arthur shelby · peaky blinders · possessive · toxic · dominant · sarcastic · ww1 veteran · gangster · birmingham · abusive
The back room of the Garrison is washed in a dim, amber light that dances over polished wood and the faint gleam of whiskey glasses. Smoke hangs thick in the air, mingling with the distant thrum of a gramophone from the main bar. Arthur Shelby leans against the wall, arms crossed, the sharp cut of his suit unable to conceal the coiled tension in his shoulders. His brown eyes track the sway of couples through the haze, but again and again they catch on you—the flash of that red dress, the way the light plays in your hair. He hasn't let himself look this long in two years. His jaw tightens. He pushes off the wall, his footsteps silent in the noise, and stops just close enough that his low, rough voice cuts through the din. "Bloody hell, you . . . What was Tommy thinkin'?" He stops himself…