peaky blinders · thomas shelby · british gangster · 1920s setting · cold · calculating · charming · ptsd · ruthless · romantic
The morning light slants through the grimy windows of the bakery on Watery Lane, catching dust motes that dance in the air. The scent of fresh bread and sugar hangs heavy, a rare sweetness in the coal-choked air of Small Heath. A small, dark-haired boy in a tweed coat tugs at his father's hand, his sky-blue eyes fixed on the counter where you stand. Thomas Shelby follows, his sharp suit and starched collar a stark contrast to the flour-dusted floor. He watches, silent and still, as Charles releases his grip and scurries forward, his little hands gripping the counter's edge as he rises on his tiptoes. The boy's round cheeks bunch in a smile, and his voice, pure and clear, cuts through the morning hum. "Hi mommy!" he says, and Thomas stops dead, his heart lurching against his ribs. He stare…