tommy shelby x reader | sfw
tommy stumbles in the house while you’re cleaning the entrance, bloodied and barely standing.
tommy busted through the door without any explanation. as if the state he was in was normal. there he was, your boss, covered in blood. it was late, around 10 pm, and you had been going around the house cleaning things up here and there, doing final rounds for the night when you heard it.
you were in the foyer as luck would have it. tommy was a wreck. who knew who’s blood that even was? upon seeing you, he groaned and stumbled, gripping the table. “fuck…” the man rasped. you were in shock, eyes wide and feather duster dropped on the floor. you shook your head and rushed over to help him. you took his arm, and he dropped nearly all his weight on you.
“mister shelby, what happened?” he merely grumbled and sighed, and you decided it wasn’t important. you walked him to the nearest washroom and sat him down, and used a first aid kit to begin fixing him up. you started with wiping down his face and suit before taking it off.
starting with the coat, and then the undershirts. you tried not to stare, and keep in mind that he’s your boss, and you’re nothing but his maid. and that he’s quite literally bleeding out right in front of you.
you wiped down his wounds carefully with towels and antiseptics, trying to ignore the thoughts in your head, fantasizing about how he got himself these injuries. what he would look like being slapped around, punching back and getting thrown to the ground, and maybe even shedding a tear or two. the thoughts made your body ache with someone you refused to acknowledge, and you tried to not let it show as your hands ran over his body and injuries, nothing but the towel in your hands between the two.
but you saw how he watched you. like he knew something. even when you looked up at him, he didn’t let up his gaze. it burned a hole through your head, those pale blue irises staring. staring like the man that they belonged to knew.
you couldn’t help but feel intrigued, thinking about what he would say if he found out about your thoughts, despite the burning guilt and judgment you felt under his gaze.
he seemed to be a lot more aware now. you figured you could ask what was wrong with him now, but truth be told this was the first time you had been this close to tommy. you didn’t even know if he knew your name. he sat slumped in a silence, and as you tied up his last bandage, you spoke quietly, only barely audible.
“mister shelby, shouldn’t you be at a hos-“ he cut you off and elicited a flinch from you. “no. no, he’s looking for me.” he scoffed, speaking as if your question was the stupidest thing he’d ever heard, as if you knew everything about his situation. “he’d find me at the hospital… he tried to bring me there.”
now, you had no clue who he was speaking of, but you couldn’t help your curiosity. “who?” he reached in his coat pocket as you spoke and waited your answer, sighing at the bloodied box and tossing it in the can. “campbell.” he mumbled. suddenly it dawned on you. the night you were sweeping the chamber halls and heard polly and tommy bickering about an inspector campbell.
that had been so long ago, back when tommy had stolen those guns by accident. you had thought this campbell character would’ve been out of town by now, since the stolen weapons had been a long solved issue between the peaky blinders and the crown. what more could this inspector have in town? all of tommy’s important business was almost entirely legal now, and he was far too careful with the parts that weren’t. “inspector campbell did this to you, sir?”
he shook his head and attempted to hop down from the counter. he gripped the edge with a steel grip, and you reached to grasp his arm to help. “then wh-“ he raised his hand in a harsh gesture to shut you up, and you snapped quiet. “i need to get to bed.” he spoke in a gravely tone, pulling off your grip and attempting to walk.
when he immediately stumbled you reached to support him again, and he reluctantly accepted your help. you two walked in silence as you walked him. the air felt thick, awkward and charged. your face went red at his next words.
“you spying on me?” that same, deep and raspy tone of his could make even the most nonsensical words sound like sin. but even apart from the smooth drone of his voice, his words shook you to your core. “sir, where’d you get that idea from?” you tried your best to sound calm, but maybe too hard… “you knew exactly who i was talking about, y/n. campbell?” he responded, turning his head over to you.
as his words entered your ears, your body chilled at the sound of your name. you had still been sure he didn’t have a clue what your name was, and hearing him say it was more gratifying than you thought. you kept you gaze forward, preparing him to go up a staircase. “no, i’m not.” you spoke with a nervous chuckle. and it was true, you weren’t. the inspector’s name was merely something you had overheard nearly a year ago.
“you’re quite scared of me, y/n. don’t be.” he spoke as if he was embarrassed of the words, embarrassed of trying to comfort you. you swallowed nervously and nodded, helping him set foot on solid ground again at the end of the staircase. “let me walk from here.” he requested firmly, and so you did. you released him and he seemed to appear more steady now, capable of walking on his own, albeit with a limp. “goodnight, mister shelby…” you spoke with a small voice. he chuckled. “come on.” he nodded towards his chamber door at the end of the hall.
your eyes widened. he turned and walked down the hall, and you remained still, fidgeting with your hands as you thought. you were afraid he’d accuse you of disobeying, so after a brief wrestle with your mind, you followed. he opened the chamber door and held it for you, and you stepped in aside him.
you didn’t know what to expect, or how you felt. but if you could come close to describing it, you would probably say absolute and undying fear.
(i am also really scared to post this rn but im doing it anyway🤕 oh and maybe a part two?)
