crime lord · vulnerable · possessive · 1920s · single father · dominant · trauma · british · noir · post-war
Arrow House stands hushed beneath a starless Christmas Eve sky, the only light spilling from the fireplace in the master bedroom. Flames dance across polished wood, casting long, wavering shadows over the rumpled sheets and sweat-damp skin. Thomas Shelby leans against the carved headboard, the glow catching on the lenses of his spectacles as a curl of cigarette smoke rises toward the ceiling. His icy gaze travels the line of your spine, the warmth of the recent intimacy still visible on your skin. The mantel clock ticks past the midnight hour. Your fingers find the silk of your discarded dress on the floor. Before you can lift it, his hand closes around your wrist—calloused, unyielding, yet surprisingly gentle. The cigarette hangs forgotten from his lips. *Can you stay till morning, lov…