Title: Vest weather

Author: indehed

Fandom: Eastenders

Pairing: Christian/Syed

Warnings/Spoilers: This story portrays a canon homosexual relationship between two men,

Summary: On a beautiful day day in Walford, Tanya and Syed enjoy seeing their men out and about in their vests!

It was a quiet day at the salon. It was so warm and sunny outside that they really didn't expect any walk ins today. Who would want to come inside for a hair cut when they could be outside enjoying the sunshine?

Syed came down the stairs and saw off his last client of the morning.

"Sy, you've not got anyone else until later on, right?" Tanya asked from where she was finishing up with Pat.

"Not until three o'clock, why?"

"I was thinking we could go have a long lunch in the park. I'm done for the day after this and Jodie's in at twelve."

"I dunno, what if we get people in?"

"Then get Jodie to ring you and you can come rushing back." Pat put in from the chair as Tanya took out the rollers in her hair.

"Pat's right. Come on!" She pleaded. "There's no way this weather is going to last and I want to enjoy it while I can."

"Okay, fine. I'll come with you." Syed leaned on the counter and smiled over to Tanya as he completed everything on the computer and updated the customer profiles he had up.

"Morning all!" Greg came in the front door, and headed straight for his wife, giving her a kiss on her head but making sure not to get in the way as she finished up.

"What are you doing here?" She asked cheeerfully.

"I've got an hour to kill before I have to go to that meeting across town. Came home to get changed first, thought I'd pop in and see you on my way."

"Awwww," Syed made fun Greg's soppy look, though he had to admit, seeing Greg in here this morning in his vest was a pleasing enough sight.

"Oi, you." Tanya pointed her scissors at Syed. "I've had to put up with you and Christian gushing over each other, so you can just shut up."

Syed held his hands up in surrender and shared a look with Pat as Tanya leaned back and kissed Greg properly. She invited him to the park with them for lunch but he didn't really have the time. This was just supposed to be a flying visit and the heat at work for him so far this morning had meant he really needed to have a shower before putting a suit on.

As Pat finished up, Tanya moved with her to the counter where Syed was. After she paid and left, Tanya stayed where she was and nudged Syed's arm. "Aren't they lovely when they're all sweaty and in a skimpy top."

She motioned towards where Greg was standing flicking through a hair magazine and looking confusedly at some of the models in it.

Syed couldn't help but giggle, which set Tanya off and as Greg looked up at them with a blank, questioning face it set them off again, as if they were unruly pupils giggling at the back of a classroom.

"Okay, I'm clearly out of the loop so I'm going to head off home. I'll see you later." He came over and kissed Tanya again before heading off and both Syed and Tanya watched him leave without blinking, then turned to each other again.

"I love the fact that my husband is so fit."

"Me too." Tanya gave him a look. "I mean about Christian not Greg... though he isn't actually my husband... but you know what I mean."

"You two should get married, I bet your wedding would be lovely."

"Maybe we will. One day." Syed hedged. They still hadn't told anyone about their engagement and as much as he really wanted to tell tanya, he was aware that as a hairdresser, she was no stranger to gossip, and he didn't want her blabbing... intentionally or not.

"Look at us." Tanya said. "Good business, good friends, hot fellas and a nice sunny day. It's times like these that Walford doesn't seem so bad."

The benches and tables in the park were all taken by the time Tanya and Syed got there, but they'd anticipated that and brought a sheet to lay down on the grass and they settled themselves down for what was rapidly turning into a picnic lunch.

As they enjoyed themselves, leaning back to soak up the sun, eyes closed behind their sunglasses, they chatted about nothing in particular and before they knew it, an hour had already passed. Jodie had been left in charge and there had been no phone calls to them asking them to come back so they figured there was no point and stayed where they were. They deserved it after all and they'd be having a busy Saturday the next day.

A familiar voice drifted over to them from the other side of the park, making Syed sit up and look around. They were a bit further away, but he could see that Christian was now over there training with a young woman. He squinted until he recognised her as Jenna. He'd met her once or twice before in passing, but he really only knew her name from doing Christian's books.

He lowered his sunglasses to try to get a better look, but with the sun shining onto him it didn't make much difference. Tanya sat closer to him.

"My word." She said in a low, breathy groan as she watched Christian in his black tracksuit bottoms and a black vest.. "He should wear black more often. He looks good in black."

"I like him in grey too. Or brown actually. He does have this one hideous blue vest that I've told him will be chucked the minute I can find it."

Tanya laughed. "What did he say to that?"

"He told me if I did then some of my shirts would find themselves in the bin too. We're at a bit of a mexican stand off on the issue right now."

They kept their eyes on Christian the entire time they talked to each other. He had boxing mitts attached to each arm and was taking the punches in and even at this distance you could see the shape of his biceps as he braced to take the hits. Not before long he switched it up and after putting Jenna through her paces with some body combat, they watched as he then took on more of a drill sergeant role and he cound be heard counting her off through lunges, press ups and squats. He joined in himself as he showed her some newer exercises that looked a bit strange to the two watching with tilted heads, but they certainly appreciated the lines being created.

As they began to obviously warm down, Tanya spoke again, the last of lunch pretty much forgotten about. "Well, don't we have good timing to make it to today's show on time."

Syed laughed. "Don't tell him that, he'll just get an even bigger head out of it if he knew you were over here drooling at him."

"I was not drooling. I've got my own vest wearing man to go home to. But then again, if Christian wasn't gay, I swear..." she let the thought trail off. Syed knew it was a joke and he loved Tan for her choice in men being similar to his own but he always felt that slight twinge of jealousy when anyone showed interest in Christian.

Christian finished up with Jenna, kissed her cheek and waved her off and then packed up the gym bag he had with him. He rubbed his arms and then after rubbing the back of his forearm across his head, he pulled the vest up, over and off, bundling it up and putting it in the bag too.

"Holy crap."

"Tan!" Syed exclaimed. "Do you mind?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's just... you know..." She gestured over to Christian who had now spotted them and was headed over.

"I thought I recognised you two. Didn't you say you had a busy day in store at work?" Christian's bag was dumped beside them unceremoniously and he sat next to Syed with a thump, leaning back on his hands.

"I had a busy morning. I never said anything about the afternoon."

"Ah." Christian said. "So what is this?" he gestured at the remains of the picnic between the two friends. "Ladies that lunch?"

"Something like that." Tanya answered.

"Don't mind me then." Christian leaned over and took a handful of the grapes from their plastic pot and then grabbed Syed's bottle of water from his hand. As he sat back to drink, Tanya leaned forward to see past Syed. Both watched, unable to take their eyes off Christian as he drank, almost as if they were watching it in slow motion. Syed swallowed and tried to control himself.

Christian practically crushed the plastic bottle as he finished it and put it down in the rubbish pile with the sandwich wrappers, containers and plastic forks. He took in the expressions on Syed and Tanya's face. "What?" He frowned and looked down at himself and then rubbed his mouth. "Have I got something on me?"

"No... no absolutely nothing is on you." Tanya forced her eyes away.

"You're all sweaty." Syed said in a bit of a dazed tone. Christian was still slightly confused, like he'd missed half a conversation.

"When's your next client?" Syed asked.

"Not until five. Why?"

"I'm free until three. What time is it, Tan?"

"Uhm, " she checked her watch. "Just before two."

Syed just gave Christian a look that was easy to interpret and a grin slowly spread across Christian's face. "Syed Masood, you dirty minx."

Syed reached his hand out and rested it on Christian's thigh as he turned back to Tanya. "Will you be fine tidying up here on your own, it's just we've got something... "

"...urgent..." Christian threw in.

"...urgent... to take care of," Syed finished.

"Yeah, yeah." Tanya rolled her eyes. Mostly because her own man wasn't there so she would have to wait until later to do the things she had in her head at the moment. "Go and have some fun, I'll see you this afternoon."

"Thanks, Tan." Syed leaned over and kissed her cheek and then stood, pulling Christian with him. He took his hand and pulled him along, giving him barely enough time to pick up his back before dragging him back to the flat, caveman style, to have his wicked way with his fiance. He was thinking about the shower... as well as the bed... or the sofa if they couldn't make it the last ten feet once inside the door.