Disclaimer: I do not own Eastenders or any of the characters.

Story: Syed has a dream and decides to act on it for the sake of his own happiness. Christian/Syed.

Note: This story is not intended to offend Muslims. It is merely my recounting of one man's conflict between his faith and his sexuality. Whilst I cannot understand the issue fully being non religious, I aim to handle the issue with utmost respect and realism.

It's a dream unlike any I've ever had before.

I'm walking along the street, past all of the market stalls, with a clear purpose in my mind. Each stride I take is towards that purpose.

And then I see him. My feet stop. My heart skips a beat, jumping up into my mouth for a moment. Then I start to move again, walking towards him, faster than before. He too has started walking towards me, more leisurely, but with a broad grin on his face.

"Finally, what took you so long?" he says, once he reaches me. "I'd almost given up on you."

"Sorry," I hear myself say, all the joy leaping out in my voice. "But I'm here now."

And then I lean in and kiss him, just like that. Everything else has fallen away, unimportant, as I feel his lips moving softly with mine.

Christian Clarke.

I smile into the kiss. His hands are on my hips now, our bodies so close...

Syed tried to brush the dream away, but he couldn't stop thinking about it. The liberation he had felt stuck with him and refused to be shaken off. In the dream, even though they were in the market for all to see, it had been like it was just him and Christian, no one else. But he knew that if it were to happen in real life, it would be different. For one thing, it was almost certain that someone would see them and report it to his mother or father.

He spent the morning holed up in his room, trying to read the Qur'an. Trying to be a good Muslim. After only five minutes he put it down and murmured to the empty room. "What do you want me to do? Give me a sign, please."

Silence.

He got up to stretch his legs and wandered over to the window, squinting out into the daylight. Then saw a figure he recognised ambling past.

Christian. His heart skipped a beat.

Not wanting to stop and lose courage, he immediately bolted from the room, down the stairs and out the door.

"Christian, Christian!"

Christian turned and his face took on a more guarded expression. "Syed."

"I ended it with Amira," I blurt out. "I told her I had feelings for someone else and it wasn't fair to her to continue a relationship."

"And Zainab? Does she know? About us?"

I shake my head. "No, she doesn't."

"And what are you going to tell her?"

"That I love you." I lean in, taking his face in my hands, and kiss him. And just like the dream, I forget everything else as his lips caress mine, his arms slide around my waist.

He smiles. "Finally. What took you so long? I'd almost given up on you."

"Sorry," I hear myself say, my heart leaping out of my chest as he slides a hand into mine. "But I'm here now."