Thomas stretched his arms as he walked slowly downstairs the following morning. Richard was still in their bedroom getting dressed and Thomas was going to make breakfast as they had both decided to eat at home instead of up at Downton today. Wilde then ran down the stairs past him, sat on the doormat and meowed asking to be let outside. "Alright hang on," Thomas said to Wilde as he turned the key and let their cat out. Being by the door reminded him to go to the front door of the shop and pick up any post that had been delivered. Depending on how early the postman was, sometimes they would collect it or sometimes they would find any letters on the table when Chris had found them instead later on. Thomas walked into the shop, which was cast in a gentle glow of sunlight that was being partially blocked by the blinds that were down at the windows. There was a strange sort of peacefulness at this time of morning downstairs, before the day began, and Thomas liked it. As was often the case, the post was there waiting for them. Nothing much at first glance, although as Thomas flicked through the envelopes as he walked back into the kitchen, there were three that caught his attention. The first was from Richard's mother it seemed, although nothing unusual about that as they often got a letter every week. He put that one to the back of the pile for Richard to read later. The second was from an address he wasn't familiar with at first until he recognised the handwriting and then remembered it was Jimmy's new address. He had told them he had found a new place recently in his most recent letter last month. What was a bit odd though was that this letter was addressed to Richard, and Thomas wondered why Jimmy was writing to Richard and not him. A wave of jealousy passed over him, which disappeared quickly enough though as it was silly of Thomas to be jealous. He put that letter to the back for Richard also, although he was still curious as to what Jimmy had to say to Richard that he couldn't hear. The third envelope had an address on it that Thomas and Richard knew very well since it was the address of the cottage in Cornwall they stayed at for a whole lovely week last May. This was also addressed to Richard, but Thomas didn't think too much of that as Larry Ferroland was technically Richard's friend before his. Nevertheless, Richard seemed to be getting a lot of correspondence at the moment.

...

Richard finished doing up his tie as he walked into the kitchen. Thomas had gone down earlier and said he would make a start on breakfast, but from what Richard could see at first glance as he walked in, Thomas had done nothing much towards breakfast and was instead looking through a pile of envelopes that he assumed were from this morning's post. In his morning sleepiness Richard forgot that he was expecting a few letters that would be vital towards his plans for Thomas's surprise birthday picnic and so he didn't react to Thomas holding those letters at first. Instead he slowly walked over to where Thomas was standing over the other side of the kitchen table and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Breakfast going well then?" Richard teased.

"I'll get on with it in a minute, just got these up from the mat in the shop. Most seem to be for you Richard. You seem to be a popular man right now," Thomas said, a note of curiosity in his voice that Richard picked up on. Richard looked down at the letters in Thomas's hands and saw the corner of one that was clearly from his friend Larry. At last! Richard thought. He had been waiting to hear from Larry for a while. He grabbed the letter out of Thomas's hands. "Yes, that one is for you. From Larry I presume?"

"Yeah," Richard said. He noticed the address. So that's where he's been, he thought. He had heard nothing from Larry from his London address and this was obviously why.

"He's been in Cornwall then?" Thomas asked, whilst voicing Richard's own thoughts.

"Seems so," Richard said. He then saw the other letter in Thomas's hand. Jimmy. I hope he can still make it. Jimmy had confirmed that he could make it in the letter that he received previous to this one. He snatched that envelope out of Thomas's hand also.

"Shall I hand you the one from your mother or are you going to snatch that one away from me too?" Thomas asked dryly. Thomas was giving Richard an odd look, and understandably so, as Richard realised now that he was behaving rather out of character.

"Yes thank you. Sorry love," Richard apologised as Thomas handed him the envelope from his mother.

"Is anything the matter?" Thomas asked.

"No course not," Richard answered quickly.

Thomas narrowed his eyes in suspicion at him. "Right well you are a bad liar Richard. Something's going on. First you won't let me look in the linen cupboard upstairs and now you are stopping me from seeing letters you are receiving. What is going on?"

Richard fiddled with the corner of the envelopes in his hand as he tried to think of what he should say. He knew Thomas has had a hard time in the past trusting people and he doesn't like things being kept from him, even when the intentions are only good. He had stopped Thomas from looking in the linen cupboard as of yesterday evening as he had hidden some food in there that had been made in advance for the picnic. It was not the best place to put it but he had run out of hiding places. There was more in a drawer below the counter in the shop that he hoped Thomas wouldn't look in, and Chris had taken a lot back with him to hide it at his place. Thomas had been suspicious yesterday but had accepted Richard's instant request not to look in the cupboard, but probably only because he was tired and didn't want to argue. "Will you trust me if I say that anything I am keeping from you is in your best interests?"

Thomas folded his arms. "People have said that before, but they've lied to me."

"I can't and won't hurt you Thomas, you know that?" Richard asked. He saw the shadows of doubt cast by past memories in Thomas's eyes. Richard knew that it was not his fault that he had doubts. His past had not been kind to him.

"I know. Sorry," Thomas said.

Richard stood in front of him and put his hands around Thomas's waist so that they stood up close to each other. "I just need to keep a few things to myself for a few days more, and then you will know everything, and I hope, I promise, you will love it. Can you trust me when I say that?"

Thomas nodded. "I trust you. It's just- I'm not the best with secrets," Thomas said.

"It's okay, I know. If you want me to tell you everything now I will. If it makes you feel better."

"No, don't. I like good surprises," Thomas said. Richard kissed him in response and Thomas pulled him close as he returned his kiss. He was still curious but he trusted Richard with his life and he knows when Richard says it is a good surprise, then it will be exactly that. Although what Larry and Jimmy have to do with it he has no idea.

"Shall we both do breakfast then?" Richard asked after he broke the last of their several meaningful kisses.

"Probably should," Thomas said.

…

Later that morning after he had returned to the shop from Downton, Richard was sitting in the office at the desk reading his letters. Wilde had decided that the best place for him to have a nap was right on top of the desk sitting on a pile of papers that fortunately, neither Chris nor himself needed access to right now. Richard tickled Wilde behind his soft velvet like ears as he read and Wilde was purring rhythmically in appreciation. Jimmy's letter had just been to say that he would be bringing some drinks that he had managed to get for free from a club he played at as apparently he was friendly with the owner. Richard was intrigued by this but Jimmy gave nothing more away in his short letter, although Richard presumed that since Jimmy did not share the same preferences for men as he and Thomas did, that this club owner was a woman.

He had now just opened Larry's letter, casting the envelope aside which Wilde decided would be perfect for him to rest his front paws on as he enjoyed the gentle massage he was getting from Richard's fingers. The paper was fine, best quality and Richard would expect nothing less from his very wealthy friend. The fact that Larry had sent this letter from the cottage he owned in Cornwall had confirmed why he had been so unusually late in accepting an invitation. Richard wondered if he was staying there alone or if he had company. He reckoned the latter, but really it was none of his business. He also was getting flashbacks in his mind to the time he and Thomas spent there a few months back. He smiled to himself and wondered, What car is he driving whilst he is staying there?

The letter read:

Dear Richard,

My deepest apologies for the late reply to your letter. My butler at my house in London must have been less than prompt in seeing to any letters being forwarded to me as I took a break in Cornwall. Whilst the man has many admirable qualities (absolute discretion being one), he is not a patch on your Thomas.

On that note though, I will be delighted to join you and a few others for a belated birthday celebration of Thomas's. I am very honored to be invited and I promise (or maybe not- I'm never good at keeping those) to be on my best behaviour! Whilst I admit that a picnic in a field in the middle of the countryside is very different from the type of parties I am used to now, I do rather like the idea of it. I have a gift for Thomas of course and will drop it around your place while you two are out to keep it a surprise. I suspect that this fine weather we are having will hold so I see no danger in leaving it around the back in your garden. I will also let you in on a little plan of mine- as well as a gift for Thomas, I have a surprise for you as well Richard. I know it is not your big day as my mother used to say, but I don't see why I should leave all the surprises for Thomas. Despite what I said about promises, I will promise you this one thing- you will love it, I can guarantee that!

I will be leaving Cornwall today (by the time you read this I would have already left I reckon), and will travel back to London for a day before coming up to see you. I won't make a call at Downton Abbey, as they will not be expecting me and I plan on staying elsewhere. Since my sole purpose of my visit is to see you two (and Chris- I am looking forward to seeing him too!), then I would not want the Crawleys to make a fuss over my visit. Besides, it would only make more work for their delightful butler.

I look forward to seeing you soon,

Your most devoted friend,

Larry Ferroland

"I cannot help but be curious as to why you have been chuckling so much in here on your own Richard?" Chris asked.

Richard turned around in his seat, not expecting anyone to be behind him. Chris was leaning against the doorframe, arms folded and a smirk on his face. Richard thought he looked in a good mood. He also thought that any like minded man would be able to appreciate Chris's attractive features right now. "It's just Larry being Larry, I got a letter from him. He's able to make it. He was away in Cornwall so he didn't receive my letter when I sent it to London," Richard explained.

"So was it Thomas he was flirting through his words at, or was it you?" Chris asked.

"Thomas mainly, although he said he's looking forward to seeing you again," Richard said, smiling suggestively.

"Oh I think he will be more interested in seeing you two than me," Chris said brushing off Richard's comment.

"Don't put yourself down Chris, you are an attractive fellow," Richard said.

Chris gave Richard a questioning look. "You think I'm attractive?"

"Well I'm not attracted to you," Richard clarified.

"No course not," Chris said quickly, feeling a bit awkward.

"But I can see why he and others are," Richard finished, "Nothing wrong with a compliment every now or then, it's good for your self esteem."

"Right," Chris rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, still feeling awkward. "Well thanks."

Richard chuckled, "Sorry Chris. I didn't mean for you to feel embarrassed."

"No, it's fine. It's good to know that you think I'm attractive, without being attracted to me," Chris said lightly. There was another silence between them both, the only sound was Wilde who was still purring. "I'll just go and do something else, somewhere else," he said before leaving Richard to his letters once again.

Richard put his head in his hands and laughed to himself. He hadn't meant his words to sound like that. "I blame you for this Larry," he said.

...

"So should I be jealous?" Thomas teased as Richard told him about what he had said to Chris after reading Larry's letter earlier. It was early evening and Richard and himself had just arrived at Downton after another cricket lesson. Richard was improving and Thomas found himself looking forward to the moments that they would have in a few days time when they could play on the same team in the cricket match. Richard had been sitting on the corner of Thomas's desk, as he often did when Thomas sat in the chair, for several minutes now.

"No, I was just stating a fact. It was prompted by Larry. Honestly, he is making me look like a fool and he's not even here," Richard said.

"So you do think Chris is attractive?" Thomas asked, his playful smile still not willing to leave his face as he put his pen down on the desk and looked up slightly at Richard.

"Don't you?" Richard asked. "Actually, don't answer that."

"I might do, but I love you," Thomas said.

"Yeah I know," Richard said, placing his right hand on Thomas's left. Of course he does. He left with him all those years ago after only a few lines of conversation didn't he? Richard paused his silent thoughts and promptly told himself to shut up and stop being silly. "I only meant to pay him a compliment, I think he was feeling a bit low yesterday. I saw him just after he finished what looked like an emotional conversation with Lucy yesterday."

"Is he alright?" Thomas asked.

"Now yes, though he felt awkward after what I said," Richard told him. "As I said, I blame Larry."

"Do you think Larry is down in Cornwall alone?" Thomas said, changing the subject and sparing Richard from any more embarrassment.

Richard had told Thomas a lie, but a necessary one in order to keep his birthday surprise a secret. Richard had told Thomas about some of the letter, but had left out the part about Larry coming to visit in a few days, and also told him that Larry was still in Cornwall. He made the letter come across as a normal correspondence between friends. "Doubt it, he doesn't like to be alone for long," Richard said, being careful with his words so he didn't accidentally give anything away.

"Didn't he go to America to see a man he was once involved with?" Thomas asked.

"He did. No idea how that went, he didn't say," Richard said. "I hope it went well for them though. He deserves a companion as much as the next man as from what little he has told me, I think this fella is the closest Larry has got to that."

Thomas was tempted to add 'apart from you' to what Richard said, but didn't. "He's lucky to have you as his friend," he said instead.

"As am I lucky to have you," Richard said. He then leaned down and slowly kissed Thomas on lips warmed from the tea he had just drunk. Thomas reacted by straightening himself up in his chair and by placing one hand on the small of Richard's back and the other on his knee. Thomas enjoyed the smoothness of the material his hand was holding onto on Richard's waistcoat and felt their kisses exchanged between them intensify as a few strands of Richard's hair fell loose on his forehead brushing Thomas's eyebrows. Maybe they would have gone further if the door to the office hadn't opened at that exact moment.

"Oh sorry," came the unexpected and, at the moment, unwelcome voice of Mr Bates, which caused them both to spring apart like lightning.

They both knew Mr Bates was not a danger to them, but any unexpected interruption threw a jolt of fear through both their bodies. But with the initial instinctive reactions and fears dissipating, Thomas and Richard composed themselves. "Mr Bates, good evening," Richard said, far too normally for what Mr Bates had just interrupted.

"Mr Ellis," Mr Bates nodded. "Thomas."

"Mr Barrow to you, Mr Bates," Thomas said, standing up and straightening out his shirt that had started to become a bit crumpled. Richard rolled his eyes at Thomas's instance on Mr Bates addressing him as 'Mr Barrow'. Richard had noticed that Thomas was always more irritated by Mr Bates calling him Thomas instead of Mr Barrow, than anyone else. He had always assumed that it was because of the history those two had when they used to be foes.

"I'll come back later," Mr Bates said.

"May as well say what you need to say since you are here Mr Bates," Thomas said. "And don't you ever knock?"

"Well I did but I think you two were too distracted to hear me," Mr Bates said with a smirk. "I assumed no one was in here."

"And where else would I be at this time of evening?" Thomas asked, irritated.

"I don't know Mr Barrow," Mr Bates said, not letting Thomas get to him, which seemed to annoy Thomas even more.

"Thomas don't-'' Richard said, sensing Thomas was about to get into a completely unnecessary argument with Lord Grantham's proper valet. "Honestly, you two argue like children, egging each other on," he said to them both.

"I only thought I'd come by to let you know that I have been cleared by the doctor to come back to work soon. I will be back after the cricket match," Mr Bates said.

Thomas nodded, part of him was feeling disappointed by the news as he had enjoyed having Richard around at Downton each day. "Does his Lordship know?" Thomas asked.

"No, I was hoping you could pass the news onto him?" Mr Bates asked.

"I will do that for you Mr Bates," Richard said. "I'll tell him this evening." It was no shock of course that Mr Bates would come back to his job eventually. That was always the understanding, but after a few weeks working at Downton, Richard had grown fond of the place even more than he was before. Fond of the place and of the company. There was the fact that however, that when he was no longer working at Downton and back permanently in his shop, that things would go back to the way they were. They would be back in the routine of Thomas kissing him goodbye as he left early and he himself was still in bed, or when some days Thomas would eat breakfast with him and not at Downton and they'd sit at the table in the kitchen together forgetting the time, causing Thomas to have to rush up to Downton to avoid being too late. Richard would join Thomas at Downton for dinner sometimes or Thomas would come home and they'd eat dinner together with Wilde sitting at their feet in case they dropped anything tasty. They'd have the time in the evenings to cuddle up on the sofa or in bed together, holding each other close, making each other laugh or making love in the dark. Yes, Richard thought to himself. Perhaps being back to normal would be no bad thing after all.

"Thank you Mr Ellis. Well I'll leave you two now," Mr Bates said, leaving the room. Before shutting the door he spoke again. "Thomas, you know that there is a wonderful mechanism on this door which allows you to lock it right?" pointing to the lock on the door. Thomas scowled at him and Richard bit his lip, holding in his laugh, as Mr Bates shut the door. Honestly those two, they are like argumentative siblings, he thought to himself.

Thomas breathed out. "Does he have to say things like that to annoy me on purpose?" he asked.

"I think that you two both do it without even realising. It's rather amusing to an outsider," Richard said, leaning against the desk with his hands in his pockets.

"Second time in two days now we've been seen," Thomas said. "As much as I hate to admit it, Mr Bates was right to point out the lock. I just wish he could say so in a less patronising way."

Richard didn't say anything. He just walked over to the door and locked it. "Right, Mr Barrow, where were we?" he said as he walked over to Thomas.

Before Thomas could say anything he had his back against the wall and Richard on his lips once more.

He was not going to thank Mr Bates for pointing out the lock on the door though...