A Chryed Frozen Christmas Chapter 3
Syed woke first on Christmas Eve, stuck his leg out of the bed and felt the chill of the room on his skin. He was tempted to withdraw back under the covers and luxuriate for another hour, but he had a lot to do and he wanted everything to be perfect for Christian this Christmas. He wanted it to be a Christmas he would remember for all the right reasons. So he extricated himself, being careful not to wake him and wrapped himself in Christian's dressing gown for extra warmth, turned on the heater and prepared breakfast.
The smell of cooking permeated Christian's slumber, Syed was by his side with a coffee and a kiss before his eyes were fully opened. He tried to draw him back into bed but for once Sy was having none of it, he put on his best stern voice, laced with a cheeky grin and ordered Christian out to meet his last clients of the year, with the promise of indulgent pleasures to come if was a "good boy". Christian leered at him and promised to extract revenge if he didn't live up to his side of the bargain.
So Syed got to work – he put up all the extra decorations that Christian had wanted but he wouldn't let him buy because they were too "tacky", by the time he had finished the flat looked like a Santa's grotto, he wrapped the last of the presents and as a final touch added mistletoe over the door. He had arranged for Roxy to waylay Christian to go and see Amy and then take him on to R&R for a drink, so when Christian phoned to ask him if he would mind, he already had a change of clothes ready for him to deliver to Roxy's house and agreed to join them for a drink later after he and Tam had gone to mosque together.
By the time Syed arrived at R&R Christian was mildly drunk holding court, dancing and flirting. Syed watched him for a while marvelling at his easy going confidence, which from a less likeable person could be seen as arrogance, while he charmed the regulars. Warmth and laughter emanated from him, he sighed as he wished his family would open their hearts, see the person that he was, see the completeness of the couple that they were. Whether it was, that over the noise of the club, Christian heard the sigh, or simply that he sensed the sadness that flitted through his lovers' mind, in an instant he was by his side. With a hug and a kiss he was transported into the heart of the company, still amazed at their acceptance, and yet with the whispered "I missed you"and the caress of the fingers at the nape of his neck their reunion was so intimate.
As the evening wore on the club filled up, the noise increased and the drink flowed. As it approached midnight Syed had a sudden and urgent need to be on his own with Christian. He subconsciously reached out and touched his wrist running fingers down the back of his hand. Christian responded by interlocking their fingers and disengaging himself from his conversation, and turned to him. Syed saw the hunger reflected back from his eyes and without the need to discuss it; they started the process of wishing people well and leaving.
As they left the club the cold hit them. It was bitter, to the point where you breathed in you felt it drawn down deep into your lungs, it almost hurt. The boys turned up their collars, clung to each other for warmth and comfort and walked briskly back to the flat. Syed made Christian wait at the door while he went in and switched on all the lights, then led him in and observed his face in the glow of the flashing colours while his handiwork was admired.
Words weren't really needed, but Syed shared his wishes for the best Christmas ever, his hopes that next year would be truly theirs, that these memories would be only good and that the angst of the last year was behind them.
Christian drew them together, silenced him with a kiss and studied his face with absolute adoration. In his eyes he was perfection. He knew full well that with his complicated young lover, there were bound to be troubles ahead, but he also knew that none would be as challenging as those that were behind them. Most of all he knew he would go through it all again, and again if required just to come back to this perfect moment in time. It was now Christmas Day – a time to reflect, to appreciate sacrifices, to enjoy good company, to give instead of take and most of all to count blessings. The only thing that could possibly spoil this Christmas for them was his family.
Christian's eyes followed Syed's upwards and catching sight of the mistletoe, he grinned. There was one sure fired way to distract Syed from dwelling on things, it was twelve hours till they needed to be at Jane's and he knew just how he was going to fill them!