"Tidbits"

Prompt: inspired by Sybil/Tom BROTP Weekend & Matthew Lives! Day, featuring Sybil x Gwen & Tom x Matthew

Rating: strong T, border lining on M

Part I: Gwen & Sybil (roughly set in the "Love's Journey" universe, taking place in chapter 175, before Tom and Sybil leave for Ireland)

"So…like this?" Sybil asked, trying her very best not to look too mortified at what she was doing.

Gwen was blushing furiously as well, though she was also on the verge of laughing. "Perhaps…not quite so hard," she advised, moving her hand to Sybil's, encouraging her to loosen her grip. "Remember, when the time comes, it won't be a cucumber that you're holding."

"Oh for heaven's sake," Sybil groaned, dropping the vegetable altogether and taking a few steps back, turning her back on Gwen and covering her heated face with her hands. "I'm a nurse! I've seen naked men before, I…I've bathed them and even helped clean them…" she turned and gestured towards the cucumber and made a motion with her hand. "…Down there!" she muttered. "Why is this so difficult?"

Gwen couldn't help a few giggles escape her lips. "Perhaps because this is completely different? Not to mention it's with Tom Branson, the man you love?"

Sybil sighed and continued to run her cool hands across her flushed cheeks. "Yes, perhaps."

"Perhaps?" Gwen did throw her head back and laughed at that. "Oh milady—"

"Sybil!"

Gwen waved her hand dismissively, still giggling. Even though the two of them had come a long way in their friendship, some habits were hard to break, including Gwen's old one of referring to Sybil by her title than her name. "Even before you finally admitted to me your feelings about Downton's former chauffeur, I knew that you liked him—and no, I'm not talking about that friendly way the three of us got along; the 'musketeers' as you called us," Gwen sighed, recalling the years before the War, when she still worked at Downton and saw her friends on a much more regular basis (though such friendships were not seemly, according to the rules of Society). "And of course, I knew that Tom liked you…the way his face lit up whenever a letter arrived with your name on it…" she giggled. "And he couldn't stop going on about you in those harem pants!"

Sybil blushed at this, but smiled and felt her heart throb with warmth, both at the memories and at the sweet realization that she and Tom had been in love with each other for much longer than when they had finally spoken their words out loud. And now here they were, preparing to travel to Ireland for that last step in their journey (or rather, that last step before they started a new journey), as engaged couple…to husband and wife.

"Now," Gwen said, trying to sound very businesslike as she once again held the cucumber out for Sybil. "Do you want my help and advice, or not?"

Sybil blushed furiously as she gazed at the offered vegetable. She had been writing to Gwen for quite some time, asking all sorts of questions about…being a good wife…and while she appreciated Gwen's openness in her letters, there were some things Sybil had a hard time understanding without…seeing it performed.

Of course, she couldn't see THAT performed, so…substitutes had to be used.

"Alright…" Sybil murmured, swallowing the embarrassed lump in her throat, lifting her chin, and striding forward to take the cucumber back. "So…I…I wrap my hand around it—"

"Him," Gwen corrected.

"Yes, of course, HIM!" Sybil repeated; oh Lord, her face was on fire! "I…I carefully…wrap my fingers around his…his base like so…" she swallowed and demonstrated, gripping the bottom of the cucumber tentatively.

Gwen giggled. "He's not going to break, Sybil, you can grip it a little harder than that."

"Oh honestly!" Sybil muttered, her hand falling away completely. "First you tell me I'm gripping too hard, then you tell me it's too soft! I…I honestly don't know what I'm doing!" Her frustration was growing to the point that she could feel tears prick her eyes, which made her feel even more foolish than she already was, practicing with a vegetable.

Gwen sighed, feeling a little bad for her friend's frustration. "The truth is…you won't know completely until the two of you are together. And together, you'll learn each other, what you like and…how much of it you like, and where you liked to be touched, as well as where he likes to be touched…"

Sybil was still blushing as she listened to her friend talk, but at the same time she was smiling, recalling how Tom had told her once that he loved the way her fingers tangled in his hair and scratched the back of his neck when they kissed. And when he discovered that little spot on her neck, where her pulse throbbed, oh how she remembered whimpering and telling him that felt so good…and he continued to kiss her there until her knees practically gave out beneath her.

"It almost makes one wonder what the point of this is," Sybil sighed, gesturing to the cucumber.

Gwen bit her lip to hold back her giggle, though it was an impossible task. "Practice makes perfect!"

Sybil laughed too, and then once again, looking most determined, took the cucumber from Gwen and wrapped her fingers around it…before slowly sliding her hand upwards, then back down…up, and down…up, and down…

"Don't be afraid to increase speed," Gwen instructed. "Or to tighten your grip too, but only if he seems to be enjoying it!"

Sybil nodded her head, concentrating on her task. "And do I move my hand in a circular motion?" she asked, demonstrating to her friend what she was talking about.

Gwen opened her mouth to answer, but just then the kitchen door opened, revealing Tom, a toddler on each arm. "Look! We found them!" Tom announced to the squealing children. He grinned and looked up at the two women…and then paused, his brow furrowing in confusion as he looked at his fiancée…then at Gwen…and then at the cucumber they were holding. "…Is…is everything alright?"

"YES!" both women answered right away, Sybil dropping her hands and quickly clasping them behind her back.

Tom didn't seem so convinced. "What are you doing with the cucumber?"

"SALAD!" Gwen was quick to answer, coughing and clearing her throat, before putting on a smile. "I was going to make a salad to accompany our lunch."

"And I'm helping her!" Sybil grinned, trying to look innocent; a look Tom knew was the opposite. However, before he could question things further, Sybil said, "Oh look, Gwen! Edward's home!" and just like that, all attention was taken away from the strange scene Tom had walked in on, to Gwen's husband, who was greeted warmly by the Warren's guests.

It wasn't until they had nearly finished their lunch of cold ham and cheese sandwiches, that Tom realized something. "Where's the salad?"

"Salad?" Edward asked, looking up from his daughter whom he was helping to feed.

Tom nodded. "Gwen and Sybil had a cucumber and were going to make a salad…" his voice trailed off as suddenly the two women burst out laughing, hardly able to contain their giggles as memories from earlier washed over them.

"What's so funny?" Edward asked, looking just as confused as Tom.

"N-n-n-nothing…" Gwen giggled, turning and grinning at Sybil.

Sybil winked back at her friend. "We just…we decided…to use it…for something else."

Still unsure what to make of their giggles, Tom shrugged his shoulders. "Ah well…though I can't deny, I was looking forward to it."

Sybil turned a bright, bright red then, especially as Gwen's laughter grew louder. "Oh Tom!" she gasped, between giggles. "You have no idea…"


Part II: Matthew & Tom (set in 1920; Mary is already pregnant when Tom and Sybil's daughter is born)

"You're a real natural Tom," Matthew murmured from where he sat in the breakfast room.

Tom grinned back at his brother-in-law. "Comes from having five younger siblings," he chuckled, before thoughtfully looking off in the distance. "But whether you've been around babies your whole life or not, I do think that something just…happens, when you hold your own child, does that make sense?"

Matthew swallowed the piece of toast he was chewing, thought about his friend's words, and then nodded his head. "Yes, I do think I understand…at least, that's what I hope," he sighed. "I never realized how…how desperately I wanted to be a father until, if I may be frank, I saw both you and Sybil hold my niece," he murmured, smiling at the sleeping girl in her father's arms.

Tom chuckled again. "I know exactly what you mean." He rose from his seat, prepared to go and take the little girl back up to her mother, who was quite deservedly, in Tom's opinion, getting some extra sleep after waking several times in the night to feed their daughter, when Matthew cleared his throat just before he left the room.

"Um…Tom, can I…can I ask you something? Brother-in-law to brother-in-law?"

Tom's brow furrowed, but he nodded his head. "Aye, what is it?"

He noticed how Matthew's face was beginning to turn pink. "Um…" he glanced at the sleeping child. "No, no, it's nothing, never mind."

But Tom wasn't convinced. "Go on, tell me."

Matthew coughed. "Really, it's nothing—"

"Matthew, tell me," Tom growled, his temper growing short (he hadn't slept that much the previous night, either).

Matthew sighed and glanced over his shoulder; Robert had left ten minutes ago, and Carson had stepped out as well. It was just the two of them.

"Forgive me, but…but when Sybil was pregnant…"

Tom's eyebrows shot up.

Matthew felt so embarrassed. "When Sybil was pregnant…" he began again, his voice lowering with each word. "Was she…was she…"

Tom leaned in. "Was she…what?"

Matthew groaned. "It's too personal, I shouldn't have brought it up."

Tom's eyes narrowed. "Does this have to do with certain…appetites?"

Matthew turned and stared at his brother-in-law in surprise, a mixture of shock that Tom had not only, in a manner of speaking, "figured out" what he had been referring to, but that he didn't seem…all that put off by being asked.

Tom sighed and sat down at a vacant chair next to his friend, still balancing the sleeping baby in his arms. "So…?"

Matthew swallowed, set down his knife and fork, and after a deep breath (and one more glance over his shoulder), opened up. "Before we knew that Mary was pregnant, hardly a night had passed where we didn't…uh…"

"Fall asleep right away," Tom finished, taking pity on his brother-in-law. He couldn't help but smile to himself; if anyone needed proof of Matthew's "Englishness", here it was.

"Right," Matthew answered, looking thankful for Tom's "gift" with words. "Then, after we found out, we went through a period of…of…"

"A dry spell?" Tom offered.

Matthew winced, but nodded his head. "Yes, you could say that I suppose," he muttered. "And this…dry spell…did seem to go on for quite some time…I…I can't deny, I was worried it was going to last the entire pregnancy," he confessed. "But…but then, one night, as we were getting ready for bed, I had just settled in, and suddenly…" his face was so dark, yet there was also a rather…satisfied…smile on it too.

Tom understood that smile; he had smiled it himself many times. "Suddenly, everything had changed," Tom murmured.

"Precisely," Matthew chuckled.

"Well, that's good, isn't it?" Tom asked, grinning back.

Matthew was still blushing. "It is, I…I'm not complaining, just…" he nervously glanced over his shoulder again. "Was Sybil so…demanding?"

Tom's eyebrows rose again. "Demanding in what way?"

Matthew gave Tom a look. "Don't make me say it…"

Tom couldn't help but laugh at that, but was careful not to wake his daughter as he did. "I will admit that there were nights, like now with the baby, where…I didn't much sleep," he said with a wink, before looking down at his child. "And as much as I love my daughter, I cannot deny, those sleepless nights were much more…pleasant," he whispered.

Matthew glanced at his niece and smiled, before turning back to Tom and whispering, "So…so it's 'normal' then?"

Tom was still chuckling. "Depends on what you mean by 'normal'," he teased. "But if you simply mean…that your wife has certain 'cravings' that only you can attend to? Well…I would say yes."

Matthew looked relieved at this, but then another look passed over him, one that still wore a bit of trouble. "Didn't you ever get…exhausted?"

Tom's eyes widened, and then a cheeky grin spread across his face, before he muttered under his breath, "Must be a Crawley woman trait." He then turned back to Matthew, looking rather serious. "There are ways of…satisfying your wife's cravings…without…exhausting yourself, you know."

Matthew's own eyes went wide, and he leaned in closer. "Go on."

Tom chuckled. "Well, I don't know what you're doing, but I'm sure you're aware that you don't have to do everything by simply…" he made a downward motion with his chin and Matthew looked down at his lap, realization dawning.

"Oh! Oh, yes, of course," he cleared his throat. "Yes I am aware of that, I um…that I could…vary it up, a bit," a rather dreamy smile ghosted across his lips then. "Mary does like it when I…" he stopped, feeling his face grow rather hot as he realized what secret he was about to divulge. "Um, yes, thank you, I'll keep that in mind," he coughed.

Tom laughed, again murmuring under his breath, "Crawley girls."

A few more "pearls of wisdom" were offered, including how to maneuver about a woman's growing belly.

"On all fours!?" Matthew gasped before quickly lowering his voice.

Tom stared back at his friend in confusion. "You're seriously telling me that you've never done it like that?"

Matthew turned dark red at the question. "We…we've done many things just…just not that…" he looked off across the room, as if imagining it, and found himself shifting somewhat uncomfortably in his chair. "…At least not yet."

Tom grinned. "Trust me; it will help," he looked across the room himself and smiled at a memory. "And I think it's safe to say that you'll like it, too."

"Indeed," Matthew murmured, still shifting in his chair.

Just then the sound of footsteps could be heard in the hall beyond, and Anna was seen in the doorway. "Oh! Mr. Crawley, forgive me for interrupting your breakfast but um…" she herself seemed to be blushing as she glanced back towards the hall and the staircase beyond. "But um…Lady Mary was asking for you."

Matthew rose from his chair, looking concerned. "Is something wrong?"

"No, no, nothing like that, I…" she blushed again and Tom noticed how Anna's eyes seemed to be looking anywhere but into Matthew's. "She just asked that you come quickly."

Matthew looked confused and glanced down at Tom. Then suddenly, realization dawned on him. "Oh!" he coughed and Tom bit his lip to contain the laugh that threatened to break forth. "Right," Matthew cleared his throat, before glancing at his brother-in-law. "Duty calls."

"Indeed," Tom chuckled. "Remember what I said!"

Matthew grinned. "How could I forget?"