Stuck at home snowbound – could resist thinking about how our boys might keep warm. Probably just one chapter unless you think otherwise!
Reviews welcome
A Chryed Frozen Christmas
The snow was still falling, Albert Square was like a skating rink, there had already been one bump as the cars failed to gain friction on the glass like surface. There was going to be no jogging round here today, a couple of his clients had cancelled but Christian was putting the others through their paces at the community centre and Syed was battling with the last of the Christmas shopping. It was Christmas Eve tomorrow and they were both looking forward to their first Christmas together as a proper couple.
Syed saw Dot struggling to manage her shopping, and taking control of the bags he offered her his arm for support and walked her back to her house. Once safely delivered he returned to his list and finally returned to the flat laden with the necessities and more than a few luxuries.
For him Christmas wasn't that special, but he had been infected by Christian's excitement and happily joined in with all the decorating, preparations and partying. As he stacked away mountains of food he couldn't help thinking back to last year. Oh how close he had come to throwing away all of this. The sight of Christian standing by that taxi was etched in his memory – that fleeting moment of joy when he thought he was coming to join him in Barcelona – followed by the despair when he heard Amira's perky voice with those oh so ironic words "You''ll find your Syed one day babe". Syed shuddered at the time that followed of the stoic resignation that he had felt entering into the final phases of the wedding planning. He wondered what his life would be like if Christian had just stayed in Barcelona. He guessed that the everyday things would have been much the same just with Amira directing his every moment instead of Christian – they were both quite bossy in their own ways! Right now he would have been at the unit helping his mother, he sighed out loud. No matter what cruel words had passed between then he missed his parents, he missed their drive, their certainty as to what was right and wrong in this world, and their blessing – he even missed their arguments which if they did nothing else showed that they did actually care passionately about the things they believed in.
Why had Christian come back? He had asked him that at the time, he didn't really understand it any more today than he did back then. After all the rejection and the hurt, why should Christian who could have anybody he wanted put himself through all that heartache, and he had been rejected yet again. Still he had forgiven him, that kiss on the forehead at the wedding, the dignity with which he not just said goodbye but set him free to pursue the life the he thought he had wanted. He shook his head and shivered. This year was going to be different; it was going to be about hope for the future, love, trust warmth and happiness, about living life to the full.
He suddenly realised his shivering was not just down to the painful memories, but it was actually cold in the flat. He felt the radiator – it was cold, it checked the controls they were all ok, he switched it off and on – no avail. Where was he going to get a plumber this close to Christmas? After several abortive attempts he phoned Christian.
Christian called Jane who invited them to come and stay with her, it would be like the old days when they were kids – or perhaps it would dilute the Scrooge effect of Ian and bring such much needed joy into the Beale household.
He made his way to the flat to find Syed wrapped in multiple jumpers, a scarf around his neck and his hands thrust into his pockets looking dejected. Christian engulfed him in his arms rubbing him vigorously to generate some heat, sweeping him into a kiss. One kiss led to another and all of a sudden the flat didn't seem so cold. As Christian slowly began to peel the layers off Syed the doorbell rang, and there stood Jane, an Angel of Mercy with an electric radiator!
They declined the invitation to stay, promised to see her on Christmas Day, shut the door on the outside world, plugged in the radiator and turned up the heat in more ways than one.