Work Text:
Thomas hates summer, he always has.
The first memory he has of summer is of long grass and a warm breeze as he and his sister run through the fields until their legs are numb and it felt like they were flying. His second memory is of tears and bloody knees and raised voices. Since then summer mostly passed in a blur, all the way up until he started at Downton.
He had almost been excited for the first summer there - half formed dreams of lavish parties and weeks spent in London and weeks spent with family, and the reality had been a slap in the face. Summer at Downton was hardwork in the sweltering sun, sweating through his shirts and jackets and pounding headaches and days upon days upon days that left him feeling like he’s covered in a thin layer of grime he can’t wash away.
This year though, Thomas is hoping summer will be a little different. There’s still the gruelling work, the near unbearable heat, insects and picnics and on and on, but this year there’s Jimmy, too.
Jimmy loves summer. To Jimmy, there is no better time of year - how could there be? The flowers are blooming, in the mornings he sees rabbits and foxes running after their mothers, and lambs in the fields; there're fairs and parties and late nights watching the sunset when he’s supposed to be clearing tables and polishing silver, but, mostly, he loves the feeling of the sun on his skin.
Since they had settled into their own routine, Jimmy had taught Thomas the beauty in summer.
It had started with Thomas waking earlier than usual one morning and nipping out for a fag. Jimmy joined his outside a few moments later and they stood in silence as the sun rose on the horizon. In the cool light, Jimmy spotted the rabbits scampering along a wall a little way away, and he began talking in a low voice.
“I was out here the other morning and there was these little rabbits, must be the same ones, and they-”
Thomas was only half listening, not because he was bored, rather because he couldn’t help but notice how Jimmy’s eyes seemed to twinkle a little in the morning sun.
~~~
The next time Thomas realised that summer might not be so bad was another seemingly mundane day.
Mrs Patmore had run out of something or other and sent Thomas into town, but the family was away and Mr Carson had let Jimmy tag along. The pair of them definitely took longer than necessary, meandering the narrow roads, browsing the comically over priced bits of tat in one of the shops and stopping for lunch.
The sun was getting low in the sky by the time they were making their way up the drive - they would definitely get a bollocking from Mr Carson - and Jimmy was telling a heavily embellished story from his childhood, complete with funny voices and dramatic re-enactment. His laughter carried lightly on the breeze - he could hardly go a few words without giggling and Thomas wasn’t even sure they were halfway through the story yet - and when he threw his head back, the sun bounced joyously off his curls and scattered around him like a glittering halo.
~~~
It was early September, the weird time of year where it was freezing and boiling simultaneously and even though the sky was always cloudy, the sun shone unrelentingly from when it rose to when it set; Thomas actually quite liked this weather.
By some miracle he and Jimmy had a coinciding afternoon off and decided to take a walk to the river with a small basket they had begged off Mrs Patmore. There was a small bend in the river that was protected by low hanging trees and high bushes - their own little world, just for today.
Thomas ended up sitting with his back against a tree, Jimmy’s head in his lap, running his fingers through his curls. As the sun came round and began to set it danced across the water and rained down through the trees, casting a warm orange glow across Jimmy’s face, illuminating his half smile and rosy cheeks.
Jimmy glowed. He glowed when he and Thomas woke up together, he glowed when they walked together in the afternoon, he glowed here, in their private get away...
It looked like the sun was kissing Jimmy. And Thomas couldn’t help but kiss him too.