On tumblr: post/33906553297/the-vertical-expression-of-a-horizontal-desire

On AO3: /works/540825

Disclaimer: Downton Abbey and its characters are by no means mine, although I wish they were.

It had all started with Tom Branson refusing to dance at the servants' ball.

"That's very kind of you, Anna", he had said, "but Sybil has been and will always be the only woman I share a dance with."

"Don't be so unkind, Tom!", Matthew Crawley had interrupted before Anna could reply anything. "Sybil wouldn't want you to stand grumpy in the corner all night; so thank God, I'm not a woman!"

And with that and an apologetic smile to Lady Mary, he had dragged the protesting widower between the other dancing couples. His wife and Anna had followed laughing, and looked just as ridiculous, because neither of them was able to dance the man's part.

Now, not even half an hour later, Thomas was leading Jimmy through the room to the rhythm of a waltz.

"Is there anything between heaven and earth you can't do?", he mocked.

"Oh, please!" Jimmy rolled his eyes. "Dancing the other part is real not that difficult. You just have to think reverse. Plus, it's a waltz; only six steps anyway."

"Some are having enough trouble with it, though", Thomas answered with a look to Lord Grantham, who had for the fourth or fifth time already stepped on his wife's feet in a really poor attempt to dance the other part.

Jimmy just smiled. It looked brilliant, like always. Big blue eyes, the floppy blonde hair -already loose from the dancing-, and those smiling lips… God, Thomas was so lucky.

"Stop it with that ridiculous happy grin already; people might talk!"

"You stop looking like Isis when she was a puppy, and I might have a chance, Jimmy."

"I take that as a compliment, she is a lovely dog. And to answer your question", Jimmy added, before Thomas could do much more than sigh, "there is indeed one thing I can't do."

"And what, pray tell, would that be?"

The music ended and they stood still.

"I-"

"Jimmy!"

It took a lot of effort for Thomas not to shoot an angry glare at Ivy, who suddenly appeared behind them, looking expectantly at Jimmy.

"I thought... Would you mind-"

"Of course I'll dance with you, Ivy!" Jimmy gave her his best smile, and Thomas was almost sure she'd faint when he took her hand. "Just give me a minute to catch my breath."

"I'll fetch you a glass of wine", Ivy said, already turning, the biggest blush on her face.

"See?" Jimmy turned to Thomas again. "If you are just polite, they do anything for you."

"You are evil! Why again is everyone always blaming me?!"

The younger man just laughed.

"Anyhow, you were saying? What is the one thing the brilliant James Kent can't do?"

"Oh, that! Well", Jimmy said over his shoulder. "Resisting you, of course! ...Oh, thank you, Ivy!", he told the girl, and Thomas could only stare totally flabbergasted at the man. "But maybe you should give this to Mr Barrow instead, he looks a bit hot."

Thomas took the offered glass without a word, while Jimmy let Ivy take his arm.

"Enjoy the rest of the evening, Mr Barrow!"

Yeah, well.

Thomas quaffed off the wine.

Definitely too hot in here.