A/N: Ah, so here's the FINAL chapter. Thanks to you to everyone whose read and reviewed so far. Glad that you all liked it, even if it did turn out to be a bit longer than I had originally planned. Love CC xx

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"Whose at the door"?

Ignoring his panic stricken expression I just shrugged my shoulders, feigning ignorance.

"TAMWAR". His voice came out in a hiss.

Standing up, I shuffled over to open the door. I didn't like seeing my brother in this state and just wanted him and Christian to sort it out.

"It won't be.. him.. would it? Did you tell anyone where you were going? No wait. Don't open the door. Tamwar, I mean it"

Hearing him jump up behind me, I quickly grabbed the door handle and turned to face him. He froze, staring at me imploringly.

"I'll see you around sometime Syed. Just, listen.. please. For me".

Without giving him a chance to reply, I opened the door. Looking up, I nodded at Christian who mouthed 'thank you' back. Knowing that I'd done my part, I walked past him, heading home.

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Wedging my foot in the door, I managed to stop the door from slamming shut.

"Oh no you don't. Just listen to me Sy please".

"GO AWAY. JUST- PLEASE. Just leave me alone". I noticed with a pang of sorrow that his voice was cracking.

As Tamwar had walked past me, I noticed that Syed was refusing to look at me, his eyes firmly fixed on my shoes. I saw him though. His hair was wild and unkempt. The grey shirt hung loosely on him and his jeans were hardly sitting on his waist at all. Even with the distance between us, I could tell that his eyes were swollen and puffy. He hadn't shaved for days, the stubble on his face was fast growing into a beard. I hated seeing him like this, hated it right from the bottom of my soul.

Pushing against the door, he stumbled back suddenly and wordlessly turned before he walked back towards the sofa. Slumping down, he looked drained of energy. I watched him, just willing him to turn towards me. Realising it wasn't going to happen, I entered the room, closing the door quietly behind me. So far so good, no other man. I bit my lip, it was hardly time for humour. Then again, it'd hardly be funny if there was another man. I turned, and walking over to the bed, my eyes flitted around the room. The furniture looked like it'd hardly been touched, the curtains were letting in some light from outside although nothing about this room would lead you to think that Syed was staying here apart from himself. Sitting on the unmade bed, I noticed something which caused my eyes to widen with surprise more than shock. In that moment, I realised just how much he actually loved me.

Darting my eyes around the room, I settled back onto his lithe figure. The cold shoulder from Syed was hardly going to drive me away. I toyed with the idea of saying nothing and playing the recording but I didn't want to hurt him.

"Not going to say hi then"?

The scowl on his face deepened further.

"Sy…"

He'd started tapping his foot on the floor, clearly agitated.

"I didn't kiss Ray. I promise you".

He increased the tempo slightly.

"And I know that you still love me".

Silence.

"You have to believe me".

"I don't HAVE to believe anything". Pure venom.

Ah. A reaction. Finally. I could see him mentally kicking himself for speaking to me.

"I could prove it to you Syed. I don't WANT to do that because it'd hurt you and I'd never want to do that BUT if that's the only way to get you back then so be it".

"What do you mean? Why would it hurt me"?

He stood up abruptly, and walked over to the window, keeping his back turned to me. He'd do anything not to speak to me, wouldn't he?

"I'm sorry".

Without waiting for a reply, I pulled out mobile which I'd turned to full volume and hit the recording. I jumped slightly as the static crackled but sure enough, the voices came through clearly.

"You SAID £200 cash if I got him into bed.."

"…AND if Syed saw you two together".

"HE DID! How many times? He saw us kissing".

"I saw him minutes after you entered the flat and he was fine."

"Listen, mate, a deal's a deal. You still owe me £100 quid".

"You're not getting it alright. If anything, you're lucky I'm letting you keep the other £100 pounds BUT as you fulfilled half the arrangement, I guess you can keep that much".

"I'M lucky? How about I…"

"CHRISTIAN! WHAT YOU DOING HIDING-"

*static*

Closing the recording, I waited as he slowly swivelled to face me. His face was white as snow, and…. Instinctively I ran across the room to catch him before he fell. His body fell into my arms and turning into my arms, he grabbed me, sobbing.

"Shhhh! It's okay Sy, I'm here".

Rubbing his back, I allowed him to clutch onto me. Tears sprung into my eyes as he cried into my shoulder. I hated Masood. I really hated him. How could he do this to Syed? How could he do this to us? Why couldn't they just leave us alone?

"Dad. He wouldn't do that. He wouldn't".

He shook his head fiercely but clung onto my shirt even tighter.

"I know you don't want to believe it, but he did."

Suddenly he pulled back embarrassed, wiping his tears with his hands. I froze, unsure if I'd said the wrong thing. Without looking at me, he turned away and walked over to a room on the far side of the room. Closing the door behind him, I realised it was the bathroom. A moment later I heard the door click shut.

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15 minutes later:

Groaning, I flopped onto the bed and covered my face. Was that the right move? Why did I play the recording? I should have tried harder vocally first. Why did I even..

The lock startled me as it grated across the door. Jumping up, I waited for him to open the door. Slowly, the door opened and I saw him cautiously appear from behind it.

"I'm sorry Syed".

"It wasn't your fault".

I could feel his eyes as they flickered up my body. I released my breath as I met his eyes. His eyes told me that he'd meant what he said. I shook my head.

"I should have shut the front door behind me. I should have stopped you from going. I shouldn't have given him another chance when he came onto me".

"He.. did what?" His brow creased, as his welled up eyes stared at me, confused.

I breathed deeply running my hand over my hair.

"Earlier in the day, he'd tried to kiss me in the Square".

His eyes pierced mine questioning, almost afraid to ask me.

"I rejected him Sy. I'd never do that to you".

My eyes dropped to his fingers as he interwined them together, wringing them.

"I told him I was with you, and he stopped. He followed me up to the flat after his session and tried to come onto me again when you walked in. I didn't even have a chance to push him off let alone explain it to you because you'd taken off. I love you Sy. Why would I even look at anyone else?"

I stepped towards him, making sure that there was a gap between our bodies. I didn't want to push him. His eyes flickered up to mine again and I waited…

"These last few days, they've been so hard and I'm sorry Christian. I'm so sorry, I really thought you'd cheated on me. I didn't want to believe it but I walked in and saw another man all over you. I freaked-I – I- I".

Neither of us realised we were crying until we realised that we were hugging. His eyes wound tightly around my hips as he buried his head against my check. Drawing my arms around him, I pulled him closer to me, concealing myself in his hair. Breathing deeply, I ran my fingers down his back, closing any gap between us. Several minutes later we both broke away reluctantly.

"Where do we go from here Sy"?

"I don't really know"

"Come home. Please".

I felt a wave of relief as he nodded against my chest.

"Thank you". I whispered into his ears.

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Keeping an arm slung around his shoulder, I shifted on the sofa trying to accommodate more of his body.

"I- still can't believe he'd do that. I thought he'd want me to be happy. He's meant be my father. Why, how can anyone cause that kind of pain to their own child?"

"I don't know Sy, I really don't".

"What are we going to do? I don't ever want to see him again".

"He's still your dad though".

"Because of him I almost lost the best thing that ever happened to me".

"I can't tell you what to do but if it's any consolation, which it probably should be, you have me".

"I just- I feel like I should do something, or say something to him".

"Do you think it'd make you feel better"?

"Not really" He admitted truthfully.

".. Exactly. We have our whole future together and of course if you'd want to a great big GAY snog outside your parents home, I'd hardly decline".

"Christian!".

"Ow" I yelled as he pinched me lightly on the side.

"Fine, .. fine" I grumbled. "I'll settle for holding hands instead"

"And maybe a kiss if you're lucky".

"Maybe? We'll see… But seriously babe, we're still together".

"Just about. And only after you travelled about half the country to find me and probably blackmailed my brother into telling you where I was".

"1 out of 2 isn't too bad".

"What do you mean"?

"I think you mean the entire continent love".

He chuckled against my chest, snuggling further into me.

"Nothing's ever going to split us Syed. I mean that. I won't let it".

"I'm sorry- for overreacting".

"I don't blame you, for assuming what you did, considering what you saw. But we really need a better method instead of freaking out".

"Like what"?

"Maybe communicating for a start".

"Does that involve shouting"?

"If you still get your point across then yes, it does count".

"Good. What about throwing slippers at your head"?

"As long as you're shouting while chucking them and you don't leave a bruise".

He smacked my chest playfully.

"I see 3 days apart has done nothing for your ego".

"Hey – it's done plenty. I actually had no one to fight for the mirror in the morning.

"Oh". I felt his body stiffen up as he looked up at me.

"Sy, how can you really think that actually having an extra 10 minutes in front of the mirror compares to not having you. It's nothing".

I felt him relax at me. Gazing into his eyes, I moved my head down slowly. I waited patiently, allowing him to decide the next move. I felt him remove an arm from around me and run in along my neck pulling my neck down. Kissing him softly, I felt my entire body relax. Our first kiss since he'd returned this morning. Reluctantly, I pulled back from him first smiling, leaning my forehead against his. His eyes were closed as he released a breath.

"Does that mean I can take 35 minutes in the morning then"?

"You already take that long".

"No I don't".

"Yes you do".

"Can I ask you something"?

I started slightly.

"Of course you can".

"Do you know earlier.."

"I might need more specific details"..

"Well you said that you knew I still loved you. How .. how did you.."?

"Do you mean apart from the fact that it's me"?

His eyes smiled at me but I could see the serious question behind them.

"Well apart from the fact that it's ME we're talking about, and that I hardly think you'd stop loving me in a matter of 3 days – well if you did then I'd be worried A LOT, and dis-including the fact that you'd hardly eaten or slept.."

"Are you planning on getting to your point"?

"- Apart from all of that.. My black shirt was covering your pillow, which you'd clearly been sleeping with".

"Oh. Yeah. You don't miss anything do you"?

"Nope, I'm your regular Sherlock Holmes.. Except a lot more gay".

"Sherlock Holmes was not gay"

"Yes he was".

"No he wasn't".

"Er, yes he was Sy".

"Christian – "?

"Yeah"?

"Are you going to shut up and kiss me or do I have to –"

Grinning, I kissed him fiercely, mid sentence.

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A/N: The reviews can be blamed for the happy ending :p