Peaky Blinders Imagines

Finn Shelby- You're Somebody Else.

Finn Shelby had changed, not his appearance but his whole persona. He spoke and laughed like your best friend of exactly 15 years. But he wasn't Finn he was a black mass of the old Finn. You had told him that he had changed, he replied by laughing in your face claiming that you were lying you were jealous that he had gone up in the ranks of Shelby Company LTD, and that he would leave Birmingham and consume a life without you. You faked a laugh claiming that he was now the one who was insane, when on the inside you knew it was the truth. 

You and young Finny boy had been best friends since you were 2, your mum had moved in next to Polly. You and Finn hitting it off immediately turning into a blossoming friendship. A friendship which had a strong ties, so strong that they could never break. Thats what you had told people, that no matter what life had or will throw at you as long as you had each other it could throw whatever it wanted and you two would dodge it together. You both showed everyone that time and time again, when Finn got in a fight with some boys on Watery Lane one day after school it was you who had helped him when there was 6 of them. You had Finn's back and he had yours. When Finn had his first rejection from a girl, it was you who picked him up brought him back to reality. When Finn's Uncle died it was you who stood by his side and held him as he sunk down on his knees crying by the dug out grave. When you went through your first emotional stage of girly time it was Finn who gave you tissues so you could wipe your eyes. When  you had very bad period pains it was Finn who was running around and cuddling you or letting you grip his hand when the pain got worse. 

You always had dinner together at 7 every Saturday, for you two it was a way for you to catch up on things that you hadn't had chance to tell each other. Both of you were always on time. Always ready for a laugh, a drink (that either you or Finn had stolen from Tommy's study) and a cheeky smoke (with the cigars you stole from John because you knew John would never tell you off especially when you gave him the sad, tearful puppy dog eyes). You both understood each other. Well that's what you thought.

You knew it was hard for Finn. My god it was hard for you. Both of you growing up fast, getting jobs and trying to live your lives for the fullest because god knows how long you both had left. You would never forget the day that Finn had changed for the worst. It was Christmas morning you had been awake celebrating with your family at your flat. You were just putting the meat in the oven to slow roast it when your phone rang. You shoved the meat into the oven and raced to the phone. A smile on your face when you heard Finn on the other end. "Merry Christmas Finny Boy" "J..John's d..dead Y/N... Italians they shot him on his own fucking doorstep they shot Michael too but hes alive...John's gone Y/N... What ...what do I do?" Finn sobbed through the phone. Your eyes immediately filled with tears , you denied it John couldn't be dead no it was one of Tommy's weird jokes. Who would want to hurt John, yes John was a Peaky Blinder who would kill you or take your eyes if you looked at him the wrong way, but he was the softest teddy bear you had ever known he had children for Christ sake, who would look after those children , who would explain to them that their father, their hero who they looked up to who they adored had been taken, my god  did the kids see you thought to yourself. You put the phone down running to fetch your coat shouting to your mum to leave the cooker on low for 3 hours and you would be back there was an emergency with Finn and you had to go. 

You didn't know how fast you ran it was all a blur but all you could remember was running down the hospital corridor straight to the morgue to find Finn. When you did he was clutching John's lifeless hand apologising to him and thanking him for all the memories that he had given Finn and thanking him for being the best brother in the world. He promised to protect his nieces and nephews with all the life left in him assuring him that he had a long life ahead of him. You slowly walked in and placed a hand on his shoulder comforting him. "What are you doing here?" "I'm here for you Finn and to say goodbye to John Boy" you said clutching John's other had. "You don't need to be here, it has nothing to do with you, your not family you are nothing to do with us" You were shocked with Finn's sudden change in posture and attitude, you let it slide realising that it was probably shock mixed with grief. " Finn we are not arguing where your dead brother is laying, I'm here to say goodbye and show some respect for him, I will say my goodbye and be on my way" Finn just nodded. You said your goodbye and went on your way back home silently sobbing.  This wasn't your Finn and you knew it so you decided to give him some space to grieve.

You gave him 2 weeks to be exact as today was John's funeral so you made your way from Watery Lane to the field where John's body peacefully led inside a bow top wagon. You had wrote John a little letter thanking him for everything, even adding a few photos and a drawing of his favourite bottle of whiskey. Polly saw you and walked over and gave you a hug. You had asked her where should you place the letter and photos for John. You placed them where she had told you, you noticed Finn was crying to the side, you silently walked over to him and wrapped your arms around him, expecting him to silently cuddle in to your embrace instead in front of everyone he harshly pushed you making you slam straight in to the ground, Ada grabbed you and helped you up everyone looked shocked. "Fuck off " was all Finn said before he walked over to Tommy and stood beside him. Leaving you silently sobbing next to Ada. You didn't go to the wake after what Finn had done, it was obvious that you weren't wanted there.  You decided to give avoid Finn for 3 months after that as he was obviously grieving and didn't want you around. 

After the 3 months were up you headed to the Garrison to hatch things up, he was fine with you apologising to you and promising he never meant to hurt his best friend you accepted that and told him not to bottle up his emotions, to always come to you as you were always there for him. He nodded, but to you he didn't seem himself, the drank way to much. He relied on the snow too much but you turnt a blind eye telling Polly he was still grieving. He had promised to take you out to dinner at 7 you nodded and got ready. 5 hours late he was, 5 hours he stood you up for. You looked like an idiot telling the waiter that any minute your best friend would be here. They kicked you out when they closed up. You sat at your place waiting for him to knock the door. It 9 A.M the next morning when Finn decided to show his face. "Y/N, I'm so sorry, I had a meeting with Tommy and Arthur and we drank a little. Y/N guess what I've gone up in the ranks, they are letting me be part of the business. Y/N I'm a Blinder" he beamed and it made you smile, not because he was a blinder but because it was the first time in months that Finn Shelby smiled. 

You were there when he had to take a man's eyes out because he had killed Arthur, you had saw all that grief come rushing back but instead of pushing you away he held you close, like he promised, but when Tommy revealed that Arthur was in fact alive and you had witnessed it with your own eyes, Finn had pushed you away. He didn't speak to you claiming that he was busy and would always promise to phone you that night. You had called him up on it "Finn, what happened to you, you've changed your not Finny Boy any more you've turnt in to one of them something you promised you would never do" "What are you on about Y/N your being stupid, its all in your head I'm still your Finny Boy, your jealous, jealous that I don't have time for you, its all in your head2 was all he replied and then walked out. You knew that when he grew older he would regret what he had done. You could believe that Finn had gone, the old version of Finn had moulded in to a new version. Finn was  so stubborn and wasn't  willing to accept who he  truly was  or have become. Only after Finn has had  time to grow he would  realize who they he was but until then you had to accept that he wasn't Finn.

Polly, Tommy , Arthur, Ada, Isiah and Michael had noticed even Karl had noticed and they all brought it to his attention he only replied that he had grown up and wasn't the same naïve child he had once been. The Finn they all knew was a kind hearted person, he never hurt or got in peoples faces, he never paid for prostitutes and he would only take one small line of Tokyo. Instead the new Finn kept overdosing on snow , you were always there always willing to be pushed away in front of everyone. He looked like your Finn, he smelt like your Finn but he wasn't he was somebody else. Only he would realise that when he was older.