The morning sun glinted through the small gap between the curtains at the window as Thomas woke from a deep sleep feeling fully rested. He had the morning off and as it was boxing day, Richard had the day off so this was a rare occasion in which they could both get up whenever they wished. Thomas was perfectly happy to stay where he was for now though. It was about half past eight, a long lie in, compared to his usual starts at six or earlier. He turned over to face his partner who was still very much fast asleep. After everything Richard did yesterday, Thomas was not surprised to find him flat out. Despite the sun, it was still very cold and Thomas pulled the duvet up over Richard and himself a bit more and in doing so he saw the ring on his finger. He felt so peaceful he thought that he must have dreamt the whole thing. But there it was, the metal warm against his skin as he had been lying on his hand whilst sleeping. They say that you can never know what life has in store for you, but Thomas never ever expected to wear such a thing. Even if they weren't actually married, it almost felt like they were, or at least they were as good as married. Before, for most of his life, he'd never given marriage much thought as there was no point dwelling on what he couldn't ever have, but here he was.

Thomas thought back to last night. They had stayed in his office for a while after, although it was not the most comfy place to relax and since Richard had yawned three or four times, they decided to head home. In their excitement they forgot about taking the rings off before they left the room. Thomas only realised they still had them on when Phyllis looked at them as they came back into the servants hall together side by side. Her eyes widened when she saw what was on his hand. She didn't look worried but more shocked as she could be forgiven for not expecting to see him wearing that. She didn't say anything, just smiled at them both, and no one else seemed to notice as they were too caught up in any festivities or conversation to even notice them. Thomas suspected that she would raise the subject of the rings at a later date though. Thomas remembered though that one other person did notice. Chris was just leaving, he had said his thanks and goodbyes and shook Richard and him by the hand. Chris tried not to react when he felt the ring on Richard and his fingers. Thomas wasn't really sure what was going through Chris's mind at that moment. Chris was good at hiding his emotions. All he did was bite his lip, as though to stop himself from saying something. Other than that he pretended not to notice. Maybe for both his and Richard's sakes or maybe for his own.

On the way home they did discuss how they were to proceed with the rings now. They both agreed that they didn't want them to be put away in a box or a draw somewhere, never to be seen or felt. They decided eventually that they would wear them on their fingers when they were alone at home or when they were in the company of a select few who they could trust completely. Richard sounded excited when he said that they should go to visit his parents in the new year and that they should wear them then. He said that his mum had already seen it. He also said that maybe they could get away to London for a few days sometime and that they could stay with Izzie and Lucy who of course would have no problems with seeing them wear them in the proper way. Thomas remembered saying that Richard seemed to be thinking of situations and occasions where they could wear them in front of others. Thomas also remembered the way he felt a little light headed when Richard replied 'Well I have no shame in loving you.' For the rest of the time though, they agreed the best compromise would be to wear the rings around their necks on a chain. That way they could wear them under any clothing and no one who might take 'offence' would be any the wiser.

Thomas felt Richard stir next to him. He didn't wake quickly. He just nuzzled his face into the pillow and sighed in his sleep, which Thomas couldn't help but smile at. Richard's hair was tangled at the front and loose over his forehead a bit and Thomas found it extremely hard to resist pushing stray hairs away from his eyes. He wanted Richard to wake and see him, but he also didn't want to wake him. He looked so good, just as he was. Eventually though, Richard blinked awake, unused to it being light in the morning. "Darling," Richard said sleepily, as he looked up to Thomas who was sitting a bit more upright in bed. With that Thomas laid down fully again, turning himself onto his side to face Richard, placing his hand on the side of Richard's face before kissing him tenderly.

It was Thomas's turn now to snuggle himself onto Richard's pillow as they lay tangled close to each other. When Richard broke the kiss eventually, Thomas stopped trying to resist temptation, and brushed the loose hair off Richard's forehead. "Beautiful," Thomas said.

"What is?" Richard teased.

"You know, you. And us. Everything," Thomas said. Richard took Thomas's hand, which was happily resting against his own chest and kissed it. Their fingers interlocked on top of the duvet and now their rings looked even brighter in the daylight.

"Well, would you look at that," Richard said as they held hands. "Quite a sight."

"Yeah," Thomas said simply, following Richard's gaze to their hands. "But um, you don't regret it? Playing at something that isn't official."

"Not for a second," Richard said firmly. "You don't do you?"

"No, sorry," Thomas said. "Just my mind being a pain, you know, doubts." They were both silent and Thomas was thinking. "I suppose, after four and a half years, we are very far beyond pretending anything."

"This is as real as it gets," Richard agreed. "I can firmly say that I have no regrets about any of it because everything has led to how we are right now. I am holding hands in bed with you on boxing day. It's not bad."

"Only not bad?" Thomas asked, hoping to lighten the mood after he voiced his mind a bit too much.

Richard let go of Thomas's hand, but only so that he could let it find its way around Thomas's waist underneath the covers. "Yeah, you'll do," Richard teased.

"Oh really?" Thomas asked, as he gave Richard a playful shove.

Richard responded by pushing Thomas back so that he landed mostly on top of him. "No one else will do Thomas." In the current position he was in, Thomas couldn't complain either. He would never get tired of this. Ever. "Though it is a lovely morning, the sun is shining in and you, I must say, are far too overdressed," Richard said. Thomas was wearing a jumper as he often did at night in the winter. Richard grinned, "give me your arms."

"What? No, Richard it's cold," Thomas said. In truth, Thomas wasn't feeling too cold at all anymore, but he liked to play along.

"Thomas Barrow," Richard said, pretending to be cross. "Arms, now." Thomas pretended to be unhappy with being given orders. Richard was enjoying the feeling of Thomas shuffling beneath him as he moved his arms out from under him. Richard took Thomas's hands and placed them above Thomas's head before planting a quick kiss on Thomas's lips and positioning himself so that he could pull his jumper off him over his head, whilst letting his hips buck up against Thomas, just once, but enough so that Thomas bit his lip. "Better," he said. Richard was about to continue this game but Thomas had other ideas. He wrapped his now free arms around Richard's back, pulling him further down onto him before pushing him again so that they both rolled over resulting in Thomas lying on top of Richard.

Thomas smiled down at Richard in victory. Richard hitched his breath, not because of Thomas turning the tables on him, but probably more likely because Thomas had moved his knee a bit further up between Richard's legs than it was before. "How long do we have?"

"I'm all yours for as long as you want me," Richard gasped.

"You don't have any plans?"

"Nothing that can't be changed," Richard replied, loving seeing this side of Thomas. The side no one else sees.

"Perfect," Thomas said.

It was a good job that Thomas was not expected back at Downton for a while yet...

...

Almost two hours later and Thomas was feeling very content lying on his back in bed, the back of his head resting on Richard just below his bare shoulder and collar bone. The clock on the wall ticking, was the only sound in the room as they were both content in the peaceful silence. The room was bright with the morning sun, despite the fact the curtains had not been drawn yet. Neither of them have had a chance to do so, as they hadn't left their bed all morning. Thomas was contemplating whether he could get away with not turning up at Downton at all today, maybe faking a sudden illness or something so he and the delightfully handsome man he was currently using as a pillow, could spend the day hidden away somewhere. He hadn't considered telling a lie to get out of work for a long time, as now he actually was happy at Downton. Thomas's smile broadened and Richard, who never seems to miss a thing, noticed. "What?" he asked, looking down at the dark haired man he had his arm around.

"It's just funny that's all," Thomas began. "I was trying to work out how I could skive off the working for the rest of today, and I haven't done that since-." Thomas stopped. "Well I haven't done that for a long time."

"So I have a bad influence on you do I?" Richard asked, slowly kissing Thomas on the top of his head.

"You have the best influence on me. I believe I have mentioned many times before how I was not a nice person," Thomas said. "Though, you are a temptation for sure."

"You have. And I don't believe it for a second. You are heavenly Mr Barrow," Richard said as Thomas shuffled a little to look up at him. "In every way you should be." All logic seemed to escape Thomas's mind as Richard kissed him slowly again and again. He was now getting more and more convinced that he didn't need a job at all.

A perfectly romantic scene, one fit for the movies, except for Richard's loud stomach rumble which rudely interrupted the moment. Thomas broke the kiss as he failed to hold back a giggle that belonged more to a child than a grown man. "And you are clearly hungry," Thomas said.

"Well in my defense, it is much later than I would normally have breakfast and I haven't even made it yet," Richard said.

"You stay here, I reckon I can get something together, though it has been a chaotic few days and I'm not sure what food we actually have that is still edible," Thomas said.

"You sure? I can help," Richard offered as Thomas made to get up.

"I can cook breakfast you know! I have got better at all that stuff," Thomas said, defending himself which just made Richard laugh.

"You couldn't poach an egg if you're life depended on it, but I think I could trust you to boil one," Richard mocked.

"Right, well thank you for your faith in me," Thomas said.

"Before you go anywhere Thomas, I want to tell you something that happened yesterday on my way home," Richard said. Thomas climbed back into bed again. He only just realised somewhere in their activities this morning they had swapped sides of the bed and he was in Richard's usual place. "It's about Mr Tomlinson."

"The one who rescued you," Thomas prompted.

"Yes. I didn't tell you and everyone else yesterday all of what happened," Richard began. "He did give me a lift back but he was also a very curious man. Natural I suppose, given it was an unusual thing for me to be doing, walking through the snow for miles on Christmas day. We got talking and I slipped up with my words. He asked if I had a sweetheart waiting for me back at Downton. I didn't say yes or no, but I later said 'he' instead of 'they', and for a moment I thought 'is he going to throw me from this tractor into a ditch?"

"I take it he did not," Thomas said.

"No, he didn't seem to notice my mistake, so I thought no more about it. I thought maybe he didn't hear me," Richard explained. "But when he dropped me off just outside the village he said something that I found rather amazing." Thomas noted how Richard's voice sounded different, joyful maybe. Mixed with surprise. "He said, and I quote, 'make sure that you get to spend some decent time with that man of yours'."

"He said what?" Thomas said amazed. "He said nothing else?"

"No. Just that, before he drove away again. He just said it so normally, or casually, like it was nothing. I have been thinking about it a lot, wondering if there was a hidden sarcastic note to his voice that I missed but the more I think about it and the more I believe he genuinely meant what he said," Richard said.

"Well, he is different then. It's odd to think," Thomas said.

"I was thinking, after we've eaten, we could go for a walk that way and if we bump into him then I could introduce you," Richard suggested. "Only if you are happy with that though."

"I think that will be nice, though we should air on the side of caution just in case," Thomas said, as he has misinterpreted people's words before and come off worse for it.

"Of course," Richard said, sharing Thomas's cautious thinking. Despite his own certainty that it was fine, doubts were always present. "I have been wanting to go for a walk in the snow with you."

"Probably not much snow left by then, but it will be nice all the same," Thomas said. "Though now we must eat, pass me my dressing gown would you?"

Richard threw it over to him. "I don't mind if you walk out of this room and downstairs as you are."

"You may not, but the postman might if he knocks at the door," Thomas said. "And you'd better pull the curtains back, since this is your room as far as everyone else is concerned."

...

There was a deep chill in the air as Thomas and Richard walked along the narrow lane bordered on both sides by a stone wall and hedges. The sky however was a crisp light blue above them and whenever they came out of the shade they were greeted by the welcoming warmth of the sun. It was almost midday and they only had a couple of hours until Thomas had to get back to Downton, but even with the sun at the highest it gets for this time of the year, they could still see their breath like steam in front of them when they breathed out. The road was now mostly void of snow and hazardous patches of ice and so more people were out than yesterday. It was pleasant exchanging post Christmas greetings with the few people that passed them by, but Richard was relieved when they finally turned off the road and through a gap in the hedge and over a narrow stone stile into a field. Richard climbed over the stones first and jumped down the other side. Thomas followed him but as Thomas jumped down as well, Richard decided to take a little risk and took his hand and led Thomas a few steps to the side, out of view of the road. With his heart beating faster, partly due to the walk and partly due to the adrenaline that was driving forward in taking this risk, Richard put his gloved hand on the side of Thomas's face and kissed him.

It was a quick kiss as they didn't know if anyone else was around, or who would come along, but Thomas enjoyed it all the same. They broke apart but didn't move away from each other, they stood looking over the sloping half white, half green field in front of them. Thomas had been this way before. They needed to walk to the bottom of the field and there would be another stile they would climb over to reach another road. He surveyed the field in front of them. No people in sight as far as they could see, only a scattering of sheep grazing on the patches of grass that were beginning to outnumber the patches of snow. The sheep closest to them, which had an interesting marking of black wool around it's left eye, making it look as if it were wearing an eye patch, was watching them closely whilst chewing grass. "I hope you're not the judgy kind," Thomas said to the sheep that would have witnessed their kiss. The sheep just stared at them both before suddenly bleating and running down the field to the other sheep.

"Oh dear, it appears we are done for now," Richard laughed. "I think he's gone to report us."

"And it was going so well," Thomas said, continuing the joke.

"I reckon we could sneak past them before they come for us," Richard joked.

Thomas laughed out loud, "You're an idiot," he said.

"My dear, you started it."

"Right, of course my fault, but now since you are blaming me I'll have to think of how to get back at you," Thomas teased.

"Any ideas?" Richard prompted as they walked down the field.

"Maybe," Thomas paused as Richard walked ahead of him.

"Hey!" Richard shouted, as a snowball hit his back. Thomas just stood there looking proud of himself. "Fine! You asked for it Mr Barrow, and don't think my feelings will make me go easy on you!" Richard threw a snowball in Thomas's direction that got him on the shoulder.

Thomas shook it off and picked up more ammunition, "You'd better run Richard Ellis! I'm a good shot!" Richard ran down the sloping field, Thomas not far behind him, sheep scattering in all directions, his aim was as good as he said and he got Richard on the back of the knee that time. It was a miracle that neither of them fell over by the time they came to a stop at the bottom of the field gasping for air and laughing. This was what it was about, being able to let your guard down completely and Thomas felt so alive as a result.

It was when they stood there trying to laugh and breathe normally at the same time that they heard a dog bark. Richard looked up his hands still on his knees in the direction of a gate a little way down the other end of the field. Hector, Mr Tomlinson's young and inexperienced sheep dog, wiggled underneath the gate and came running over to them, remembering Richard from yesterday evening. Richard noticed Matthew Tomlinson, leaning on the gate looking amused. He looked like he had been there a while, and so had probably seen the whole snowball fight. Richard crouched down as Hector barked excitedly. The dog showed little interest in the field full of sheep and was more focused on greeting his friend that he met the day before, wagging his tail and whining. "Hello again," Richard said, "You remember me don't you?" Now that Hector had given a substantial welcome to his friend he calmed down enough for Thomas to stroke him too. "Hector was responsible for finding me in the snow, I suppose it is down to him that I got back to you in time," Richard explained to Thomas.

"And so we meet again, in another field of sheep Mr Ellis," Mr Tomlinson said as he walked over.

"Yes, it is becoming a bit of a habit isn't it?" Richard said cheerfully, brushing off snow and paw prints.

"I'm sorry if we frightened your sheep," Thomas said looking, for want of a better word, sheepish.

"They are fine, tougher than they look. That's why I'm leaving them out to graze, better for them, unless the weather turns again," Mr Tomlinson said. "Mr Barrow isn't it? From up at the Abbey?" Matthew thought he recognised Mr Ellis's more reserved looking companion.

"Yes, that's me," Thomas said.

"Matthew Tomlinson," Mr Tomlinson said, shaking Thomas by the hand. "I met your friend yesterday."

"Yes, Richard told me of your kindness," Thomas said, though he was referring to the two acts of kindness.

"It was a pleasure," Mr Tomlinson said. "I take it he made it back to you in time? I hope you two were able to spend a bit of Christmas day together."

"He did thank you," Thomas said, glancing at Richard to the side of him. "And yes we had a good time." Matthew found it a bit sad that Mr Barrow didn't feel happy enough to elaborate even though he could see in his face that he wanted to say more. He didn't blame him, despite the fact that they had probably met briefly in the past, Mr Barrow didn't know him. He reckoned that Richard Ellis must have said something to Mr Barrow though as the man looked like he wanted to ask something but was afraid too.

"You know, now I think about it, I have seen you around before yesterday Mr Ellis," Mr Tomlinson said, changing the subject. "You own the book shop in the village, am I right?"

"I do," Richard said.

"I thought so. I'm not down that way too often, but I like what you have done with the place. It is good to see the shop full of life again, after it was left empty for months. I take it then that this must be your first Christmas season in Downton?" Mr Tomlinson asked.

"It is the first actual Christmas day I have spent here, but not the first time I've been here at this time of year," Richard said. He decided this was as good a time as any to put away any small doubts in the corners of his mind and to show Thomas that Mr Tomlinson is a friend to them. "I came here a few years ago when I visited Thomas from London where I worked then. I stayed for New Year's eve and a few days after that. We hadn't seen each other in a while, we had a bit of a tough time before so I wanted to create some good memories by coming here to cover the bad ones."

Thomas looked at Richard, surprised at how much he had given away to someone he'd only just met. Thomas then looked nervously at Mr Tomlinson, who to his surprise and Richard's joy, didn't seem to bat an eyelid at what was said or implied. "Downton always puts on a good firework display for New Year's day, I suspect this year will be no different. I am glad you were able to create some pleasant memories, we can't remove the past of course but we can improve on it," Mr Tomlinson said wisely. He saw how both men relaxed, especially Mr Barrow, and he was glad he said the right thing. "A move from London though, must have been a bit of a change? Though I can tell you are local by your accent Mr Ellis."

"Yes, I'm from York originally," Richard said. "But I had been working in London for a long time. Though after four years, I decided it was about time to make a change and come here. Thomas is too attached to Downton to leave," Richard said, surprising himself at how much personal information he was deciding to say but he knew when people were to be trusted. It was a feeling. The same feeling he got when he spoke to his parents or to Izzie. He hoped Thomas was not troubled by this honesty but Thomas looked encouraged by the conversation.

Matthew was happy to hear they had been together for such a long time, he was glad that Mr Barrow was the man that Richard was so keen on getting home too yesterday. He had known about Mr Barrow. Like a lot of people, they knew something but no one ever spoke of it. He had heard people say things about him in the past that implied that he was different, but none of those people meant well, saying things like Mr Barrow was 'odd' or 'wrong' or that you should 'steer clear of people like him' as though he was contagious. He knew better, but he wished others would too. If Mr Barrow had a reputation of being unfriendly and cold it was hardly surprising, though the man he had watched chasing his partner down a hill with a snowball was so much different than his reputation amongst many. "Well it is easy to be attached to somewhere that you have called home for a long time. And if I may say Mr Barrow, the Abbey is doing rather well under your control, and though many would not like me if they heard me say this, I think you are an improvement on Mr Carson."

Thomas was aware that he was staring a bit, this was not a conversation he has had before and people never complimented him on his work or much for that matter. They never said he was better than Carson. "That is kind of you, thank you," Thomas said. There was a distant sound of a clock chime in the distance from the church, reminding him and Richard that they were running out of time.

"We will have to be getting on Mr Tomlinson. Thomas needs to be back at Downton by two," Richard said.

"Of course, you should go. I will have to pop into your shop Mr Ellis sometime, I do like a good book," Mr Tomlinson said.

"One thing Mr Tomlinson," Thomas said. "I am curious and I hope you don't mind me asking but, why are you okay with us? I know it is an odd thing to say but I have not met many like you, very few actually."

Matthew thought for a moment on how to answer that. Only his daughter had asked him that question once when she was younger, and he was happy to explain so that she would make up her own mind instead of just seeing things the way most people do. "I'll answer this by asking you something Mr Barrow if you don't mind?"

"Okay," Thomas said nervously.

"Did you wake up one morning and decide that you would like to be attracted to men and only men, hence condemning yourself in the eyes of the law?"

"No," Thomas said in a small voice.

"Then that is part of my answer. You did not choose to be the way you are, nature chose it for you. It is my firm belief that punishing someone, treating them like an outcast for something that is natural, is as cruel and as stupid as punishing someone for having a different colour skin or different colour hair or for being left handed. God created all life on this Earth, and he created so that each one of us is different in some way or another so that we are all special. Whether you believe in God or not, the evidence for everyone being different in some way is all around us. It is something that should be accepted and celebrated not pushed away like a dirty secret in the dark."

Thomas blinked rapidly, he did not want to cry in front of a stranger, although this stranger was quickly becoming one of his favourite people in the world. "No one has ever said anything like that to me before. My father said... he said," Thomas didn't feel able to continue that sentence.

"I didn't want to upset you," Mr Tomlinson said, putting a hand on Thomas's shoulder.

"You're not, I just... It is so refreshing to hear you say those things," Thomas said.

"I mean them, and I am very glad that I chose to check on the sheep yesterday, I feel like I was meant to have this conversation with you both," Mr Tomlinson said. "You two take care now. Take care of each other."

"We will, and thank you for everything Mr Tomlinson," Richard said, he was finding his brave face was also beginning to crumble at his words to Thomas. As they walked away Richard took Thomas's hand, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, not sad tears," Thomas said. He put his hand to his chest where he could feel the ring Richard had given him, hidden under his shirt. He meant it. He felt hopeful.