What if/ Plugging the gaps

Prompted by 'neighboursgirl', this is a one-shot containing three different plots set between December 2011 and April 2012.

Blake Burrell

Set on the 2nd December 2011: what if Blake had been gay?

Initially, Chris had laughed off Tash's suggestion about Blake being gay, but after returning to playing pool with him, he couldn't help but glance at him every now and again to figure out whether Tash's suspicions were correct. After a while, Chris decided to find out for sure.

"So, my friend Tash thinks that you play for my team…" Chris began, hoping that Blake would catch on to his insinuation so that he wouldn't have to finish his question

Fortunately he did and scoffed, "Wow, she figured it out before you did then?"

Chris blushed slightly, "Some people have a gift" he replied sheepishly, "I, on the other hand, do not"

Blake chuckled and Chris exhaled slightly, "I was just confused because of your dad"

Blake pulled a face, "Yeah, you'd imagine that with a gay son, he wouldn't be so homophobic"

"Coming out to him must have been really tricky" Chris noted sombrely

Blake considered this, "Well technically I didn't" he admitted

Chris looked confused, "What do you mean?"

Blake hesitated, "I was scared to come out to him, so instead I started a relationship with a guy in secret"

Chris was taken aback and Blake continued, "Dad ended up catching us in the act. I mean, that's bad enough for any parent to experience, but for a seriously conservative dad it was about a thousand times worse"

"I can imagine" Chris replied sympathetically

Blake nodded, "The sooner I can get away from him, the better"

Chris looked uncomfortable, but put his issues aside to continue their game. After nervously encouraging Blake to talk about his ex, Chris found out that he and Blake had broken up soon after and that the guy enlisted in the army, so they hadn't seen each other since. Blake was thoughtful about that, and informed Chris that he didn't want to be in a relationship based on secrets and lies, or one that was affected by his dad. Chris considered this, and hoped that none of his future relationships would fall victim to the same problem either.

xxx

Chris was pulled out of his trance by Tash, who was clicking her fingers in front of his face, "Hey Pappas" she snapped, "Are you even listening to me?"

Chris nodded distantly, "Yeah, of course"

"Then what was I just talking about?" she questioned

Chris hesitated for a few moments, "Shoes" he guessed hesitantly

Tash narrowed her eyes at him, "Fair enough"

Chris was taken aback that he was correct, though he knew that he shouldn't be. After all, Tash was his best friend, and most of their conversations shared similar subjects.

Tash sighed, "You've barely looked away from your phone all day, you know"

Chris shook his head, "I'm looking away from it now, aren't I?" he pointed out

Tash grinned, "You're texting Blake, aren't you" she teased

Chris moved his phone away, "No" he replied unconvincingly. Since he and Blake had swapped mobile numbers, they had barely stopped texting each other, and Chris was running low on power and credit for their conversation.

"Why don't you ask him out?" Tash suggested

"Because I don't want to look like an idiot" Chris replied

"Too late for that, Pappas" she argued

Chris pulled a face and Tash continued, "If you like him then just go for it. Worst case scenario he laughs in your face and it's awkward, but that's better than not doing anything then regretting it"

Chris considered this and began typing on his phone. Tash put her hand out to stop him, "No, don't do it by text, you blockhead" she cried, "That's almost as bad as dumping someone by text. Just ask him to meet you somewhere, and do it in person"

Chris nodded and re-wrote his text to Blake, whilst Tash watched with a smug grin on her face.

xxx

Chris waited anxiously in Lassiter's Complex for Blake, uncertain about whether this was a good idea after all. However, just as he had made the decision to give up, get up and walk off, he heard a voice greet him from several feet behind. Chris spun around to spot Blake approaching.

"Hey" Blake began, "I got your text, what's up?"

Chris stood up and cleared his throat, "Look, there was something that I wanted to ask you" he began cautiously

Blake hesitated, waiting for Chris to continue, "Well Tash thinks that-"

Blake scoffed, "Why aren't I surprised that this involves Tash?"

Chris chuckled sheepishly, "Sorry" he apologised quietly, "She's the one who pushes me to do stuff, she's a go-getter"

"And you're not?" he questioned teasingly

"Well let's just say it isn't one of my most prominent qualities" he joked

After a pause, Blake raised an eyebrow quizzically to prompt Chris, who took a deep breath to summon his courage, "Anyway, I was wondering whether you wanted to go on a date with me some time"

Blake exhaled, "Look Chris, I'd love to but I can't, see I-"

"Wow, this must be what rejection feels like" Chris interjected flatly

Blake scoffed, "I'm not rejecting you" he assured him, "It's just that I'm heading off to Uni tomorrow so I don't have time"

"Oh" was Chris' response, "But I thought Uni didn't start until next week"

"It does but I decided to move in with some mates so that I could get away from my dad" Blake replied, "I have to head up there tomorrow so that we can sort some stuff out"

Chris nodded slowly in understanding and swallowed heavily, "Ok, well have fun at Uni, I guess" he murmured before moving away

Blake suddenly grabbed his arm, "Wait" he began, "Just because I'm leaving tomorrow doesn't mean we can't do something today"

Chris considered this, "Well what would we do?" he asked

Blake shrugged and smiled, "Whatever we want"

xxx

Chris was surprised by how much could be accomplished in less than twenty-four hours. He and Blake had watched some movies, ate some food, met up with their friends and talked about everything under the sun. However, once Blake realised that he had to head off, Chris' heart sunk: he had only just met the guy, yet being with him felt like the most natural thing in the world.

Chris swallowed his disappointment before tentatively asking, "Are we ever going to see each other again?"

Blake shrugged, "I'm not sure" he admitted heavily, "I want to come back but I also need to have as much space from my dad as possible"

Chris nodded in understanding and Blake continued, "Besides, I quite like the idea of this just being a one-off"

Chris smiled slightly: Blake had a point, after all. It would be more bittersweet (and romantic) if they were to part ways and never contact each other again, and Chris made a mental note to remove Blake's number from his mobile phone as soon as he could to prevent him from trying to make contact.

"Yeah, I guess you're right" Chris agreed, and there was a lingering silence before he continued, "Well, I really hope you have a good time at University"

"Thanks" Blake replied before leaning in to kiss him.

Chris blinked in surprise as Blake's lips met his. He almost pulled away in shock, considering that he had never shared a kiss with a guy before. However, he allowed the kiss to happen and actually quite enjoyed it. Blake pulled away sooner than Chris would have liked but smiled coyly. Silently, Blake walked away from Chris, who watched him, feeling slightly disappointed but pleased that he had overcome that first dating hurdle, which made him more confident about what the future held for him and his love-life.

First (real) kiss

Set on the 24th February 2012: this is an idea of how Chris and Aidan's official first kiss happened, following their second date.

Aidan wiped the sweat from his forehead as he and Chris left the court, "So when you said that you were 'ok' at basketball, you were just being modest, weren't you?" he clarified

Chris nodded sheepishly, "It's a cunning tactic" he replied, "If you underplay your skills then the other person lets their guard down, then you can swoop in and win"

Aidan considered this, "That is a good tactic" he agreed, "I'll bear that in mind for next time"

"'Next time'?" Chris repeated in surprise

Aidan hesitated, "Well I was hoping to arrange another date" he began, "Unless you're so put off by my lack of sports skills that you never want to see me again"

Chris shook his head, "No, I'd like another date too" he assured him.

There was a lingering pause where neither of them was sure what to do next. Even though Chris wanted another date, he didn't want the current date to end just yet, "So, do you want to get something to eat or drink?" he asked, secretly hoping that Aidan would be famished from their intense basketball game

Fortunately Aidan was and he nodded, "As long as the loser doesn't have to pay"

Chris shook his head, "No, it's on me" he reassured him, "It's the least I can do after thrashing you at basketball"

Aidan pulled a face but followed Chris to the nearest café to get some refreshments.

xxx

Chris and Aidan sat down on the bench by the lake with their lunch, "So how did you get into basketball?" Aidan asked before taking a bite out of his turkey salad wrap.

Chris shrugged, "At school we used to do it during P.E" he explained, "Then later on I became more passionate about it and started playing for the Erinsborough Emus"

"That's cool" Aidan replied, "But it must be tricky to fit that in around your work"

Chris shifted slightly, "I actually gave up basketball a while ago" he admitted

Aidan glanced at him quizzically, "Oh, why?"

"Well, I was in the middle of my exams" Chris explained. This concerned Aidan slightly as it was a reminder of their age gap: this guy was just out of high school whilst he had finished university ages ago. Nonetheless, Aidan knew that age didn't really matter, as long as it didn't affect the relationship.

"My dad didn't want me to be working at the garage and going to basketball practice instead of studying" he continued, "He made me choose between them, and I wanted to make a career out of being a mechanic so I chose to give up basketball"

Aidan frowned, "That's awful" he replied, "But now that you've finished school, have you considered going back to basketball?"

Chris shrugged, "Not really" he admitted, "That makes sense and I still play for fun every now and again, but I guess I'm not as committed to it as I originally thought"

Aidan considered this and Chris took a sip of his drink, "What about you? How did you get into nursing?"

"My uncle's a doctor" Aidan began, "I did a work placement with him when I was younger and I really enjoyed it, but I was put off by all of the stigma around being a male nurse, so I decided to study Geography at university instead"

"What happened?" Chris asked

"I helped a friend with one of her nursing assignments and fell in love with it, so I switched subjects and never looked back" he responded, "I guess if you're passionate enough about something then it doesn't matter what other people think, just go for it"

Chris nodded in agreement, "But why a nurse instead of a doctor?"

Aidan pulled a face, "I saw my uncle in action and it's way too impersonal" he replied, "You know, they diagnose, they cure and then they send the patient on their way. But as a nurse you get to know everyone, and through my job I've got to know loads of people, some of which have had quite an impact"

Aidan smiled at Chris cheekily and Chris blushed as he caught onto his insinuation. There was a lingering pause so - unusually for him - Chris decided to throw caution to the wind and leant in to kiss Aidan gently. After a few moments, however, Chris pulled away suddenly.

"Sorry" he gasped, "I just thought I sensed a 'moment', obviously it wasn't a 'moment'"

Aidan shook his head slowly, "No, it's fine" he assured him, "I just wasn't expecting you to initiate that, especially in such a public place"

"Yeah, even I was surprised" Chris admitted sheepishly, "I didn't mean for it to be so spontaneous, it's not usually my style"

Aidan smiled, "Well I like this style, not being worried about what other people might think" he replied, "It's a nice change from the Chris who could barely form a coherent sentence last week"

Chris blushed bashfully which caused Aidan to chuckle, "That Chris was pretty cute though"

Chris smiled and Aidan stood up, looking regretful, "Look, I'm working the afternoon shift so I should probably be heading off, is that ok?"

Chris nodded as he stood up, "Of course, I can't exactly stop you from going to work, can I?"

"Good point" Aidan responded, "But thanks for a lovely date, even though I still haven't found a sport that I can beat you at yet"

Chris sniggered, "Well we'll just have to keep trying, won't we?"

Aidan smiled, liking the idea of him and Chris going on more dates, even if they entailed playing different sports, "Just let me know when you're free and we'll sort out our next date"

Chris nodded, inwardly jumping for joy but making a mental note not to contact him immediately otherwise he might look too eager. There was another long pause before Aidan tentatively stepped towards Chris and kissed him softly. Feeling Aidan's hand on his cheek, Chris deepened the kiss momentarily before gently retracting. Grinning like an idiot, Chris barely managed to say his farewells articulately which caused Aidan to chuckle: 'so much for Chris becoming less awkward'. However, as he walked away with a goofy grin on his face, Aidan felt rather proud of how much difference a week had made for their blossoming romance, and was excited about what the future held for them.

First (on-screen) kiss

Set on the 9th April 2012: this is a bit of context surrounding Chris and Aidan's first on-screen kiss at Tash's party.

Chris handed Aidan a drink, "Ok, I think we're even" he panted

Aidan quirked an eyebrow as he took a sip of his drink, so Chris elaborated, "Skills, I mean. I've got basketball and you've got dancing, that's fair enough"

Aidan smirked, "Yeah, but which one's more useful in everyday life?" he asked

Chris considered this, "Good point" he agreed, "I guess you win then"

Aidan smiled smugly but noticed that Chris' was glancing towards the hallway with a troubled expression, "What's wrong?"

Chris shrugged, "It's Summer" he revealed quietly

"What happened?" Aidan asked, sounding concerned

Chris rolled his eyes, "Do you want the short version or the long version?"

Aidan thought to himself for a moment, "Let's start with the short one, then I'll decide whether I'm interested enough to hear the whole thing"

Chris smiled slightly, "Well basically, she and Andrew have become Ramsay Street's 'Ross and Rachel'"

Aidan looked surprised, "Really? I loved Ross and Rachel!"

Chris pulled a face, "Well I found them pretty annoying after a while" he replied before shrugging, "I preferred Monica and Chandler"

Aidan chuckled, "Ah, you're an old romantic then, are you?"

"When I want to be, yeah" Chris teased

"Oh really?" Aidan questioned, sounding intrigued, "Why haven't I seen it yet then?"

"You will" Chris assured him nonchalantly

Aidan nodded slowly, "Looking forward to it" he murmured

Chris held his gaze before taking a step towards him and kissing him roughly. Aidan was taken aback by how eager his boyfriend was to show him affection in public, though he shouldn't really have been that surprised by it – and he returned the kiss.

When Chris eventually pulled away he grinned, "How was that?" he asked smugly

Aidan shrugged, "Not bad" he replied casually, "Though you could do with some more practice"

Chris sniggered and Aidan wrapped his arms around Chris' waist to pull him closer before drawing him into a long, open-mouthed kiss. Concerns about Summer and Andrew washed away from Chris as he enjoyed making out with his boyfriend, surrounded by a bunch of party-goers who couldn't care less about what was going on around them. This caused Chris and Aidan to also become ignorant to the atmosphere, and instead get lost in the moment where the problems of Summer, Andrew and Tash were non-existent to them.

Thanks for reading, and thanks 'neighboursgirl' for the prompt: sorry if the layout was a bit dodgy, but it was the only way I could fit all of the parts in. In regards to the first part, I hope the explanation behind Blake's 'coming-out' was ok (and yes, I was suggesting that Nate was the guy that he was with) and that it worked as a short scenario. For the second part, I was always annoyed that Chris and Aidan's first on-screen kiss (supposedly) wasn't their first actual kiss, so that's what inspired me to write the official one for their second date. Also, for their first on-screen kiss on the show, there was no context behind it so I hope that what I've written works.

By the way, anyone else super excited for the potential Aaron and Nate pairing? I'm actually considering writing Nate/Aaron related one-shots if I get inspired; but we'll see what happens… Anyway, if anyone has any ideas for Chris related stories then feel free to let me know, and reviews are always welcome!