#Sarah O’Brien

[gooseberrily]

I can be yuor angle or your deeble…

[queenmelancholy]

This is when I know I’ll be teaming up with Thomas and O’Brien.

Downton Abbey, S1E2

[lt-sparrow]

evil mlm/wlw solidarity

[hayleythesugarbowl]

Hey!! I saw your Thomas barrow headcanons and I was wondering if you could write a fic where the reader is a new maid and Thomas takes a liking to her and stands up for her and the reader then begins to fall for Thomas and he finds out somehow and tells her that he can’t love her and the reader understands and they end up as good friends? Thank you so much if you write this I love your writing!!

It’s Nice To Have a Friend || Thomas Barrow & reader • Part 1

⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡ Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 ⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ masterlist • thomas barrow masterlist ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

summary: when your father dies and you’re forced to get a job as a maid at Downton you are greeted by Thomas Barrow who takes to helping you get settled in

word count: 1.4k

warnings: none

a/n: thank you so much for the request, I’ve been meaning to write for Thomas and so I decided to make this a series. this is the first of a three part series (part 2 and 3 are out now!!) enjoy <3🍒💋

<— another thomas fic • next part —>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~°~❦~°~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Downton Abbey. You took in the grand estate as you walked up towards the house, clutching your coat tighter around yourself.

     Saying you needed this job would be an understatement. What with your father’s death and your mother’s not being able to uphold the farm, you needed every penny you could get. Sure, being a maid wasn’t your ideal job, but it would do. There were less respectable positions than a housemaid in a estate such as Lord and Lady Grantham’s.

     You stuck your chin up. You were lucky to have gotten this job. And you would make a good maid—you would have to. It wasn’t where you imagined yourself when you were a little girl and dreamed of being the next Mary Shelley. But what were dreams to reality. You shook these thoughts off as you approached the house. 

     As you headed towards where you guessed the the servants entrance was, you thought about the decisions that had got you here. You hoped you’d made the right ones. You stopped for a moment, leaning up against the wall, hoping no one could see you. This had to go well. You took a minute to collect yourself. A door opened a little ways down and someone stepped out. You saw his figure walking towards you. 

     “Can I help you?” The man who now stood before you asked, with a slight air of suspicion. He had dark hair and dark eyes and you couldn’t help but notice how good-looking he was. God does have his favorites, you thought.

     “I’m (Y/n) (Y/l/n), the new housemaid.” You told him, standing up straighter.

     “I didn’t know we needed another housemaid,” the man said. 

     “Well I’m not here to mend cars,” you told him.

     “Ah, of course not,” he smiled, “I see you prefer to spend your time lurking in the shadows.”

     “I was merely looking for the servants entrance,” you countered.

     He looked you up and down, “Right. This way,” he led you farther down, towards the door he had previously exited. 

     “Well, now I’ve introduced myself, who might you be? I don’t suppose you’re the butler.”

     “In time,” he said mysteriously. “But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I’m Thomas Barrow, his Lordship’s valet. It’s a right here.”

     You turned right and were led into the servants quarters, a lively place, bustling with cooks and maids and footmen as they went about their work. As Thomas led you to the back of the room and into a hall you marveled at how many servants worked here. Sure, the house was large but you couldn’t imagine one family needing that much help. 

     “Here we are,” Thomas stopped in front of a room with the door propped open and you were met with a stern looking woman and an even more stern looking man. 

     “Ah, (Y/n), I see you’ve made it,” the woman greeted you, smiling, “I hope your trip wasn’t too rough.”

     “No ma’am,” you answered. 

     “We’re glad to have you (Y/n),” the man said, “Mrs. Hughes and I have been quite busy lately with such a limited staff. Thank you, Thomas, for showing her the way.” 

     Thomas nodded and as you looked around you, the door pushed open a tad and you saw that a maid with blonde hair had entered the room.

     “I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” she said. 

     “We were just welcoming the new maid. (Y/n), this is Anna, the head housemaid. She’ll show you to your rooms.” Mr. Carson said. “You have a few minutes to get settled and then you’ll need to change. Mrs. Hughes can tell you when to get the girls rooms ready and when to turn the guest rooms. Daisy will wake you at 6:00 every morning.”

     The woman who must have been Anna led you down a hall. 

     “I don’t know how I’ll ever remember it all,” you said.

     “You’ll pick it up in no time,” Anna smiled encouragingly. She showed you to the room you were to be sharing with another one of the maids and you set your bag down that held your few possessions.

     Upon walking back to the servants dining room you found most of the people sitting around the table having a rest or mending something, their eyes on you once you walked in. 

      “So, has it always been your dream to be in service or did fate require it?” One woman said, not entirely kindly, you thought.

     “If you’re asking if I mean to be a housemaid my whole life then no, I can’t say that I do.” You answered honestly, maybe too honestly, you realized as the word tumbled out of your mouth. “I have my ambitions, just like the rest of us.”

     “You’ll do good to forget about them,” she drawled.

     “O’Brien doesn’t mean it,” Anna smiled at you, “I think it’s lovely that you’ve got dreams.”

     “You don’t mean to be here long then?” A kitchen girl asked you.

     “Oh I don’t mean that,” you said, “it’s a good position and I’m lucky to be here.”

     Suddenly, a cook with fiery red hair stormed into the room, glaring daggers at the girl who had just spoke. 

     “Daisy I said you could have a break not a day off!” 

     “Coming Mrs. Patmore,” Daisy scrambled off, glancing back at you with a worried look. 

     Thomas walked in just then, Daisy almost running into him, holding a cigarette, “Got a lot of ambitions, do you (Y/n)?”

     “I might,” you answered, looking at Thomas mysteriously. 

     “Well you mustn’t let Mr. Carson hear you talking about ‘em,” he lifted his cigarette to his mouth, “we’re not supposed to have thoughts and opinions down here.”

     “You have no trouble sharing yours,” O’Brien raised an eyebrow.

     “You’re one to talk,” he countered.

     You looked between them, and then turned to Anna, whispering, “They don’t get on, do they?”

     Anna turned to you. “They’re friends really,” she continued in a low voice, taking on a joking tone, “united in their treachery.”

     You didn’t think Thomas had seemed particularly treacherous. Cold maybe. Haughty sure. But not treacherous. However, first impressions were often wrong.

     Mr. Carson entered the room again. Everyone stood up, awaiting instruction. 

     “I’ve rung the dressing gong,” he said, “You must all begin to get ready for dinner. Everyone is ready to be dressed so you should head up at once. Thomas, His Lordship’s new shoes are in the boot room and they need brushing.”

     “Yes Mr. Carson.”

     Mrs. Hughes addressed you. “And (Y/n), if you could help Anna out by fetching Edith’s frock. It was being mended and I haven’t had a chance to send it up.” 

     “Yes Mrs. Hughes.” You went off with everyone else in a rush, heading in the same direction as Thomas.

     “Settling in yet?” Thomas asked you as you walked.

     “As much as I can,” you answered. “I hope so, at least.”

     He was silent a moment before saying, “Always rise when any of the family comes down here. Never appear in the dining room when dinner service is in progress. Prepare to serve long and tiring hours and don’t expect to be acknowledged for it neither. Remember that and you should be alright.”

     You looked at him. “Thank you, you’ve been ever so welcoming. I’ve no doubt you know this house like the back of your hand. If I was Mr. Carson I’d worry I’d be out of a job.”

     Thomas was silent.

     You accepted the silence for a few moments and then sought to break it. “So you seemed keen to talk about ambitions, what are your dreams, Mr. Barrow?”

     “Who says I’ve got dreams?”

     “Everyone has dreams,” you told him.

     “Not me,” he said cryptically. “People like me don’t have dreams.”

     “I don’t believe that. I think everyone’s got a right to hope just as anyone else.”

     “The world doesn’t share your views, my luck,” he said.

     As you pondered over what this meant, you followed Thomas into the boot room. He picked up a pair of shoes and grabbed a brush.

     “I’d like to become a novelist,” you said. “I like to write—that’s my dream.”

     He didn’t say anything

    You gathered a parcel that must have been Lady Edith’s dress and began to leave the room.  “That was a very interesting conversation, Mr. Barrow, thank you.”

     You turned back around before exiting. “I’d like to think we’ll become friends, you and I,” you told him.

     “Oh, (Y/n),” Thomas turned to you, stopping mid-brush, “I don’t have friends here. Everyone knows that.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~°~❦~°~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

<— another thomas fic • next part —>

ˋ°•*⁀➷ part 2 and 3 are up now hope you enjoyed this loves

[sapphicgardensinmymind]

“O’Brien?” Cora asks, voice straining in the process.

“Yes, Milady?” She replies, eagerly searching her Lady’s face for any sign of discomfort, ready to move in an instant for anything she may need, knowing she’d bring her the sun itself if that’s what she wants.

But Cora’s face simply softens, as she lets out an almost contented sigh, eyes closing once more, voice soft as she repeats more surely this time, “O’Brien.”

-

i'm rewatching the show and these two just grabbed hold of me okay i mean the lesbian yearning of it all

[fanofcarson]

A while ago I had this dream where Mrs Patmore was standing on the roof of a fast moving train, staring angrily at Miss O’Brien, who was levitating in the air across from her but moving the exact speed of the train

[longliverockback]

Electric Light Orchestra Live 2013 Frontiers Music ————————————————— Tracks: 01. Evil Woman 02. Showdown 03. Secret Messages 04. Livin’ Thing 05. Sweet Talkin’ Woman 06. Mr. Blue Sky 07. Can’t Get It out of My Head 08. Twilight 09. Confusion 10. Don’t Bring Me Down 11. Roll over Beethoven 12. Out of Luck 13. Cold Feet 14. Telephone Line —————————————————

Peggy Baldwin

Gregg Bissonette

Matt Bissonette

Jeff Lynne

Marc Mann

Sarah O’Brien

Richard Tandy

* Long Live Rock Archive

[queenmelancholy]

Taking this opportunity to talk about O’Brien and her relationship with Thomas a bit. I’d like to think that she actually cared about him, more or less. Remember when Thomas got back from the war and showed her his blighty? That look on O’Brien’s face was genuine concern and sympathy. Maybe it was just Siobhan Finneran’s acting. But she also kept close contact with Thomas when he was on the front line, where he would more likely to die than come back to be her agent of evil deeds. She was concerned about his next steps when he said he’d like to leave Downton near the end of both S1 and S2, and she followed up with his whereabouts when he went into the black market business. I think she did care about him, just as a person.

I think the original tags above were so right about why Thomas bonded with O’Brien. On the other hand, I think somehow O’Brien saw Thomas as her younger brother - especially after she lost her favourite one to the injustice of the class system and a bad fate in life, which to some extent was so similar in Thomas’s own experience. She must have felt a bit sorry for him too, to be an ambitious young man struggling through the ladder but always got this burden of his sexuality hanging over him.

So to do justice to O’Brien’s character, I’d say her relationship with Thomas is nuanced - yes she did exploited him, but she also cared about him. They were both bitter and perceptive people, and in their bitterness they found each other to be complicit with. They held a worldview different than all the others, and they had been lonely because of that. They became friends because they understood each other better than anyone else. And when they became enemies, both were able to hurt each other the most, precisely due to their mutual understanding.

It is our loss that we will never get to see more of O’Brien’s story being told. I’ve always felt that her character could’ve been nearly as complex and interesting as Thomas’s.

I'm also like. Thinking about the early Thomas+O'Brien brotp and how O'Brien takes such pride in her profession as a lady's maid, while Thomas is very determined to become a valet, and I'm wondering if Thomas's friendship with O'Brien and her being a sort-of mentor for him had something to do with him wanting to be a valet.

[corvidaeconundrum]

Our so far designs for our Starbright AU! Including the human versions of the alternates(weird al lucifer weird al lucifer weird al ginger lucifer-)

[barris-ftw]

Don’t think I’ve seen this one posted on tumblr so here’s a deleted scene from S3 E6

[marvelousbelladonna]

Only caught the tale end of it

But it seems we’re getting a Midst-esque one-shot

[clean-bubbles-aka-bubbles]

Anon {Mandela Catalogue x OC/Reader}

(The reader will be an OC, so your name won't be mentioned, but you can imagine yourself as my OC.)

𝙸𝚗 𝚠𝚑𝚒��𝚑 𝚊 𝚐𝚒𝚛𝚕 𝚌𝚛𝚊𝚜𝚑-𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚞𝚗𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚕𝚊 𝙲𝚊𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚘𝚐𝚞𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚌𝚔 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚐𝚘𝚍 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠𝚜 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐. 𝚂𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚎, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚊𝚕𝚜𝚘 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚚𝚞𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍.

(Chapters will have links instead of you trying to search through my Tumblr account.)

𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐑: 𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃

This is just a fanfiction for the fun and entertainment for readers and audiences. If there is anything that makes you uncomfortable or you have questions, tell me what it is. I'll elaborate it.

𝓣𝓪𝓫𝓵𝓮 𝓸𝓯 𝓒𝓸𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓷𝓽𝓼:

PROLOGUE: Ephemeral Descent

Enigmatic Awakening || Eternal Bound

Persistence and Distance

Friendship Rivalry Unveiled

Nothing is Worth the Risk?

Deceptive Bonds to Abyss of Despair

Intricate Manipulations

Descent into Darkness

Lies in Shadows

A Pray that Preys

Somebody Came for Mark

Resurrection Gambit

Perpetual Confrontation with Perpetrator

Bamboozling a Bamboozler

Cabin Inn

The Stalkers' Whisper

Paranoia's Grip

Devilish Scheme

Knock of Illusions

Alternate Ambush

Peppered Desperation

Forest of Spellbound Fate

Temporal Displacement: Celestial Conundrum

Sibling Reunion

BPS & Police

Masking Madness

Intrusive Discovery

Psychological Capturing

Faustian Dilemma

Descent into Darkness

Covenant of Shadows

Betrayal's Echo

Catalyst of Confessions

Paranormal Machinations

Fractured Bonds

Divine Intervention

Resonance of Redemption

Epilogue: Ephemeral Farewell

Hope you all enjoy! These will be open up soon!

REBLOGS (and/or COMMENTS) >>> LIKES are heavily appreciated!

[stephen-king-deutschland]

The Monkey / Der Affe kommt im Februar 2025

Der Affe ist eine Kurzgeschichte von Stephen King aus dem Jahr 1980. Sie ist in der Kurzgeschichtensammlung Der Fornit bzw. Blut enthalten. Nach vielen Jahren fällt Hal Shelburn erneut ein Spielzeug-Affe in die Hand, der nach Hals Überzeugung in seiner Kindheit für mehrere mysteriöse Todesfälle verantwortlich war. Immer wenn er mit seinen Zimbeln klimperte, musste jemand in Hals Bekanntenkreis…

[filmola-de]

Stephen Kings Kurzgeschichte The Monkey kommt 2025

Der Affe ist eine Kurzgeschichte von Stephen King aus dem Jahr 1980. Sie ist in der Kurzgeschichtensammlung Der Fornit bzw. Blut enthalten. Nach vielen Jahren fällt Hal Shelburn erneut ein Spielzeug-Affe in die Hand, der nach Hals Überzeugung in seiner Kindheit für mehrere mysteriöse Todesfälle verantwortlich war. Immer wenn er mit seinen Zimbeln klimperte, musste jemand in Hals Bekanntenkreis…

[hayleythesugarbowl]

It’s Nice To Have a Friend || Thomas Barrow & reader • Part 3

⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡ Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 ⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ masterlist • thomas barrow masterlist ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

summary: as you suffer the consequences of your mistake, thomas stands up for you and you can’t deny your growing attraction to him. then he overhears something that might jeopardize your relationship

word count: 1.7k

warnings: some mild swearing at the end

a/n: part 3 let’s gooo!! i had so much fun writing this and i hope you guys enjoy it <3🩰🍓

<— previous part • another thomas fic —>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~°~❦~°~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I hope you know the embarrassment and shame you have brought upon Downton this day. A maid in the dining room, ruining dinner! Respect for this household is surely lost to the Hardcastles.”

     All of the servants were assembled downstairs. The mood was somber, that was for sure. You looked down at the floor.

     “I feel awful Mr. Carson,” you spoke up. 

     “As you should,” Mr. Carson said. “This incident is not likely to be forgotten anytime soon. I don’t know what you were doing upstairs in the first place, but you will face severe consequences.

     “Yes, Mr. Carson.”

     Thomas looked at you and back at Mr. Carson. “I suppose you’ve never made a mistake then, Mr. Carson?”

     “Not if I can help it, Mr. Barrow.” He turned his severe look to Thomas.

     “S’pose you would know a lot about mistakes,” O’Brien muttered to Thomas.

     “Well I am human Miss O’Brien. And so’s (Y/n). We all are. And it’d do you some good not to forget it.” Thomas looked around the room. 

     “That’s enough, Mr. Barrow. (Y/n) needs to understand the gravity of this situation. We have a standard to uphold. And a maid carrying food upstairs into the dining room and making a fool of herself! You are very lucky His Lordship was so understanding.”

     “Since when is trying to help a crime?” Thomas challenged.

     “Mr. Barrow—”

     “No it’s alright, I believe I should be getting my things anyways,” You said.

     Mrs. Hughes stopped you. “Now wait just a minute, nobody go anywhere just yet.”

     Mr. Carson started, “(Y/n), I ought to send you on your way—”

     Mrs. Hughes interrupted him with a look, “Mr. Carson—” 

     “But being that it is (Y/n)’s first couple of week here I think we can make some excuses.” It looked like it pained him to say it. 

     “If she burns the place down will you let her off with a slap on the wrist!” O’Brien said incredulously.

      “It was an accident,” Anna said. 

     “Yes, an unfortunate accident which I will impress upon you will never happen again.” Mr. Hughes fixed you with a stern look.

     “Yes Mrs. Hughes,” you obliged, looking down. 

    “Now leave the poor girl be, everyone” Mrs Hughes said, “before she has a spell and that’ll do no good to any of us.”

     “Oh I don’t know, she might be more useful that way,” O’Brien muttered, audibly.

      “I’d advise you to hold your tongue, Miss O’Brien,” Mrs. Hughes fixed a stern look on her.

     The ladies maid set Mrs. Hughes with a look equal to the latter’s. “I don’t know what you mean.”

     “Well you wouldn’t, O’Brien, no one’s laboring under the impression that you understand what it’s like being useful.” Thomas stepped towards you unconsciously.

     Mr. Carson stepped in. “That’s quite enough Mr. Barrow.”  

     “Yes, that will be all,” Mrs. Hughes, “Get back to your tasks, all of you. That’s quite enough excitement for one night. 

     You nodded, walking towards the door but as Thomas went to pass you, you stopped him. 

     “Mr Barrow—thank you, for sticking up for me.” 

     “Mr. Carson made a nightmare of all our first weeks. It’s the least I could do,” he told you. 

     “I’m sure you all didn’t ruin the most important evening of the year with excessive clumsiness.” You rubbed the back of your neck. 

     “You’d be surprised.” He smiled at you. “You’ll not get the sack, not if I can help it.”

     You thought of the other servants saying that Thomas was selfish and distant. You couldn’t help but feel they were wrong, but you didn’t know why it was only you that thought so.

     You smiled back, “Daisy already thinks you’ve taken a liking to me. Careful or the other’s’ll think you’ve got a heart.”

     “Well we can’t have that,” he said with a wink and then was off in the other direction. 

     You turned back towards the kitchen where Daisy and Anna and a number of other maids and kitchen servants were watching you.

     “Are you feeling better?” Anna asked you.

     “I am thank you, still a bit shaken but I’ll get over it,” you said, grateful for her concern. “I’m lucky I’m still here.”

     “Well, we’re all glad you are,” Anna said. 

     “She wasn’t likely to be thrown out, not with Thomas as her knight in shining armor,” Daisy added, as she finished scrubbing a pan.

     “There’s a first,” Mrs. Patmore laughed as she walked by carrying an empty tray. 

     “He’s nicer than you lot give him credit for,” you defended. 

     A couple of the maids giggled.

     “Oh, cut her some slack. She fancies him,” Daisy teased.

     You found yourself blushing, “Wherever did you get an idea like that?”

     “Only that you’re in love with him,” Daisy grinned. “You can’t deny it, I’ve seen the way you look at him.”

     You fumbled for words, and Daisy must have seen the panicked look on your face because she said, “Oh I’m not serious, I’m only poking fun,” Daisy said, “I used to be infatuated with him too before I was brought to me senses.”

     “Whatever do you mean? You don’t think I have my fair shot?” You teased back.

     “Well, it’s not you that’s the problem is it?” Mrs. Patmore said as she rolled out bread dough, presumably for breakfast the next morning. “You have as fair a go as the rest of us ladies.” She laughed. 

     You weren’t sure what she meant by it, but you felt defensive. “Suppose I do, then so what if I fancy—Thomas!”

     His sudden appearance made you jump. “I was just sent to tell Anna that Mrs. Hughes needs to see her,” he said.

     Anna looked back at you sympathetically and then hurried out of the room. You looked to Thomas. He was watching you with a curious expression on his face. You didn’t know how much of the previous conversation he’d heard. You thought about denying everything. But that would be untruthful, you realized. Because maybe you did fancy Thomas. 

     “Don’t suppose you’ve gone momentarily deaf?” You asked him, trying to break the silence that had settled over the kitchen.

     Daisy looked caught between nervous and giddy. 

     “No don’t suppose I have,” he said, turning around and walking out of the kitchen. 

     He chased after him, “Thomas, wait.” He turned down the hall to the male servants rooms, which you definitely weren’t supposed to be in but you weren’t paying attention. 

     When you finally caught up with his brisk pace he was turned around facing the back wall of what must have been his room. 

     “Thomas I’m sorry if I’ve startled you-”

     But he didn’t turn around and you finally gave up, leaving him there, wondering what you did wrong.

*****

     You didn’t speak to Thomas for the remainder of the week. Not for lack of trying, but he seemed determined to avoid you. He turned the other way if you came down the hall and if you tried to speak to him he suddenly remembered something that needed done in the other room. 

     The other staff seemed to notice, especially when he’d been so friendly to you before. 

    As you sat at a chair, mending one of Her Ladyship’s evening gowns, you thought about all of this. Hearing footsteps behind you, you turned to find none other than Thomas standing in the doorway. He ignored you entirely and continued with his business.

     You tried to be kind, “Crazy weather we’ve been having, isn’t it?”

     “No different than any other year, I suppose,” he said indifferently.

     “No, I suppose not.”

     You paused. Oh, what the heck, out with it!

     “Have I offended you?” You asked. “Did I do something to warrant the cold shoulder?”

     Thomas looked pained coming up with a response.

     Finally—     

     “I can’t give you what you want,” Thomas said softly, looking down. 

     “What?”

     “I can’t be a proper gentleman to you,” he set down his work. 

     “And I don’t expect you to, neither. I was only being silly. I know it’s beneath you and I wasn’t asking—”

     He interrupted you and said slowly, “Not you, not any other woman.”

     Understanding dawned on you. His talk about abandoned dreams and romance. His behavior after you’d admitted to fancying him. 

     He watched you, waiting for a response.

     “Well, don’t I feel stupid,” you said. 

     “Not to worry, (Y/n). I couldn’t ask anyone to resist my charms. I’m sure it’s not your fault.” Thomas attempted a joke. 

     You laughed, grinning. “I am certain your charms are already employed on someone else, no doubt.

     “I might have someone in mind,” he said vaguely. 

     “Well, whoever the lucky bastard is,” you said, “he better bloody well deserve you.”

     “Language (Y/n), I thought you were a lady.”

     “Am I?”

     “Oh nonsense,” Thomas said, “you are a lady and you’ll made some bloke more than happy someday.” 

     He paused. “You’ve been kind to me. And I don’t deserve it.”

     “Don’t be silly, you’ve helped me more than anyone else here. 

     “You’re in the minority then. Everyone here would agree that I’m a bad seed,” he said.

     “Well not me.” 

      “You’re biased, you fancy me remember?” He smirked. 

      “Oh leave off!” You swatted at his arm. 

     His expression fell and he became serious, “I understand if you no longer wish to associate with me, if romance was what you wanted.”

    “I don’t give a rats tail about romance! There are more important things you know.”

     He smiled and looked down, silence descending on the room again.

       You furrowed your brow. “I have to ask, if everyone says you’re so awful, why are you kind to me?”

      He took a minute to reply. “You remind me of myself when I started in service. I had dreams. I had hopes. You remind me to dream. Make me feel like maybe I could. And it trust you. Being me is a lonely business. I’ll deny it to my grave but it is.”

     You didn’t know what to say to such a declaration.

     “I think you’re a lot more than you or anyone else gives you credit for,” you said.

     “I’m grateful for you,” he said, “I haven’t had many acquaintances in my life.”

     “Then we stay acquaintances, I hope.” You smiled at him. 

     “I should like to think of us as more than that,” Thomas said, with a glint in his eye. “We’re friends, you and I.”

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ˋ°•*⁀➷ hope you guys enjoyed this series and thank you to the anon who requested this fic!! to everyone who read this whole series I’m sending my love your way <3