Thomas got back into Downton village in the late afternoon. It was about five in the afternoon and shops and businesses were shutting for the night. He was eating tea at home with Richard tonight but he had to go up to Downton first so wouldn't be back home just quite yet. He was thinking about where he should hide his gift for Richard until Christmas Day. He knew Richard would be curious about why he went to Thirsk and also, if he guessed the reason why he went, what he would be receiving from him. Thomas didn't think hiding his present in their flat or the shop would be a good idea as Richard would probably find it. He thought about hiding it in the sock draw in the bedroom but then realised that would be useless as it was not his sock draw but their sock draw. He came to the conclusion that the best place for it at the moment would be at Downton Abbey. Thomas had a few places where he would hide things that he'd rather other people not come across, back in the day, such as his letters from Richard, and since his old room was still out of use, he decided to hide it in there. He was happy to find the floorboard underneath one of the bed posts was still loose, and so put the gift in there. He hoped that no one would decide that the next few days would be a good time to clean that room, though since they were all up to there eyes with Christmas preparations, that was unlikely.

...

Later on, several hours after the sun had said it's farwells for the night, and the moon had taken over, Thomas was very happily finishing off a piece of apple pie that he and Richard had shared for dessert. They were sitting upstairs in the living room, feeling happily uncivilised eating on the sofa instead of at the table downstairs in the kitchen. Richard had made lamb stew, which they had eaten out of bowls, like you would with soup, instead of eating off plates. Well it was lamb stew with a few pork sausages, as Richard had found that they were low on ingredients, but it tasted good all the same so it didn't really matter. The apple pie came from the village bakery as a treat. There was enough left over for tomorrow too. A warming meal was exactly what they both needed as it was still very cold outside. Richard had said that he reckoned it might snow, but a cloudless sky indicated no such weather, for now. After eating, they had pulled a warm blanket over the two of them, and Thomas was enjoying the feel of Richard's fingers in his hair, as he absentmindedly rubbed Richard's thumb in the hand he was holding. They had been sitting in comfortable silence and Thomas thought that he might just feel himself nodding off when Richard broke the silence. "I never would have imagined this one year ago today," he said, his hand moving away from the top of Thomas's head and down over his shoulder pulling the blanket closer over them both, whilst keeping his arm around him.

"Me neither," Thomas said quietly, with his eyes shut.

"I was at Sandringham this time last year I reckon. And at this time in the evening, probably dressing the king. He usually liked to have an early night when he was able," Richard said. "I was fine with that as I was hoping for an opportunity to call you."

"Not sure if it was exactly a year ago, but there was one day last year before Christmas that I remember," Thomas said. "I was confronted by a rather upset Master George who wanted to know why he couldn't stay up a bit later to hang some decorations he had made that evening on the tree. It was not up to me of course, but since he had escaped nanny yet again, I decided to help him hang them on one of the taller branches. If anyone noticed me helping Master George to break the rules then they didn't say anything."

"Sounds like you have good memories of last year then? I love how the children adore you," Richard said, planting a kiss on Thomas's head.

"There were more good moments I'll admit, but I was missing being with you. It didn't feel right that we should have been apart at Christmas," Thomas said. He shuffled in Richard's embrace, partly because his leg was going to sleep, and also so he could face him.

"What is it?" Richard said as Thomas looked at him. "You're thinking."

"Am I?"

"Yes, you're making that face," Richard said.

"Hmm, well you read me well. I did have an idea earlier but I don't want to tell you just yet in case it doesn't work out," Thomas said.

"Well consider me intrigued," Richard said.

"Well it's about our tree. I was wondering about getting some help to decorate it. I'm sure we could, but I can't remember when I last decorated a Christmas tree and I happen to know some people who have a lot of recent experience of this sort of thing," Thomas said.

"Am I not allowed to guess?" Richard asked.

"No you are not. I don't want to disappoint you if it is not possible," Thomas said.

"Well I think I know, but I'll say nothing if you wish," Richard said. Thomas kissed him in thanks.

"It used to be my job to decorate the tree when I was a boy," Richard said. "I would make paper chains to go around the tree, and go out after school to collect pine cones, holly and such. My parents would let me stay up late to finish it."

"I can imagine a very brightly coloured, but stylish looking tree in your parents living room," Thomas said.

Richard laughed. "Brightly coloured, yes. Stylish, perhaps not so much, but it always looked good to me," Richard said. He was wondering about if he should ask Thomas about if he did anything similar when he was younger, but Thomas hardly ever talked about his childhood. "Izzie would come over sometimes and help me too. And I would go over to her place and work on her family's tree with her. Though that stopped when her parents became reluctant to having us spend too much time together when we got older and it was established that we were just friends and not into each other romantically. They thought I was a bad influence on her."

"She's the best influence on you Richard," Thomas said.

"Yes I know. When she moved to London, and she got her own place, we kept up the tradition. I'd come over and we'd work on the Christmas tree. She only had a couple of rooms to call her own then, so the tree was small but it was traditional," Richard said. "Maybe a bit childish, but we didn't care."

"I don't remember decorating a tree inside our house," Thomas said. "My parents thought it was a frivolous idea to have a tree all dressed up in the house." Richard hated that when Thomas spoke about his parents or childhood that the words would come out a bit strained, as if it was a great effort to say them. "My friend David and I did one year decide to decorate a tree. It was not a Christmas tree, just a smallish tree that was in the woods near where we lived. We found foliage and berries and anything that looked nice and put it on there." Richard noticed Thomas's lips twitch with a small smile as he spoke, which was unusual. "Daivd and I always got on well. Always were best friends, seemed to get on well with each other but no one else. We were alike." Richard wasn't sure if he was supposed to read more into what Thomas was saying. "When we decorated the tree that year, he found a bird feather. It was small and red so we assumed it was from a Robin. He put it in my hair, and I went home feeling like one of those Indians you see in the movies. I felt happy until my father snatched it out of my hair and told me to stop dressing myself up like a girl." Richard saw a flicker of happiness as Thomas let Richard in on some of his memories, but he felt his whole body tense when he started to speak about his father.

"David sounded perfect. I'm glad you have those memories," Richard said. "But don't speak of your father if he makes you feel bad about yourself." Richard pulled Thomas closer, one arm securely around the small of his back under the blanket, their faces were close now. "You can't please everyone. You have become your own person. My perfect, handsome, strong and brave man." Richard kissed Thomas between each of these descriptions. Thomas wasn't gonna argue, even if he didn't completely agree with all of them. He wanted comfort and Richard was giving it.

...

Another hour passed and they now had finished a warming cup of tea. They probably should be thinking of going to bed but each of them were happy as they were. The mood had been lightened, since Thomas told those difficult memories, and now Richard's attention had shifted to what Thomas had been doing in Thirsk earlier in the day. "You have been very secretive about what you were doing in Thirsk today. Anything I should know about?" Richard teased.

"Nope," Thomas said simply, trying his best to make his face appear neutral.

"Should I be worried? Jealous?" Richard teased some more, stroking a bit of hair behind Thomas's ear with his thumb.

"Neither," Thomas said.

"Chris had an idea about why you were there," Richard said.

"Oh? What did he think?" Thomas asked, with mock confusion.

"Seemed to think you were shopping for Christmas presents. Would he be correct Mr Barrow?" Richard asked, leaning in a bit closer so that Thomas could feel his breath tickle the side of his face.

"Couldn't possibly say," Thomas said.

"Oh I think that must mean he was correct!" Richard said. Not many people could get beyond Thomas's many false expressions, but he could. Very easily. All it took was for him to catch Thomas's eye for a second and the corner of Thomas's mouth twitched, which was enough to give him an answer.

"Fine! I was. But what makes you think the present was for you?" Thomas said, letting his head lean into Richard's hand that was now gently massaging the back of his neck below his right ear.

"The very fact that you deny it is confirmation enough for me, Mr Barrow," Richard said. "Can I have a clue as to what it might be? I suppose it is hidden somewhere?"

"No course you can't. That's the point of a surprise and why I have hidden it somewhere you will never find it," Thomas said, rather enjoying how they were teasing each other in this odd little game. Richard sighed heavily, and Thomas chuckled. "Honestly Richard! You're like a child sometimes, how did your parents ever keep anything from you at this time of year?"

"With great difficulty, especially as I got older and could reach the cupboards that were out of bounds for me when I was smaller," Richard said. "Oh if only I could get inside your head Thomas!"

"You are always in every corner of it," Thomas said sweetly.

"Not the part that knows where this mysterious gift is though," Richard said. He shuffled to face Thomas, so that his knee was resting on Thomas's thigh. "Maybe I can guess and you will give the hiding place away without meaning too?"

"You won't manage that. I can keep a secret if it suits me," Thomas said, looking directly into Richard's eyes, and very subtly biting his lower lip.

"Hmm let me see," Richard thought. "I doubt it would be in this room. If it were you would have looked towards where it is hidden by now. I don't think it would be in the shop or downstairs since I would have seen you down there when you came home. The bedroom perhaps? No, too obvious. The spare bedroom maybe? But where abouts?" Thomas was still holding his gaze and Richard felt his heart do a little jump. Richard searched his face, but it was giving nothing away. This was proving to be rather tricky. Thomas was indeed an expert at keeping thoughts locked away in his mind. Thomas said nothing as Richard paused his guesses either. All he did was bite the edge of his lower lip slowly and rather deliberately. "Okay I have changed my mind. I don't believe it is even hidden in this building. Maybe you gave it to someone else for safekeeping? Chris perhaps? But no, he was here in the shop with me and I would have seen." Richard watched Thomas's face as a small little smirk of victory flashed across his features. "I will not give in Mr Barrow, I will find out. Right, um," Richard thought for a moment. "Well maybe it is a mixture of my two previous guesses. Not given to someone else to look after, but still kept in someone else's home. Maybe it is at Downton? A place like that must have thousands of perfect hiding places." Richard couldn't believe how good Thomas was at this. No, actually he could. This is a man who has had a lifetime of practice with hiding expressions. Again, Thomas didn't betray an answer, all he did was blink once. Richard could feel the temperature within him begin to rise. He was not sure how much longer they could go on like this. Richard suddenly had a thought and an idea. "Well I wouldn't know where else you would put whatever it is that you have got me, unless you still have it on you?"

This did get a response from Thomas, who straightened his back and in doing so, pushed himself up closer to Richard, so now their faces were only a few inches apart. "You mean, hiding it in plain sight?" Thomas asked. "A bit too obvious."

"Worth a look though don't you think?" Richard said, practically into Thomas's mouth.

"Be my guest," Thomas said, throwing the blanket that was still half covering the both of them, off.

"Well, maybe it is here," Richard said, his lips brushing the left side of Thomas's neck, his hand undoing a few more buttons on Thomas's shirt. Thomas had undone the first two himself when he came home earlier. "Hmm, seems not." Richard got off the sofa and moved behind Thomas, so that Thomas had his back to him. Richard untucked Thomas's shirt from the top of his trousers from behind him, and slid his hand up underneath Thomas's shirt. Thomas jumped a bit as Richard's colder hand slowly felt its way up Thomas's spine. Thomas moaned and leaned back into him. Richard leaned forward, his lips to Thomas's left ear, "Nothing here either." Richard pulled his hand out from under Thomas's shirt and slid off the chair and back to his original position so that he was facing Thomas again.

"Any other ideas?" Thomas asked.

Richard pushed himself across the sofa so that he was closer to Thomas, who pushed himself further along it still, so that now his lower back was being supported by one of the arms of the chair. "A few Thomas," Richard said as he reached a hand into one of Thomas's trouser pockets, feeling around slowly, his gaze fixed on Thomas's eyes. Thomas gasped, and his hips jumped in response. Richard chuckled, "Something there."

"Not what you are after though?" Thomas gasped.

"It might be," Richard teased again. He pulled his hand out of Thomas's pocket and reached for the belt buckle on Thomas's waistband. "Do you reckon I should make sure? Just in case."

"I think that would be wise, yes," Thomas said. He had won this game, but was perfectly happy with playing for many more hours yet...