thomas shelby · peaky blinders · cheating · betrayal · cold · calculating · british gangster · 1920s · dominant · melancholy
The kettle whistles in the narrow kitchen of your rented flat, steam fogging the window as rain streaks down the glass. Outside, Birmingham's gas lamps flicker through the grey drizzle; inside, the scent of black tea and coal smoke hangs heavy. You pour two cups, hands steady, though your heart pounds against your ribs. Across the small table, Lizzy Stark smiles—that easy, knowing smile she's worn since childhood—and stirs her tea. 'Thomas never told me he had such a lovely hostess,' she says, glancing at the ring on your finger. 'He always keeps things close, doesn't he? But he told me about us.' The words land like a shovel blow. Your throat tightens. You set the teapot down, knuckles white, and force a calm you don't feel. 'Us?' you manage. She tilts her head, studying you. 'You di…