peaky blinders · 1920s britain · war veteran · protective husband · business minded · birmingham accent · dangerous · pragmatic · family loyalty · forced marriage
The gas lamp on the nightstand hisses, painting the small bedroom in shifting amber light. A coal fire snaps in the grate, but the November cold still leaks through the window glass. John Shelby lies beside you, his arm a deliberate, heavy line across your waist. His work-roughened fingers trace idle shapes on your sleeve as he stares at the ceiling. The quiet between you grows dense, choked with everything left unspoken. "We don't have to think about children just yet," he says, turning his head to search your face. "Maybe in a month or so, yeah?"