Chapters: 3/12
Fandom: Downton Abbey
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Thomas Barrow/Tom Branson
Characters: Thomas Barrow, Tom Branson, Mary Crawley, Sybbie Branson, George Crawley, Phyllis Baxter, Anna Bates, Elsie Hughes (Downton Abbey)
Additional Tags: Romance, Drama, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Happy Ending, Suicide Attempt, Suicidal Thoughts, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, dark humour, Slow Burn, Developing Relationship, Explicit Sexual Content, Mutual Pining, Sexual Tension, split POV, Thomas and the children, Weekly Updates
Summary:
When Tom finds Thomas and assists after his suicide attempt, a bond forms between the two men, one that is built upon a mutual need for one another. As their friendship grows, the bond develops into something deeper and much more abiding.
If there's a lil scene in the sequel where thomas opens a letter and sheepishly beams at it, can someone then make a compilation of thomas opening/handling letters over the years, culminating in the one scene where for once his post brought him joy
Thomas is Dr Clarksons illegitimate son and they have fun father son bonding time.
THIS NEVER ACTUALLY OCCURRED TO ME AND NOW I’M LIKE???? OK, so. Here’s the thing.
Thomas as a bastard - not necessarily just Robert’s bastard - but a bastard in general has become my jam lately and anytime I write backstory for him I always find myself either hinting or just plain spelling out that his clockmaker dad was not his real dad. Usually if it’s not Robert I just invent a dad (the best one is played by Charles Dance) but.
Wow Clarkson as his dad… is a fab idea. I mean it doesn’t rly gel with my Dr Clarkson Is Gay headcanon (Alex51324 did a great job of making Thomas’s dad Also Gay in excellent inheritance drama Thomas and the Earl of Findlater but I feel like probably we can’t get away with that twice in one fandom).
Continued under the cut to save your dash--
But it would be so nice? I have such a major soft spot for Clarkson, I think he’s one of the most criminally underused characters in the show and I’m still angry that his final storyline basically amounted to tapping Dickie Merton on the shoulder and giving him the ‘you’re not dying!’ thumbs up. Like I know he really cares about doctoring but seriously? That’s it? My poor, excellently moustached, beautifully accented, delightfully snarky darling deserved so much better.
So uh… now I’m done babbling.
Neither of them realise Thomas is the child Richard fathered when he was younger until he goes forward for RAMC training between S1-2 and and Richard is processing his birth certificate to put him forward and sees his mother’s name and his birthdate.
A quiet, stoic kind of flip-out ensues, alone in his office.
Good Guy Clarkson takes Thomas’s mother’s address from his files and writes to her to explain that he’s working with him and has discovered who he is, and would it cause she or her family harm if he were to make himself known? And she writes back like eh idgaf do whatever bro I ain’t got no secrets (because Thomas’s mum gives no fucks as a rule).
So now in the most awkward scene ever he like. He invites Thomas to the pub???? Thomas is so confused because Richard Clarkson fucking never goes to the pub unless it’s to treat people who are staying there. Oh, he thinks, is he going to hit on me? Am I going to let him? He’s not ugly, I suppose, and it might be an advantage, sharing my bed with a Major. Bit old for my usual tastes but I can be persuaded…
These thoughts become 10000000x more awkward when poor Dr Clarkson, after clearing his throat 700 times and downing more scotch than is necessarily wise, just kind of slides a letter from his mother, sent 22 years ago, across the table.
“Oh Christ,” thinks Thomas as he reads it, realisation dawning, “I was considering boning my actual father.”
He’s a little bit pissy at first because why didn’t you bloody marry her, being a doctor’s son would have been so much better. You know who else is a doctor’s son? MATTHEW BLOODY CRAWLEY. but Clarkson is like ‘she really didn’t want to marry me’ and - that does sound like her. Ever difficult. Could be a doctor’s wife and live a life 10x better than this one but no, I’ll marry the stern clockmaker instead. Sigh.
There’s not a whole lot they can do about it after the Initial Reveal because the war is still happening and Thomas is still leaving for RAMC training so like. Ok then. Nice to meet you, Dad? Bye.
And uh... oh lord, there’s really nowhere terribly interestign I can go with this. He comes back from the war and they bond over broken bones and blown-off limbs and Clarkson trains him as his full-time medical assistant rather than sending him back into service.
And Isobel is like his stepmum too which is quite nice. She’s a nice lady.
Wheeeeee - and this is for the Anon who asked, too!
lowkey otp: TomThom. I like it, I am always pleased to see it, but I’m not crying about it, generally. Also Thomas with Gerald Pellinger from the Guide AU :’) the best Thomas/OC ship ever.
highkey notp: Is..... edging toward Thommy, honestly. Not that highkey but... like, on the one hand I will read Thommy fics but I find I read them mostly just to consume more Barrow and the more they focus on Jimmy as a character the less I like them? I’ve gone from sort of quietly disliking Thommy to getting actively angry about Thommy when I see it, and I feel quite bad about that, because many of my dear friends are Thommy fans, but I just... I just hate it so much... (And it’s one of those awful guilty highkey notps where even though I hate it, I find myself writing it, because it’s canon on Thomas’s side and therefore it’s so interesting to explore his very self-destructive pining over this little straight pissant. Ugh.)
Oh but for a less controversial answer, there are those people who legitimately ship Thomas with women - I’ve seen him shipped with Daisy, Mary, and... O’Brien. And I just - good God. I’m not sure what kind of person takes the sole permanent canon gay character, whose angst mostly comes from being gay in a time when it is fucking awful for him, and ships him with a woman. Not the kind of person I want to associate with, clearly.
lowkey notp: Parkbarrow does next to nothing for me but I’m not angry about it, and I do still like the idea that gangly idiot Andy Parker is dynamite in the sack. I just don’t personally think Thomas had any interest in him as more than a friend - he’s not exactly his type, and besides, I’d rather see him be kind to someone with no ulterior motive, for once.
But I’m cool with it.
highkey otp but i’m scared of saying it because it’s not a very popular choice: As with Hobopollo, I’m not actually afraid of saying it because this is my dang blog and I DO WHAT I WANT. But I know a lot of people hate Crowbarrow and that is my highest key Thomas otp. I don’t feel bad about it. I’m not afraid. They’re all just terribly, terribly mistaken.
highkey otp and anyone on my tumblr knows it: Same as above! But for the sake of variety, everyone also knows I adore the thought of Peter Pelham/Hexham and Thomas and also, CHARLES BLAKE and Thomas would be so good together. So good.
Lmao I don’t think anyone believes I watch or read or play anything that isn’t Downton tbh. I have three of these asks and they’re all for Downton.
HERE U GO:
Favorite character: Gosh I dunno.
Second favorite character: Violet.
Least favorite character: JOHN FUCKING BATES
The character I’m most like: Ahaha - Lord Peter Hexham. Never seen, very gay, lazy, delicate - got real fucking sick of England at some point and chose to eschew all responsibility, fuck off to a warm country and look at pretty boys for the rest of his life, then died young, leaving only dodgy rumours and one mourning cousin behind. Would that I had the money to do the same…
Favorite pairing: Only one guy ever willingly kissed Thomas on the mouth so obvs I’m going with Crowbarrow - even if you want to go with its worst most awful interpretations? That’s the only guy we ever saw kiss Thomas’s face. Edward’s a close second but he only held his hand sorry Ed this isn’t playschool get a clue.
Least favorite pairing: Banna. The prison gruel of pairings.
Favorite moment: Every snarky line Thomas ever had but for this moment I’ll go with. Oh, I don’t think that’d be a good idea, Mr Bates, we can’t have you wobbly at both ends. [cracks shotgun for emphasis]
Rating out of 10: Thomas Barrow’s existence is 28/10, Downton’s execution of everything is 3/10.
