Peaky Blinders | Imagines and Headcannons | Tommy Shelby | Redghs

The Man Behind the Bar | Tommy

Warnings: Violence, swearing

Word Count: 701

---------

You sat at the bar, your legs crossed, a glass of brown liquid sat in the glass to your left. Bringing it to your lips, the chemical smell overpowered your senses as you took a sip.
Lifting your eyes from the glass, you noticed a man looking at you, a cigarette hanging loosely from his mouth. You stared back, admiring him; his high set cheekbones, gaunt expression, piercing eyes.
His jaw sat sharp on his face, as if God had personally hand-carved this man himself and sent him into the world; an angel walking among us.
A smile tugged on the corners of your lips and your eyes were soft and inviting.
"Forget it, love" A voice spoke up behind you. It didn't belong to anyone you knew, but you turned around anyway, inturrupting your gaze from the man across the bar.
"Excuse me?" You asked, looking up at a muscular fellow, a blond lock of hair falling over his eyes, his shirt dirtied with something you hoped to God was oil.
"That's Tommy Shelby. No chance"
You rolled your eyes as you turned back around, ignoring the man's 'advice'.
"Excuse me, love!" He exclaimed, grabbing your arm and turning you to face him "I was fucking talking to you!"
Your heart began to race. You'd never been in a situation like this and no one around you seemed to take any notice of what was happening. The man's grip was getting tighter on your forearm and your mouth was getting dryer and dryer. You tried to scream out; you were frozen.
" 'scuse me, sir" You were paralyzed. The man from across the bar, who you now knew to be Tommy Shelby, had made his way over to you.
"Do you mind removing yourself from this woman?" He spoke calmly, his voice giving off a low rumble.
"Fuck off!" At this, the vibrant chatter in the pub turned to a soft hush and Tommy moved closer to the blond haired man.
"I'm gonna ask you one more time. Remove yourself from this woman or else I'll--"
"Or else you'll fucking what!?"
Tommy's soft expression turned hard, his jaw clenched tightly, his hands in fists.
He brought his right fist up, connecting it with the blond haired man's cheek, causing him to fall to the floor.
You grabbed your arm, inspecting the damage the stranger had done. Your body was numb, cresent moons cut into your skin and the flesh around them had already started bruising.
You didn't feel a thing.
Everything went by in slow motion. You watched the fight play out in front of you; the two men using each other as punching bags.
"Alright, alright!" Your attacker called, his face blooded, cheeks bruised. He lay on the floor, cradling his stomach.
Tommy spat on the floor next to him and you winced.
"Sorry about that, love" He spoke calmly again, as if he hadn't just beat a man to the ground.
"I..." You tried to speak again, but you were in even more shock than before. Tommy sat next to you at the bar, grabbing an abandoned glass of whiskey and downing it in one.
"Thank you" You finally said, turning to Tommy. You noticed his temple was bleeding and you brought your fingers to the wound, lightly touching it.
"I've had worse" Tommy mumbled, gently placing his hand on yours, removing it from the gash.
"We should get you cleaned up" You motioned to his knuckles, beat with blood and cuts.
Tommy pulled a cigarette out of his pocket, shaking his head.
"No no" He caught a glimpse of your arm, and lifted his eyes to yours, sucking at his cigarette. "Looks like we need to get you cleaned up first"
"Me? I'm fine, honestly" You were still in shock, your body still numb. You couldn't feel the searing pain running through your arm.
Not yet anyway.
"Well, how about a drink?" Tommy offered, already calling the barman over.
You nodded softly, your brain agreeing with his proposition before you fully understood his words.
"I'd like that" A smile sat on your lips. The same smile you wore when you first saw the man across the bar.