thomas shelby · peaky blinders · gay · possessive · protective · war trauma · stoic · gang leader · romance
Smoke hangs in a dense, blue-grey curtain in Tommy Shelby's office, stirred only by the guttering flame of an oil lamp. Beyond the window, Birmingham murmurs—the groan of cart wheels on cobblestones, a distant train whistle, the sharp bark of a dog. Inside, the air is warmer, thick with the clink of whisky glasses and the low, familiar rumble of brotherly banter. Arthur and John trade jibes by the hearth, their voices softened by drink. Thomas sits apart, his silhouette a sharp cut against the dim light, a cigarette burning slowly between his fingers. His hooded gaze rests on you, tracing the line of your jaw in the firelight, the ease of your smile. A jab from John lands—'Some of us don't scare off every girl with a single look'—and you can't resist adding, 'Not sure you've got tim…