Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, don't own EE or Chryed. If I did, it would probably have panned out something like this! :D

Tamwar to the Rescue

Syed lay on the hospital bed laughing and joking with his baby brother. Well, Tambo wasn't a baby anymore but he always would be to Syed. Yet, for all the laughs and jokes in the world, he was far from happy. The only face he wanted to see; the only laugh he wanted to hear was the one that wasn't there and the one he would never see again.

Tamwar looked at his brother and inwardly sighed. They may be laughing and joking but he could see his big brother was hurting. No matter how much Syed tried to hide it, the misery just flowed from his body, ebbing out and engulfing all that surrounded him. He looked around the hospital ward, trying not to think about the events of the last few weeks; about everything that had happened that had led them here.

That's when Tamwar saw him. Well, the back of him as he turned and walked away. Tamwar didn't know what to do. He could let him go; carry on as if nothing had happened. Syed would be none the wiser. Or, he could go after him. Chase him down the road; make him come back and make Syed happy again. Tamwar looked at his brother and realised there was no choice to make. He rose, calling "toilet" behind him as he followed Christian through the doors.

As he left the ward, Tamwar realised he hadn't even considered what he was going to say to Christian, if or when he found him.

"Think about that later." He muttered to himself, "just find him first."

Tamwar ran down the hospital corridor towards the nearest exit, hoping against all hopes that Christian had left the same way. Reaching the large double doors and stepping out into the bright sunlight, he saw Christian reaching the corner at the end of the long car park.

"Christian!" He shouted. The man made no sign that he had heard.

"Christian! Wait! "He called again, breaking into a run. This time, he saw him stop and turn, searching for the source that had called his name. Tamwar let out a sigh of relief.

"Christian! Over here!" He shouted, as he stood on his toes and waved enthusiastically, determined to gain his attention.

Christian's breath caught in his throat. Of all the people he expected to be shouting his name, loudly, across a hospital car park, Syed's little brother was not one of them. He was sure neither of them had seen him.

He didn't quite know what had possessed him to go to the hospital in the first place, just that he had to know Syed was alright. When he'd heard the news that Syed had tried to kill himself, it was like someone had thrown him into a sea of icy water and he was drowning in its depths; the coldness freezing his heart. He knew that if Syed had died, his heart would shatter into a thousand pieces, never to be repaired.

When he'd got to the hospital, seen with his own eyes that Syed was ok, he didn't know what he'd hoped to achieved. That Syed would see him, run into his open arms and they'd live happily ever after? He didn't think so. So, when they didn't see him and he'd seen that Syed was clearly happier now; seen that he'd come out the other side, Christian didn't want to bring him back down again.

When Tamwar finally reached Christian, he knew he'd done the right thing. The man in front of him was clearly in has much pain and torment as his brother.

"Christian, please, come back inside. Please let him see you. Let him know you're there." Tamwar almost begged.

"I can't." Christian spoke, barely above a whisper, fighting back tears. "He's alright now. Seeing me, it will just hurt him all over again."

Tamwar stared at him in disbelief, hardly registering what he was hearing. Before, he wasn't sure what he was going to say. Now, the words rolled off his tongue, before he had a chance to stop them.

"Alright now? Alright?" He almost screeched. "My brother is far from 'alright.' He has just tried to kill himself, that is not the sign of a man who is 'alright.' He has had to go through his family rejecting him; the man he loves turning his back on him. He has just heard his own mother saying she wished he was dead and still he puts her feelings before his own. I've seen him fight for his life after drinking a bottle of vodka and taking a handful of pills and I know now that you are the only person who can make it alright. The only person who can make all his pain and anguish go away. He loves you, Christian. You and only you, that much is clear. You killed him the night you turned him away. Yes, he probably deserved it after the way he treated you but you have no idea how much he didn't want to hurt us, how much he wanted to protect us; his family. He never allows himself to put himself first; ever. And yes, maybe he needs to start doing so but for him to do that he needs to know that you're still there for him; that you still love him. I know that you still need him as much as he needs you, so please, Christian, come back inside."

Tamwar wasn't quite sure when the tears had started, all he knew was that they were now pouring down his cheeks and looking at Christian, he realised he was crying too.

Christian stared at Tamwar in shock. In that moment, he realised just why Syed loved his little brother so much. He was the only one in that family who actually made sense. He wiped away the tears that had fallen and felt the anger begin to rise in his chest as he processed everything that Tamwar had just said.

"Zainab, his own mother, wished him dead?" He cried. "The woman is mentally disturbed. She's crazy..."

"She's still my mother." Tamwar cut in.
"Sorry, but how could she say it?" Christian replied, struggling not to raise his voice. "Just because he fell in love with me, because I fell in love with him? It's not a crime to fall in love. It's not a crime to love someone so much you're willing to give your heart away. It's not a crime to love another man!"

Once Christian had started he couldn't stop. All the thoughts that had constantly been playing around in his mind came bubbling to the surface and erupted like a volcano out of his mouth.

"He told me time and time again that he'd come clean, that he'd tell the truth, but he never did. He always put Amira's feelings first. Your mother's feelings first and God knows why, the way you're mother treats him. He said he loved me, he treated me like dirt, he made me feel 'this' small, Tam. But I can't stop loving him. I want to. God knows, my life would be so much easier if I was able to move on and forget him; forget everything we had but it's impossible. He has my heart. I willingly gave it away and now I can't claim it back."

Tamwar stood and listened. He couldn't understand why his faith thought it was wrong; why his mother followed the Qu'ran to its every word. Sometimes, you needed to see beyond the surface. It was clear to him that Christian and Syed were meant to be, regardless of what the Qu'ran said was right or wrong, and he was damned sure it was going to happen.

"Come with me?" He asked, hoping that Christian wouldn't turn and carry on leaving. Walking back towards to hospital, he smiled as he saw Christian following cautiously behind him.

As they reached the ward, Christian stopped.

"Is this really a good idea, Tam?" He whispered. Tamwar nodded.

"You know it is." He replied. "After you."

As Christian walked through the doors and saw Syed's eyes connect with his, he knew he had made the right decision. The deep pools of brown lit up at the sight of him and he became lost in them once again. The smile on his face touched his heart and melted away the last remaining ice. He knew, with Syed, he would always be home.

Syed couldn't believe it. After everything that had happened, Christian had come. His heart soared and he felt happy again for the first time in weeks. Christian's emerald green eyes bore straight into him and he couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face. Fireworks erupted in his chest and the butterflies fluttered in his stomach.

"Christian?" He breathed, not daring to say the name completely out loud, just in case he disappeared; simply a figment of his own overactive, hopeful, imagination.

"I'm here, Sy. Everything's going to be ok now; you're going to be ok."

Christian sat carefully on the edge of the bed and took one of Syed's soft, gentle hands in his. He'd forgotten how perfectly they fit together, like the pieces of a jigsaw.

"I'm here now and I'm never leaving. Please Sy, I need you. Please don't push me away again."

Syed couldn't stop the flow of tears. He reached with his free hand and gently cupped Christian's cheek; daring to touch him once again. He gripped Christian's hand all the more tightly.

"I couldn't push you away, even if I wanted to." He whispered. "I love you so much. I thought I'd blown it. I thought I'd lost you completely and I couldn't bare it, Christian. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

Christian leant across and wiped the tears from Syed's cheeks.

"Forget it. Forget everything. You have nothing to be sorry for."

Syed bowed his head. How could Christian forgive him so easily, after everything he had done? After everything he had said? He felt a hand grip his chin and gently lift his head upwards. Christian looked directly into Syed's eyes as he moved forwards and pressed their lips together, half expecting to be pushed away.

In that one moment, all Syed's troubles melted away. This was where he wanted to be, needed to be; in Christian's arms safe, forever. He forgot where they were, forgot the reason he was there and kissed Christian back with all the passion and love he had.

From outside the hospital doors, Tamwar watched the scene that played out before him on the hospital bed and smiled.