It doesn't snow in October, Chris thought as he grabbed hold of a spiky branch jutting out of the hedge to stop himself from slipping on the compacted snow underfoot. Under his glove his hand stung as the barbs stabbed the palm of his hand, but it was a better alternative than slipping and falling on the road where the only outcome would have been a lot of pain and humiliation. The snow had come out of nowhere. He had gone to bed last night, David lightly snoring by his side, at the farm. It had been colder than normal so he'd put on an extra pair of socks in a vein attempt to stop the numbness in his toes but, since his leg had been complaining that whole evening, David had given him a welcome massage. That had been something he'd been getting used to still, having someone to help him instead of relying only on himself. It was a welcome change.
By the time he woke though, the world had been transformed into a bright white landscape, one that he now found himself out in. It was David's fault, he thought, as he slipped again, digging himself into the edge of the lane as best he could. The snow at the edge had not been compacted and was the safest part to walk on, relatively speaking. It wasn't really his fault, David had asked him to come out after he'd returned from helping Mr Tomlinson rescue a sheep that had found itself half buried in snow in a deep ditch. David had returned later to the farm where Chris had decided to stay inside by the fire to enjoy the toasty warmth of the fireplace. David had been filthy, covered in wet snow, mud and God knows what else after the rescue mission. As he changed and washed himself, he'd told Chris about how the sheep had been successfully rescued only to run off from them and jump back into the same ditch it had been rescued from. David then started reminiscing about how, when he and Thomas were young, they had an epic snowball fight chasing each other for hours through the trees in the woods outside their childhood home.
"How much further is it?" Chris asked David, who was a few steps ahead of him and managing a lot better in the slippery conditions, which was hardly surprising as he had the advantage of two good legs and tougher shoes.
"Just the next gate, it will be worth it Chris I promise!" David's enthusiasm and positive attitude was something that Chris normally found contagious. Not today though. A crow cackled in the wispy looking tree above him that grew out of the hedge, twisted in endless directions in its quest to seek out the most sunlight. There wasn't much chance of any of that today. The sullen grey clouds, blurred with the occasional white, remained steadfast in their appearance. Snowflakes fell vertically, not swirling or dancing as they usually did. The crow cocked its head at him from its perch above the lane and watched him with beady mischievous black eyes. The amusing tune of cackling and churiping was the only interruption to the unmistakable silence. It was as though the world had stopped or that he and David were the only ones in it. Snow was unlike any other weather in that regard. If a storm blew up or it drizzled continuously for days, life went on but with snow, everything changed.
David may as well have said that they had another several miles. Chris was not getting anywhere quickly, and now the snow leaked into his shoes, icy cold water soaking his socks and numbing his toes further and the only advantage of that discomfort was if he were to hurt himself, he would likely be so chilled to the bone, that he would feel nothing. "I could think of many things that I'd rather be doing with my Sunday," he muttered. After David asked him earlier to come out with him, he had initially refused. But David had practically begged him to join him, as he had something to show him, a surprise apparently, and Chris couldn't find it in his heart to refuse him.
"I know, but we can warm up after and I think you'll enjoy it!" David stopped to allow him to catch up. Chris's foot suddenly went out from underneath him and he braced for the inevitable. He never hit the ground with a painful thud though, as David's strong arm caught him instinctively. "You alright?"
"Yeah," Chris gasped, winded by the shock. "Thanks...I'm slowing...you down...sorry."
"We have no rush." David didn't let go of his arm, but instead linked them together. If this situation had any positives it was this; permission granted to walk, or stumble, arm in arm.
"I can hardly wait," he grumbled.
David smirked, and Chris knew then his eye roll was not as concealed as he had hoped. He was only doing this for David, as he would follow him anywhere. "Oh don't be such an Eeyore!"
"A what?"
"Eeyore. You know the miserable donkey?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
David laughed. "Seriously? The character from Winnie The Pooh? The grumpy pessimistic one?"
"No, never read it and I'm not grumpy David, I'm cold that's all."
"No you're not, sorry. I was just joking, but you amaze me Chris," David said as they neared the gate and stepped onto the snow covered grass and frozen solid mud in the field entrance, Chris finally feeling safer for the first time since they set out. "You work in—no, you co-own a book shop and have had this book on display in the window but you've never read it?"
"I don't read every book in there you know, and it's a children's book anyway," Chris answered in his defence.
"Well the next time you have a moment, flick through it." David's smile twinkled as he unbolted the latch and pushed the gate open, with some difficulty as the underside of it was bogged down with snow. "Right...that should do it."
Chris followed David into a landscape unblemished by footprints or tire tracks. The snow had covered the field in a practically unblemished blanket of white, with only a few of the larger tufts of grass exposed as though tiny islands in a great ocean. The snow had lessened and the flakes that tickled his face as they fell grew rarer, and despite his ill mood along with his dislike for being cold, Chris had to admit to himself that the surroundings had a certain beauty about them. However, he failed to see why David had been so eager to get him here. "So what's the surprise? Looks like an ordinary snowy field to me David."
"You're looking at it. Well some of it." David turned to the hedge behind them and pushed aside some foliage. "Ah! There it is!"
"What are you doing?" Chris asked as David dragged out a large wooden structure that looked as though it used to be part of a crate, but had a rope attached to the front. "What is—?" He then had a funny feeling he knew exactly what the object was. Perhaps he'd have to squint, but he could definitely see it in its rough makeshift from. Chris glanced in the direction of the sloping field ahead of them. David grinned triumphantly as Chris guessed what the surprise was.
"What do you say Chris? I think it looks like fun. You said you'd be at a disadvantage if we got in a snowball fight, so I thought of this as an alternative."
"No. No, absolutely not!" Chris shook his head as he laughed. "It will end badly, for you perhaps, but most certainly for me!"
"It will be fine. It's safe enough...probably!"
"Oh how reassuring you are!"
"We'll be fine. I'll hold onto you."
Since they had been seeing each other they had spoken of many things, and the topic of the winter and snow did come up weeks ago. Chris had no idea David would actually go to the trouble of making something like this though. "You made this for me then?"
"Yeah, weeks ago when we had all that trouble, I thought about telling you but then decided to keep it a secret until we had some snow to use it in. I wasn't expecting to need it for months yet, so I drove out here earlier this morning in the tractor and hid it. I know it's a bit rough around the edges, but I'm no carpenter and besides, if Richard can slide down a hill on nothing but a coat, then we can use this."
Chris nodded, his heart full to bursting that David would make such an effort just so that he wouldn't feel left out because of his disability. He couldn't deny him this now. "So... we're going sledging then?"
…
Richard tugged at his gloves, the small movement enough to create a tiny amount of friction between the leather and his hands to add an ounce of extra but temporary warmth. The familiar crunch of gravel on Downton's many paths was noticeably missing, instead was replaced with a muffled crumpling, that could only belong to snow as it compacted under the weight of each of his steps, as he approached the backyard. He hoped the sudden and unexpected change in weather had not dampened Thomas's mood or caused him too much unnecessary hassle. Richard was only thankful that this chilling weather had occured on a Sunday and that he was not stranded in another part of the country like he was the last time it snowed. His dramatic quest to return back to Thomas in time for Christmas last year after getting stuck in York had been interesting to say the least, and although it had turned out well, it remained as one experience he would rather not repeat.
Richard was grabbed out of his meandering thoughts of the past by the sight of Thomas crouching down in the snow against the wall. Even from a distance Richard could tell that Thomas's posture was rigid. His back stiff as a board as he pressed himself into the cold stone wall, his legs poised as though he would need to run at any moment. Richard felt his heart trip with concern, and he felt sure as he approached that something bad must have happened to have Downton's butler hiding in the snow, still fully dressed in his uniform. "Mr Barrow?" He called out as he cautiously approached Thomas. "Thomas. Are you—?"
Thomas hushed him with a finger to his lips and a slight shake of the head as he beckoned him over. As Richard approached his wisphered, "You'll give me away!"
Richard frowned, Thomas was hiding indeed and he seemed very determined in not being discovered, maybe even a bit annoyed with him that he was here, which was certainly unlike him. Despite this, he didn't look scared or worried though. He knelt down next to Thomas, against the wall also, the chilling touch of the stone reaching his skin even though his coat and several more layers. "What are you doing?"
"They got me once. I was unprepared." Thomas glanced around the side of the wall and quickly ducked back behind it again. "They won't get me again so easily."
"Who won't?"
"Charlotte and Stephen. Maybe one of the hallboys too, I'm not sure how many they have out there."
Richard relaxed, as he made a pretty good guess as to what Thomas was doing. He smiled, but bit his lip so he didn't laugh out loud. "Mr Barrow, are you involved in a snowball fight?"
"You make that sound so unusual Richard. We had one last year didn't we?" Thomas glanced up at him, a twinkle in his eyes.
Richard remembered that well. Chasing Thomas down a slippery snow covered field, collapsing into a ridiculous heap at the bottom, unaware that Mr Tomlinson and his dog Hector had been watching the entire time. It was a memory he didn't mind revisiting. "We did, and it's not strange. Just—I'd thought you'd be working your socks off? Were many plans disrupted this morning by this snow?"
"Not a good time to talk right now." Thomas peaked around the corner again. "Hmm...clear I think." He picked up some snow and molded it into his ammunition. "A visit got canceled today, I had to call their butler to explain that it would be best if they rescheduled. He wasn't best pleased given the short notice. I'll tell you more later." Thomas darted back into his hiding place next to Richard and squeezed his eyes shut as he cursed under his breath. "Got to go."
"You're taking this rather seriously aren't you?"
"Richard! Shh!" Thomas urged him just as Stephen appeared wearing an impish grin whilst hiding something behind his back.
"Mr Ellis, I thought I heard you! Are you on Mr Barrow's side?"
"I'm always on Mr Barrow's side, Stephen. This is rather unusual though."
"Not everyday we get to attack Mr Barrow, Mr Ellis!" Stephen grinned as he revealed the snowball in his hand.
"Right. Well...um, Richard. Are you with me?" Thomas asked, glancing in the direction of the open gate.
"Always."
"Run then!" Thomas, acting like Richard had very rarely seen him before, turned tail and ran but not before their hands brushed when, just for a moment, Thomas reached for him so they could run together. Stephen's snowball narrowly missed his shoulder as Richard turned the corner, his feet narrowly escaped flying out from underneath him on a patch of black ice, as they both made it to the relative shelter of a tree. Thomas took his shot and tossed his snowball out from behind the tree, sending it hurtling towards Downton's only footman. Upon hearing a satisfying yell from Stephen, Thomas smiled victorious as he caught his breath behind the tree.
"What have I got myself into?" Richard leant back against the tree, breathing heavily next to Thomas, who's true smile, much like the one he had been privileged to see all those years ago after their prank on the royal footmen, lit up his whole face.
"I was rather outnumbered, so thank you for stopping by and standing by me."
Richard brushed Thomas's hand with his own. "As I said, I'm always on your side." Their breathing calmed down now, and Richard felt overwhelmed with the desire to kiss him right there, under the tree. But shouts from the path beyond halted those thoughts. Instead he bent down and scooped up the fresh snow, and molded it with his hands, warming it slightly so it stuck, compressing it into a tight sphere, small enough to fit in the palm of his hand. "I'm ready when you are Mr Barrow."
...
"It won't budge, maybe I'm too heavy." Chris sat on the sledge, or on top of an upturned crate, his fingers clinging onto the sides in nervous anticipation as David tried for the third time to give it a push from behind.
"You're the thinnest guy I know, Chris. It's not you, I think it's this snow. It's too light, nothing has been here to compact it yet." David looked back towards the gate and the lane beyond. "We could try it on the road, maybe find a hill?"
"No. That would end in disaster, and don't think about calling me what-its-name again okay?"
"Eeyore?"
"Yeah that." Chris was about to add that they could just call its quits and head back, and give David his gratitude for his actions. But David walked a few paces through the snow ahead of him where the field's gradient increased further, and Chris reckoned David would not just accept that it was the thought that counted. "What are you doing?"
David stomped heavily back and forth in a line several times, methodically covering the snow ahead of them in a pattern of his shoe prints. But as he continued and Chris looked on in interest he realised what the plan was. The snow had hardened under David's steps and soon they had a small expanse of compacted ice, their own private glacier, lacking friction. David looked back at him hopefully, "Lets try this again."
Before Chris knew it, David had jumped on the back and, since it was a bit of a tight squeeze for two grown men, Chris happily found himself nestled between David's legs either side of him. David leaned forward into Chris's back to reach for the rope attached to the front that would be the only means of attempting to control this contraption, but worries were soon forgotten as Chris felt David pressing into the back of him. David slid his hands over Chris's who was holding the rope in anticipation, and let them linger there, a touch of warmth from him heating Chris's near frozen fingers. "So...how do we do this?"
They tried shuffling the sledge forward as they sat but it was too much effort to be anything remotely fun. "As much as you between my legs is pleasant Chris, I think I'll need to give this a push then I'll hop on before it moves away too quickly okay?" David wriggled off the sledge and into the snow, glancing around behind them before giving Chris a quick kiss on the cheek. Another part of Chris thawed at the action, and the snow became less of a nuisance every second.
"Not too much of a push David or I—" The compacted snow and the steep slope was enough to get the sledge moving this time, so much so that even though David had been gentle, he only just managed to jump on the back, clinging onto Chris's shoulders as the two of them started sliding down the white slope, gaining momentum by the second. "Whoa!" There was no hope in slowing down now. With David grabbing onto him for dear life and squealing like a thrilled child, they hurtled down the slope, the white landscape dashing past them in a blink of an eye, brown hedgerows flashing in the corner of his eye as the hedge and trees void of their leaves, approached them faster and faster, too fast in fact. "David! We're going to h—!"
"Hang on!" David jerked the rope at the front of the sledge to the left suddenly, giving them enough power to change their direction. The sledge tilted at an alarming angle, veering off to the right and bringing them to a very sudden and undignified halt. David lost his grip on Chris's shoulders and rolled several times in the deeper snow at the bottom of the field as he was thrown off. Chris, with nothing more than blind luck, managed to hold on leaving him red faced and breathless as he heard David, laughing like an idiot whilst lying back flat in the snow.
Chris stood up, composed himself as he brushed the wet snow from his legs and stepped off the sledge, his feet immediately sinking into half a foot of fluffy snow. "Are you alright?" he asked as he offered David a hand who was lying looking up at him with equally flushed cheeks and a youthful grin.
"Yeah. God Chris that was great wasn't it!" he exclaimed as he stood up with Chris's help of an outstretched hand.
"It was. I'll admit I didn't think I would enjoy it as much but I did." Chris busied himself by brushing off the clumps of snow from David's back. "Thank you. I've never felt—well not for a long time, but I've never felt so young, so alive!"
"Well the fun doesn't have to stop now. We could get away with behaving like fools for a little more I think. What do you say?"
"I couldn't say no," Chris smirked. "Come on, I'll help you drag this thing back up the hill."
...
The following morning brought with it another flurry of snow, coating the countless footsteps, hoof marks and tire tracks on the road and pavements from the previous day outside Richard and Chris's shop. Trade had been understandably quiet and Richard had just finished sweeping the snow off the doorstep outside. The snowball fight he found himself happily tangled up in the previous day had only ended when Thomas pulled rank on the staff he managed, and called it a day and told them to get back to work. It was the only way he could have stopped without admitting defeat, which was something Richard reckoned Thomas's self pride would not allow him to do. They had warmed up with a steaming hot mug of tea in the servants hall first though. Later that evening, whilst they snuggled up together in front of a warm fireplace with their fluffy warm cat Wilde squeezed between them both, Richard had told Thomas that he would bet a lot of money that he was the only butler out playing in the snow. Thomas had said that he couldn't deny the younger servants a chance to enjoy it, and he found himself involved whether he liked it or not, but not against his will. As for Richard, he had enjoyed the feeling of snow down the back of his coat and melting inside his shoes, strange maybe, but it made him feel alive.
Richard opened the door behind the counter to the kitchen and leaned the brush against the wall, to put away outside in the shed around the back later on. His priority now was to feel his fingers again. His chest ached a bit as well, as although physically healed from the trauma of the past few months, he was clearly tender to the cold. He didn't plan on telling Thomas though, as he didn't want him to worry, but mainly because it meant admitting to himself that he wasn't getting any younger.
As Richard pulled off his gloves and tossed them onto the table before shuffling out of his coat which ended up slung over the back of a chair at the table, he heard a chuckle from the direction of his and Chris's tiny office. Richard smiled to himself and took a couple of mugs out of the cupboard and placed them on the counter top whilst he rummaged around for more teabags in the cupboard below. Thomas was the last to buy them, and whilst the nature of his job demanded organisation, Thomas's tidiness was not always on the same level at home. "Ah there they are," he muttered to himself as he found them in the wrong cupboard. Another giggle, stifled by a hand over the mouth came from the office. Richard's curiosity overwhelmed him now. Chris could be quite serious, so if he found something laughable then it must be hilarious. He popped a tea bag into each mug, and then walked over to the open office door where Chris sat at the desk with an open book and seemingly unaware of being observed. "Having fun?"
Chris jumped, and instantly shut the book and covered it with his arm as he rested his hand far too casually on his chin whilst twisting around in his chair. "Richard! Didn't see you there. Anything the matter?"
Richard leaned against the doorframe. "Nothing much. Just curious as to what you're finding so humorous?"
"Oh...um...nothing much. Just a book." Chris gave him a coy smile.
Richard pushed himself away from the door frame. The room was so tiny, that just a couple of small steps forward was enough to have him peering over Chris's shoulder at the partially obscured book. The title was hidden, but Richard recognised the cover and the latter part of the author's name. He smirked, "You're reading The House At Pooh Corner?"
"Well why not? Should know what we sell right?" Chris answered defensively.
"No, no, indeed we should. Glad you're enjoying it."
"It was recommended to me yesterday."
"By David?" Richard guessed.
"Yeah."
"Hmm." Richard nodded to himself. He should have known, if David recommended the book, then of course Chris would read it. "Well I'll leave you to it. Do you want tea? I'm making some anyway. Also I think we could close early today, if that's okay with you?"
Chris's posture remained stiff but his face relaxed. "Thank you and yes that will be fine." Richard closed the office door slightly, as he heard Chris mutter "You idiot" to himself after chuckling. He had heard from Thomas, who had spoken to David yesterday evening on his way home, that Chris and David had gone sledging together. Chris had been rather secretive on the details, but Richard felt pleased that he hadn't been left out of the fun, because at the end of the day, there was nothing like feeling young, even if just for a day.
