"Sy! Sy!" Christian raced through the gardens, almost knocking into Heather and George.
"Sorry Hev! How's your boy today? He's looking handsome."
He bent over the pushchair and smiled at the gurgling baby, patting Heather affectionately on the shoulder.
"Can't stop, I've got my own handsome boy waiting for me. See you!"
He bounded up to Syed, who laughed and winced, struggling to breathe, enveloped in Christian's enthusiastic hug.
"Ooof. Hey you. Had a good day?"
Christian put him down and touched his cheek with his thumb.
"Brilliant. But I'm glad it's over. Our big night in! Did you get the film?"
Syed patted his jacket.
"Safe in here, unless you've crushed it. I can't feel any blood seeping from a terrible cracked plastic injury, so I think we're O.K."
"What did you get? Is it good? It's not a soppy Rom com is it? Tell me, tell me."
Christian tried to undo the zip on Syed's coat.
Batting away his hands, Syed pulled what he hoped was an inscrutable expression but just looked a little constipated.
"Do you need to go?" laughed Christian.
"No, I'm being mysterious. You'll have to wait and see."
Slightly deflated, Christian fell into step beside him and they entered the Minute Mart.
"It's a shit one isn't it? You just can't be trusted Syed Masood, I should never have let you choose."
He brightened as he reached the freezer cabinet and pulled out two large tubs of chocolate ice cream.
"At least I get to decide what we eat."
Syed looked at him aghast.
"Have you seen the price of those? Do we need two? We'll be sick."
Christian dropped them into the basket that Syed was holding and turned to read through the ingredients on a pizza box.
"I'll hold your hair back if you are. Seven clients today Sy, I'm awash with endorphins and hungry as a horse. Can you eat this one?"
He handed over the box for Syed to see.
"Yup."
"Cool, I'll get three. Denise, where's the popcorn?"
Denise looked up from her magazine and pointed over to a shelf in the far corner of the shop.
"Over there darlin'."
Syed hoisted the overflowing basket onto the counter and Denise whistled.
"That's a lot of food. You two having a party?"
They exchanged grins at the sound of Christian's voice calling over the shelves.
"Every night is party night at the Clarke Masoods."
Denise handed over two carrier bags and began to scan the items.
"How do you keep up with him?"
Syed started to pack things away and raised his eyebrows.
"Some days I just get carried along in his wake."
"Are you two talking about me?"
Christian reappeared and dumped down four big bags of popcorn and a massive Toblerone.
"Might be."
Syed pulled a twenty pond note from his inside pocket, revealing the corner of the dvd case.
Christian made a grab for it but Syed dodged him.
"Oh, tell me what it is, so we can go and change it."
Syed took the proffered change and winked at Denise.
"It's Titanic."
"Whaat?"
Syed pushed the bags at a grumpy Christian and laughed.
Denise returned their goodbyes with a wave of her hand and shook her head fondly, watching them through the shop window as they made their way home, Syed darting ahead as Christian, despite being weighed down with two heavy bags, still attempted, without success, to wrestle the film away from him.
Syed fed Christian the last spoonful of ice cream.
"Shall I get the other one out of the freezer?"
Stifling a belch, Christian groaned.
"Urgh. God no, I'm going to burst. I've crashed and burned."
"Told you so."
Syed nestled closer against him on the sofa, lying between his legs, head resting against his chest. The only light in the room came from the flickering images on the screen, flashing across their faces.
"Kate Winslet's looking well."
Christian nodded towards the television at a pale slimy monster crawling through a subterranean cavern.
"I almost believed you, you know." he continued.
Syed giggled.
"I nearly did get Titanic just so we could shout out the dialogue before the actors said it. This one's alright isn't it? We were going to see it at the cinema…"
Christian cut in.
"But we got distracted, as usual. This is fab, it's funny. Not sure if they meant it to be though. Why is it that mutants that live underground always look like maggots?"
Syed pushed the empty ice cream pot further across the table with his foot.
"I suppose you would, if you lived in the darkness and the dank air. He needs some of your fake tan."
"Well I hope he has better luck finding it than I do. Every time I buy some it seems to mysteriously go missing. Can't think why, eh Sy?"
Syed stroked his arm and said innocently
"That's weird. Nothing to do with me, honest. Do you remember that time when the bin lorry broke down and the rubbish wasn't collected from Masala Queen?"
Christian shuddered.
"Eww yes, it was that really hot week."
"Maggots all over the place and you and Amira shrieking, refusing to touch them."
Christian laughed.
"Shrieking? You weren't that much better, pretending to be hard. Zainab had to deal with it in the end when one fell on your head."
"Ha ha! And we all ran away and left her to it."
They were silent for a moment. Syed turned up his face and met Christian's eyes, frowning slightly.
"Isn't it strange how it feels like a happy memory, when we were both dying inside?"
Christian tenderly brushed a strand of hair from Syed's forehead.
"I know. I just wanted to hold you, any excuse. Protect me from the maggots Sy!"
"I'm so sorry."
Christian kissed away the frown line.
"Don't be. Only wonderful memories for us from now on, no more pain."
Syed laid his hand gently against Christian's cheek.
"Promise?"
"I promise. Who do you think maggoty man's going to kill next? My money's on the blonde girl."
They turned back to the film, recoiling as one of the characters was speared through the eye with a grappling hook. Christian chuckling triumphantly;
"Woah! Told you she'd get it! You're going to be too scared to sleep after this."
Christian lay spread eagled in the middle of the bed, crushing Syed against the wall. He tried pushing him with his elbow, but to no avail. Clambering over his prone form, he sat on top of him and blew softly into his face.
Christian snuffled, lifting his hand to scratch himself, turning his head to the side.
"Christian!"
Syed hissed at him, shaking his shoulder. Smiling in his sleep, Christian's arm flopped down.
Syed kissed him, but Christian just dreamily patted his leg and murmured;
"Lovely."
Exasperated, Syed got up and padded to the kitchen, the linoleum chilly on his bare feet. He opened the fridge to get out a bottle of water and gazed thoughtfully at the freezer door. Having swallowed two mouthfuls, he twisted the cap on, pushed the bottle back in and pulled out the unopened freezing cold ice cream.
Sneaking back to the bed, tittering quietly to himself, he slowly placed the icy tub onto Christian's bare skin.
"Fuck Sy! Maggot man! Help!"
Christian sat bolt upright, clutching his chest while Syed collapsed on top of him, rolling around with helpless mirth.
"You bastard." Christian pretended to look serious, but the corner of his mouth twitched.
"Haaaaaa!" Syed clutched his sides.
"I was having such a nice dream too."
Syed wiped the tears of laughter from his face.
"Really? What about?"
Christian grabbed his shoulders and span him round, pinning him down onto the mattress.
"This."
Syed shifted beneath him, feeling his hot breath against his neck;
"Oh yeah, I thought you were too full?"
Christian's voice lowered.
"Despite nearly being given a heart attack, I seem to be rising to the occasion."
Syed sighed happily and closed his eyes.
"So you do."