Note: Thank you to all of you have taken time to send me some really lovely reviews on both this story and 'Unfinished Kisses'. It really makes me feel happy to know other people are enjoying my writing, and it encourages me to write more!
Note: Rated M as a caution
Thomas stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom that connected to their bedroom. Richard was downstairs with Izzie cleaning up after dinner. Thomas did offer to help of course, but Richard insisted he should go upstairs and try on his new pocket watch. He had spent a lot longer than what was necessary to fix it to his waistcoat pocket, but he really loved the look and feel of it. Richard was right, it really did add something to him, and it looked good on him, even though he said so himself. Before he had put it on, he'd given it a little polish, even though it was shining already. He had wound it too and now, stood in the silence of the bathroom, he listened to the quiet tick it was making. This was quite simply the most precious thing he'd ever received and he loved it, almost as much as the man who had given it to him. He sighed. He would be back at Downton, this time tomorrow. He loved his job, and he finally felt like he belonged there, but it was so far away from him. It was so hard to know when he'd see Richard again, probably not for months. And as for when they next get to spend a few days in each others company like this, well that was more of a question of 'if' rather than 'when'. Thomas tried to stay positive, he had forgotten for the past few days that he even had to go back to Downton, he has had the time of his life and most importantly he has a man who is more than willing to do this long distance, awkward and inconvenient relationship with him. Thomas sighed again, putting his hands on either side of the basin and hanging his head for a moment, his mind in a whirl, "Dammit", he said to himself, expressing his frustration at his situation. "Who knew happiness could be so complicated."
"Oh, but the best things in life are worth fighting for." Thomas looked up suddenly. Richard was standing there leaning against the doorframe. Thomas never heard him come in.
"How long have you been standing there?"
"Not long, but long enough to hear what you said, and enough to read your thoughts," Richard said, slowly approaching Thomas, who had now stood up fully, and had turned to face him. Richard put his hands on Thomas' hips and stepped closer to him, kissing him gently on the forehead.
Thomas chuckled, "Am I so easy to read? I thought I'd hid it better than that." Thomas said, wrapping his arms around Richard's waist.
"Not to everyone else I don't think, but I'm learning how to read the complicated book that is Thomas Barrow," Richard smiled.
"I don't want to go. Simple as that. I need you. Without you I'm worried I'll fall apart again."
"I don't want to leave you either. You complete me Thomas," Richard sighed. "If I could, I would spend the rest of my life with you." Their foreheads touched, each man's eyes closed, savouring being in the presence of each other. "And you won't fall apart, just remember this, I think you're incredible." Richard added after a few moments. "I will be with you forever, there won't ever be anyone else. You know what I mean?"
Thomas smiled, "Of course I do," he said taking Richards hand, gently holding each of his fingers in turn. They had been standing in the dark in the bathroom for some time, the glow of a full moon however, cast a gentle glow over the room and them both.
Richard looked over to the moon out the window, "Remind you of something?" He said with a smile and a look in his eye. Thomas smiled at the memory they were both sharing at that moment, and he could almost smell the cool fresh breeze of the countryside night air, mixed with the sound of it gently brushing through the blades of wheat that surrounded them that night. The first night they had spent together. Without saying anything, Richard took Thomas' hand and slowly pulled him back with him out of the bathroom and back into the bedroom. "You'd wanna take that off," Richard said, looking at the pocket watch. Thomas obeyed, liking the direction this was going in, and placed it on the table near the bed. Richard snaked his hand up Thomas' back under his jacket, tugging the jacket off Thomas when his hands reached Thomas' shoulders. He then started on his waistcoat, cursing the fact that Thomas was wearing so much after trying on the pocket watch he gave him, slowly undoing the buttons at the top first, then speeding up as he began to lose patience. A feeling they seemed to share as when he was undoing the final buttons, Thomas had removed Richard's shirt and belt, the buckle clunking on the floor as it fell to the ground. Any remaining items of clothing was lost a few moments later, and by the time Thomas had pushed Richard back to the bed where he ended up straddling Richard's lap, in the opposite of the situation they had found themselves in the night before. Thomas grabbed the back of Richard's head and their lips crashed together in an explosion of passion, feeling Richard growing hard beneath him.
"What do you want?" Thomas asked panting, whilst leaning back from their ferocious kiss for a few seconds.
"Everything" Richard said, as he pulled Thomas back down onto him.
They didn't get much sleep that night.