One more after this one :) xxxx
Michael watched them in his rear view mirror. Syed, his eyelids drooping with tiredness, resting his head on Christian's shoulder, Christian, his arm protectively around him, constantly checking to make sure he was okay.
Syed opened his mouth in a wide yawn.
"Sorry, they gave me sleepy drugs… Need to ring Tambo…"
Christian pressed the number for him, and held his phone up to Syed's ear.
"Tam, It's Syed. Christian came and got me. I got mugged and hit my head, lost my memory, but I'm fine now…"
"OW!"
Syed looked quizzically at the mobile.
"What's up Tam? You sound funny."
On the other end of the line, Tamwar emerged from the cooker and put down his scourer, rubbing his head.
"Had my head in the oven.."
"Surely things aren't that bad!"
"Ha ha, very funny. She's got me cleaning them. My punishment for letting Christian know what she was up to."
"Thank you, he told me what she was planning."
"I couldn't let her take you to Auntie Gita's, that's a fate worse than death."
"What time did she set off?"
"Now there's a funny thing. I don't think she ever left, just came back home and went upstairs. It's terrifying when she's quiet."
"If she gives you a hard time, come round to ours. And tell her…"
Syed regarded Christian with sleepy love, wanting to smooth away the residual greyness of worry from his face.
"…tell her, I'm back where I belong."
"I'd sooner not tell her anything, and just hide, if it's all the same to you. Syed.."
"What?"
"I'm glad he found you…"
The line went dead.
Michael revved the engine as they roared into the square.
"You need a clown's horn.." Christian suggested, and Syed added;
"And a 'Honk If You're Horny' sticker…."
"Fuck off the pair of you, ungrateful bastards."
He parked up outside the chip shop, helping Christian ease Syed, like a delicate cargo, from the back seat.
Syed hugged him tight, under the watchful eye of Christian, and Michael tried not to get excited.
"We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.."
"And the heart of our bottoms. Coming up?" Christian asked, unlocking the door to the flat.
"Do I get to join in?"
Michael winked and gave a wicked grin, laughing as they chorused 'No!' in outraged unison.
"Well then, I've got to be at the airport…" He checked his watch. "..In about an hour, so I'll love you and leave you."
"Aw, mate, you never said.." Christian slapped him on the back. ".. Where are you going?"
"New York. I would have cancelled it, If Syed hadn't come back. But, now he's here, I can go off and earn pots of money and submerge myself in hedonism."
"You're fabulous Michael. Did we say?"
Michael climbed back into the car, regarding them fondly as they stood on the pavement, side by side, each providing a support for the other, his soul gladdened that he had played some small part in reuniting two people, so obviously destined to be together.
"Not enough, and it's debatable." He started the engine and waved through the open window. "I'll send you a postcard of the Empire State Building, which, I think you'll find, is my cock…"
"Do you need me to carry you upstairs?"
Syed smiled broadly and lifted his arms.
"I don't need you to, but I might like it if you did.."
Christian scooped him up and carried him giggling into the flat, throwing him onto the bed.
"Aaah, bed. Our bed, our lovely, lovely kingsize bed."
Sniffing at himself, Syed shrugged off his jacket and threw it across the room.
"That'll need cleaning. Poo, and these. Poor Matt, he tried to clean them up for me, but they dried funny.."
"Give them here.." Christian took the clothes from him, and handed over his dressing gown.
Wrapping it tightly around himself, Syed looked at Christian accusingly.
"Have you been wearing this? It's gone stretchy.."
"It smelt of you…"
"You big soppy fool." Syed yawned again and lay his head onto the pillows, he felt peace creep through his bones, his muscles loose and relaxed, for what seemed like the first time in decades.
"Shit, Debit card.." He mumbled, fighting the wave of exhaustion that flowed over him.
"They'll have cleared it out, I expect. I'll cancel it now."
"Lucky I hadn't paid that massage money in, they must have been horribly disappointed…"
"Forgive me for not feeling sorry for them Sy. Syed?"
Christian heard Syed's breathing slow, saw a serene calm spread over his features and felt his heart swell with love.