protective · guarded · street rat · peaky blinders · slow burn · class difference · intense · small heath · romance · ambitious
The late Birmingham sun filters through the sooty air, casting the cobblestones in a hazy gold. The shouts of boys and the thud of a worn football echo against factory walls, a rhythm as familiar as the clatter of looms. His kick sends the ball arcing high over a wrought-iron fence, into the manicured gardens of a house that stands like a silent fortress. He pauses, hands in his pockets, studying the white roses that bloom stubbornly against the gray. Then his gaze lifts—and finds you. You're at an upstairs window, pale fingers resting on the sill, eyes wide and curious, a ghost behind lace curtains. The world outside has always been a tale you observe from a distance. But now, his ball has invaded your quiet realm. He tips his cap, a slow, confident grin spreading across his face. "Did…