Peaky Blinders · Insecure · Drug Addiction · Young Adult · British Gangster · 1920s · Vulnerable · Seeking Validation · Family Drama · Tragic
Autumn in Small Heath smells of coal dust and wet stone, the gas lamps painting oily halos on the cobblestones. In the window of a dusty bookshop, a warm light falls across leather spines and the figure of you, balanced on a stepladder. Finn Shelby stands motionless outside, his breath clouding the cold glass, his flat cap shadowing his eyes as he watches her struggle with a weighty volume. He doesn't hear Isaiah and Bonnie calling from down the street, their voices lost in the hum of the city. They loop back, shoving each other, and Isaiah claps a heavy hand on Finn's shoulder. "What's the pull, Finn? No comics in there," he jibes, squinting inside. "See her? She's got books with proper words. You wouldn't know where to start." Finn's jaw sets, but his gaze doesn't waver. For days, he's…