a/n: I do not own the characters of Downton Abbey, this is purely for fun. Matthew and Thomas are my favourite paring that not many write about. Some events will be slightly altered, some timelines as well, but I try to keep most events there - even if they are cheekily redone. I am also not a WW1 expert (more of a WW2 studier) so I apologise if some things are a bit out of touch and not 100% historically correct, it's all in good fun. English is not my first language but I do try my hardest with grammar and words, I hope you will excuse any mistakes. Thanks for listening, now enjoy!

Downton Abbey

April 1919

There was a silence between Thomas and Mrs Hughes. He had left the last part out, stopped speaking after their kiss for even if Mrs Hughes was kind enough to hear the story that weighed heavy on the footman's chest he doubted very much she wished to hear such intimate moments — especially one shared between two men and Thomas didn't wish for anyone else to know those moments either. That he had just kept in his mind as they sat there, not speaking.

There was a loud crash outside in the hallway and Daisy's frantic voice. Mrs Hughes finished her tea and looked at the clock ticking behind them. "My my, that was quite the start of a tale, I assume that was not the end of it?"

"Right you are Mrs Hughes, I told you there would not be enough hours" Thomas said and wiped his eyes quickly for he just felt the burn of tears upon them.

"Since Daisy has slept and woke up, might I suggest you join me for tea again tomorrow night?" Mrs Hughes stood up and Thomas did the same, setting his own cup down on the tray.

"You wish to hear more?" Thomas asked in surprise.

"Thomas, with such an intriguing tale, how could I not wish to hear more?" She led the footman to the door and opened it for him. "I am happy to lend my hours and ears to a man injured in service for our King and Crown, goodnight Thomas."

"Goodnight Mrs Hughes" Thomas said "Thank you" he added before ducking out of the room and saw Daisy cleaning up trays fallen upon the floor. He glanced down at her and she looked up at him as well.

"Early rise for you as well, Thomas?" She asked as she picked the trays off the floor.

"You might say that, Daisy" He said and he didn't know if it was the softness in his heart from his tale he had just told, but he walked over and helped her pick up the heavy stack of trays and set it on the counter of the kitchen.

Daisy's big eyes widened and she mumbled "thank you" before turning to grab everything needed to prepare for a somber breakfast in a somber house. Thomas just nodded and headed up the stairs towards the servants' quarters and he found his room and his bed. Though exhausted, sleep did not find him and he did not have a chance to close his eyes before the knock of Mr Carson was upon his door — letting them all know that morning had come and the long day of a footman was to begin.

The Crawleys', with the exception of Cora, sat in silence for both breakfast, tea and supper. Matthew had not joined them for dinner last night and none expected him for breakfast, and quite right they were — he was not there. It made Thomas longing for tea Mrs Hughes more desperate — at least in his story they were still happy and he could see Matthew's face smiling at him again.

Thomas sat smoking as, one by one, the servants retreated to bed and Mrs Patmore and Daisy were the only ones remaining. It was not as late in the night as yesterday and sleep was the last thing on Thomas' mind. Mrs Hughes emerged from her sitting room and walked into the kitchens.

"Mrs Patmore, would you ever be so kind as to make a pot of tea and two cups on a tray for me?" Mrs Hughes and got the typical response of "Of course Mrs Hughes" from the round woman.

"Thomas, shall we?" She asked and Thomas nodded, following her back to the sitting room with puzzled stares from Mrs Patmore and Daisy following them.

"Whatever is that about?" Mrs Patmore said out loud as she began to prepare the tea-tray.

"I can't say I know, Mrs Patmore" Daisy said quietly but her eyes lingered on the hallway Thomas and Mrs Hughes had disappeared to.

"Right, Thomas, where did we leave the story?" Mrs Hughes said as she offered Thomas a seat in the same chair as last night "I'm afraid our talk cannot be as long as last night, if the story is so long I fear the loss of sleep will do neither of us well."

"It's alright Mrs Hughes, I don't mind how long or short our talks are" Thomas fiddled again with the glove and pulled it off to examine his scars. "It is kind enough for you to listen to my lo— " He went quiet as Mrs Patmore knocked on the door and brought the tray in. Her eyes lingered on Thomas and his hand before asking if there was anything else Mrs Hughes needed.

"No, thank you Mrs Patmore" Mrs Hughes said politely and she and Thomas were left alone once more.

"Please continue the story, Thomas" She urged the footman and poured tea into their cups.

Mrs Patmore shook her head as she wiped her hands on the kitchen towel hanging from her apron. "War stories, I believe Daisy" She said to the young girl. "He was showing her his scarred hand, and I tell you by the look of it he was lucky to keep it."

Daisy said nothing in return but put away pots and pans she had washed in the sink. That didn't stop Mrs Patmore from talking "Perhaps he isn't as unaffected by it as we believe, no of course not" She sat down on a chair and rested her chin in his palm as she pondered "how could he? None of us are and we weren't there, but he was." She shrugged and looked at Daisy. "Has he talked to you about it?"

"Me, Mrs Patmore?" She shook her head "No Mrs Patmore, Thomas doesn't talk to anyone about that, not even Miss O'Brien"

"Well he is talking to Mrs Hughes, and bless her for that, listening to Thomas Barrow talking." She stood up and slapped her knees "But then again war changes people, even if he acted all high and mighty when he came back, he still saw death and treated the wounded." With that Mrs Patmore left Daisy alone in the kitchen and retreated to her bed.

The Great War
June 1915

The morning after their kiss, after their orgasms, they just laid and watched each other after awakening. There was a smile upon Thomas' lips as he brushed his thumb over Matthew's cheek and observed his sleepy face. The morning brought a headache from the whiskey and the now empty bottle laid upon the floor along with the chairs, table and their jackets.

"I better sneak out now, Lieutenant Crawley" Thomas said after a while of silence and Matthew nodded.

"You better, Corporal Barrow, for the trenches and duty calls past that door" He shifted away and rose from the cot where he had been asleep upon Thomas' chest. Did the soberness bring any regrets? He was unsure. Would he ask Thomas to return tonight? Yes he would. War, it's fair, so far away from warmness and familiarity, it's war and it's fair. Matthew convinced himself as he watched Thomas dignify himself once again, bringing his suspenders up, flattening his hair and eventually the army jacket was buttoned snuggly around the toned frame of the former footman. Before Matthew allowed Thomas to leave he walked to stand face to face with him.

"Will you return tonight?" Matthew asked, just like he had said he would, and Thomas' palm came to cup his cheek which brought a blush upon Matthew's cheek.

"Every night, if you ask me to, Matthew Crawley" Thomas' replied and in unison they leaned in for a kiss goodbye before Thomas left the dugout and the morning sun kissed his face instead of Matthew's lips. It took him a while to adjust his eyes to the brightness but his mouth curved into a smile as he walked away from the door. Before the war what had just transpired would have been excellent black mail for Thomas to reach where he wanted, now it just warmed his heart and caused a smile that would not be wiped away, if a bullet took him out right there he would die with it upon his lips still.

"You and Corporal Barrow seem to be good friends" Captain Flintworth said as he walked along the trench with Matthew by his side.

"We knew each other in Downton Abbey, he was a footman" Matthew explained, feeling anxious in his gut from the conversation.

"Lords and Servants, friends at Downton Abbey?" Captain Flintworth passed the medic dugout and glanced inside where Thomas stood to aid the Medic Officer.

"War has a way of changing things, labels of yesterday is stripped away and you cling to the familiarity of a life lived before this grimness." Matthew said and Thomas caught his eyes before returning his gaze to a soldier wounded from nailing his hand to a wooden board.

"I believe you are correct, I was just concerned because I saw him leaving your dugout in the early morning." Captain Flintworth said and they continued walking down the trench.

The solicitor inside of Matthew took over, to keep himself composed and calm, even if his insides were screaming. "We tend to share stories long into the night of Downton and the gardens and lands that lay before it. Last night I shared stories for him to revel in, stories of my leave, of dances and what lies back in England for us, Captain"

"I am glad to hear it, Captain Crawley, I was a bit worried I had an invert in my ranks" He said and patted Matthew's shoulder. "We should all live in what awaits us after this war, lucky you have found someone who you knew in your previous life."

"I feel offended you'd think of me doing such sinful things, Captain, but to clarify I have a sweetheart awaiting me at home" Matthew lied through his teeth, trying to put as much distance between himself and any rumours that might hold some truth.

"A sweetheart? Tell me about her, what is her name?" Captain Flintworth said with a cheeky smile. "Go on, we're all men here, is she meant to be the future Mrs Crawley?"

"Lavinia, Lavinia Swire is her name" Matthew conjured the first girl that came to mind, the daughter of a fellow solicitor he had dined with in London and a girl he had shared a dance with. "If I come out alive, she might just be." And so the long, drawn out lie began — a tragedy awaiting.

"Swire…" Captain Flintwood said before patting Matthew on the shoulder "Good man, good man — now feed yourself before your watch, you're dismissed" Captain Flithworth said and Matthew saluted him before they parted ways.

Surely that lie would be enough to dispel any suspicion, sure that explanation was enough to allow Thomas to return to his dugout — sure that was enough to continue on with their business behind closed doors in a dugout in the trenches of war.

So the night came, the embrace came, the kisses and touches came and so did they again and again. They could not stop, and it was hard to do so with Thomas' lips over his chest and neck. Even harder so with how he looked after an orgasm, with the raven hair hanging untidy over his sweaty face that bore a cheeky grin. They could not stop tasting each other, tangled up in each other. Even if their trousers were still worn and only shirts removed it was enough, quite enough for right now, to reach bliss again and again.

They laid exhausted upon the small cot that Thomas' feared would break beneath them at some point. This time Thomas' was lying on top of Matthew who seemed just as tired as the Corporal and once again, for the second night in a row they fell asleep together.

a/n: I try to keep return to "present day" Downton Abbey in separate chapters from the ones of the throwbacks. Though from time to time, when the "present day" is too short, they will appear in the same chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it and that any mistakes were at a minimum. This is the first fanfic I've written in many years and it's a good outlet for writers block in between writing my books.