For Cazzieb2705, Crazysusan, PoppyMay and Surreal, and everyone on WFCTGIO :) xxxxx
"They won't break anything will they?"
Christian punched in his pin number into the card reader, smiling a thank you to the man behind the glass screen of the booth as he pushed their tickets through. He held one out to Syed.
"Don't lose it."
Looking at him with narrowed eyes, Syed grunted;
"I'll staple it to my forehead. Why would they break anything?"
"Good plan. They might have a party, advertise it on Matesgate, have thousands of gatecrashers turn up…"
As they neared the foot of the stairs, Syed decided he was already bored of carrying his overnight bag and affected a stumble and an exclamation, knowing that Christian wouldn't be able to resist the opportunity to show off his strength.
"Ooof! Packed too many pants…"
" You won't have those on for long, if I've got anything to do with it. Give it here, you delicate flower.."
Inwardly giggling, and admiring the ease with which Christian hoisted the bag across his back, Syed tucked his fingers into the back pocket of Christian's jeans and trekked up behind him.
"Ten minutes until the next tube. We should have left earlier, can never rely on this poxy service.." Syed moaned.
He wandered down the platform and plonked himself down on the red metal bench, watching Christian as he sauntered towards him, setting sun behind his head, the orange glow making him seem like a mythical beast, a fantastic phoenix rising from a fire.
"What are you looking so happy about? You were whinging about London Underground a minute ago. Budge up.."
"You. You've been so thoughtful, and you look glorious…"
Touched, Christian kissed him slowly and Syed felt himself surrender to the sweetest sensation, a liquidity in his veins, a knowledge that for a few hours it could just be the two of them together and they could leave the confines of Walford behind, a brief escape from the sadness his parents kept thrusting upon him. Christian broke away and dispelled the mood by tetchily asking;
"But will they? Wreck the place?"
"This is my brother you're talking about, you know what he's like. His idea of a good time is a few precious moments without having his ear chewed off by my mother.."
"But if it gets out of hand? Afia looks like she has a wild side.."
Syed grunted and rolled his eyes.
"She likes to pretend she has a wild side, I'm not sure that would extend to inviting a horde of strangers to our flat for a night of drunken, drugged, debauchery. Are you sure you're not projecting your fantasies?"
Opening and shutting his mouth to utter an outraged protest, Christian saw Syed's mildly enquiring face turned towards him and realised he actually didn't care, he was off for a night away with the person he loved most in the world, Tamwar and Afia's hypothetical gatecrashers could burn the square down, he'd deal with it if it happened.
"Let them do their worst.."
"Crumbs on the carpet, a ring on the table from the bottom of a glass of orange juice. Are you relaxing yet, Mr. Coiled Spring?"
Ruffling Syed's hair, Christian laughed and picked up the bag.
"Yep, but I might need a massage when we get to the hotel. Tube's coming.."
"Why does that fucking tube always get stuck in a tunnel? We've only got five minutes now, and I wanted a Cappuccino…."
"Now who's whinging about the underground? I'll get you one at the other end.." Syed touched Christian's arm gently and pointed up at the departures board. "…that is if you beat me there, platform 16, eat my dust, sucker!" And he bounded away, racing full pelt across the concourse with Christian hot on his heels.
"You will never win, ever.. Here's two together, do you want the window seat? Oops, sorry.." Flashing a charming beam of contrition at the disgruntled commuter he had just bashed on the leg, Christian heaved the bag onto the luggage rack and stood back to let a panting Syed squeeze past.
"One day I will, I've got youth on my side.."
"Cheeky bastard. Even with the rucksack, I still trounced you, and I'm not the one puffing like a steam engine."
"Ha! At least I don't remember steam engines, and the bag weighs nothing.. Ah.."
Syed bit his lip and gave an impish smile, ducking as Christian made to pull his hair.
"You are so going to get it, Syed Masood."
Settling into his seat, Syed picked up a discarded Hello magazine from the seat beside him before Christian could sit on it, and handed it over.
"I should hope so. Look what I found you, you'll have to forgive me now, pages of glossy shallowness to delight your senses and make you tut and mutter about the state of modern culture.."
"Yay! I'm still going to give you a hard time, a very, very hard time.."
Christian flicked open the front cover and leant companionably against him, grumbling under his breath;
"Look at the state of her!" And Syed smiled, watching the signs on the platform blur past through the grubby train window, as they headed away to the sea.
"Hassocks!" Remarked Christian, leaning across Syed to peer out of the window.
Syed woke from his snooze with a start and rubbed his eyes.
"Eh? Is that were we are? Nearly there then! Last time I looked we were at Hayward's Heath, which always sounds to me like it should be cockney rhyming slang…"
"Get your Hayward's round me Hassock's,,," Christian sniggered loudly, causing the other inhabitants of the carriage to glance up, their expressions varying from sour to disgusted to bemused. Apart from one elderly lady sitting across the aisle from them, who tittered with a small burst of amusement.
Winking at her, Christian picked up Syed's hand and began to trace idly around the finger nails with his thumb.
"Christian?"
"Mmm?"
"You don't really think they'll wreck the place, do you? It just gives him a bit of breathing space, you must know how bad it gets for him sometimes? They're dead set against him marrying Yusef's daughter, because of the history, and the flat was always a haven to me, well, you were.."
"And now it's your home. Oh whatever, If they do, they do., you can clear it up though. I shouldn't have judged him by how I was at his age."
Closing his fingers tight around Christian's, Syed pulled back slightly and squinted inquisitively.
"Oh yeah? So that's what you would have done, is it? Wild parties in other people's houses?"
"Sounds about right.. " He cast his mind back, contemplating his behaviour. "…Actually, when I was his age I was living in Morocco with a rich American businessman.."
Syed's balked slightly, fractionally loosening his grip on Christian's hand.
"Were you? Ew, that sounds a bit.. Sordid.."
"Does it? He was very sweet, and very old and I made him happy for a while, at least I hope I did, I was mostly off my face. Until I got bored.." Christian gave his head a little shake, dispelling the images of his louche past, the cool feel of a tiled floor against his bare feet, the sibilant sound of cicada's, intense heat on his back, a lizard darting away across a courtyard. He tenderly kissed the top of Syed's hair, luxuriously inhaling the familiar scent of him.
"It was a long time ago. I was a boy, I'm a man now, as I think you might have noticed.." He murmured.
"Yes.." Syed pushed himself closer, felt the train slow, saw the lights of Brighton station glimmer in the distance.
Christian jumped up, his previously reflective mood rapidly transformed to one of excitement.
"Syed we're at the seaside!"
To be continued :)