Here we go! My version of what Chryed did next. :) Might take me a bit longer to update at the minute, sorry. :(
If there is anything you want to happen, or anything you don't, please let me know and I'll see if I can do it.
FF's new review system means I can't automatically respond to guest reviews, but I am truly grateful, if you decide to leave one. :)
Hope you enjoy it. They're on a plane! :) xxxxxx
"How much?"
Christian gaped at the glossy page of the inflight magazine, open on his lap, amazed at the price printed next to a gold watch. He thought he had exclaimed quietly enough not to wake Syed, but the head on his shoulder shifted and he tenderly kissed his dark hair, murmuring,
"Hush. Go back to sleep."
Yawning, wide, like a drowsy child, like his daughter at bedtime, Syed opened and closed his eyes and frowned.
"Six thousand pounds…" He shuddered, stretched and blinked, his face lighting into a sweet smile the moment he saw Christian. "Oh, hello!"
"Hello sleepy head. Have you got enough room?" Christian made a valiant attempt to make himself smaller, crushing his arms to his sides to give Syed more space in the cramped economy class seat.
"Have I ever, sitting next to you? Where are we?"
"On a plane." Christian explained gently, thinking that Syed might still be groggy and befuddled, having been almost comatose since the moment the plane had levelled out after take-off and he had released his agonising, nervous grip on Christian's hand.
Syed gave Christian a pitying look, pursing his lips and raising one eyebrow.
"I know that, idiot. I mean whereabouts?"
"In the sky." Grinning mischievously, Christian winced at the pinch on his leg. "Ow! I'm not sure, somewhere over the Atlantic. About four hours left to go. Are you hungry? They brought round something that might have been fish. You looked so peaceful I didn't want to disturb you."
"So you ate mine? No I'm fine."
Flushing, Christian hung his head.
"Guilty as charged. I was starving. If it's any comfort, it wasn't very nice and now I've got indigestion…" He grimaced and pushed his fist against his chest. Syed indicated that he should move forward and set about vigorously rubbing his back, kneading with expert fingers, gradually providing some relief from the griping pain.
"Better?" Syed asked.
"Bit. I need to belch really loudly…"
"Charming."
"Oop, no. I think we're all right... A rather fit young steward keeps roaming about offering me his nuts."
"Oh does he now! You don't have to oblige. Tell him he can stuff 'em." Syed pouted huffily then laughed and wrinkled his nose. "Wish I'd had time for a shower. Stinky Masood. Stinky Clarke-Masood." He corrected himself, beaming with happiness and relishing his new name with wonder.
"Me too. I'm sure there's a bit of Samosa wedged where it shouldn't be. We'll have one as soon as we get there…" Christian gazed longingly at Syed's soft mouth. "..Together."
"Oh yeah?" Syed dipped his eyelids, pupils widening. "That'll go down well. Hello Jane, Mr and Mrs Clarke, lovely to see you! Must have a shower, because we reek of sex from doing it on the floor before we left. Things might get a bit splashy. Hope your silicon sealant's in good repair! How come you don't smell that bad?"
Christian sniffed, inhaling eight different varieties of men's perfume and aftershave emanating from his clothes and body.
"The nuts guy plied me with duty free samples from his trolley. I hope he wasn't trying to tell me something!"
"I'll tell him something…" Syed grumbled and lifted Christian's hand, inhaling the scent on his wrist and gagging slightly.
"Bloody hell, what's that?"
Bending to join him, their heads touching, Christian's eyes started to water.
"Eau de Walford Canal? I think it's called Séquestré."
"It's rank." Syed placed his fingers on a vein, feeling his pulse beat slow and strong, carrying his blood to his heart. "I love you."
"I know you do. I love you too. More than anything." Real tears replaced the irritation in Christian's eyes and he struggled to keep them from spilling out, scared that if he started he wouldn't be able to stop and the plane would be forced to make an emergency stop to eject the wailing madman.
"Hey! Stop it, you. I hope those are happy tears?" Syed touched his cheek softly and rummaged in the pocket of his jeans for a tissue, elbowing Christian in the process.
"I'll pretend it's the aftershave cocktail, making me allergic." Christian glanced at the other passengers, thankful that they seemed to be either engrossed in music, magazines, watching a film, or asleep.
"You big soft bugger. I'm here! We're here! We're on a journey…I've just thought!" Syed decided to try to lighten the mood, tired of sadness, worn out by angst. "You'd better promise me you're not going to start talking in an embarrassing American accent the minute we land."
"Hi y'all..." Christian drawled, regaining his equilibrium.
"Yeah, that. Don't do that. You can wear a cowboy hat though. All the time."
"Even in bed?"
"Especially in bed. What on earth are we going to do for money?" As soon as the question left his lips, Syed basked in an interesting realisation that, for now, he really didn't care, that in the scheme of things, as long as they were together, it was of no importance and that they would somehow get by.
"Oh we'll manage." Christian answered, sounding as confident as he could, fighting away a tiny nugget of fear that Syed might decide to embark on another hare brained scheme, choosing to trust him.
"Yes we will. We can live in a tent, by a lake, up a mountain. Because I can't quit you, Christian Clarke-Masood."
Christian moved uncomfortably in his seat, bashing his knees against the one in front; causing the occupant, a smartly dressed young woman with her blonde hair scraped tightly into a high ponytail, to turn around to tut, a noise that died away quickly when she saw the pair of them, turning to a flirtatious titter.
"Sorry!" Christian trilled, adding to Syed, in a whispered aside. "My husband's cruelly turning me on."
"Cruelly turning himself on too. Think of Mo Harris in the nude."
"Now I never want to do it again… I wonder if we'll miss the Square." With a rush of excitement, Christian contrasted in his mind the claustrophobic, noisy market with the wide expanses of scenery he expected them to experience and doubted it, but he saw Syed sag a little, despondent.
"The people, family, friends. They'll always be in our lives though, wherever we are. Won't they?"
Sensing a need for reassurance, Christian smoothed Syed's hair away from his forehead.
"Of course they will. We can go back, visit. If you want to?"
"How long can you stay away from the Minute Mart? Someday. Not for a while. Onwards and upwards, places to see…" Syed flipped the plastic window cover higher and stared out across the carpet of clouds, seemingly so solid that he felt he could wriggle out and walk across them, towards the edges, lit golden by the rays of the setting sun, into infinity. He thought of his mother's face, imagined her cutting the ties that bound them with small, delicate silver scissors, setting him free with a jolt of propulsion. His father's pride in him, so desperately sought, that he knew he would cherish, that he would work hard, eventually repay everything, endeavour to finally feel it was truly deserved. It was the remembered image of Tamwar, standing diffident and unhappy, that made a lump form in his throat and he swallowed, turning to Christian.
"Aw, Tambo decorating my suitcase…"
"Ha! Bless him. We won't have any trouble finding that on the carousel. I was expecting you to take the label off the minute we got on the tube."
"Were you?" Syed pressed closer to Christian for comfort and tweaked at the lobe of his ear. "Why would I? I'm proud to be just married. Not sure we would have got the cans through security. I was a bit surprised to see the big gay bow making an appearance. I thought you only did that to wind me up."
"I do. That's why I brought it. I couldn't go anywhere without you. Not this time. Not anymore."
Syed opened his mouth to receive Christian's kiss, tasting him, lost, the drone of the aircraft's engine fading, his senses focused, aware of nothing except the scratch of stubble against his chin, the warmth of Christian's tongue inside him.
"Ahem."
They reluctantly broke away at the stewards cough. Tall and slender, with close cropped hair, his pale grey eyes widened at his first proper sight of Syed, glowing, ethereal with contentment and suddenly seemed to forget his previous attraction to Christian. Smiling seductively, he gestured towards his trolley.
"Could I offer you some nuts, sir?"
Under the cover of the magazine, Syed slid his hand along the inside of Christian's thigh and keeping a straight face, primly responded,
"No thank you. I'm married."