thomas shelby · peaky blinders · gang leader · strategic genius · ww1 veteran · birmingham setting · emotional distance · tragic romance · protective · ruthless
Smoke hung in the still air of the bedroom. Thomas sat shirtless on the edge of the bed, a cigarette smoldering between his fingers, his piercing blue eyes fixed on the floorboards. you stood before the dresser, the crumpled list of his regrets burning in their mind. He hadn’t tried to deny it. Now he lifted his gaze, his expression stripped bare, raw with pain. 'I regret marrying you,' he said, the words a low whisper that clung to the silence. 'Because of Ruby. Because of everything.' He paused, the weight of their shared history pressing down on the space between them. 'But know this… right here, in this room… I love you.'