Peaky Blinders. One shot and imagines

Blind - Part 10 - Polly x John x Reader

Polly combed her fingers gently through (Y/n)'s hair, as the younger woman lay on the sofa, with her head in her lap. Polly smiling, as her mind went back to when (Y/n) would do this all the time; to when her little girl would fall asleep, just like this. Polly reluctantly letting her go, when her brother would carry her up to John's room, so that he could place her in the bed next to his young son. The younger sister of Arthur senior, always going up to watch over the pair. To sing soft lullabies as the little boy and girl would snuggle up with one another.

Since she had come into the house and (Y/n) had thrown herself into her arms, the two women had not exchanged a word; not that Polly had needed her to say anything, her tears had already spoken volumes. (Y/n) continuing to grip to her, as her mother figure had walked her over to the sofa and sat her down. Arthur just nodding as his aunt had given him a look, before leaving the pair to it. But now, as she felt (Y/n)'s breathing settle, Polly knew that it was time to address the elephant in the room.......or should that be the Shelby boy that wasn't in the room.

"John came to see me..........." Pol began. (Y/n) sitting bolt upright and pushing the tears from her eyes with the heels of her hands.

"Did he tell you what he did? That he scared the life out of me by dragging me into an alley, and then kissing me. Did he tell you that I knocked him on his arse and I that I don't regret it? All these years Pol, and he never even so much as looked at me sideways. I have always been just the little girl that shared his bed when I fell asleep here. The girl that stood by his side and defended him against anyone that thought they could come after him. The girl that does everything for him, and he takes for granted. But now that I say I am with Arthur, what does he do...........? He kisses me." (Y/n) replied, before dropping her head into her hands. Polly placing her hand on (Y/n)'s back and trying to soothe her.

"But you aren't with Arthur, are you..........?" The female Peaky looking up and slowly shaking her head.

"No. It was Arthur's idea. He thought if Johnny saw that I was with someone else, he might realise what he'd lost. That he might appreciate me a bit more. And it seemed like a good idea at the time: and I appreciate what he is trying to do. Arthur and Tommy are the best big brothers that I could ever have asked for; they have done more for me over the years than they know, and I know Arthur was trying to do that again this time; but I don't think that it will work. I think John only kissed me because he thought it would be funny. Tomorrow, he will have some girl on his arm that giggles at his every word, and I will be forgotten again. I will just be here........alone." (Y/n) explained, before beginning to cry again. Polly pulling her back into her arms and doing her best to continue to sooth her little girl, by once more combing her fingers through her hair.

Pol hadn't seen (Y/n) cry this much since the boys had been away, fighting, the first month being the worst; the family matriarch coming to believe that the young woman that she had claimed as her own child, would die just from the hurt of not having John with her every day. Polly and Ada doing all they could to keep her going, to keep her mind off the fact that John had never sent her a letter. But this time, all this was much easier to fix. Polly wondering if she could just bash (Y/n)'s and John's heads together, and then lock them in a room until they started to talk and told one another how they really felt.

"I love him, Pol, but I don't know what to do any more. I am so angry at him; part of me doesn't want to see him again, to just leave him to all the other girls that he seems to prefer. But the other part of me hates the idea that he will find someone else. That he won't come and have breakfast with me every morning. That Tommy won't send me with him, when he wants Johnny to do something. That he will have a family, and it won't be with me." (Y/n) sniffed. Wishing that she could have had these feelings for Arthur or Tommy instead. That if she had loved them, then at least they might have loved her in return; but as it was, John Shelby was the one that had her heart, and it felt as though there were nothing she could do about it. Her body just sinking further into Polly's, as the older woman held her close.

"(Y/n)......" Polly began. The rest of her words remaining unspoken, as a sudden movement caught her eye. A smile coming to her lips as John came into the room, slowly taking off his cap and standing in front of the two women. Polly nudging (Y/n) until she looked up; her red eyes widening, as they fell on John. The younger Shelby smiling as he crouched down in front of her and took her hand.

"You really want a family with me...........?"