For MyNameIsYou, with many thanks for the delicious suggestion of Chryed in a bath.. :) xx
"Christian!"
Syed waved as Christian approached him through the mist of an autumn afternoon, frowning with concern when he noticed his limp.
"What have you done now?" He asked.
Christian grimaced.
"Nothing to worry about. I'm just a bit stiff, sadly not in a good way."
"Is it the weather getting into your poor old bones? Come home and have a hot shower." Syed touched his arm fondly.
"Less of the old, cheeky. Anyway…" he grinned triumphantly and held up a bunch of keys, "I've had a better offer."
Syed tried unsuccessfully to not look crestfallen and shuffled slightly, replying in a tight small voice;
"Oh yeah?"
Christian planted a kiss firmly on his mouth and laughed.
"Not like that you plonker. I just bumped into Roxy at the tube station, had to lug Amy and her pushchair up the stairs."
"Well that's not going to help your stiffness is it.." Syed cut in. "Is she going shopping again? I bet she tried to make you go with her to carry her bags."
Christian nodded.
"Of course she did. I pointed out that as she could only afford to go window shopping, Amy would be all the help she needed. And, of course, that I wanted to spend time with my delicious boyfriend."
"Good save. But why the keys? Do you have to redecorate her flat while she's out? Run a hoover round? Iron her smalls?"
Christian slipped his arms around Syed's waist, pulling him towards him.
"Eww. No, my lovely. She has a bath, a great, big, gorgeous, cast iron, Victorian bath, with the feet of a lion and shiny taps. And I am going to sink my carcass into foaming bubbles and wallow for ages. Want to scrub my back?"
Syed pretended to think for a moment.
"Hmmm, a difficult decision.. Might do. I could wield the loofah."
"No one could do it better. You are a king amongst loofah wielders. Come on, she'll be gone for about two hours."
The weak golden sunlight sent hazy rays across the stripped wooden floorboards and Syed looked around in admiration.
"Nice."
A red satin bra hung over the side of the bath and he picked it up with distaste, holding it loosely between his thumb and forefinger.
"There's a hell of a lot of padding in this thing," he remarked, flinging it onto the radiator.
Christian looked up from putting in the plug.
"Don't ever let on that you know. She could kill you with a single glance."
Syed giggled;
"I can imagine. I suppose at least she can trust us not to rummage through her pants drawer."
"And put them on our heads? Oh, we should.."
Christian turned on the taps full force and steaming water gushed out. He straightened up.
"Which of these smelly potions shall I put in? Help me choose."
Syed joined him at the dark wood vanity unit and fiddled through the mountain of bottles on the top.
"What's she got? 'Wildebeest pour femme'? 'Eau du Walford'?"
Christian squinted at a pink plastic tube.
"Stunting by Katie Price."
Syed took it from him and read the label.
"Stunning, you fool."
"Oooh!" Christian cried delightedly, pulling up a bottle from the back. "Chanel No.5. That'll do."
He poured a generous dollop into the running water and turned to undress. A full length mirror hung on the back of the bathroom door, and he peeled off his clothes slowly and seductively. In the reflection, he could see Syed perched on the edge of the bath behind him, aware that he was watching his every move as each layer dropped to the bathroom floor.
Syed turned off the taps and swished his hand through the water, testing the temperature.
"Warm enough."
Christian slipped luxuriously under the mass of foam and closed his eyes briefly, letting out a delighted sigh.
"Mmm. That's lovely."
He scooped up a handful of bubbles and blew them at Syed, sending them scattering into the air until they fell, glinting like rainbows, onto his hair. Syed returned the gesture.
"I wish we had room for a bath like this," he mused.
Christian slid a little further under the water.
"We might fight about who goes up the tap end."
"I doubt that would ever be an issue. You're going to smell all wrong, not like you, like a lady. I might take against you and not let you back home." Syed pouted.
Christian grinning wickedly, reached out to take Syed's hand.
"Oh really? Then we'd better make sure you smell the same," and with a sudden movement, he pulled him down, fully clothed, into the bath to join him.A small wave splashed across the floor, soaking his neatly piled clothes.
Syed let out a little shriek of joy mixed with dismay.
"CHRISTIAN!" He admonished, "my phone's in my back pocket!"
Christian bit his lip and looked hang dog, peering up from under his eyelashes as Syed held up his dripping mobile.
"At least we won't be disturbed by nuisance calls…You're awfully over dressed for bathing Sy, did you know?" He began to undo the buttons on Syed's shirt and slid it from him.
Syed kicked his sodden boots over the edge and unzipped his jeans, wriggling free, pushing away everything he wore with a flourish, letting them flop down into a wet heap beside the bath.
"Better?"
He smiled ruefully at his watch, the face steamed over with damp, and unbuckled it, reaching up to balance it on the shelf beside them.
"Much, much better." Christian grabbed his legs and dragged him nearer.
The light was fading fast through the big sash window. Outside in the square gardens, a blackbird chattered a cry of alarm.
Christian spotted a box of matches next To Syed's watch and lit three large pink scented candles. The flames guttered in a draught, making crazy shadows across their wet skin.
"Look, Amy's got a deep sea diver!"
Christian dive bombed the bath toy into the water and made it swim towards Syed, disappearing downwards.
"And he appears to have really large hands.." Syed breathed happily.
"Is he interfering with you? Shall I have a word and tell him to stop?" Christian asked softly, his voice low.
"I never want him to stop…"
Syed watched Christian's face intently, waiting for the muscle to twitch in his cheek, looking to see his pupil's glaze over. Water slopped everywhere and Christian dug his fingernails into Syed's back.
"Fuck, Sy…"
"Cooee! You still in there Christian? Hurry up, I'm dying for a pee, then maybe we can go over the Vic, get rat arsed."
Roxy hammered on the door and Christian mouthed;
"Don't stop."
His voice sounded strangely high as he answered her.
"Shouldn't be much longer… Yeeeesss.."
"Yes what? Christian, are you okay? You'll be wrinkled like a prune. I'm bursting." She tried the handle.
Christian and Syed clutched each other, convulsed with silent laughter.
Syed blew out the candles and pulled out the plug. They stepped out onto the bathroom floor, now awash with foam and littered with bath toys, dressing themselves in their sopping clothes and squelching hand in hand to the door.
"Hi babe!" Christian greeted Roxy cheerfully.
"Christian." She looked behind him. "Syed."
"Hello Roxy!" Syed gave her a winning smile.
"Thanks a lot. See ya later! You might need to call a plumber, looks like a pipe's burst."
Christian trilled and they ran down the stairs, spluttering with mirth as Roxy's expletives turned the air blue behind them.