He's also particularly fond of touching, he didn't have much while growing up, his few experiences revolve around maternal and flings he had in the camps and Small Heath later.

It'd get as intense as he allows himself to be, Duke needs to be put under a lot of pressure to have a full blow and spit out his feelings. Still, it'd come out more awkward and desperate than romantic. On a lighter hand, sex can get quite intense, he can get very immersed in it.

♥︎ Blood: How messy are they willing to get when it comes to their darling?

This is not a man to shy away from violence, nor from crossing boundaries. Duke has a fragile emotional structure, he's hard to deceive, but emotionally easy to manipulate if someone manages to occupy the right place in his life. He's also very explosive and doesn't like being challenged.

There's no line he wouldn't cross to keep his beloved one to himself, he never had much, lost some of what he had and was handed too much power at a young age. He's also a bit vengeful, never showing regret for killing the doctor who denied his mother a bed, although he wouldn't get as extreme with his S/O, I wouldn't say the same for anyone who stands between them.

♥︎ Cruelty: How would they treat their darling once abducted? Would they mock them?

Mock is a bit of a strong word, if he had to resort to abduction, it'd be because he'd been rejected before and at that point he'd be taking things seriously. So I would say sarcasm, subtle threats or dry humor fit better than mockery, such as the line “You're a very brave man, very brave, but very foolish.”

Now, once abducted, the environment itself isn't very friendly, Duke lives by a pigsty, his bedroom doesn't have wallpaper, the doors are mostly made of iron and a bit rusty, not to mention he also keeps stolen morphine there. It doesn't feel like home at all.

About him, he'd go through phases, he'd hesitate in emotionality exposing himself at first, he's very good at keeping up a threatening facade, but he's not stupid, he'd notice it wasn't working, that you'd be terrified, then he'd turn into what he truly is: an awkward extremely introverted romani kid with violent tendencies. Still not very soft, but certainly easier to handle.

♥︎ Darling: Aside from abduction, would they do anything against their darling’s will?

Yes, but not in a hardcore deliberate way. Duke simply wants you to be with him and if something gets in the way such as your job, friends, parents or personal life, then maybe you'd be better without it. The thing is, he doesn't acknowledge this line of thought as problematic, he just thinks this is the way relationships are meant to be, this might be backboned by the 1940s mentality and his own traumatic childhood.

Duke avoids being violent with it either, he knows that, for example, going to your job and demanding you quit might sound harsh and make you resent him. He often chooses softer approaches to avoid frustration from both sides.

♥︎ Exposed: How much of their heart do they bare to their darling? How vulnerable are they when it comes to their darling?

Oh dear, his heart is yours and no one else's. If he's confident enough to show it it's another point.

Duke is not good at being vulnerable, expecting great romantic words or gestures will only frustrate you. However, he can be affectionate in daily life, partly because he's trying to meet his own needs. If you're in sight, he'll always greet you with a kiss, but don't expect him to kiss your forehead while you sleep before he goes out in the mornings or such.

Once in a lifetime he might try to mimic romance from the movies, the ones he doesn’t find too ridiculous, such as flowers or night drives.

♥︎ Fight: How would they feel if their darling fought back?

Terrible and angry is an euphemism. Unfortunately, Duke has the “Shelby grip” as much as Tommy and Arthur, as can be observed in scenes with Tatiana and Linda. In the heat of the moment, a hand to your face or throat might happen, not much more than that because he is terrifying and it's definitely a bad idea to keep pushing him. That is on your behalf.

On his, he'd feel as awful as someone trying to explain why you can't walk off the cliff while you don't understand and really want to walk off a cliff. He wouldn't understand why you'd want to do it and you wouldn't understand why he'd compare a job or a friendship he's not particularly fond of to a cliff.

♥︎ Game: Is this a game to them? How much would they enjoy watching their darling try to escape?

In the beginning if you reject his first attempts, he might consider it a little flirtatious game. Might even have a laugh over it as if he was in those comedy movie scenes in which bad things keep happening to the protagonist. Dry, dark and sarcastic at its peak.

Escape is a different scene. It is not funny. It either makes him doubt your feelings for him or forces him to acknowledge his attempts aren't working. He hates to see the signs of it afterwards, the letters you hid, the spare key you managed to sneak in and the sore spot in your arms when he had to drag you back in.

♥︎ Hell: What would be their darling’s worst experience with them?

Your worst experience is definitely connected to his dependence on you. It's a tense lifestyle, how he can be annoyed by normal things and how easily everything can escalate. You might think you just went to buy a missing ingredient for dinner and there was no need to warn him, you were wrong. Duke has few ways to cope with frustration and none of them are healthy, his outbursts are scary, the malice you might interpret as boyish gets replaced by something dangerous, his voice doesn't get louder, but darker, threatening, it's easy for him to corner you until you start questioning whether you really were in the wrong. He's not deliberately manipulating you, he really does believe he's right.

On the other hand, he's also prone to collecting into himself. He doesn't smoke often, to see him quiet, with his back turned to you, smoking by the window is a clear sign something is wrong.

♥︎ Ideals: What kind of future do they have in mind for/with their darling?

Disturbingly normal. Duke doesn't have the aching urge to be accepted by the upper class like his father did. He grew up in the camps and he's not particularly fond of people. His ideal life is a decent house, solid marriage, no escape attempts, no fights, nothing that gets in the way, business doing well and a trip in a romani wagon every now and then. He woke up many mornings alone and hopes he doesn't have to do it again.

♥︎ Jealousy: Do they get jealous? Do they lash out or find a way to cope?

Both yes and no. Duke gets jealous often, but he wouldn't call it that. Deep down, his possessiveness is rooted in insecurity. After his mother's death he was emotionally on his own. At twenty years old he found out he's the son of the infamous Thomas Shelby, which instead of giving him a good chance in life, gave him a gang to lead. It's quite a role to live up to and he questions himself if he's able to do it. Since you showed up in his life, he wonders if he's able to be enough for you. On jealousy, it's a thin line, it's rare for another man to be brave enough to approach you. Duke wouldn't lash out at you, but the tension is palpable after you get home.

♥︎ Kisses: How do they act around or with their darling?

Softly. At least when compared to how he acts around everyone else. Again, Duke is keen on physical touch, acts of service and quality time, even if he's not very naturally good at it. Once at home, he'll greet you with a kiss and expect to spend the rest of the night together, have dinner, listen to the radio, he would enjoy cuddling too. In public, especially at the Garrison, he doesn't like you wandering off. It's crowded, full of drunk men, thieves and people he simply doesn't trust. Just sit at the arm of his armchair until it's time to leave.

♥︎ Love letters: How would they go about courting or approaching their darling?

Duke is better at making deals than flirting. Being crude, he's used to prostitutes or women throwing themselves at him in hopes they'd become another Tommy and Lizzie. The gangster who saved, or at least severely upgraded the lifestyle of a woman not deemed respectable.

His first approach wouldn't be soft or romantic, but interested in who you are, what you are doing in his domains and what would be the best way to get closer. Courtship, if you can call it that, is attentive, Duke is a provider over a romantic, the way he flirts and surrounds you can be a bit scary if you're not interested in him.

♥︎ Mask: Are their true colors drastically different from the way they act around everyone else?

Not really, Duke's intimidating facade isn't too different from his quiet behavior. One of the first things he tells his father when he gets in Small Heath is “people piss me off,” he wasn't a known figure back in the camps (like Esme, for example), so that's just the way he is. If you ever settle into a stable relationship with him, your days will be peaceful, quiet and uneventful.

♥︎ Naughty: How would they punish their darling?

Control. When Duke punishes you, you completely lose control of the environment you live in. Doors and windows don't open freely anymore. Your favorite radio station will be replaced by his or by complete silence. That snack he brought you from work, gone. That escape to the hills you planned together won't be mentioned again. Duke wouldn't ignore you, you can talk to him, he'll answer, but is dry and kills any attempts of full conversation.

On top of it all, if you have a pet, he might confiscate it. Not get rid of it, he likes animals, but take it to Charlie's yard for a while. You wouldn't know what happened to it, it'd be painful to assume he's involved in it and when the storm passes he'll bring it back, if you question him about it he'll explain he thought the pet was sick and he took it to Curly.

♥︎ Oppression: How many rights would they take away from their darling?

Duke doesn't limit himself in this aspect. He'll take money from your purse, the last few pounds from your last salary before you lost your job, the telephone cable can suddenly disappear if you insist on calling people he doesn't approve of or your letters might stop being answered. In general, he'll take away anything he believes might pull you away from him or anything he thinks you're putting above your relationship.

♥︎ Patience: How patient are they with their darling?

If it serves as consolation, more than how he is with his subordinates. Some things are certain to make him lose it though, Duke demands respect from everyone and prefers to always have the last word. If you already argued over some subject, he'll cut you off if you try to bring it back again and if you insist, he loses his temper.

Lying not only angers him, it upsets, even if he doesn’t show it. It also makes him view you as shameless or reckless because he knows you very well, it's impossible to hide things from him and spread them in his face later. Duke also can't stand your silence or sarcasm, it feels like you're trying to shield yourself from him.

♥︎ Quit: If their darling dies, leaves, or successfully escapes, would they ever be able to move on?

Duke digests loss. Unlike Tommy, for example, he wouldn't sneak out of your funeral. Unless you state to not be interested before, you'd have a romani one. He'd tear up before lighting up your wagon and would say proper goodbyes to you. At first, Duke would try to live normally, he'd keep working, wait some weeks before starting to sleep around again. Eventually he'd disappear for a while. In a wagon in some distant hill, something about the Shelby labels in the whiskey bottles would piss him off and end up straight into the fire. To have lost many people doesn't make it less painful. Other than death, there aren't many ways for you to escape.

♥︎ Regret: Would they ever feel guilty about abducting their darling? Would they ever let their darling go?

The act itself? No. The consequences? Yes. Duke hates to see you suffer, hates to see you with scared watery eyes, shrinking away from him, curled up in bed. With time, he'll question what he could've done differently, perhaps if he'd waited another week or two, perhaps if he hadn't drugged you, if he'd been more patient, if he hadn't raised his voice. It's all palliatives, nothing that reaches the true issues. Still, letting you go is out of consideration, it's the cliff he'd never let you step off.

♥︎ Stigma: What brought about this side of them (childhood, curiosity, etc)?

Duke wasn't born desensitized to violence and questionable actions, there's a sequence of tough events behind it. At sixteen, his first grieving instinct was to kill the doctor who denied his mother a bed. It was a seed Tommy recognized (“Dark knows dark” - S6) and developed fast, the gap between running away after witnessing Billy Grade killing a civilian and killing Billy himself is short. He didn't show much resistance to adopt violence as a recurrent tool, the seed there and he entered an environment which stimulated it. As for the obsession itself, it was the loneliness, Duke perfectly fits into the saying of “feeling lonely in a crowd.”

♥︎ Tears: How do they feel about seeing their darling scream, cry, and/or isolate themselves?

There's only so much he can handle. He hates being ignored, but as was already mentioned, his heart is yours, so he feels awful. Matter of fact, the louder you are, the more he'll believe it's better to leave you alone for a while. Duke would hold your wrists, try to soothe you but he's not very good at it, it might make you feel like a horse or like he's not actually listening. He'd guide you in the bedroom, lock the window and the door and let you lash out, calm down alone.

Outside though, he'd fidget with a cigarette or a drink, pondering on what exactly he should do to fix things. Hours after, when everything is quiet, he'll check on you again, perhaps leave a cup of tea or water and leave again. Duke wouldn't be sure on how to break the barrier your resistance creates between you and since you're being too much about it, he'd assume you'd come to him when you're ready.

♥︎ Unique: Would they do anything different from the classic yandere?

Unlike the classic, Duke doesn't enjoy the chase nor is loud on his obsession. He doesn't do great declarations, doesn't take the situation as a game or relish on your fear. It's a great contrast with the life he had before you, but what he truly craves is stability, he wants a wife, companionship, not a victim, a toy or a prize. Duke wants to build a normal life with you even if he has the force every step along the way.

♥︎ Vice: What weakness can their darling exploit in order to escape?

His most effective weakness is you. There's not much more in your reach that would affect him. If you're sick or hurt enough to make him panic (and it doesn't take much), he might leave a door unlocked or become unusually careless. Seduction comes second as it lowers his guard and distracts him for a while, but it's far less effective since he's still aware of his surroundings and the consequences of weaponizing intimacy aren't pleasant.

Duke is also surprisingly easy to influence by authority figures, he seemed fond of Arthur and Beckett easily got to him, this all leads back to the wound of growing up without a father. Nevertheless, he wouldn't want to talk about it and would become suspicious if you press him about it, panic and affection remain the only things capable of making him careless enough to slip.

♥︎ Wit’s end: Would they ever hurt their darling?

Never on purpose. For measurement, Duke is not even the type to enjoy humiliating you, besides the 1940s views on women, he wouldn't degrade you or see/call you inferior.

It'd be all consequences of the scenario you're in, the way he pushes you into a gilded cage will get a reaction from you and that will cause him to snap. Still, he's not a sadist and never finds fun in it.

♥︎ Xoanon: How much would they revere or worship their darling? To what length would they go to win their darling over?

For most of Duke's life, women were either strangers passing through or prostitutes expecting something from him. Romance was foreign to him, so loving you wasn't gradual or cute. It crawled into his head, making space for itself, consuming and impossible to ignore. He doesn't worship in the traditional sense, doesn't put you on a pedestal, doesn't think you're flawless. You're the one he chose and loves, that makes plenty of sense to him.

Surprisingly, Duke is willing to sacrifice things from his side too. If winning you over meant giving up certain deals, going back to sleeping on the stables or standing up against the family, he'd do it without hesitation and wouldn't brag or throw these on your face later.

♥︎ Yearn: How long do they pine after their darling before they snap?

Not much, the first time he talked to you wasn't even planned. Duke wouldn't come up with a big plan or write a script on how the relationship should develop. He's actually very normal at first, intimidating, surely, he carries a reputation, but not coercive. Acknowledging he's pinning over you might come as light as a fun fact whether you're interested in him or not. The snapping point comes if he's repeatedly rejected, frustration replaces patience and he decides to act watching you go home alone, aware if he's not the one walking you, another man might take the place.

♥︎ Zenith: Would they ever break their darling?