Season 2 AU. Tom went to the war around mid-1917. The idea is that Sybil accepted his proposal before that. Basically, we can say that the garage scene took place just right before Tom received his orders. Now, Tom is back at Downton and to his old job. The fic takes place the day he came back. After the family welcomed him back and Carson gave him back his job, Sybil escaped her family again to join him in his cottage for a proper welcome party. I hope you'll like it! Thank you to Skinnycat77 for the beta. You rock girl!

"I'm never leaving you again, Sybil."

He whispered the words against her neck, his mouth kissing a fiery trail down her skin and across her collarbone, his hands cupping her breasts. She moaned when his hands finally slid beneath her blouse, coming in contact with her flushed skin. He pressed them into the wall they stumbled against, his body covering hers inch by inch. Her blouse is discarded and she removed his shirt as well, finally getting her first real glimpse at the body she had wanted for years. She ran her hands down his chest, her fingers brushing against his nipples, eliciting a small gasp from him, before they moved lower to trace the hard lines of his stomach.

His hands went around her, pulling her to him, then up so she could wrap her legs around his waist as he carried them both to his cottage's bedroom. They fell together onto the little bed, their hands reaching, touching everywhere they could, pulling at the remaining layers of clothing separating them. He removed her corset and pulled away to watch her.

"God Sybil… you're so beautiful…"

She blushed under his heated gaze, as he lowered his hands to massage her breasts, his lips closing over her own briefly before they went to meet his hands working on her flesh. His lips closed over an upraised nipple and she felt her entire body turn to heat as she melted under his touch.

"Tom…"

His name came out in a rush, her hands holding tightly to his shoulders and neck, her fingers weaving into the short spikes of his military hair cut. He lavished equal attention on her breasts before his tongue moved lower across her body, dipping into her navel before he came in contact with the bottom of her skirt. Tom slowly undid it and tugged it down her legs, pulling her underwear with it until she was lying naked on the bed. He stood and deftly removed his own pants and underwear in one movement.

She held out her hand out to him as he joined her on the bed once more, kissing her palm before his body covered her own. His hands and mouth moved over her body, teasing, tasting, touching every part of her, and bringing every pleasure she could have imagined with his body. Her hands stroked up and down his back, finding a resting-place on his hips right where his underwear would normally rest. Her fingers splayed out, relishing in the soft skin and hair she felt beneath them. She continued to hold on tightly as he moved between her hips, guiding his manhood to her opening, his eyes locking with hers as he began to press into her.

"Are you sure?" he asked for good measure.

They didn't really have the time to discuss this but after what happened since she knocked at his door and the way things had escalated, it just seemed natural to be the next step.

"Now Tom… I need you. We've already wasted enough time…"

Not seeing any doubts in her eyes, he completed their joining, too happy to make her his. She let out a long sigh as he filled her, the slight pain of the first time being replaced by contentment. Their bodies held together before he pulled back to rock in again. Over and over he filled her, her legs wrapping around his body, pulling him as close as possible while they moved together. He took her hands and joined them with his over her head on the pillows, kissing her softly as he continued to push in. Once, twice, three more times before she felt her body implode around his, clenching tight as he pushed in one last time, falling over the edge with her.

"I love you, Tom…"

"I love you, Sybil…"

He rolled onto his back next to her to avoid crushing her. This first time was far from perfect because of their eagerness and the rush of it but they both felt content. Sybil curled to his side and Tom wrapped her in his arms, absentmindedly stroking her back.

"I can't even think of what could have happened over there…" he started. "I could have died and never come back."

Sybil shushed him with a light kiss on the lips.

"Stop thinking about it. At least for now. The only way we can deal with this is to hold onto each other for dear life and never let go. Hold me, Tom… touch me… I'm not going anywhere."

His hands came up, his fingertips brushing her cheek softly.

"God I'd almost forgotten how beautiful you are…"

He whispered the words softly to her before his lips claimed her own, tenderly fitting hers as they were just holding each other, tasting each other. Her lips parted, inviting him in, and his tongue danced slowly in her mouth, flicking across the upper ridges, playing against her tongue as they rediscovered what made this so incredible the first time. His hands slipped from her face to hold her shoulders, then lower to trace patterns against her bare back. Each gentle caress of his fingertips was drawing small pricks of fire against her skin and she moaned softly, pressing herself further against him eagerly.

Most of the covers were kicked to the end of the bed for later use and Tom covered her body with his own, heat rushing through her as his length made contact with her skin.

"I've missed you so much, Tom…I was so lonely here…"

He kissed her again, a precious attempt to make it up to her for the months of wait and war. His hands traced down her side and just stopped for a moment, his eyes travelling down her chest, her torso, to the apex of her thighs and then back up, admiring everything he saw, really for the first time. The next time he looked, his hands followed the trail, caressing over the swell of her breasts, over her stomach and hips, and then just across her thighs, teasing the skin so close to her core.

She moaned at the contact, so close and so far from where she wanted him, and he smiled against her neck before he took an earlobe into his mouth to nibble.

"I need to tell you how much I love to hear you moan like that."

Sybil blushed and Tom chuckled. It was all new for her and Tom found her innocence but eagerness quite adorable.

She clutched at his shoulders as he found that one spot in between her ear and neck that absolutely drove her crazy. He flicked at the skin with his tongue before moving his mouth away to sample more of her too willing body. His lips moved lightly across her collarbone, his hands gripping her waist before sliding up high to cup right below her breasts. The heat of his mouth left her body and she opened her eyes to look at him. His hands slowly moved over her breasts, teasing the soft flesh as they went, his fingertips brushing her nipples and making them sensitive and hard. So hard they ached, not just for his touch, but for something more, something so…

"Oh god, Tom."

His mouth latched onto to one nipple and he tugged gently, his teeth scraping over it as his tongue massaged it. She could feel herself melting into him, his mouth, his body… pretty soon she would just be a puddle of liquid and it would be all because of his mouth. He switched to the other nipple and repeated his ministrations on that breast before breaking away to kiss her lips again.

"Does that feel good, Love?"

"Mmmm… so good… god it feels so good…"

And it was. So absolutely, undeniably good she had to remind herself this was real, not one of the fantasies she had to content herself with the past few months. His face had the stubble of evening and it rubbed against her skin like fine sand paper, adding to the intensity of his touch, of his kiss. Tom's face nuzzled against her stomach, kissing it. Then he began moving lower, down her body, his hands gently holding beneath her knees, slowly spreading them apart as he settled between her thighs.

With one last look, he saw the need she had in her eyes and his head dipped down, his hot breath spreading across the sensitive skin of her inner thigh and making her shiver. His fingers gently traced patterns across her flesh, then just outside of her folds, touching her wetness and moving it over his fingers before he touched her fully.

"Tom…"

His name came out in a ragged pant as he slipped two fingers into her softly, pressing upward into her core, so close to that one place… His thumb brushed over her clit as he pushed out and she moved beneath him, rocking against his hand as she grabbed the pillow behind her, desperate for something to anchor her to this earth while his fingers sent her sky high. She never knew that making love could be like this.

But it wasn't his fingers that brought the next wave of pleasure, it was his mouth. His tongue flicked over that little bundle of nerves as his fingers continued to press into her, rotating against her in and out, while the tip of his tongue circled around and around and around.

"Come on, Love… let it go… let it go."

And she did, calling out his name as she came and shuddered and moaned underneath his mouth, his tongue still lapping at her folds, drawing so much more pleasure from her body than she ever knew was possible until this moment.

She thought he was done but he wasn't, he wasn't nearly done yet. His hands pulled her hips up, tipping her toward him as he kissed his way back up her body, touching her, stroking her, teasing every piece of skin.

Her muscles were lax and on fire, and she clenched tightly around him as he finally slipped into her again, her legs locking around his waist, holding him close. His hand slid down, stroking her thighs then higher to her butt and hip as he slid back out, only to push in again. His body rocked into her again and again, desperate to finish this, to know it's ok, that the world hasn't ended for them both, that they'll both be safe once this is over. Her hands found their favorite resting spot on his hips and urged him on, pulling him closer to her with each thrust, each push into her body.

"It's ok, Tom… just let it come… just come with me…"

Her hands threaded through his hair and brought his mouth down to hers, swallowing the low moan in his throat as he finally pushed in, filling her and falling over the edge, into the pleasure he had been denying for much too long. He collapsed down on top of her, his face buried in her shoulder, his voice a whisper against her skin.

"I can't lose you, Sybil… I can't ever lose you…"

"You'll never lose me, Tom. We'll go and tell them tomorrow. I won't give you up."

The end