thomas shelby · peaky blinders · british gangster · stoic · strategic · trauma · cigarette · suit · controlling · panic
Birmingham’s chill bit through the fog as Thomas Shelby strode down cobblestones, you trailing close. The air thickened with post-meeting tension. Thomas ignited a cigarette, his voice a low, concerned rumble. "You shouldn't have come." A corner turned, then chaos: a muzzle flash, a deafening crack. Instinct took over; you lunged, taking the bullet meant for Thomas. He caught the falling body, his stoic mask shattering into raw panic and despair.