Requested by anon: Just wanna say that you're my favorite writer on Tumblr! ❤️ I have a strange request. Could you make one Thomas ShelbyxReader based on The Phantom of the Opera? The reader performs in a fancy theater and a man, the theater's ghost, is obsessed with her. And the Peaky Blinders have to wait for the performance to catch him 'cause he's a freaking ghost (Point of No Return scene) I don't know if you ever watched The Phantom of the Opera, but I can send you another message with more info if you want
Pairing: Thomas Shelby x reader
Warnings: Swearing, mention of stalking, smoking and alcohol, fluff, angst, mention of murder(?), slightly straying? idk man
Note: I've never seen the movie, so I'm not gonna be completely accurate, but it's not supposed to be EXACTLY the movie, so I guess that's okay? I hope you guys like it! Also.. don't mind the singing parts... 😅
so basically, it's like the movie but there are MAJOR differences... oops
Special addition to the note!: I had some help!! Thank you so much .jenepleurepasbaby for the ideas as well as information from the movie, I can't thank you enough!
Word count: 3,000+
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She adjusted her hair as the director dismissed everyone. Their practice was now cut short, dark coming closer and closer. Arthur was her ride, yet he lie asleep, and possibly drunk, in one of the seats. Y/n sighed, grabbing bunches of her large white dress. Her friends bid her goodnight as they walked out of the building, leaving Y/n and her lover's unconscious brother alone and in silence.
Y/n was unsure of her part. Although they just practiced, she felt the need to go over a bit more. Arthur managed to sleep through the entire rehearsal, so who's to say he wouldn't sleep through her singing? She would need to wake him up anyway. So she sang, went over her parts, fell into the melody.
That was, until she heard it.
Until she heard him.
The rough organ, the voice. They clicked into her brain, her voice slipping and dropping silent. It took her by surprise. Though she stopped, the voice kept singing. He sounded beautiful, elegant, more perfect for the singing role of her on stage lover than the singing partner selected for said role was.
"Sir?" No response came to Y/n, but the man continued singing. She looked around, checking on Arthur in his intoxicated yet peaceful state, and then starting her mission. She wished to find the voice, so she followed it.
The louder it got, the bigger the pit in her stomach grew. It was a pit of nothing but fear and worry. She didn't have Tommy with her, and Arthur was asleep, she knew she would need to be careful. Her hand wandered down to her side. Under the thick fabric of her gown, holster from Polly made specifically to hide on her garter clips, was a small gun.
A breath she didn't realize she was holding released itself from her mouth, relief at the feeling of the cold metal. She hoped she would have no need to use it, but it was good to be cautious.
His singing was now echoing through the hall, signing his presence. Y/n turned and gasped slightly out of shock. She let her eyes study the figure in front of her, the white mask that donned the side of his face, his slicked back hair, the way his voice sounded...
It was almost like his voice was magic. Her eyes gleamed with an entranced look, like she wasn't fully there.
His free hand reached for hers and before she could top herself, she slipped her palm into his. He stopped singing, leading her through the theater to wherever he was to take her. She couldn't stop herself, it was hard enough to even thinking in her own voice with his angelic voice.
Now that she heard him in person, she realized she'd heard him many times before. She'd heard him in her dreams, the same voice haunting her, no matter it's beauty. He called for her, summoning her to a place she had no knowledge of.
The stories of the theater dubbed him the Phantom of the Opera, the ghost who would kill those who refused to do his bidding.
"Reminds me of a certain family." She remembered telling the story to Tommy and the other Peaky Blinders, referencing their work with teasing smile.
His voice summoned her ever since the first performance she'd ever done at this very theater, a man standing on the rafters and observing her rather intensely. However, she was not the one to spot him that time, instead a backstage worker. He pointed out the man, but Arthur assumed he was just drunk and told Y/n to just ignore it.
Oh how wrong he was.
The half-masked man seemed to have such a power, casting a spell on her and removing logic from her mind. Her face lit up by the torch in his hand as he led her down a staircase. A horse waited down
"Sing once again with me, our strange duet. My power over you, grows stronger yet." He lifted her onto the horse and guided the dark steed down a ramp-like walkway. "And though you turn from me, to glance behind, the Phantom of the Opera, is there inside your mind."
He helped Y/n off the horse, held her hand as he helped her into the small row boat. He rowed through the water, closer and closer to his lair. She didn't know why, but she felt the urge to join in. Was it his spell? Making her feel this way?
"Those who have seen your face, draw back in fear." It was definitely him. She couldn't think of a time she'd ever sing something like this, aside from her performances. "I am the mask you wear,"
"It's my voice they hear." He continued to sing as she transferred to the operatic vocalizing. The masked Phantom encouraged her, stopping his song and listening to her breathtaking voice. "Sing, my angel of music!"
"Sing my angel...Sing for me!" She grew louder the closer they got, the grate lifting and allowing them entry to his underground lair. "Sing my angel! Sing for me!!" Y/n hit her final high note, cutting herself off as they came to a stop. The candles, which had risen from the foggy waters, were just now being processed with mild confusion. The events prior to her arrival in his hideaway were catching up to her, equally as mysterious.
"Listen my dear. Can you hear that?"
"Hear what?" The Phantom held her hand, helping her out of the boat.
"The organ, of course. I've played it for you, in hopes that you'd listen and find your way to me. And that, you did."
"You were... playing it... for me?" Y/n raised her eyebrows curiously. He nodded, walking over and playing a few notes to the song she had been rehearsing before she wounded up in his secret home. "W-Why?"
"What better way to prove my love for you?"
Her mind gave itself a slap to the face, returning herself to full consciousness, the hypnotic state the Phantom had her in was nowhere to be found. "Excuse me?"
"Is there a problem? I'm simply stating my admiration for you. My undying heart, it beats only for you, and your marvelous voice. That man, the one who sent the other with you, he has no love for you. His heart holds no care nor affection for you. Alas, that is one thing he and I do not have in common." The Phantom's lips curled into a smile, a child-like innocence that could've tricked Y/n's back into her trance.
But it didn't. She pushed him away from her, making sure to not be too rough. "Why!? Why would you say such a thing!? You trick me into following you, just to reveal you wanted to rid me of my lover?"
"No, not just that-"
"Have you lost your mind?! I'm sorry, I can't. It was a pleasure meeting you, dear Phantom, but I'm afraid I simply cannot except any offers you have. Your love is flattering, but my heart belongs to the one who actually does love me back." Her hands gripped her dress again, pulling it up enough for her to move back to the row boat.
However, she couldn't make it to the small boat on time. He grabbed her arm and yanked her towards him, forcing her to face him. "Please, Y/n, just let me prov-"
"How do you know my name?" A silence split between the two. He didn't answer her question. She looked up at him slowly, curiosity overtaking her. He was distracted, unaware, it as the perfect time to strike. She reached for his mask, snatching it, but being pushed to the ground before she could see his face.
He growled, covering the side with his hand, screaming insults at her as she remained on the ground with wide eyes. She was too shocked to move. The push managed to take the breath from her lungs, resulting in small coughs when she tried to stand up.
"I- I'm sorry." She reached for his cheek, the action startling him. He stumbled backwards, he reached forwards slowly when she held out his mask, ripping it from her hands. "Please, could you take me back to the theater?"
He didn't respond. His own way of saying no.
"I'll... um... I'll be going then."
He didn't stop her. He wanted to, but he didn't. Besides, she had a performance coming up, did she not?
...
"Y/n has called a family meeting!" Arthur stomped over to his chair, sitting and crossing his arms as he waited for the rest of his family.
"What's wrong? Did something happen?"
"No, Pol, I'm fine..."
Arthur groaned and rolled his eyes. "Yesterday. Theater. Stalker. Tell them, Y/n."
The family's eyes shifted from Y/n to Arthur, then back to Y/n after he finished his sentence. "Fine. There was...a man... Um... Remember the 'drunken man' from my first performance?"
Everyone nodded. Esme stepped in, receiving a short glance from John, "What happened? Did your stalker try to kill you or something?"
"No no no, he wouldn't do that." The calmed family turned to Y/n with concern and confusion. Y/n looked at each one of them, anticipating their reactions. More specifically, Tommy's. Jealousy and anger surged throughout his body, and somehow, everyone could tell. Jumping out of her chair, she walked over to him and pecked his lips reassuringly, "No, I'm not in love with him, if that's what you're thinking."
"Alright alright, Tommy, stop being jealous, Y/n, we must be getting back to the point. Please explain what this meeting is for?"
"Ah yes," She sat back down. "He um... well he took me somewhere. It was like..under the theater? I sang with him... he called me his 'angel of music', and he said my name..."
"What else did he do?" Tommy's jaw clenched.
"He wouldn't take me back, so I went back myself. He um... well he did do um.. something..."
Arthur slammed his cup onto the table, standing up quickly, ignoring the wide eyed glares from Linda and Polly. "Oh get bloody on with it! It's not like you slept with him or something!"
"Damn it Arthur! Could you please just give her some fucking time!?"
"T-thank you, Pol... but Arthur's right. The man... he... confessed."
Lizzie was the one to react first this time. She seemed mentally absent from the conversation until the confession had been mentioned, her jaw dropping and eyes popping. "Confessed what?"
"His love. For- for me. I left at that point. He tried to tell me Tommy didn't love me, but no words from anyone could ever make me believe that. It felt like he put me into some from of trance until then, which I snapped myself out of once he brought up love."
Tommy started for the door, gun in hand, but was stopped by Y/n. "Please, just... just leave this be... let the coppers handle it, it'll be alright."
"Alright? Alright? All-fucking-right?" the blue eyed man pointed to the door, the veins in his hands were bulging. "Out there is a man who is stalking you, obsessing over you, and possibly targeting me so he can take you. And you're gonna tell me it'll be 'alright'?"
"Tom... to be fair, you are being a little ov-"
"Ada, don't you dare finish that fucking sentence. Tommy's right." If looks could kill, Arthur would be long gone by now. "When it first happened, she asked us to wait until it happened more, then it did. But she still didn't want us to do anything. This time she had an in-person encounter with the creep, and she wants us to wait for coppers?"
He turned to Y/n, "Arthur's correct. We waited, just as you asked, and now, it's extreme. Please..." He returned his gun to it's holster, taking her face in his hands, "let us deal with this."
"I-" Her e/c orbs glanced around the room, zooming from person to person before giving in and locking eyes with the man in front of her and relaxing into his touch. "Okay... just, don't hurt him. He seemed so... alone."
"We can't promise anything, but we'll try our best. We'll all come to the show, and we'll be your protection, alright?" She nodded and kissed him back as he pressed his lips to hers softly. "Now, let's get home."
"Thank you everyone... I'm sorry about-"
"No." Y/n's head snapped up, quirking an eyebrow to Polly's interruption. "Don't be sorry. It's gonna be okay. Get some rest, you have quite a performance to prepare for." With that, she winked and smiled, waving goodbye to Y/n and Tommy as they exited the Betting Shop. She was right. They had a big day tomorrow, and there was no time for messing around.
...
As she sang, her eyes were focused on the audience, darting around in search for her lover and his family. The Peaky Blinders weren't that hard to miss, but they soon became so when The Phantom entered onto the stage where her partner should've. She noticed quite quickly, the difference in vocal ranges, the height and figure differences. She would be lying if she were to say she didn't feel even the slightest bit of fear.
Their voices danced together, the trance returning to her, her body and mind betraying her. The Phantom walked closer, lust filled his eyes, the trance-like-state forcing the same into hers. Tommy, in his seat, gripped his gun. Patience escaped him, replaced with burning jealousy and rage.
"When will the blood begin to race, the sleeping bud burst into bloom? When will the flames at last, consume us?"
They began towards each other. Arthur nudged Tommy's shoulder, gesturing to some of the cast peaking from behind the curtain, obviously puzzled with Y/n's singing partner. All the proof they needed that he was the man they were watching for.
Their voices joined, "Past the point of no return! The final threshold!" Tommy's hold on his weapon grew tighter as Y/n and The Phantom closed the distance between their bodies. The stranger spun Y/n around and wrapped his arms around her stomach, his hands over hers. "The bridge is crossed, so stand, and watch it burn..."
Like a bull to a red flag, the sight of The Phantom's wandering right hand traveling up Y/n's chest and to her neck brought darkness to his eyes. "We've passed the point, of no return..."
Although the song was due to end there, The Phantom had other plans.
Y/n's eyes opened as The Phantom's voice continued. She was waking herself up, realizing her state and snapping out of it.
"Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime... Lead me, save me, from my solitude... Say you want me with you, here beside you, anywhere you go, let me go too - Y/n, That's all I ask of-"
He was interrupted by the screams of the audience. Y/n did what she needed to do. She had pulled the black mask free of his face, revealing to the audience just who he really was. Thomas took the screams as his cue and pulled his gun from it's holster. He didn't move, instead, he waited for a sign that would tell him that it was necessary. He preferred Y/n get out of this alive.
She looked to the Phantom with sorry emotion, genuine sympathy and hurt in her e/c orbs. The Phantom returned her reaction. He couldn't be mad at her, but that wouldn't stop him from having her.
Out of his peripheral vision, he noticed the coppers racing to the stage, pushing past people. He immediately grabbed hold of Y/n's waist, as tight as he could, and cut the string to the enormous chandelier.
Tommy jumped up, alerting his family, directing each person to move out of the way. He froze, watching Y/n and The Phantom fall from the bridge, and into the ground. Tommy surged forward, leaning over the railing and screaming in agony, forced to watch the stalker escape through a hole in the ground with the love of his life. Polly, Michael, and Arthur grabbed Tommy, trying to pull him back. Even Pol had tears in her eyes.
It was never meant to go this way.
When did everything go so wrong?
What did they mess up?
...
The three brothers found their way through waters, ending up in The Phantom's lair. Tommy's eyes widened. Y/n, face covered in tears, mouth shivering, frozen in fear, stood there, next to The Phantom, in a wedding dress. She looked gorgeous, but Tommy couldn't let that distract him.
"What the f-"
Arthur slapped a hand over John's mouth, quieting him before they could be caught by the pair. He looked over to his other brother, scanning the look of worry on his face. His other hand rubbed his brother's arm comfortingly.
"Pity comes too late," The Phantom placed a veil on Y/n's head, "turn around and face your fate! And eternity of this!-" he pointed to the scared side of his face, "before your eyes..." He calmed himself by looking into her eyes. Erik, the Phantom, placed a ring into Y/n's hand.
Y/n walked to a covered mirror, taking off the veil as she walked. "This haunted face," She tore down the cover, turning to Erik. It was clear that they were no longer strangers. "Holds no horror for me now. It's in your soul; that the true distortion lies..."
John snorted a little, finding humor in the fact that they were still singing, but quickly shut up when Erik turned his head towards the noise. It was too late, far far far too late. He smirked mischievously.
"Wait, my dear, I think we have some guests!" He switched from singing to talking.
Her eyes followed his gaze, spotting Tommy, John, and Arthur. "Tommy!" She moved forward. Tommy mirrored her and pressed himself against the portcullis.
"Sir. Or shall I say, sirs. This is indeed, an unparalleled delight! I had rather hoped that you," he made eye contact with Tommy, "that you would come!" Erik walked down the steps, next to Y/n. "And now, my wish comes true." He pulled Y/n into her side. Tommy flinched upon hearing and seeing Y/n's panic caused by Erik's actions. "You have truly made my night."
"Let me go-"
Everything broke from Tommy's head. It was purely in the moment. For once he was acting with his heart, rather than his brain. "Free her!" Y/n stopped and looked to him with confusion, opposite to Erik's looks of amusement. "Do to me whatever you would like, but please! Free her!"
"Your lover makes a passionate plea."
"Please- Tommy... it's useless..."
"Tom! She's right, we can't do anything with this stupid thing in the way." Arthur grumbled.
"I love her!" He was speaking to everyone. From the heart. "Does that mean nothing? I love her! Show some compassion-"
"The world showed no compassion to me!" The brothers and Y/n faced Erik, small signs of empathy for the red and ruined side of his face.
"Y/n. Y/n, let me see her. Let me fucking see her!" Tommy kicked the portcullis harshly, showing his demand was not to be taken as a joke.
"Be my guest, sir." Erik smirked wider and walked to a lever. He pulled it and the portcullis began moving upwards. Before he could say more, Tommy fired random shots. He could careless if he hit The Phantom or missed, his mission was to get Y/n and then skedaddle the fuck out of there.
John and Arthur exchanged glances and nods, joining Tommy in open fire towards the man.
Tommy reached Y/n, pausing and pressing a kiss to her soft lips, closing his eyes and melting into their short kiss. After the separated, he picked her up, one arm under her knees and the other somewhere above her waist. He nodded to her. Her arms wrapped around his neck.
"John! Arthur! Cease fire! I repeat! Cease fire!"
Erik chuckled madly, "Aren't you going to finish me?" He looked at Arthur, then his gun. "Kill me!"
Arthur raised his gun. Aimed. Inhaled.
"Stop! Don't kill him! Let him be... please..." Y/n faced Tommy with watery eyes, "let me down for a second, please." Thomas hesitated, but followed the orders of his significant other. She kissed him once more, then walked to Erik and shooed the brothers away from him.
"W-what're you doing!? Y/n! T-Tom, she's gonna get hers-"
"Leave it Arthur. Y/n knows what she's doing. I hope." Tommy mumbled the last sentence under his breath.
They watched as Y/n caressed the cheek of the scared side to Erik's face, her face scrunching with visible focus. She pulled him down to her, rested her forehead against his and whispered to him.
"Angel of music... thank you for this journey... Alas, twasn't I that was destined to join you on it." John shouted for her to hurry, the sound of the coppers growing near. "Run, dear Phantom, run and don't ever look back. One day the world will except you...you just can't force it."
Y/n reached for his hand, opening it and placing his ring in it, then folding it shut, just as he did to her hand. He smiled at her. He finally surrendered.
Tommy walked up to them, causing Erik to move back a bit. Tom stopped in front of the man and handed him a large amount of money, smiling with a heart full of sympathy. "Run, Phantom. As far as the coppers know, you're dead. My uncle will have a boat, board it if you'd like. Start a new life."
The Phantom nodded, taking the money. But. He paused. "Go. Be free, my Angel of Music. You've shown me nothing but kindness and care, and I thank you for that." The unfamiliar voices neared. Erik's eyes widened, "Hurry! Leave! Go!"
Tommy grabbed Y/n, pulling her with him as they headed into the water and tried to ran through it. Y/n turned her head, giving Erik one last look, giving him one last nod, and smiling to him for the last time. They ran out the burning theater, Moss interviewed her, writers for news companies chased after her, but everyone was shooed away by her family.
At home, Tommy cradled Y/n's cheeks, looking deeply into her eyes. "I thought I lost you..."
"Well I'm here, aren't I?" She leaned forward, mumbling against his lips, "I missed you... I love you so much Tommy."
Tommy closed the cap between them, staying for a few minutes. Peaceful. Quiet. Still in his suit and her in the wedding gown she was forced into. "I love you too, Y/n. Very much... Maybe this dress could do some use for us. Eh?"