A/N: This is basically what I hope will happen in s4! It will eventually turn into a slash fic – just giving you a proper warning so it doesn't come as a nasty shock later on! :)

Thomas still struggled to comprehend it.

He and Jimmy had been such good friends up until now. Admittedly, it had been slightly awkward at first, but they had slowly grown close. And now, suddenly, Jimmy was pushing him away.

He had hardly been aware of it at first. Of course, he had noticed that Jimmy's smiles seemed more distant, and laughs seemed more forced, and had noticed that Jimmy no longer came up to him and started a conversation. But he hadn't allowed himself to feel any kind of emotion, trying desperately to convince himself that things were fine.

However time passed, and with it, Thomas' hope. He could no longer pretend that everything was all right with he and Jimmy's friendship. Jimmy was now making sure to avoid any conversation with Thomas, and the worrying thing was, he didn't seem to care any longer if Thomas noticed. Maybe that's what he wants, Thomas thought. To try and get the message across to me that he regrets becoming my friend. To eventually get rid of me.

Meanwhile, the other staff were beginning to notice the tension between the two of them as well. There had been one incident when he had entered the servants hall, and found Jimmy, Alfred and Anna, all hard at work. That was, until Jimmy spotted him. He had thrown down his cloth and scarpered, leaving Alfred staring after him in bewilderment.

"Wonder what caused him to do that," he said, glancing at Thomas. It was only a quick look, but Thomas detected the hidden meaning in it. He lowered his eyes to his mug of tea, raising it to his lips and taking a sip, trying to act as casual as possible and disguise the fact that his insides were slowly crumbling.

"Why did he do that?" he heard Alfred say, abandoning all pretence. "I thought you two were friends."

Thomas nodded, hiding his emotion. "We are. Not that it's any of your concern," he said coolly. That was the end of the conversation, although it didn't stop Anna glancing at him in concern. He exited rapidly, not in the mood for any questions.

Another time, he had been standing in the kitchen. Jimmy had entered, his blue eyes scanning the kitchen as he walked over to Alfred. As soon as he caught sight of Thomas, he had frozen and departed as quickly as possible.

"What've you been saying to him, Thomas?" Ivy asked him, looking after Jimmy's retreating figure in concern.

"Nothing," said Thomas coldly. "Nothing at all. Anyway, it's hardly my fault that Jimmy decided to leave the kitchen." Despite his cool exterior, his heart was thumping madly. This was what he had dreaded…

"But it must be something to do with you," Ivy pressed. "He always does that – whenever he sees you, he runs!"

"All right Ivy!" Mrs Patmore interjected firmly, saving Thomas the bother of replying. "That's quite enough nonsense for one day – get over here and help Daisy with the chicken!" Her eyes flickered briefly over to Thomas, who smiled at her gratefully, and left the kitchen.

He made his way along the hall, eventually finding Jimmy in the servants' hall. "Hello, Jimmy," he said pleasantly, sliding into a seat beside him.

Jimmy stiffened and smiled at him briefly, before pushing his chair back. With a sinking heart, Thomas watched him get to his feet. "I've just remembered…there's something I need to do," he murmured, before hurrying away.

Thomas didn't even bother to try and call him back. What was the point? Jimmy clearly didn't enjoy his company, and that was that. There was no point in moping over it, Thomas decided, it wouldn't change Jimmy's mind. He smiled bitterly – he must be a pretty terrible friend, as he had somehow managed to lose every single one he had ever had.

Ivy's words echoed in his head; "What've you been saying to him, Thomas?" Thomas had always feared this. What if he had said something that Jimmy had found awkward or offensive? He was still attracted to the man, he freely admitted it, but he had gone out of his way not to say anything to him that would hint that he did still have feelings for him.

Groaning, Thomas rested his head on the table, not caring if anyone walked in. It was all a great big mess, that's what it was.

It hurt. The thought that Jimmy no longer enjoyed his company hurt. The thought that he now had to go out of his way to avoid him hurt. And the thought that Jimmy had returned to actively disliking him hurt the most. He had thought that they had overcome those obstacles after Thomas had saved Jimmy all those months ago, but now it seemed as though they were back to the start again.

A/N: There are so many brilliant Thomas and Jimmy fics, and I know that this is nowhere near as good as them! However, I would appreciate any reviews! :)