For this fic to actually be ok enough to publish is all down to Holly, so thank you very much for all her help!
She had to put with a LOT of late night "I can't do this" emails, so I'm very greatful she percevered in her attempts to convince me it was fine!

This will have a second chapter from Christian's POV, so you will get to see what happens between him and Syed!

The Interfering Brother

Tamwar's POV

Monday

I can't go on like this. My brother is slowly killing himself. Okay, bad wording Tamwar… Rephrase. My brother is hurting. A lot. It's clear to everyone but my parents, apparently. In fact, I don't care what they say, they know it too... From their perspective, it's fine to suffer so long as you don't shame our respected family name. I, personally, don't think we deserve the title respected. How can anyone who treats their son the way they're doing be respected? But, clearly, that's just me… And I don't count. At all.

I'm rambling, as usual. Basically, I've decided that I can't go on like this; seeing Syed fall apart in front of my eyes. Watch him, day in, day out, go and visit his "therapist" and watch him, day in, day out, looking less and less like my brother when he returns. It's wearing him down. I see it in his eyes. He tells me every day that he's ok, but he's my brother. I know he's not ok. He still loves Christian. I know it. He knows it. My parents know it but they encourage him to go and see Allan all the time. They make out like this is Syed going through a phase. A phase doesn't last as long as this one has. I have to do something. I can't sit around and do nothing. I just… I need to hurry up and make a decision. Syed's nearing breaking point.

Tuesday am

It's taken me all this time to come up with the solution. The only solution. The only thing I can do. I have to go and see… him. The thought of it kinda freaks me out. I mean, what am I going to say to him? After the way my family has treated him, I'll be lucky if he even listens to me. He has to listen though. He's the only one, really, when you think about it, who can make it all alright. Well, not all alright. If Syed did ever go back to him I doubt my mum and dad would see it as 'alright'. In fact, Mum will literally kill me if she finds out I went to talk to him. She'd chop me into tiny, tiny pieces and serve me with dahl. Maybe this is a bad idea. I can't… I can't do it. But Syed would be alright. I can't carry on seeing the empty shell that is becoming my brother. What do I do? Someone, anyone, please tell me? What do I do?

Tuesday pm

I saw Syed after he came back from seeing his "therapist" today. He was so close to tears it was frightening. He acted like everything was fine. Then Dad left and he broke down. He told me he couldn't stop loving Christian. He told me had to pray harder. I had to be there for my brother, I agreed to pray with him. When Dad came back, he joined us. He saw the tears in Syed's eyes. He heard Syed's sobs and he ignored it. He actually ignored it. I've never been so ashamed of my parents before. Mum may kill me for going to Christian, Dad may disown me but I'm past the point of caring what they think. Syed is all that matters now. It's the worst I've seen him in so long. I want my big brother back. The only way that can happen is if he's with Christian. No matter what happens, I know what I have to do.

Wednesday

So here I am. The one place I never thought I would be. I'm stood outside Christian Clarke's door. I've been stood outside his door for the past ten minutes and I still haven't got round to pressing the buzzer. One little move of the hand, Tamwar. It's really not hard. Well, I didn't think it was hard. My hand, apparently, now has a mind of its own and won't move. I just can't do it. What would I say? No one listens to a word I say anyway. Except maybe Kamil… But that's because he has no choice. He just lays there and gurgles when he figures the times right. Oh, I need to stop doing this. All I'm doing is distracting myself. On purpose because I'm too scared to do what needs to be done. I know Syed will kill me, I know my parents will kill me, but it's now or never.

Apparently, my timing is as bad as it can get. Just has my hand finally decides to move from its spot by my side, the door opens and I find myself face to face… Ok, slight exaggeration… More face to chest, if you think about it… Yeah, I'm rambling again. I seem to do that a lot.

"Tamwar?"

Hmm… The look on Christian's face is a mixture of amusement, possibly due to the fact I jumped out of my skin, and wonder. It's now or never.

"Can I come in?"

Say no. Say no.

"Erm… Yeah?"

Great… Wait, no. This. This is something I have to do. I find myself being shown into Christian's flat. Not quite sure how that happened, I was too busy attempting not to think about what will happen next. That sounds wrong. Nothing's going to happen. Oh, this isn't going to work. It's really not going to work.

"Well. What is it you wanted? There's somewhere I need to be."

Then I realise. Looking at Christian, properly. He's suffering. Suffering just as much as Syed. How can they not see what they're doing to each other? The pair of them. Separate and suffering when they could be together. Happy. I don't understand people sometimes. My parents, they're the ones I really don't understand. How can they stand around and let this happen? They have no compassion. Suddenly, I know what I need to say.

"Christian, please. Syed's dying… Not literally… Not literally… Oh, this isn't going right..."

Apparently, I may know what I need to say, but it's coming out all wrong. Why can't the words ever come out right? Just once. It's not too much to ask for.

"He's dying, but not dying. Tamwar, I'm sorry, but you're not making sense. Try again. Please?"

I look up at the sound of Christian's words. The look on his face has changed. It's one of worry. I try again.

"He's dying inside. It's like he's becoming a shell. He's not Syed anymore, it's just his body. He's wandering in a daze. A complete daze. It's like he doesn't care about anything anymore. He goes to see his therapist. He comes home. He goes to work. But he's not really there."

"His therapist? Yeah, I've heard about him. He's cured Syed apparently. He no longer has feelings for me. That's what I was told yesterday."

Christian's incredulous tone cuts across. Oh, flip. Syed came to see Christian?

"He told you… He was cured? You can't have believed him? That's our parents talking. Christian, Syed… He's… He's... He's in love with you for goodness sake! He was in tears, praying in front of our father yesterday. He can't stop loving you. Doesn't want to stop loving you… Can't you see he has no choice? He'd lose his entire family, his entire community if he admitted loving you. He doesn't want to hurt you. He doesn't want to live like this… But the pressure… Oh, the pressure he's under, it's slowly sending him to despair. You don't understand what it's like for us, for him..."

"Then make me understand! I tried, time and time again to make him open up. Make him talk to me but he wouldn't. How can I understand if everytime I attempted to, he shut me off and stormed out?"

Christian once again cuts me off. I look at him.

"Our faith… The Qur'an… Homosexuality is wrong. It's frowned upon. Man loving man, woman loving woman is a sin. If anyone is seen to be… seen to be gay they'll be completely disowned. We don't just have a family, we have a community. Everyone at the mosque, they're part of our "family". Without their support and their approval, we are nothing. We are lucky, no, actually, my parents THINK we're lucky we are still accepted now… Syed's public attempts to stop being gay allows for that to happen."

Christian's face shows disgust, yet pity. I couldn't expect him to understand fully. Not really. He's always been gay, he's always lived his life openly. He'd never understand truly the pressures our faith puts Syed under. I carry on. He has to hear this. He has to know Syed needs him.

"But I can't stand by and watch him suffer anymore. So what if my family is disowned. I'm past the point of caring what my parents think. What my community thinks. A community is meant to care for one another. They don't care about anything but reputation and I care for my brother too much to stand by and watch him suffer. Syed needs you to be happy. I need my brother to be happy. Please, Christian, you have to try and convince him… Have to show him you'll be there for him if he gives it a try. You have to still love him. He can't go on without you."

Christian's crying… Oh no! Christian's crying. What have I done? Tamwar! You and your big stupid mouth. I've made things worse. Oh, I've made things worse. He'll hate me. Syed'll hate me. Everyone will hate me…

"Tam… Of course I love him"

Christian's voice is quiet… Can hardly be heard, but it makes me stop and look.

"Where is he? I need to see him..."

HA! I did it. Tamwar did it… The geeky little brother of Syed has done it… Can you believe it? Me? HA! Wait! Tamwar don't be stupid, you haven't done anything yet. Tell him where Syed is, for goodness sake…

"Erm… He'll be at home."

BAD IDEA! Christian can't go home…Oh, Tamwar, you and your big mouth… Again.
"But, you can't go to him there. Bad idea Christian. My parents, bad idea… They'll kill me… Oh, they'll kill me. I'm dead, I'm literally dead, you don't understand… You…"

"TAMWAR!"

I shut up. Something tells me it's for the best.

"I won't go to your home. I promise. Just get him to meet me in the park. Please?"

I nod. I need to stop talking. All I seem to do is spout rubbish. I get out my phone and send a single message to Syed…

"Meet me in the prk? I need 2 talk 2 u… Its important."

A little white lie won't hurt. As the reply comes through, Christian's looks at me anxiously.

"Im on my way. S."

"He'll be there but I have to go… My parents... They'll be wondering where I am. But Christian, promise me… Don't let him say no. You can't let him say no."

As we leave the flat, all that there was between us was awkward silence, nothing new there then… Everything with me seems to be awkward. I'm the awkward, geeky, silly little brother but as he heads towards the park Christian turns and mouths two words…

"Thank you."
I dare a smile. Maybe my brother will be alright after all.

A/N: Holly came up with, imo, the best line in this fic, and I can't take the credit for it: "She'd chop me into tiny, tiny pieces and serve me with dahl."
How could I not include it?