Act 1: Permission
Shelby family x sister reader (platonic!)
Synopsis: Liam Byrne (OC), a humble dockworker and your brother Finn's closest friend, has secretly fallen for you. Driven by pure intentions, he dares to face the most feared man in Birmingham — Thomas Shelby — to ask for permission to court you. However, in a world where power speaks louder than love, Liam's courage might not be enough.
Warnings: Swearing, violence, cigarettes, angst.
Word count: ≈ 1.6k
Observation: The reader does not actively participate in this story. Additionally, this is my first time writing for the Peaky Blinders universe.
ACT 2: Sacrifice — ACT 3: Retraction
“Let me see if I understand this correctly.” Tommy removed his reading glasses to look at the young man closely. “You came here to ask for permission to court my little sister, is that it?”
“Yes, Mr. Shelby,” his inexperienced voice confirmed. Though he stammered at first, there was no hesitation in the words.
Tommy leaned back in his chair, sighing as he studied the boy for any obvious flaws. He didn’t yet have the face of a man, but his hands were so rough and calloused that them revealed the responsibility he carried.
Liam Byrne worked from dawn until dusk, seven days a week. His sun-tanned skin and tired eyes also told the tale of his hard routine. His hair, once a lighter brown in his infancy, now used to be dark, covered in grease and mud.
But Tommy noticed the effort he made to look presentable. His white shirt was clean, and the shoes were polished despite being worn out. His hair had been washed, each strand perfectly in place. And the scent he wore, though faint, was pleasant. Liam wanted to make a good impression, the one of a decent and civilized man.
Looking at him a bit longer, his face seemed familiar. It wasn’t uncommon to see him near the canals or walking with Finn every once in a while.
“Byrne, right?” The Shelby asked just to confirm, trying to remember any other member of the family. “And what do you do for a living?”
“I work at the docks, sir. I unload and load most of the boats that come in.”
Tommy was silent for a moment, observing Liam with an impassive face, which made the boy swallow hard. It was clear how he interlaced his fingers, waiting for the man in front of him to say something. Byrne didn’t seem afraid, but he was nervous.
“You’re a dockworker?” Tom finally spoke, bewildered.
“Exactly, sir,” he said without shame, but also without pride. It’s honest work, true, but it wasn’t up to a Shelby’s standard.
Liam's hands clenched his knees so tightly that the knuckles turned white.
“And what exactly does a dockworker think he can offer my sister?’
Tommy’s voice was so calm it made him tense up even more. Intimidating, yes, and Liam knows he is facing a powerful man; someone who deserves more respect than all the gentlemen in Birmingham put together.
He was in love with you in a way that went beyond mere infatuation; it was almost suffocating, as if his heart would leap from his chest every time he saw you. That’s why Thomas Shelby’s approval was so important to him.
And the poor Liam was too decent to get involved with a young lady without her family’s knowledge.
“For now, I can’t offer much more than security and a comfortable life, but…”
“Security? A comfortable life?” Tommy interrupted him harshly, as if he had said something ridiculous.
The boy’s green eyes blinked a few times but never wavered, never looking down. Thomas liked that, he had to admit, but it wasn’t enough.
“How old are you?”
“Seventeen.”
It wasn’t much different from your age, just two years older, and it explained a lot of his stupid determination.
“Does my sister know about your feelings?”
“I haven’t confessed yet, sir. But it’s what I want, that’s why I’m here.”
“And Finn knows? You’re friends with him and Isaiah.” Tommy asked suspiciously.
“I haven’t told Finn either. But it’s not that I was trying to hide anything, quite the opposite…” Liam interrupted himself upon seeing Tommy’s displeased face, his voice growing quieter, and then he knew something had gone wrong — terribly wrong.
He immediately regretted never having had the courage to talk to Finn about it. Maybe his friend would have reacted well, and it would have helped him gain the older brother’s trust.
“Who’s your father, lad?” The question came like a punch in the stomach to Liam, whose shoulders slumped under an invisible weight.
“I never knew him. He left when I was little, sir. It’s just me and my sick mother.”
Tommy took a deep breath, a trace of empathy showing on his expression, but pity wasn’t going to help you at all.
The Shelby stood up from his chair, taking a few steps to stand in front of the younger. Tom leaned against the desk, reflecting on Liam’s audacity. Despite not having a surname or possessions, he seemed to care about you enough to at least try. But he couldn’t be so reckless as to give credibility to this boy.
“Byrne”, Tommy said his name like a sentence. “I must admit, you’re more honorable than most of the men I’ve seen interested in her. None of them came to me first.” He pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it, inhaling the smoke before exhaling it. “But you’d be very foolish if you thought I would allow such a thing.”
Hearing that made Liam feel something breaking inside, as if his heart was a coffee bean, destined to be ground into tiny pieces. He processed Thomas’s last words with unusual speed, and the desperation hit him violently.
In all rationality, he wouldn’t have stood up the way he did, and he wouldn’t have used the tone of voice he used.
“Mr. Shelby, I can be good for her,” the boy said almost pleadingly. “I’m not asking to marry her, that’s up to her to decide. I just want your permission to act on how I feel.”
“Act on how you feel? You’ve chosen dangerous words.” Tommy approached him with a calculated fury, placing his index finger, where now he also supported the cigarette, on Liam’s face. “I’ll tell you one thing, Byrne, I know exactly how most lads your age feel, I was one of them.”
Liam became serious, realizing the malicious tone and gravity of the accusation. His eyes flashed with indignation, and he shook his head several times, as if denying a crime before a judge.
“It’s not like that, sir. My reasons are pure. I’m a religious man, my mother raised me with virtues.”
“You’d be surprised what I’ve seen religious men do to women, Byrne. In the end, they’re no different from dogs in heat, hungry, devouring with their eyes pure girls, just like they do with the whores in brothels.” Tommy’s tone remained sharp, like a blade ready to cut. “Now, get out of my sight.”
Liam’s stomach churned in nausea. He wasn’t innocent; he had overheard many dirty conversations between the dock workers, full of insults and statements that challenged even the limits of morality, but he never thought he’d hear something so rude when he walked through the door. A death threat would’ve been less impactful.
His bright irises swept over Thomas’s, looking for a weak spot, a sign that he might change his mind. But it didn’t happen. A strong realization hit him like a bucket of cold water, and all the hope he had seemed childish. Liam kept his lips firmly closed, his expression still impassive, and nodded in defeat.
Coward — he thought of himself for giving in so easily. But he should’ve known that a mere conversation or request wouldn’t be enough. He wouldn’t be enough; because you deserved someone far better, someone your brother could trust and rest assured, because he could give you the comfort and life you should have.
“Excuse me.” He asked, going to retrieve the coat he had left resting on the chair.
Tommy watched him like an eagle as he opened the office door, only to find Finn on the other side. Liam froze, staring at his friend, who wore a beastly expression, as if he were going to kill him right then and there.
“My sister?” Finn sounded aggressive, just as he looked, but there was a second feeling behind it, a hint of disappointment. He had heard everything from behind the door as soon as Polly told him his friend was here.
“Finn…” Liam said the name carefully, but it seemed to be the trigger Finn needed to attack him.
Finn threw a punch, not caring that he was taller or stronger, and Liam didn’t dare to fight back — out of respect.
He was aware of the risk of coming here and fully understood the reaction, but still wasn’t prepared to take a beating from someone so close. Byrne wanted to shout that he wasn’t trying to stab him in the back, that he didn’t want to be discourteous to him and his family, but it was difficult to speak.
“Finn!” Tommy yelled, needing to grab both of his younger brother’s arms, who still wanted to attack.
Liam got up without much difficulty, but his nose was bleeding. He composed himself slowly, ready to offer an apology, when Finn started yelling:
“Get the hell out of here, you bastard!” He said, his face red with rage as he spat at his friend or ex-friend’s feet. “If I catch you looking at her, I’ll kill you, you fucker!”
“Leave.” Tommy said, almost like advice, which Liam didn’t dare disobey.
He immediately walked into the hallway, trying to stop his nose from bleeding as he passed two people. Liam felt bad for not being able to say goodbye to the lady who welcomed him, or at least give a brief introduction to the man next to her, he just hurried to avoid them trying to help.
Polly and Arthur stared wide-eyed at the boy, who was leaving a trail of blood behind him, and exchanged looks when he went out the front door.
“Jesus Christ.” Polly murmured, following Arthur urgently towards the shouting in the office.
