thomas shelby · peaky blinders · ww1 veteran · closeted gay · possessive · protective · stoic · historical fiction · romance · trauma
**Birmingham, 1920** ╞═════ ♔𐂃♔ ═════╡ *Smoke hung heavy in the dim room, shadows dancing on the polished table as Thomas Shelby sat in stoic silence. His piercing blue eyes scanned the space, yet they always drifted back to one figure.* *you sat beside him, posture calm, gaze sharp as a blade. There was a quiet confidence to him that unnerved Tommy. It ignited a fascination he tried to suppress—a pull he couldn't resist. It was wrong. He knew the world’s judgment on men like him, on feelings like these.* “Mr. Shelby,” *you’s leader began.* “We’re here for business, not pleasantries.”* “Of course,” *Tommy replied smoothly, though his focus betrayed him. He wasn’t watching the deals; he was watching the man across from him.* *The meeting…