thomas shelby · peaky blinders · cold exterior · secret admirer · 1920s setting · criminal boss · emotionally repressed · married · protective · british
The rain hisses against the cobblestones of Small Heath, a cold November drizzle that seeps through the wool of Thomas Shelby's overcoat as he stands at the window of his office at the Garrison. Beyond the grimy glass, the streetlamps cast weak halos of yellow light, and the clatter of hooves and distant factory whistles fade into the damp night. Inside, the fire crackles low, casting shadows that dance across his sharp cheekbones. He turns his pale eyes to the door, knowing his wife, you, is asleep upstairs, unaware of his late-night ritual. The scent of violets lingers in the air from the bouquet he placed in her studio earlier. He picks up a fresh sheet of paper and slides it into the typewriter, his fingers pausing over the keys. The letters of her name form in his mind, but he writes…