A/N: FINALLY! I feel like this chapter took a really long time to write, but here it is. I think it could be better if someone else were writing it, but it's as I always say, on subject of my own writing I feel like I'm better with ideas than execution. Look forward to hearing from people. And OMG guys Downton S4 is only a few days away! Is everyone as anxious and excited as me?! I bet you all are!

As Thomas felt the water engulf his body and then the sensation of coming back up for air he felt exhilarated. The water was cool and refreshing to the afternoon heat and Thomas also felt himself relaxing and calming a little, though only a little.

'Come on Thomas!' Jimmy shouted as he slowly moved further out into the lake.

Thomas swam toward Jimmy about the same pace the other man was backing away. 'What's gotten into you today? Are you sure you're not drunk?'

Jimmy moved his arm fiercely across the surface of the water, splashing Thomas. 'For the last time, I'm not drunk! Now are you actually going to try and catch me or not?' Jimmy turned and took off leaving an array of limbs and splashing water.

Thomas stared for a moment then did his best to follow after, a bit depressed as he was sure he would never catch the young blond, but knowing it would be worth the fun of the chase.

Jimmy slowed down and sped up along the chase and eventually circled back around near the pier and then stopped. Thomas swam up to him within arm's reach. 'Are you done running then?' Thomas asked through labored breaths. Jimmy sloshed water at him again and this time Thomas returned the gesture and they both had a good laugh about it.

'The way this chase has been going it might be more promising to catch you instead.' Jimmy laughed as he lunged forward tackling Thomas into the depths of the water. As they came back up again both men coughed and sputtered, spitting out water. Jimmy continued to laugh and grabbed his arm dragging Thomas to the pier. 'Come on, this'll be easier on dry land.'

Out of the water Jimmy grabbed Thomas by the hand and dragged him back to their blanket. Jimmy lied on his back and pulled at Thomas's hand to join him. Thomas kneeled then sat next to Jimmy. He looked at the napkin with the still barely touched fruit. 'You've barely touched your strawberries.'

'I was saving them,' Jimmy replied reaching around Thomas, grabbing one and bringing it to his lips, 'for after the swim.' As Jimmy bit into the strawberry a tiny bit of juice trickled from the corner of his lip. Jimmy wiped it with the index finger of the hand still holding the partial bit of strawberry.

Without a second thought Thomas grabbed the hand, brought it to his mouth and licked the finger that had just been wiping the juice. Jimmy chuckled which brought an instant smile to Thomas's face as he released Jimmy's finger and also resulted in a small laugh at himself. Then took a bite off the bit of strawberry Jimmy was still holding. After a brief moment Thomas's smile faded. 'Sorry. I didn't catch you did I? Suppose I'm not allowed to touch,' Thomas said solemnly as he released Jimmy's hand. He held Jimmy's gaze and breathed in nervously. 'What exactly did you have in mind that would be "easier on dry land" as you said?'

The gears in Jimmy's head were turning full speed as he finished the last bit of the strawberry in his hand and discarded the stem. Thomas was right however, he did tell him he could touch him if he caught him, but instead Jimmy ended the chase and as he'd put it himself caught Thomas. Jimmy still had to know what was supposed to be next in this relationship he and Thomas were engaging upon. He realized Thomas must truly love him to have so much restraint when they were both completely naked for all the world and heavens to see and he was keeping to himself and following rules of this game Jimmy had started completely on a whim.

Jimmy had thought he'd made his needed move, put Thomas back in a comfortable role to proceed unless told to stop when he'd half undressed him and told him to chase him, but Thomas had not achieved victory and once again the next step and idea was Jimmy's to make.

A few different ideas flashed by as Thomas looked down at him, questioning him with his eyes, no words needed. Some of the ideas seemed very silly, others arousing and extremely lewd to the point he was a bit scared that he'd even thought of them. 'I suppose you're right. My terms then? How about you can touch me… But not with your hands.' With the last it bit Jimmy diverted his gaze and shyly breathed a small laugh.

'You sure about that?' Thomas leaned down and placed a chaste kiss upon Jimmy's lips.

'Will you stop if I tell you?'

Thomas pressed a kiss just under Jimmy's ear and then whispered, 'I suppose, but you are putting on an over-tempting display. It might be difficult.'

Jimmy chuckled nervously as Thomas moved above him, straddling him and placing his hands to each side of his head, keeping space between each their bodies, as he kissed a trail along Jimmy's jaw.

Jimmy reached up a hand up and run his fingers through Thomas's hair. The older man seemed appreciative as Jimmy noticed the corner of his lip curled up just before he continued to kiss down his throat. The blond moaned lightly as he felt teeth lightly nip the skin around his collar bone.

Thomas continued down Jimmy's chest leaving heated open-mouthed kisses all over. He caught Jimmy off guard a bit as he licked and sucked on one of his nipples. 'That's interesting,' Jimmy panted out. 'Tickles a bit,' he added as he was finding the new sensation seeming to send even more blood southward straight to his quickly hardening cock. Thomas made sure to pay equal attention to the other hardening bud before continuing his way down Jimmy's abdomen.

Jimmy closed his eyes and rested his head back against the blanket as he felt his pulse increase, getting lost in the new, quite tantalizing, sensations he was experiencing under Thomas's more obviously experienced mouth and tongue. As he felt teeth graze across and nip his hip bone his hips bucked up involuntarily.

'Whoa, watch it.' Thomas chuckled.

Jimmy craned his neck to look at Thomas, who was smiling very smugly. 'Sorry.'

Thomas continued and moved his way down to one of Jimmy's legs. He kissed down the outside of his thigh and around to and up the inside stopping only a small distance away from Jimmy's arousal, close enough he could feel heated breath exhaled across his balls as Thomas moved to repeat the same trail in reverse around and up the other leg.

Jimmy had tried to keep his head up to watch, but it was too much and he'd let his head fall back again. He could feel himself shaking from the sensations and praying Thomas wouldn't notice. He wasn't sure how much more he could take before he needed to get himself off. And then the thought hit him.

What would that feel like? No way… No that's… That's just so lewd. He'd never…

'Jimmy?' He was brought back to his senses by the low baritone.

'Yes?' He managed to lift his head again and meet Thomas's eyes as he became quickly embarrassed by the slight crack in his voice as he answered.

'Are you alright?' Thomas placed a hand upon Jimmy's hip. 'You're trembling.'

'What did I say about hands?'

Thomas removed his hand and looked down at Jimmy's erection. 'Would you like me to take care of that? No hands and all?'

Jimmy's eyes widened as he followed Thomas's eyes, leaning up a bit on his elbows, and then met the other's gaze once more as Thomas looked back at him. Jimmy gulped audibly. 'You would-?'

Thomas lightly nodded not breaking eye contact. 'I would.'

Jimmy breathed in deeply and closed his eyes. 'Okay,' he whispered, nodded, and opened his eyes and again said, 'Okay.'

Thomas moved to capture Jimmy's lips. 'On one condition.'

'Yes?'

'What- Did you need- To go to the village- For today?' Thomas asked between kisses.

'Oh that?' He was baffled Thomas remembered he'd originally tried avoiding this outing because he needed to buy something. He was a little embarrassed and still not sure why, but if he and Thomas were about to do something so intimate how could he be so embarrassed by something so simple. 'Body cream,' he muttered.

'What? That's your big secret thing? Some bloody cream?'

'It's very important. My skin gets terribly dry if I don't use it,' Jimmy babbled on as Thomas moved again trailing kisses from Jimmy's neck and down his chest.

'Does it have some sort of citrus smell to it?' Thomas asked between kisses.

Jimmy's breath became heavy again. 'Yeah… Lemon.'

'So that's what it is then…'

'That's what wha- Ah!' Jimmy screamed out as Thomas had licked the underside of his penis from base to tip.

'You always smell so sweet first thing in the morning.'

The conversation died as Thomas wrapped his lips around Jimmy, paying extra attention to the head at first then bobbing, taking more and more in with each move until Jimmy's entire length was encompassed by the heat of Thomas's mouth.

Jimmy watched, mouth gaping open at the sight of himself disappearing into Thomas's mouth. He twitched and gasped at the amazing new sensations then lied his head back again as his eyes screwed shut as a raucous guttural moan escaped his throat. His hands gripped and wadded the blanket beneath them.

The whole experience was amazing, like nothing he'd ever known before. And somehow he couldn't imagine ever letting anyone he'd ever known or met before do something like this other than Thomas. He could remember being unsure of the man's motives when he'd first touched him, but now he craved his touch more than anything. Even now, whilst Thomas was being so good to play along with this little game, Jimmy wanted nothing more than for those hands to be touching him alongside their owner's mouth.

Jimmy didn't hold out for very long. He came hard with a strained moan and arched his back. Thomas stayed firmly attached through the spasms and aftershocks until Jimmy was quite well spent. Jimmy's eyes fluttered open as Thomas moved to lie on his side beside him.

'That… Was amazing,' Jimmy turned to Thomas and said.

'I'm glad,' Thomas answered with a grin.

Jimmy's eyes wandered down Thomas's body to find the other man was quite in need of release himself. This was the first time Jimmy really took the time to look at the other man's appendage. It was much like his own, save for a bit more girth, length, and some differences of color. He looked back up to Thomas who had apparently followed his gaze.

'It's alright, Jimmy. I don't expect you to-'

'I could still help, couldn't I?' Jimmy questioned because it wasn't as though he felt indebted to Thomas, but it only seemed right in some way to him. Maybe not right, but polite, he decided, to offer. There was definitely no way he was in any way ready to do anything like Thomas had done (How does one even come upon such talents?), but there was surely something he could do.

Thomas took Jimmy's hand and slowly pulled it to his penis where Jimmy deftly encircled the hardened length with his fingers. It didn't feel any different under his fingertips than his own really, just that it wasn't his own. Thomas placed his hand over Jimmy's, squeezed then led his hand in pumping the length.

'Mmmm…' Thomas leaned over to kiss Jimmy, continuing the movement below.

As Jimmy parted Thomas's lips with his tongue an unfamiliar flavor assaulted him and he pulled away. 'Ick, what is that?'

Their hands stilled. Thomas smiled and chuckled. 'It's you.'

'Me?'

'It's what you taste like. When you…' Thomas explained and darted his eyes down then back up, 'You know.'

Jimmy's eyes widened then diverted them away from Thomas's gaze as color rushed to his face. 'You mean you- you swallowed it?'

'There's not too much mess down there. Where did you think it all went? And it was quite a bit, I might add.'

Jimmy hadn't even thought about such things, he'd been so caught up in the feeling of it all. 'But why?'

'It's very intimate, and I love you so very much.'

Jimmy could feel the emotion dripping from the man's words. Thomas removed his hand from Jimmy's, leaned and reached behind him retrieving what was left of the bottle of wine and took a few swigs. He put the bottle down then moved to cup Jimmy's cheek and leaned into capture his lips once more. 'Better?' Thomas asked as he pulled away.

'Only a bit,' Jimmy replied, pressing his lips once again to Thomas's. He felt his had covered and guided once more pumping along the other man's shaft.

After Thomas found his release the two took their handkerchiefs and dampened them in the water to clean themselves off before redressing. They downed the rest of the wine, ate the rest of their fruit and then packed the remnants of the picnic back into the hamper.

The two men walked the path back to the great house brazenly as the light quickly faded on the horizon. Neither said much though both kept catching each other's gaze and smiled.

'What do you plan to do with the rest of the night, Thomas?'

'Take a bath, maybe turn in a bit early,' the under-butler answered.

'I could come read you the paper. Or a bedtime story,' Jimmy suggested.

'I'll take you up on that.'

The two entered the yard and walked in the servants' entrance. Judging by the time the family should be nearly finished with dinner shortly.

Mrs. Patmore came around the corner from the kitchens. 'Back before time for dinner are you?' Her eyes drifted to the hamper. 'And just where have you two been with that?'

'And what makes you think we've been out together?' Jimmy asked. Thomas picked up a more nervous note than necessary.

'I fancied a picnic today Mrs. Patmore. Borrowed a few things which I plan on returning to their places.'

'A hamper seems an awful trouble for a picnic for one,' she commented in such a tone both men had become familiar with as her to be meaning she knew better but wasn't going to say it. 'I take it you had a good afternoon Mr. Barrow?'

'I did Mrs. Patmore. Now if you'll excuse me.' Thomas began walking for the stairs.

'And did you have a good afternoon James?' she asked as Jimmy started to follow behind Thomas.

'Um, yes, thank you,' he replied stiffly and with that Jimmy practically bolted for the stairs, walking an even quicker pace than Thomas as he passed by and around him.

Once Thomas got to the stairs after the first few flights he'd caught up to Jimmy. 'Jimmy what's wrong?' Thomas asked.

Jimmy stopped and turned around on the stairs to look at Thomas face to face. 'She knows,' he said through gritted teeth. 'How does she know Thomas?'

'Knows what you silly goose?'

'Us,' he whispered.

Thomas sighed whilst bearing an amused grin. 'She doesn't know anything. That's just Mrs. P. She's just making assumptions 'cause she knows I still fancy you. She's picking on me a bit, more than anything. Now come on let's just get upstairs.'

Jimmy's lips were drawn tightly into a thin line and his eyebrows tightly knit. Thomas couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Jimmy in such a foul mood over something. And this was nothing in Thomas's opinion. The blond turned without a word and continued a quick pace up the stairs to the attics. Thomas sighed and followed suit.