The Anniversary

For everyone on the WFGtGiO thread! Thank you for making me feel so welcome! :D

Sat alone in his flat, Christian sighed. It had been 12 months, a full year to the day, since Syed had kissed him during Bushra's party and he couldn't truly believe had much had changed. They had embarked on an affair, Syed had proposed and got married, they had fallen in love, Syed had been outed in the worst possible way because of him, Amira had left, Syed had publically rejected Christian, Christian had turned his back on Syed leading him to attempt suicide and since the day he'd gone to the hospital, he hadn't seen him once. Instead, preferring to spend his time locked in his flat just so they didn't have to go through the awkward, accidental, meeting in the square. He had had a brief fling with some guy he had met in the Vic, which had fizzled out quicker than you could say 'relationship', for the simple fact he wasn't the man with the deep, brown eyes that caused his heart to melt every time he looked into them. He had discovered that Syed was seeing a guy named, "Alvin", or something along those lines who was attempting to get rid of the "gayness within him".

"Another self-hating puff" Christian thought to himself, as he rose to get himself a beer and drown his sorrows. He had just sat down, beer bottle in hand, when a knock at his door stirred him from his thoughts. He looked at the clock. It was almost midnight. He wandered to the intercom, half expecting to hear Jane's voice.

"Hello?"

"Christian?" Christian dropped the phone in shock as he felt his hands start to shake. It had been too long, way too long since he had heard that voice and it still sent shivers down his spine. Picking the phone back up, he whispered,

"Sy," hardly daring to believe that the voice at the other end of the line was the man he had spent night after night dreaming about.

"It's me," came the reply. "I'm sorry to do this to you but can I come up?"

The voice sounded weary, almost tired. Christian hesitated, was it worth it? Would it be worth seeing him again, after everything that had happened? Christian knew the answer would always be 'yes', as he reached out and pressed the release button, allowing Syed access into the flat that had been witness to many nights of passion between the pair.

As Syed walked through the door, Christian let in a sharp intake of breath. Syed still had that same effect on him and at that moment, even if he wasn't sure before, he knew that there was no way he could stop loving the man that stood before him; even if he wanted to.

"Sy" He said, annoyed at himself when he could hear his voice shake. "Why are you here? Why are you doing this?"

"It's been a year." Syed replied, "one year since I kissed you. In that one year, I fell in love but everything fell apart. I came to the conclusion last week that I could never stop loving you. You mean everything to me. I've tried and tried to stop my feelings, I pray so hard morning, noon and night and still Allah doesn't listen. I spoke to a man named Allan, he told me he could stop these feelings, but he couldn't. They just grew stronger. Everytime my mum bad mouthed you, I fought to defend you. Now, it's become too much. I can't live without and I know I don't deserve your love or your forgiveness. Not after the way I treated you but I am asking you Christian, from the bottom of my heart, please, take me back."

Christian couldn't believe what he was hearing. It was everything he had hoped and more but still he couldn't stop the niggling doubt in the back of his mind. What had changed, if anything? Had Syed snuck out in the dead of night, not telling his family, expecting him to start up the secret once again? He wanted so much to believe what Syed was telling him but he had to be sure.

"Do your parents know?"

"Yes." Syed's quick reply surprised Christian, the answer surprised him even more. "I told them I was coming to see you, told them I couldn't stop loving you. They... they kicked me out."

Syed couldn't hold back the tears and he fell to the floor and sobbed.

"I've lost them. They'll never forgive me now but I can't live without you Christian, I just can't. It was killing me from the inside out."

Christian rocked Syed has he wept.

"You'll never have to live without me." He whispered into Syed's ear. "I'm here. I'll always be here and if you want it, this flat is yours as much as it is mine."

Syed looked at Christian and smiled.
"I'm Christian, for everything."

Christian placed a finger on Syed's lips.

"Shut and kiss me." He said.