"Leeds?"
Syed pulled a face as Christian's voice rose. He knew he'd get this response and hadn't been looking forward to this conversation. "I know, but it's the best course. And it actually starts soon. It's the best option, it really is."
"How long will you be gone?"
"The first part's 7 days."
"A week?" Syed screwed up his face again as Christian's voice once more rose higher than expected. Christian thumped down onto the sofa and held his face in his hands. "Wait... the first part? How many trips are you planning on taking for this?"
"It looks like there could be 6 different levels."
"Why do you even want to do this anyway? I thought you were joking when you brought it up before." Christian shook his head.
Syed had been joking at first, but something about becoming a masseur kept playing in his head and chipping away at him, and it made some kind of mad sense. When he got an idea in his head he always ran with it. Well, he tried to. His love life had been a bit more complicated over the years but Christian had technically done the same thing - chipped away at the back of his mind until eventually he listened to his heart and now here he was, engaged to the man and very much running with the idea of being with him forever.
"It works, Christian. You said so yourself."
"I said that before you announced you'd need to go to Leeds for courses!"
"I'm not thrilled about it either but it makes good business sense to be trained by the best." He reached out and put a hand on Christian's back, letting them both feel the connection and current that sung between them. "And it's just a week."
"Just a week. Right after we decide to get married you run off and abandon me. That's just wonderful."
Syed's lips curled up in a teasing smile that he struggled to keep under control. "Don't you think you're being just a little over-dramatic?"
Christian looked at him then turned back to stare in front of himself and shook his head slightly. "Only a little," he said quietly.
"It's not the end of the world."
"When does the course start anyway?"
Syed pulled a face and the instant he did, Christian's eyes widened, already anticipating whatever Syed was about to say. "I'll need to leave on Friday."
"Fri- but that's in two days!" Christian fell back on the sofa and looked up to the ceiling, his pouting clearly evident for Syed to see.
"I'll be back before you know it."
"But I don't want you to leave at all." Christian grabbed for Syed's hand and Syed answered it with a squeeze of reassurance. He wasn't looking forward to being without Christian - it would be a first since they'd settled into the relationship - but the course was important to him, and it was only a week. He'd already managed to settle his mind over it. He just had to stop Christian from pouting about it.
"I know you don't." Syed placated Christian.
"I'll be cold."
"Use a hot water bottle."
"It's not the same."
Syed was beginning to feel like he was talking to a surly teenager who refused to see any other point of view, but he was also on the verge of laughing at Christian. But he knew that if he did that, he'd probably make it worse.
"Modern technology is a wonderful thing. We can phone each other all the time and text when we can. We won't be completely out of contact."
"I know," Christian moaned as he pulled Syed properly in beside him for a hug and rubbed his back, the warmth from Christian's hand seeping into Syed. "But I like just sitting with you, even when we don't actually say anything to each other. I'll miss that."
"Again," Syed said, as placed a hand over Christian's heart, "it's only for a week. You'll cope. And you'll be busy with Alec sorting out the new gym. Time will fly by."
Christian just let out a dramatic sigh and kept Syed pulled close to him. Syed closed his eyes and relaxed into his fiancé's embrace, clearing his mind of what was coming tomorrow and just focusing on the moment. On Christian. On the two of them sitting here together; like Christian had said... it was sometimes the quiet times when they were just together that they both enjoyed the most.
Syed's fingers found themselves between Christian's shirt buttons and he pressed them against the hair of Christian's chest. A button popped undone, giving him more access and his whole hand strayed under the fabric to touch Christian's skin. He leaned his head forward and, parting the material of the shirt, he placed a kiss against the exposed skin and led a trail with his lips up into the crook of Christian's neck.
He sucked at the join between his neck and shoulder, knowing it would leave a mark, something that Christian would see for at least the next few days that would be a constant reminder that he belonged to Syed. He trusted Christian completely, but he didn't trust other men not to try it on with Christian. And he wouldn't be there to give them evil looks and dissuade them. Both having rings on their fingers certainly helped those men who were observant. If Christian wore a vest when he was away, the mark on his neck would be on show too... he knew that would excite Christian. And it excited him as well.
He licked the mark he had created, kissed it, and leaned back just enough to breathe. His lips were incredibly close to Christian's and they both just sat, eyes slightly hooded as they breathed each other in.
"What was that for?" Christian asked, his voice, low and gravelly with desire.
"You know what," Syed answered, and then immediately plundered Christian's mouth with his own, feeling Christian's hand thread into his hair and hold tightly, steadying them, holding them together as Syed straddled Christian's legs.
Syed felt Christian's hands wander from his hair, down his back and lower, while his own took the same trail down Christian's chest, popping buttons as he went and luxuriating in the feel of Christian's chest hair between his fingers. Reaching the top of his jeans he wriggled his hand underneath until Christian breathed in, and pushed his hand lower, making Christian gasp into his mouth through their kisses.
Sloppy, wet tongues duelling for dominance, their kisses became a mess but they didn't care. They parted just long enough for Syed to pull his t-shirt over his head and then, while catching his breath, he looked hard into Christian's eyes.
"Bed."
"Oh yes."
Their clothes were... somewhere.
They were everywhere actually, and there was a stray sock still hanging precariously on the end of the bed.
Both men lay under the covers but they were pushed down to the lower half of their torsos as they were too hot to be fully covered. There was a glean of drying sweat on both of them, not to mention the mess of other bodily fluids that made them, and the air around them, smell of sex.
Panting with exertion, Christian still had an arm trapped underneath Syed and he turned to him, which Syed could see out of the corner of his eye as he stared at the ceiling. "That's something we can't do over the phone."
"No," Syed agreed before turning his head to face Christian. "But we can experiment with other things."
"You want to have phone sex? Syed, you kinky devil, I didn't know you had it in you."
Syed grinned mischievously. "There's more to me than meets the eye."
Christian's smile softened as he stared at Syed. A stare that deep could make someone uncomfortable, but Syed loved seeing that look in Christian's eyes - it always made him melt. "And we have our whole lives to learn everything."
Syed leaned up and kissed Christian tenderly in response. "I think we've made a pretty good start too."
The next morning, it had been difficult to get out of bed, but they'd had to. Christian had to go to work.
Syed had decided not to go to mosque that morning and would wait until he was in Leeds later on. Instead he spent the morning getting his stuff together for his trip.
Christian returned home for lunch to make sure he could see Syed off, which only made things even more difficult. Mainly because Christian had tried to distract Syed with a shower... and then he'd tried to unpack Syed's bag.
"Stop it!" Syed scolded.
"Just seeing what you put in here. Making sure there's nothing alluring. I don't want anyone getting ideas."
"It's just regular clothes, nothing to worry about. I just hope you actually put some more clothes on before you walk out that door this afternoon."
Syed watched as Christian looked down at himself, wearing his jeans but no shirt, and still holding his towel after getting out of the shower. Alone. Syed had resisted the urge to join him and he was quite proud of that. "Yeah, well, you made it difficult for me to wear anything that doesn't have a collar."
Syed clenched his jaw and put his hands out from his sides. "I got carried away."
"And if I believe that, I'll believe anything." Christian threw himself onto the sofa and clutched a cushion to his chest.
"Look, I have to get going." Syed checked his watch.
Christian stayed still. "Bye."
Syed narrowed his eyes. "No goodbye kiss? Or a hug?" He leaned over the back of the sofa. "Or even a handshake?"
Christian shook his head, keeping a tight hold on the cushion and his eyes on the television.
"Okay then," Syed said. "I'll phone you when I get checked in at the hotel."
"Okay."
Syed picked up his bag and left Christian to sulk on his own if he was going to be like that. He picked up his jacket, checked the pockets, made sure he had everything he needed and then headed out the door and down the stairs. A moment later there was thumping from above and Christian bounded down the stairs before Syed could open the bottom door.
He turned just in time as Christian pulled him into a tight hug. "I love you."
"I love you, too." Syed answered.