Downton Abbey Comment Ficathon
With the new season upon us, and fandom all extra-enthusiastic, I figured now would be a great time for this. Because there can never be enough Downton Abbey fic, and there certainly isn't enough now!
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Sibyl takes his head in her hands, and smoothes back his thick hair as another nurse cleans up his wrists. He was so beautiful, she thinks, and so kind, and he hadn’t wanted to leave her.
Thomas had gone to his little hospital staff apartment directly after the corpse of Lieutenant Courtenay was borne from the cottage, and locked the door.
The hospital hall is nearly empty, awaiting the wounded from Arras. The other nurses have gone home, and Branson will be in any moment, but Sibyl goes to Thomas’ door and finds he’s locked it.
She knocks “Corporal Barrow,” she says. “Thomas?”
He opens the door with a click, and stands there staring her down, pallid and red around the eyes.
She wonders if evidence of tears can be found on her own face. “It’s been hours. I just wanted to see that you were all right.”
“’Course I am,” he says. “It’s another dead man and that’s a pity, but there’s a war.”
Sibyl frowns. “But you-I know that you were friends. I was his friend as well. I wish we could have done something to prevent this.”
“Yeah, I was his friend, and I haven’t got many, and that’s all,” Thomas looks at her, directly, to drill the words in, very nearly daring her to contradict him and say that no, that is not all.
Instead she says: “Well, I’ll be your friend, if you like.”
It’s not what she expected to say.
Thomas’ flat expression of surprise is almost humorous, and he recognizes it, shaking his head and reaching for the door.
“Well how about it?” she says. “Friends?”
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Nurse Crawley,” he says.
(OH HOLY GOD THAT TOOK UP SO MUCH SPACE--)
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Thanks for reading!
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You are flawless and in my perfect world you would write me a Thomas and Sybil fic every week because they just make sense to me but I can't translate it to words like you can.
You captured both characters perfectly and you should totally write a follow up I could not have hoped for better <3
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The sequel would crack out one of two ways: Sibyl and Thomas Drive Major Clarkson Insane with Schemes to Fill the Hospital with Only Cute Patients
or
Sassy Gay Friend Thomas Coaches Friend Sibyl Into and Out of Romantic Hijinks
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Branson held the door open for her as she descended, deferential in the transitional space between daughter of an earl and low-ranking nurse.
He caught her eyes, and tried to hold them but looked away, and Sibyl wished again that he had not said those things. The English know not to say those things. Women know not to say them. And there was Branson, putting voice to his heart in a way that shocked her and ruined it all.
“Branson,” she said, thinking: Branson, I am not ready for my life to begin, not like that, not while I am still afraid to walk into the cottage hospital. “I am sorry,” she said instead. “For what I said to you.”
And then Corporal Barrow appeared in the stone gate, standing hipshot with his face screwed up in a theatrical moue.
“Stop. Right there. Girl,” he said. "That is not how you treat them if you want them.”
“But I can’t-” she said. “He’s my father's driver, for god’s sake.”
“Well then he knows how to get a motor started. And can he wear jodhpurs, my god. Now look, you want a drink of the Irish Spring?”
Sibyl nodded.
“Then you’ve got to give him something! Let’s see. When your shift is up we’ll do your hair and get you something better than this old nurse frock. Hmm?”
“Maybe. But I don’t think he’ll forgive me.”
“Forgive you? Honey, baby, look at your hair. Look at how skinny you are! Of course he’ll forgive you. Men are animals, you silly bitch. We’ll pop some mascara on you and you’ll tell him you were confused and you’ll be steaming up the windows of that car in ten seconds.”
“I don’t know-”
“Like Titanic.”
Sibyl sighed. “You think?”
“I know,” said Thomas, and winked. “And when you’re done you will call me and we’ll go out for margaritas.”
"Thanks Thomas," said Sibyl. "I'm glad that we're friends."
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You and your writing are gifts from the Gods, honestly! ;D
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I won't be able to watch Downton anymore because regular Thomas is going to pale so spectacularly to Sassy Gay Thomas.
We should definitely get married tbh.
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