For abearinthewoods :) xxxx
Christian awoke to see the end titles of the film roll up the screen.
"Bugger."
He stretched his legs out on the sofa and yawned, searching behind his head for the remote control. Hearing a rattling noise, he sat up and twisted round to watch Syed, who was leaning morosely against the windowsill, resting his chin on his hands.
"Sy, what on earth are you doing behind the Venetian blinds?"
"Push him off a mountain."
Syed watched a raindrop slide all the way down the glass, until his eyes went out of focus.
"Eh?"
"No, that's how do you make a Swiss Roll. Poke him in the eye.." Syed emerged from under the wooden slats and sat heavily in a chair.
"Syed, what are you on about?" Christian asked patiently, shifting round to lean over the back of the sofa and regard him quizzically.
"How do you make a Venetian blind? Poke him in the eye…"
"You've been reading that book of jokes for boys again, haven't you? You'll be asking next why elephant's have big ears.."
Syed groaned and slumped, head on the table.
"Because Noddy won't pay the ransom. What happened at the end of the film?" He crossed his arms over his face, muffling his voice.
"I was hoping you'd tell me, I dropped off. Are you alright Sy?"
"I daresay Bobby's got the DVD somewhere, or it'll be on again on ITV plus one plus one plus one to the power a million, I expect they all died a hideous and painful death. Is it ever going to stop raining?"
He lifted his head and frowned at Christian.
"Is that how all round family entertainment afternoon films usually end? In a bloodbath? And don't look at me like that, the weather's not my fault. Come over here and play with me, I'll cheer you up.."
Christian patted the cushion beside him invitingly, and laughed as Syed pushed out his lower lip in a sulky pout.
"….You look about five when you do that, you adorable misery guts. What is it you want to do?"
"Go out somewhere. Walk along the towpath, find a nice pub with a roaring fire, or go to the Embankment, the Tate Modern, Oxford Street, anything. A run round the square would do. I feel all sluggish and arsey, cooped up in here, I need exercise." He flopped his head back down on to the table and sighed, melodramatically.
"Well if it's exercise you're after…"
"Outdoor exercise, in the fresh air, and don't even suggest it, we'd get caught and arrested and have our names, and possibly our naked arses, splashed all over the front of the Walford Gazette."
Christian was quiet for a moment, smiling deliciously to himself at the thought, but pushed it aside, and went to rub Syed's back.
"I'm optimistic you'll reconsider, I seem to be up for the idea…"
"CHRISTIAN!"
"Okay, okay. We could go swimming?"
Syed turned his head and glowered at Christian with narrowed eyes.
"Where? At Walford Lido? While it's pissing down? Just the two of us standing miserably in the water, half heartedly splashing each other while we quietly freeze to death?"
"Fuck me, Syed, you are in a foul mood. I know where we can go. Ring a cab, I'll just have a piss.."
"A cab for where?" Syed shouted after Christian, as he disappeared into the bathroom.
"Queensway!"
Christian held his coat over Syed's head, protecting him from the downpour, and bustled him through the imposing wooden doors into the building.
As he signed in and took the locker key from a large bearded man in a white coat, Syed looked around him, mouth slightly open, at the high ceiling, the pale green tiled walls and the faded Art Deco glamour of the reception hall.
"Come on!" Christian took his elbow and guided him along a dimly lit corridor to the changing rooms.
A naked man walked by, smiling cheerily at them as they undressed and stowed their clothes away.
"Christian!" Hissed Syed. "Where have you brought me?"
Handing him a white towel, Christian tweaked his cheek.
"Turkish Baths darling, thought you could be the massaged, rather than the massee, masseured, whatever."
As they passed through the main area, Syed poked Christian in the ribs.
"But there's only men here…"
He flashed a small smile at a group seated on wicker lounge chairs, all lounging and laughing, completely nude. He tightened the towel around his waist as he felt eyes surveying him up and down.
"…And they're checking us out…"
"Brilliant, isn't it? And If I'd thought you wanted to look at bare ladies, I'd have brought you here tomorrow, it's mixed then. Here we are.."
Christian stood back to let Syed enter a small side room. In the middle were two stone benches, standing at each side of them were two massively built men, and Syed could swear he heard the crack of bones as they both flexed their fingers in unison.
"I'm scared!" He whimpered to Christian, before he obediently lay down, grinning nervously at his masseur. He cursed inwardly as Christian laughed;
"You'll love it!"
Syed was concerned that his arm might actually be ripped from it's socket as the masseur grabbed hold and wrenched it behind his back. Knuckles, with twenty stone of weight behind them, pounded along his spine and he felt flailed and beaten. He managed not to bite his own tongue as huge thumbs slipped under his shoulder blades and massaged muscles he was sure no one had ever told him about on his course. He stole a look at Christian, who was lying supine and serene, hardly flinching as fists as big as hams pummelled against his skin.
Sliding from the table, Syed wobbled slightly and Christian shot out an arm to support him.
"Steady! Wasn't that great? I feel invigorated and re-energised!"
"Then you're a fucking masochist. I feel like I've been assaulted. I hope nobody feels like this when I've massaged them.."
"I always feel horny after you've massaged me, please tell me you don't have that effect on anyone else."
Syed grinned and winked.
"That'd be telling. Is that it? I might be quite happy to lie on the sofa and watch crap telly now. In fact, I may never be able to move again."
Raising one eyebrow, Christian opened another door, disappearing in the cloud of steam that immediately billowed out. Syed heard his voice, chuckling through the mist.
"Can't go without a sauna…"
As Christian padded to throw some more water on the coals, sweat dripping down the long, smooth, lines of his body like raindrops on a window, Syed noticed the red mark on his buttock where he had bitten him earlier that morning, and felt his temperature rise, even before he was buffeted by the hot blast of air.
He moved his leg to return the sticky contact of Christian's thigh, pressed against his, as he rejoined him on the bench.
"You don't need this…" Christian fiddled with the front of the towel, still wrapped firmly around Syed's waist.
"Oh believe me, I do…"
Syed watched the other occupants of the sauna as they admired Christian. A flabby, older gentleman, with wispy grey hair and a boiled red face, was positively licking his lips. Syed felt a mixture of pride, that this glorious man belonged to him, and annoyance, that other people were getting to see the magnificence he wanted to keep as his own.
He pushed his sweat soaked hair away from his face and unfastened his towel, letting it slip to the side, staring defiantly ahead. Sets of eyes skewed round, flicking from Christian's honed chest to Syed's lithe limbs, and back again.
Syed sensed Christian begin to wriggle, and laughed inwardly with pleasure, as he quickly picked up the towel and placed it back over Syed's lap. Grabbing his own from the floor, Christian stood and wrapped it tightly around himself and gestured for Syed to follow.
Out in the muggy, dank air of the corridor, Syed noticed that Christian's jaw was clenched firmly.
"What's up with you?" He asked mildly.
"They were looking at you."
"You wanted me to take my towel off, anyway, they were looking at you too."
Christian hung his head and looked sideways at him, mouth curved into a boyish, hangdog grin.
"It's very confusing…"
"Did you like it and hate it in equal measure?"
"Yeah, exactly that."
"Me too. Shall we go home and just look at each other?"
"And the rest.. But first…."
Christian smiled, a sweet smile, full of love, and grabbed Syed's hand. With a sudden lunge, he pulled him into a run, and they pelted away at full speed, leaping together, shrieking with delight, into the freezing cold water of the plunge pool.