getting up and walking to Ruby’s side.

“Just....I’ve only seen that look you have right now on love sick puppies that think their chance at love has passed...”

Ruby doesn’t say a word because if she tried to deny Polly’s words she’d be telling the worst lie known to mankind. But if she agreed than she’d be even more heartbroken than before.

“But I promise you dear...his love for a ruby is nothing compared to that of a pearl” Polly sghs out before walking out of the room leaving Ruby longing looking to the front door.

Ruby had secretly held onto those words until she had finally moved out into her own place in hopes of living a life not filled with the violence she grew up with.

She had a nice day job as a nurse and a secret weekend job at a pub that let her sing her heart out to the willing participants. 

But somehow the past always finds a way to follow you.

That past came in full swing for Ruby on a random Saturday afternoon a bleeding out isiah and beat up peaky blinders showed up at her doorstep seeking for safe keeping.

“Hey beautiful” Isiah said almost unconscious when Ruby finally let them in.

“What the hell happened?” Ruby yells out as they placed Isiah's flailing body on her living room couch.

“He got fucking shot Ruby…get your kit and help us out” Finn yelled as he put pressure on the wound.

Isiah almost forgot he got shot until Finn put what felt like too much pressure on the wound. 

He let out a sharp howl making everyone in the room cringe.  

“Fuck” Ruby whispered as she turned and ran to her bathroom rummaging through the cabinet under the sink.

Ruby always questioned if she really wanted to run away from the life she was born in as she pulled out her emergency kit.

“Lay him on the floor for me and hold him down as best you can.......please” Ruby firm voice silences the frantic voice filling the living room.

The men make quick action to place Isiah on the ground and hold him as still as possible.

She took a quick look at the punctured and bleeding hole on the bottom of Isiah’s right side. 

Ruby realized she didn’t remember much as she washed off Isiah’s blood from her hands in the kitchen sink.

The only thing that kept coming back to her was how loud Isiah’s scream was as she stitched him up. 

“Ruby? I’ve been calling after you for a minute.....you okay?” Finn’s voice was almost lost in her state of shock but eventually his voice peaked through.

The only one that stayed after Isiah was all stitched was Finn. 

“Oh um...yes...I just haven’t had my brother and his friend barge into my house and demand me to stich one of them up....”

“Sorry about yelling at you-”

“Finn I’ve been through worse and you’ve done far worse so...” Ruby turned to dry her hands off with the rag sitting on the edge of the kitchen sink.

“Thank you for...I know you wanted to get away from all of that and just live out your life as some mysterious jazz singer...”

“How did you know about that-”

“Isiah...He um he couldn’t shut up about you after you left...he was crying drunk one night and was all on about “never getting you your own club” or something like that...called you his songbird” Finn says reminiscing about how love sick his best friend had become over the years. 

Ruby didn’t realize that had brought a smile on to her face until Finn pointed and started laughing.

“God you’re just as in love as he is...” Finn said under his breath before walking out and into the living room where Isiah’s sleeping body was laying on the now ruined and bloody couch.

“He can sleep in my bed...I’ll take the couch-”

“You know he won’t allow that-”

“Well I guess we’ll find out when he wakes up...won’t we?” Ruby asked slowly turning her head to meet her brothers gaze.

It took only a couple minutes before they had finally reached Ruby’s bedroom and laid Isiah in the bed.

“He can stay as long as he needs...” Ruby says looking at Isiah’s sleeping body in her fresh linens. 

“Thank you for helping me get him up here..”

“Thank you for helping him live...” Finn said truly feeling the weight of everything that had transpired that afternoon. 

It wasn’t long before Finn was walking out the front door and Ruby had found a comfortable spot on the couch. 

Ruby didn’t remember going to sleep on the couch.

“Why are you sleeping down here?” Isiah’s tired voice woke Ruby with a start.

“What are you doing down here-“

“I should be asking you that” Isiah says before feeling a sharp pain shoot up through his body and he starts to double over from the pain. 

Ruby jumps up from her position on the couch and joins Isiah at his side helping him sit down on the couch.

“The second the pain subsides I’m taking you back upstairs” Ruby says as Isiah let out a groan.

“Only if you slept with me” Isiah says not realizing the innuendo in his statement.

Ruby wiped her head around to look at him.

“OH no not like that- I um- Jesus I meant sleeping in the same bed....nevermind I’ll just take the couch and you can have your bed-”

“God no Isiah you’re too big for this couch for one night you can take my bed-”

“No I couldn’t I barged in bleeding out....didn’t even say hello. So just let me take the couch as a thank you”

“You living is thank you enough so just take my bed-”

“No I refuse...unless you take up the empty space next to me...”

Ruby, tired of fighting uphill with Isiah finally gave in and helped him upstairs to her bedroom.

Slowly and with great care Ruby helped Isiah to her queen sized bed.

“There’s enough space for the two of us….plus I always slept better knowing you were safe” Isiah says ginger playing with the hem of Ruby’s nightgown.

“…..fine” Ruby says making a smile spread over Isiah face.

He moved over to give her space to climb in the bed.

After a couple minutes of silence and staring at the ceiling Isiah's voice finally filled the air.

“I’ve missed…. I’ve missed you a lot Ruby….” His raspy voice lets out as he turns to play with Ruby’s loose curls.

“...me too...but I can’t go back there Isiah..”

“I know....I know songbird” Isiah says finally looking into Ruby’s brown eyes.

If he could have burned the way Ruby’s face looked under the moonlight into his eyes it wouldn’t even cross his mind to say no. 

He lets out a soft sigh before turning over and falling asleep the same way he had for the past decade.

Being so close yet so far from the women he would give anything to spend the rest of his life with.

It was killing Ruby inside to not just turn over and embrace him like a lover. So instead she just turned away from Isiah and forced herself to sleep.

Ruby was the first to wake up.

Seeing Isiah’s brown skin under the morning sunlight shining through the white curtains was a sight she’d pay all the money in the world to see.

It was the most calm she had ever seen Isiah and it was killing her to remember that he wasn’t her’s to have and to hold. 

Wasn’t her’s to love and cherish with all her heart, to kiss awake, to always share moments like this with.

Before she could let herself fall to deeply in her imagination of a perfect life, Ruby hoped out of bed and readjusted her nightgown.

She took one last look at a sleeping Isiah before walking out of the room and into her bathroom to freshen up. 

It didn’t take long for her to be ready and head down to the kitchen for some tea and breakfast. 

But before she could get started a certain tune wouldn’t leave her head. The same part just played over and over until finally realized it was from her favorite song on the record Isiah had bought her. 

She raced into her living room and to the record player holder sitting on the floor next to the record player.

Ruby had pulled out the record that helped her through the hardest times of her life and placed it on the player. 

As the notes started to play she lightly danced into the kitchen and turned on the stove burner. 

Right as she sat down after putting the kettle on the stove top she heard a ruckus near her front door. She looked over to find a shirtless isiah doing his best to leave unnoticed. 

“You were always shit at trying to leave quietly you know...” Ruby’s morning voiced made every hair on Isiah’s body stand on end.

He turned around feeling a new sense of embarrassment he never felt before.

“I’m sorry I just thought.....Honestly I wasn’t really thinking...”  Isiah says walking up and taking the seat in front of Ruby. 

“Morning Tea?” Ruby asks gesturing towards the brewing pot on the stove. 

“I’d never say no to tea from you Ruby” Isiah says before the two settled into a comfortable silence as they listened to the record playing in the background. 

It’s not long before the kettle is letting out a loud whistle and Ruby makes quick work of making her and Isiah cups of tea. 

As they sipped on their drinks a question kept passing through Ruby’s head. Before she knew it the question had flew out of her mouth. 

“How are you feeling?” 

A small smile had settled on Isiah’s lips before answering with “Better I guess...but it’s nothing I haven’t been through before..”

“Thank you Ruby... I really wish I could pay you back somehow” 

“You’re welcome Isiah, but you living is payment enough..” Ruby says before taking the last sip in her cup.

“But having you around for a little longer wouldn’t hurt” Ruby let’s out not looking at Isiah. 

“Do you wish for me to stay?” Isiah asks praying for her to say yes.

“Would you like to stay?” Ruby asked finally looking Isiah in the eye.

Isiah lifted the tea to his lips and taking a couple sips before saying “Then stay i will” 

And stay he did, for a whole week the two lived a nice life with each other until it seemed impossible for both of them to stay just platonic with each other.

The close proximity and privacy to the other was becoming all to much for the other to resist their urges.

And it all came crashing down one monday afternoon when Ruby came home from her day job.

“Ruby we need to...we need to have a talk” Was the first thing that came out of Isiah’s mouth when she had set her bag down and took her shoes off. 

A deep feeling of uneasiness settled within the pit of Ruby’s chest as she walked into the kitchen where Isiah was standing and looking out the kitchen window.

“About what?” Ruby asked nervously taking a seat at the kitchen table. 

“About um...about us and how I just....” Before he continued Isiah finally turned around and took a moment before taking the seat across from Ruby.

He took a deep breath before continuing. 

“Ruby I’m more than thankful for you allowing me to stay for so long but I think that it’s time I take my leave”

It took a moment for Ruby to realize what Isiah had just said.

“You can’t....I’m sorry i didn’t mean it like that I just....I just don’t understand where this is coming from-”

“I’m doing well and I know you wish to have your bed back all to yourself so I think I’ll just....”

Ruby followed close behind as Isiah got up from his seat and started walking to the front door.

But before he had the chance to reach for the doorknob Ruby had reached for his shoulder and turned him around. 

“Don’t you dare walk out that door Isiah” 

“Why shouldn’t I? You’ve got your life here and all I’ve done is intrude and disrupt it”

“Is that what you really think- Isiah....why do you think my bed is only soft on one side....you have made these years of loneliness worth it..I want you to stay...” 

Ruby looked into Isiah’s eyes praying for a sign of him wanting, no needing to stay. But after what felt like an eternity of searching she couldn’t find an ounce of it. 

“But you can’t....”

“I’m sorry Ruby-”

“Why? Why can’t you just stay here with me?”

“Because I just...it’s to perfect Ruby-”

“What? Me admitting that I’m falling for you and want you to stay is too perfect” Ruby said 

“YES RUBY...it is because how could I expect for the Ruby shelby to ever even think to fall for me? Hm? The girl with eyes filled with stars and the voice of an angel”

“When there are millions of other boy’s who fawn over you everyday and could give you a life full of happiness. How could you even think to even look at me-”

“They aren’t you Isiah....I could search to edge of the earth and never find a man like you...” Ruby reached her hands out to cup the sides of Isiahs face.

“Even though it took me far too long to realize... my heart has always been yours Isiah Jesus...”

For a moment Isiah thought he was dreaming but the feeling of ruby’s soft hands against his cheeks was far to real.

And finally Isiah had let the space between their lips disappear. 

It took only a handful of seconds for Ruby to react. The years of both yearning for the other had finally come to an end. 

Their hands found perfect placements on each other. They had only pulled away to indulge in the others beauty and to catch their breaths. 

Before they could continue Thomas just had to knock on the front door.

 Ruby and Isiah pulled away from each other with lightning speed. They didn’t realize how disheveled they looked until they tried fixing their messy appearances. 

Ruby took a deep breath before turning to open the door.

The second thomas had a clear view of the two he already knew what had happened between the two. 

A small sigh flew out of Thomas mouth as he rubbed his hand over his face.

“Ruby...please head up to your bedroom I need to have a conversation with Isaiah” 

“Thomas please don’t-“

“I’m not gonna hurt him or tell….just step outside” Thomas all to calm voice fills the room.

Ruby gave Isiah one last look and quick peck before heading upstairs .

The second they heard the door close Isiah started talking.

“I swear to you Tommy I didn’t force her into anything and I only wish to-”

“Stop it Isiah...there’s nothing to prove....honestly I’m glad you two have finally beaten the others pride...been waiting damn near a decade for it...”

“Just treat her well Isiah...I’m sure that won’t be hard for you” 

“But If you break her heart in any way, let’s just say they’ll never find your body” Thomas says, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Understood, Mr. Shelby” Isiah says as Thomas walks to the foot of the stairs before yelling for Ruby. 

Ruby came down the steps ready to fight Thomas for anything bad he dare to say to Isiah. 

“Calm down Ruby I was just about to take my leave” Thomas says feeling her anger. 

“Oh.....see you around Thomas” Ruby says before interlocking her hand with Isiah’s making his face heat up.

“Have a good day you two” Thomas says before walking out the door. 

Right when Thomas closed the door Ruby wasted no time before pulling Isiah in for a heated kiss. 

Isiah pulled away to breath and in doing so let out a small laugh as he pulled Ruby closer to him.

“What’s so funny?” Ruby ask a smile on her face.

“Nothing just...I can’t wait to marry you one day” Isiah says before pulling her in for another kiss. 

[pinkykitten]

peaky blinders masterlist

✰menu✰ cakes: one-shot macaroons: blurb/drabble or imagine with less than 1,000 cupcakes: headcanons baguette: preferences pies: chapter or series

✰ — cakes:

“the shoulder touch” | Isaiah jesus x fem! reader

[themultifandomgal]

Isaiah Jesus-Wrapped Around Her Finger

Here’s another request!

I stand starring at Isaiah after telling him the news that I'm pregnant. We have been courting one another behind my brothers backs now for a year, but this was definitely not planned

"Say something, please" I beg

"Your brothers are going to kill me"

"Bloody hell Is, that's what your worried about? I just told you I'm pregnant"

"Of course that's what I'm worried about. When you tell them I loose all chance of being a father and living" he throws his arms in the air

"Oh don't be so dramatic Is. They won't kill you. Force you to marry me, most likely"

"Whoever said that marrying you would be forced?" Isaiah looks at me with a frown

"Were you really going to ask my brothers if you could marry me?" I cross my arms with a raised eyebrow

"In the future yeah, but looks like we will have to marry quicker"

"Tommy and Grace didn't marry straight away, maybe Tommy will be more relaxed about all of this"

"At least let me prepare myself for the rathe of the Shelby's"

"Fine but we tell them end of this week"

The end of the week comes by way to quickly and now I'm stood in front of my whole family about to tell them that I'm pregnant

"Alright YN. Out with it" Tommy says placing an unlit cigarette in his mouth before lighting it up

"Well erm. I guess we should just come out with it"

"We?" Arthur questions looking between me and and Isaiah

"Yes. Err we have been, involved with each other for a while now and...."

"And what?" Tommy asks with an angry expression

"I'm pregnant"

"What!" John is the first one out of his chair "you better be bloody joking"

"Calm down John. YNs not a kid anymore. She's the same age as we were when we had..."

"We were married" John points at Esme

"Fuck sake YN. I don't care that you've been busy behind our backs because your an adult but how stupid can you be to get pregnant?"

"Arthur that's unfair. You could say the same for me"

"I did" Arthur retaliates looking at Ada. I look at Tommy worried because he hasn't said anything yet

"Tom?"

"Well. Can't say I'm not disappointed, but I got Grace pregnant out of marriage and John boy only married Martha because she got pregnant so I can't get to angry. However. I think Isaiah and I should have a little chat"

"Oh Tommy leave him be" Polly says getting up and walking over to me "congratulations sweetheart" she pulls me into a hug and kisses my cheek

"How can you all be so chilled out by this?" Arthur asks annoyed "Isaiah was meant to keep YN safe and away from men"

"He did just that didn't he" John grumbles. A fire is then lit up inside me and I suddenly get very brave

"Ok wether you like it or not, I'm pregnant and I'm having this baby. Isaiah and I aren't getting married just because I'm pregnant. So you can either all act like my family or fuck off" I notice Tommy smirking. John and Arthur both settle back down, still grumbling about how they aren't happy with me. I roll my eyes and then I'm pulled into another hug, this time by Ada and Esme

"Congratulations YN" Ada says

"Thank you"

"So am I going to survive long enough to see my child?" Isaiah asks

"You'll survive long enough to raise the child, love the child and take care of my sister" Tommy stubs his cigarette out and leans back in his chair

"Yeah, yeah course"

"Thank you Tommy" I run over to him and hug him being grateful that he was able to keep everyone calm, or as calm as the Shelby boys can be

"She's always had him wrapped round her bloody finger" Arthur grumbles takes a swig of his drink. I roll my eyes at the comment. All my brothers love me so him and John will get over this eventually.

[evita-shelby]

Lets build a fic y'all

[amazingmaeve]

Crush - Michael Gray

Main Masterlist // Peaky Blinders Masterlist

Summary: Y/N has had a crush on John Shelby for a while but she never expected falling for his cousin.

AN: Johns still alive in this. And sorry if it sucks and has an abrupt ending.

Pairing: Michael Gray x Female!Oc, John Shelby x Female!Oc (platonic)

Warnings: Smoking, language, drinking, mentions of sex

Y/N has had always had a crush on John Shelby. Ever since her mother took her over to Aunt Pollys house. She remembered that day like the back of her hand.

After that day she always had this crush on him. He would never pay attention to it though. Y/N thought he didn’t know.

But everyone knew. Especially when she talked to him. Y/N would stutter and always looked at the ground. Y/N would have butterflies in her stomach.

John knew he always thought it was adorable that she had a crush on him.

When he got married to Esme Y/N still had a crush on him it didn’t change anything. She didn’t hate her though.

The same as John she thought it was cute Y/N had a crush on him. Esme didn’t take offense knowing that John didn’t have feelings for her. Except maybe as a little sister.

But now her being 19. Things were changing.

Currently Y/N was at the bar at the Garrison. Drinking little at a time. She knew she only got served for knowing the Shelbys.

A few hours ago she overheard John joking about her to his brothers. Arthur said that John had a little tail referring to her. John waved it of saying that was just a little school girl crush.

Y/N frowned trying to hold back her tears. She got the drinking thinking when she was drunk on how she was so stupid for having a crush on a guy who was married. She knew she had to move on from him or at least try.

Y/N kept waving the barmaid down for refills on her drinks.

The brothers left an hour ago bidding a good bye to Y/N who was drunk giggling as she said goodbye.

They didn’t even notice how drunk she was. It made her sad that they didn’t even notice. But she got over it quickly as she had another drink.

When Michael entered their bar the only people he saw were Y/N and a few drunk guys who were looking over at her. But she was to drunk to notice them.

Michael rolled his eyes at the blokes who thought that Y/N would sleep them.

He walked up to her sitting on the other bar stool. When he sat down she didn’t even notice him since Y/N’s head was buried in her arms as she was sleeping.

“She’s not gonna feel good tomorrow,” Michael muttered under his breath to make sure Y/N didn’t hear.

He put his hand on her shoulder shaking her a little to make sure he didn’t hurt her. Y/N groaned and stirred.

“Y/N sweetheart you passed out in the bar,” Michael grinned when she groaned lifted her head not wanting to get up.

“What time is it,” Y/N groggily asked looking at Michael.

“2 o’clock,” Michael cooed her as she asked again.

“My moms gonna be so pissed at me,” Y/N sleepily said getting up but almost tripping. Michael caught her before she fell.

“Okay let’s get ya home,” Michael murmured as he wrapped a hand around her waist getting her up and began walking her home.

Once they got her home Michael carried her to her room and laid her down her bed. Michael explained to Y/N’s mother that he found her at the pub and decided to take her home.

Y/N’s mother thanked Michael and they bid each other far wells. She knew that the shelbys were there that night and was slightly agitated that they didn’t take her daughter home. She was going to talk to Polly about the next morning.

The next morning Y/N got up with a huge headache and the feeling to vomit. She ran to the toilet and threw up. She knew she would get an earful from her mom about getting drunk. She only remembers a few things from last night.

What she didn’t know was that her mom was at Pollys thanking her for her son who wasn’t there.

As she washed her mouth trying to get the taste out the door bell rang.

“Wonder who that is,” Y/N muttered under her breath as she walked down the stairs towards the door.

When she opened the door she saw Michael standing there holding his cap on his hand. She know remembered he had helped take her home.

She knew who Michael was but they barely spoke unless they didn’t need to. He had been around for around 2 years they just didn’t communicate that much.

The reason Michael was there is to check up on Y/N. He was worried that she wouldn’t have a very good morning.

“Michael,” Y/N stammered feeling a bit embarrassed for the night before. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “W-what are you doing here,” She asked quietly, her shy side coming out.

“Just wanted to make sure you were ok you looked pretty drunk last night,” Michael explained rocking back on his feet.

They stood there for a few minutes feeling a bit awkward. “Oh come in,” Y/N grinned as she opened the door wider letting him walk in.

Michael sat down while you started to make tea for the both of them.

“Oh I just wanted to say thank you for last night,” Y/N stated with a smile on her face.

“No worries just didn’t want you to get taken advantage of,” Michael reassured with a smile on his face. The smile made her heart flutter which confused her since this only happened when John smile at her.

“Still it was nice of you, you could of just left me there but you didn’t,” Y/N softly replied as she sat down and put the tea in front of him and started sipping on her own.

“Well Polly would slap me over the head if I didn’t,” Michael teased with a smirk on his face. Y/N let a little giggle out. “I couldn’t ask you last night but why were you drinking that much,” Michael asked with seriousness in his voice.

“Nothing,” Y/N lied as she looked down at the table picking her nails a bad habit she’s had since she was child.

Michael knew she was lying but decided not to push it not wanting to make it awkward. Michael nodded and finished the tea she gave him.

“I think it’s time for me to leave,” Michael stood up with a cough.

“Are you sure I feel bad I haven’t done anything for you and you had to deal with me last night,” Y/N interjected feeling bad hasn’t done enough.

“You don’t have to feel bad love,” Michael soothed approaching you pressing a kiss to your forehead.

“Ok”, Y/N whispered feeling butterflies in her stomach. As he was about to walk out the door Y/N stopped him “Will I see you again.”

Michael stopped his footsteps and turned around to face her he gave her smile and nodded.

For the next few weeks Y/N had been ‘accidentally’ running into Michael. She knew she liked him. She actually had a chance with him unlike John. She didn’t hate John but the crush for him was starting to dwindle and the crush change to Michael.

On that day Michael came over she went to Polly’s, where she apologized for the brothers for not taking Y/N to her house.

Y/N reassured her and telling her that it was good that Michael got her home before something bad happened to her.

Her mom was there as well and got an earful about drinking late at night. Y/N apologize knowing her mother worried for her. She was happy she had such a caring mother.

But as the weeks went and she continued hanging out with Michael, she began dropping hints to prove that she liked him. Y/N didn’t know if he felt the same.

Michael liked Y/N before she had even had a crush on him. He wasn’t very good at getting the hints from her. Until Polly told him which he was surprised to hear.

Michael finally asked Y/N out, which she excitedly agreed to go out with a huge smile on her face. They went out to dinner and had a great time. Both of them very nervous that night.

A few weeks after they began dating she was offered a job as his secretary. Y/N doubted not wanted to get special treatment because she was dating him.

He reassured her that would happen so she accepted his request.

Now here they were with Y/N sitting on the desk and Michael standing between her legs while making out. His hand rested comfortably on her thigh massaging it.

His lips left her mouth and began to travel down her neck trying to find that sweet spot. Once his lips started kissing her collarbone she began moaning quietly.

Before they could continue the door opened to reveal the Shelby brothers.

Michael let out a groaned of frustration before looking at them. Y/N was feeling embarrassed. She never thought she would get caught making out with Michael gray.

“Michael if you’ve feel like you’ve finished we have a meeting to attend,” Thomas snapped at his cousin angry at his actions. They even haven’t saw Y/N’s face yet.

“Don’t worry Tom I’m done,” Michael sighed giving a kiss to Y/N’s forehead, a thing he had been doing for a while which she loved.

As Y/N for down from the desk and face the Shelby brothers. They were shocked they didn’t even know that they were dating.

“Sorry for keeping him,” Y/N apologized to Thomas before turning to Michael. “See you later,” She pecked his lips a goodbye before she bid everyone else and then left.

John wasnt jealous he felt over protective. A feeling he’s had with Ada. He didn’t care that she didn’t have a crush on him anymore just worried if Michael would break her heart.

“Right let’s get on this meeting,” Michael coughed out of the awkwardness. Thomas nodded and they all left the building to go to the building.

[crystalessenceswrites]

WIP Wednesday

Happy Wednesday! Thought I’d post a WIP piece for the Peaky Blinders series I’m working on to mix it up a bit. Enjoy!

[Masterlist]

From the Dust -- WIP

Not two hours ago Polly had pulled her aside at the punch bowl to warn her that contact had been made. The Shelby brothers had all disappeared from the party not long after. A half hour ago, or so, Tommy’s hand ghosted over her elbow as she passed a dark hallway, beckoning her away from the celebration.

“Tell the boys the rules are off the table. Have them make some noise.”

And so, Miriam had made herself busy, relaying the news to the Peaky Blinders scattered throughout the crowd. It had taken little convincing to get them to misbehave. That did not surprise her one bit. Soon men decked out in cavalry red wandered outside to join the burmmie men in their ruckus. Miriam smiled into her drink at the thought of her mission accomplished- hopefully it was enough smoke to cover Tommy’s secrets.

The only downside to all this was that almost everyone Miriam knew at the reception had disappeared- whether for work or play. She cursed herself for not going out to the stables herself when she spotted the officer with the enormous grin and his stare fixed on her. Miriam hadn’t wanted to ruin her new shoes so now she was going to be entertainment to this man, lord, gentleman, whatever he was from Grace’s family. She looked everywhere but at the older gentleman as he made his approach. Fuck Michael. He’d promised at dinner he wouldn’t leave her alone at the party but he’d ditched her first chance he got. Now she had no backup.

The stranger grinned at her as he came within arm’s reach. Miriam figured he thought of himself as suave, but it struck her as more of a leer. Every muscle in her body tensed, ready to recoil if her got too close. Not that there would be anywhere for her to shy away to, she was already practically leaning against the wall.

“Excuse me miss, but I couldn’t help but notice you came alone.”

Before Miriam had the chance to retort a warm handed snaked around her waist, pulling her into a hard chest.

“No, she didn’t.”

She let out a sigh, quickly relaxing into Isiah’s grip. This was not the first time he’d pulled such a charade for her. His embrace was welcome and familiar. Miriam did also enjoy the way the officer’s eyes went wide at Isiah’s appearance and supposed affection for her.

“Come on, love.” Isiah grinned as he pulled her away, leaving the cavalry in their wake.

The preacher’s son snickered as he tugged her down a vacant hallway. “Served the bastard right.”

“Thank you for the rescue, Isiah. It’s appreciated. As usual.” Miriam smiled back at the boy who had made a habit of rescuing her from unwanted attention when her cousins weren’t around.

“The last thing you need is a cavalry boy drooling all over you tonight.”

Miriam couldn’t help but laugh at the mental picture. “Still, thank you. You don’t have to save me but you do every time.”

Isiah shook his head, “your cousins would have my eyes if I didn’t.”

“That’s not true!”

“Ask ‘em yourself. Finn’s race is about to start.” Isiah promptly dragged Miriam outside to the drive and into the distraction.

Peaky Blinder boys sure do know how to make noise.

Finn sped by on one of Tommy’s prized mounts, shortly followed by a rider in red on a black stallion. The crowd hollered and cheered as they raced down the drive. Johnny Dogs was hawking by the stables, always one to take the opportunity to earn a few coins. This was more of what a Shelby wedding should look like.

“Come on Finn!” Isiah shouted after her youngest cousin before racing down the drive with the rest of the crowd. Miriam couldn’t help but laugh at the sight. Finn and Isiah so badly wanted to be men, like Tommy, but in moments like these they were still boys. She hoped that despite this business at hand they could stay boys for a while longer.

Lord she was even starting to think like Aunt Pol.

Sucking it up, Miriam left the safety of the stoop to stand next to her father as he smoked by the stables. There really was no reason for her to buy expensive shoes when she always ended up in the stables anyways.

“Ah! Lady Miriam has decided ta grace us wit her lovely presence!”

“Johnny Dogs, you well know I am not a lady.” Not that Miriam didn’t like the idea of being a little more important than she was.

“What, they don’t give out lady-ships ta scrap yard princesses?”

Her father scoffed at the idea, though he rolled his eyes at most of what came out of Johnny Dog’s mouth.

“Wrong side of the family Johnny, it’s the Boswells who were royalty,” Miriam chided.

“Ah but dressin’ like dat you sure look like royalty, Lady Miriam!”

Being the sweet talker, as usual. Miriam really wasn’t surprised he had so many kids wandering about.

“Alrigh’ off with ya’. Stop flirting with my daughter.”

[mxpseudonym]

Mx's Gender Neutral and Queer Fics

Note: While any character I write is probably at least bisexual in my head, this is a list of explicitly stated queer pairings.

3.9.22: At first I was going to just put GN and Q next to the relevant stories, but then I realized I was making femme-coded stories the default. That's something we do constantly in fandoms, which I already know, but this just made me realize how much I personally want to do better at not upholding that. My systems not perfect, but all stories show pronouns used for the reader, so there's no default.

Ada

> A Little Lipstick To Sell The Look (Q) (she/her pronouns) Cis woman reader dresses masculinely for work, and Ada approves.

> Ada Is Just Perfect (Q) (she/her pronouns) Ada and Reader meet working at the library. The 1920′s gays amirite ladies?

> Familiar Terrain** (Q, GN) Ada’s visiting from the US and there are some things she’s missed that she can’t get anywhere else.

.

Alfie

> Hungry For It** (GN) - You finally coax Alfie into letting you please him like this, and you’re not going to let him hold back.

> Water Your Plants (platonic) (GN) - Alfie makes his friend join him carrying out his doctor’s suggestions.

.

Arthur

> Paying For Haircuts (GN) Cute, domestic, plotless, haircutting moment

> A Good Man, Maybe (GN) Just a lil somethin’ for Arthur, Ace friendly

.

Michael Gray and Isiah Jesus

> Three Musketeers (Michael x Reader x Isiah) ** - Isiah makes a saucy proposal, Michael agrees for once, and you can’t help but go along.

*Though this is a threesome, Isiah and Michael have an established relationship outside of your relationship with them

.

Polly

> A Woman Like You (Q) (she/her pronouns) Polly works through the seeds of doubt planted by Tommy with her new love.

.

Tommy

Tommy x Reader

> Bad Habits; or, To all the bad habits you pray you’ll never break (GN) - You and Tommy both have bad habits, including each other.

> Happy Birthday… Eventually (GN) - To your dismay, Tommy is both private and stubborn

> Magic Trick (GN) You’re quite perceptive when it comes to Tommy's fixation with Grace.

> Socks and Scarves and Jumpers, oh my! (GN, Q) - Despite it being Spring, Tommy’s winter socks have still fallen victim to your quest for warmth.

> You’re not a mindreader…right? (GN) - Can you or can you not read Tommy’s mind, that is the question.

> Worth The Fall (GN) - Tommy tries to charm the one person who seems the least interested.

> Catching On (GN) Tommy… he’s tryin’ y’all, but you're aloof as fuck.

> Falling in Love Isn’t Fair (GN) You're in love with Tommy Shelby. You're also married to someone else. Tommy can fix that, easy.

.

Tommy OCs

> Too Easy (Tommy x Luke) (Q) - Tommy's best friend and business partner has Tommy's love, loyalty, and lots of special treatment

> One Bad Day (Tommy x Jack) (Q) - Jack would be dead if the tables were turned, and he’d done what Tommy did to him.

> Too Many Questions (Tommy x Jack) (Q) - Tommy finds himself in need of first aid, so he turns up at his frenemy's guest house. The one he isn't supposed to know about. Also, Jack is hot and cocky.

[hb-writes]

Isiah Jesus

Isiah Jesus x Reader/ Unnamed OC

The Routine - Routines are nice. Familiar. Predictable. Safe, even when they hurt. Self-reinforcing bits of comfort that have Isiah and his Small Heath girl biting their tongues and swallowing down their desires - new Jan 17

Peaky Blinders Masterlist