Hello, sorry for the delay in posting, but I ended up in hospital for a major operation and have only just started to recover.
As a reward for your patience, this is one of three new chapters.
Thank you for your wonderful comments they are all appreciated.
Bites and Hugs
Morning came and Annette was worried. Despite the positive feedback from Delphine, the radio silence from Nadir was concerning. The clock was stating nine thirty as quietly leaving Meg and Christine fast asleep after their overnight fantasy and sci-fi binge, she changed into the horrific jogging attire, but packed some normal clothes into a bag, and after leaving a note saying she was going for a run, she headed over to Erik's.
ooo
Entering the front door, Annette was relieved to hear two sets of snoring coming from Erik's room. Quietly she went to the kitchen dropped her bag on the side and started making a pot of English tea for herself and giving thanks to Christine for telling her how; She topped up the tar like tea in the samovar. Once her tea was brewing, she headed into Erik's bedroom, planning to wake Nadir up, when she came across a strange sight.
"Batman and Superman, the best of friends. How sweet." She whispered to herself. As she stared at both men.
Sleeping soundly in the same bed, Nadir was curled up, on his side hugging a familiar teddy bear facing Erik. Erik was mirroring his friend, hugging Christine's toy pig.
Sweet as it looked, Annette needed to be assured that everything was okay, so a plan could be made to get Christine back home.
Noting that Erik was dead to the world, since her entering had not already woken him. Annette continued with her original idea.
Walking round to Erik's side of the bed, so Nadir saw her when he awoke, Annette gently called his name. On receiving only, a grunt for a response, she tried again a little louder. A loud fart and a grunt was the result that time.
Nadir's bout of wind was bad enough to strip the lining from Annette's nose, but even fast asleep, the two men had to compete against each other. Erik then let rip with a small cannonade that left Annette's eyes watering as well.
That was it! Standing back from the bed far enough that if Erik reacted, he couldn't reach her. Annette regrettably; due to the stench, took a deep breath.
"NADIR KHAN!" she yelled.
Like a shot Nadir's unfocused eyes opened, made out a neon purple and red blob behind his friend, he screamed. Erik's eyes shot open, he then screamed at Nadir and instantaneously threw a punch, connecting neatly with his friend's face and propelling the Iranian and all the bed clothes straight off of the bed.
At the same time as Nadir's backside met the floor with a wallop, a still half asleep Erik jumped up and stood on his bed in an aggressive manner. "Nobody move!" he growled "Or the..." he looked at what he was holding, "Pig gets it!"
Holding her laughter in, mainly due to still foul smelling air, Annette opened the curtains and followed by the balcony doors. Turning back, she surveyed the scene.
Super Nadir was still on the floor where he had landed now sporting a rapidly swelling eye that was already several shades of bruised. At the same time one hand held his nose against the noxious smell, the other still held the teddy bear. His expression told of someone stunned and trying to figure out what the hell just happened.
Bat Erik was still standing on his bed with Christine's toy pig hostage in a vicious hold, as his brain caught up with the day.
With lips like a pair of rulers, Annette manage to speak without laughing. "I really wouldn't harm Christine's pig if I were you." She squeaked.
Coming to full reality, Erik looked at how he was holding Mr Schnoodles and yelped as he dropped the toy pig like it was red hot, it bounced on the bed before coming to rest lamely at his feet.
Bending down, Erik picked the pig back up like it was made of fine glass and kissed it. "Don't tell Christine about this." He pleaded with the stuffed toy.
Annette lost it at that moment and started laughing, "I wouldn't worry Erik, that is one pig that won't squeal on you!" she declared between laughs.
"Err will someone please explain why my eye hurts and how I ended up on the floor!" Nadir wailed as he placed the teddy bear on the bed and slowly started to untangle himself from the covers that went with him when he fell out earlier.
Dashing round to the other side of the bed, Annette help free Nadir from his sheets, before helping him up from the floor. Then noticing a few changes since she last saw him.
"Where did that bruise on your leg come from?" she enquired as she then noticed he had a newly bandaged toe. "How did that happen?" she added looking cross.
"He earned the toe injury from Ayesha in the middle of the night... She bit him." Erik pointed out helpfully, "He's already on antibiotics since five this morning."
"Ah, ha, and the shin?" Annette pushed.
"He was rude about Christine. "Erik explained, his tone very matter of fact.
"What about my eye?" Nadir complained.
"I know how you got that!" Annette replied, "Erik punched you. I saw him do it when you screamed at him."
ooo
Having gotten both fresh out of bed yet just about awake men seated in the sitting room, Annette brought out a tray of tea things for one, lemon slices and two mugs of what looked like watery road tar as well as a pack of frozen peas. She placed the tray on the main coffee table.
"Cold pack for your eye." She said as she first handed the pack of peas to Nadir, followed by a mug of samovar tea. "Lemon slices are on the table as are the sugar cubes." She said as she handed the other mug of tea to Erik as Nadir put the peas on his eye. "Now, how about we start with why you kicked Ayesha?" Annette probed, before pouring herself a cup from her tea pot and sitting on the couch beside Nadir.
Before Nadir could answer, Erik put his tea on his side table and stood up. "I have to do something quickly. Back soon." He quipped as he disappeared back into the bed room.
ooo
Following the distant sound of a toilet flush and then some rummaging, Erik returned with slippers on his feet and a pair of sunglasses on his night face.
"Sorry Annette, but your attire is rather bright for first thing, it's hurting my eyes." Erik announced as he grabbed his tea off the table.
"Well, it hurt my eye as well!" Nadir glibly remarked shaking the bag of frozen peas.
Annette glared at both men, "Very funny." She growled as she forcefully dumped her tea cup and saucer on the side table, got up and stalked into the kitchen.
Nadir and Erik both watched nervously, it was never a brilliant idea to annoy Annette, she always got her own back.
ooo
A short while later, the ding of a phone alert came from the kitchen and with it Annette. "I have Christine's permission to use her room to change in." She announced as with the bag containing her day clothes she headed into Christine's room. Then promptly came back out.
"Have either of you done any housework this week?" Annette demanded as her eyes started scouring the penthouse like it was a military inspection.
Both men slunk down in their seats. Erik removed his sunglasses before responding, "It wasn't something high on our priority list." Erik pleaded.
"I was more concerned with Erik's welfare." Nadir tried to justify.
Annette was having none of it. "You expect me to allow Christine to move back in here. It looks like you both have been following the Quentin Crisp school of cleaning." She grumbled. "This dust is not good for her voice." She continued, before she headed back into Christine's room to change.
Erik looked at Nadir and returning his stare, Nadir shuddered. They shared a horrible feeling about this.
ooo
One secretive phone call later, and Annette was back, changed into her normal attire. Erik had made a small breakfast of toast and jam and as the three sat and ate Annette was ready for answers.
"Right before anything else, what happened last night?" she questioned the two men.
"Did you realise that his lordship over there had an arsenal hidden under his pillow!" Nadir declared with a change of tangent, pointing his thumb at Erik. "I told him he has to speak to Delphine about it." He added.
"I have already explained that Delphine supports Birmingham City Football Club not Arsenal." Erik flippantly remarked, as Nadir scowled at him. "I am going to tell Delphine that I am ready to put the 'arsenal' away." Erik declared as Annette smiled at him.
"I am so proud of you, finally you feel at ease enough to get rid of your safety blanket." She commented as Nadir did a double take.
"Hang on! You knew about the weapons?" Nadir enquired urgently.
"Yes, they were Delphine's idea to help Erik feel safer after Iran." Annette replied, "she told me about them as part of supporting Erik, since as you recall we all used to share an apartment when we first moved here from France, and since I did the house work, it was for my safety." She pointed out before returning yet again to her initial question.
"Someone didn't tell me he had a cat flap installed in his bedroom door." Nadir grumbled as an answer.
"I own a cat, thought a cat flap would be obvious!" Erik retorted.
"Not in your bloody bedroom door!" Nadir countered back.
Annette sighed, "Okay, we have established Erik has a cat flap in his bedroom door, what has this got to do with how you got bitten? Ayesha has the run of the house anyway." Annette pointed out as the cause of Nadir's bandaged toe, appeared and sidled up to Erik with a mew, before jumping on his lap.
Nadir glowered at the cat as she stared nonchalantly back. "I have been the object of attention every night that I slept in the library." Nadir complained, "Do you know what it's like to wake up each night with a furry bum in your face."
Annette took a sip of her tea, but it didn't help, she couldn't resist, "Not yet but you haven't stayed over with me." She remarked with a grin as Erik burst out laughing.
"Touché" Erik commented between laughs as he stroked Ayesha.
"Et tu Annette?" Nadir muttered; he was almost certain the cat was sniggering too.
"Sorry Nadir, I couldn't resist." Annette responded as she sipped her tea. "Back yet again to the main subject, how did you get bitten?"
Erik smirked and decided to up the ante, "He kicked Ayesha, so she retaliated." He announced.
"Hey! Stop shit stirring!" Nadir barked at his still smirking friend, before turning a remorseful face to his beloved. "It was an accident. I was woken up by a strange sound, which turned out to be Ayesha using the cat flap. Since I was awake, I got out of bed and decided to make use of the bathroom." Nadir declared, "When I got back into bed and shoved my feet in, I felt something furry under the covers by my feet that was not there when I woke up." Nadir explained, "So I poked it with my toe, there was a yowl and my toe started to hurt.
"He woke me up by flinging the covers off the bed." Erik grumbled, "So I turned over and put the lights on and when I looked back, I found Ayesha clamped onto Nadir's toe."
"And what was the first thing you said?" Nadir asked rhetorically, "Not Nadir are you in pain? No, the first thing you said was 'Spit that out Ayesha, you do not eat junk food!" Nadir complained.
"Hey at least I got her off your toe… Eventually and took you to the Urgent care clinic to have it properly dressed and to get antibiotics, all at five this morning and ordered the salmon for you to apologise with, I might add." Erik pointed out.
"If you had bloody warned me about the cat flap, this may not have happened!" Nadir grumbled.
"Ok so I know how you got the cat bite. Were you really rude about Christine?" Annette asked.
"Okay, I have to admit I made a saucy remark about Christine, so…" Nadir started to explain, when the doorbell interrupted him.
"Brilliant!" Annette remarked happily, "The cleaning supplies have arrived. Right on time. Go and get dressed, you two have some work to do."
ooo
Back at Annette's apartment, a stressed and nervous Christine was in Meg's little bedroom, packing her bag, trying to get dressed and tripping over Meg all in one go.
"Will you stop trying to kill me!" Meg complained when Christine bumped into her and nearly sent her sprawling for the fifth time in as many minutes.
"Sorry!" Christine apologised as she picked up what was her third cup of tea. "I'm a little nervous and..."
"A little nervous?" Meg quipped looking at the trail of destruction Christine had accidentally left in her wake.
"You blew up my spare hair dryer, Mama's tea service is now two cups short, and the sugar bowl has a spoon rest in it, it did not have before!" Meg pointed out with a giggle. "If this is what you are like now, when you get home, poor Erik is going to have to hide in a nuclear bunker to survive." She added grinning, as her phone dinged twice.
As Christine sipped her tea, Meg reached for her phone and opened the first message, which was a photo. The roar of laughter that left Meg as she saw it, caught Christine's curiosity. "You have got to see this!" Meg called between giggles, as she waved her phone in Christine's direction.
Christine looked at the photo and couldn't help but laugh, she never expected to see Erik and Nadir both wearing frilly floral aprons doing the housework. The photo obviously taken by Annette showed Erik with a feather duster dusting his shelves and Nadir armed with the vacuum cleaner on the Persian rug, both men poking their tongues out for the camera. The quote beneath the photo read 'Finally got them doing something useful.' Laughing at the silly photo was a tonic Christine needed and she calmed down a little, finished her tea and went back to her packing.
Meg then read the second message and felt grateful that a relaxed Christine wasn't for once, being her normal curious self, as the message was definitely not for Christine to read. 'Erik loves Christine, and we know Christine loves Erik, but he will not make the first move. Nadir and I have talked. Meg you now have permission to put into action whatever nefarious schemes you have thought up to get Christine to talk to Erik about how she feels. Do not tell Christine this. Mama xx.'
ooo
Back at the Angle Building, Annette now had Nadir removing crumbs and cat hair whilst applying leather food polish to the sofas and Erik was now doing damp dusting.
"Really you sent that photo to Meg! I can hear her laughing from here at how ridiculous I look." Erik complained, as he finished the damp dusting.
"Yes, to show Christine that you are getting everything cleaned and ready because you are looking forward to her returning home." Annette retorted.
Despite Annette making a valid point, Nadir couldn't resist a dig "Also it is good for you to show your softer side in your lounge wear teamed with your fetching frilled yellow rose printed pinny ."
"This from the same man who complained that he was going to die of embarrassment due to having to wear a frilly apron with pink peonies all over it." Erik declared as he rinsed out the cloth he had used and threw it at Nadir.
Catching the cloth before it could hit him. Nadir raised his hand holding the wet cloth and was about to throw it back at Erik when his sense of self-preservation kicked in. He turned to see Annette now scowling at him.
"Since you both have time to play..." Annette announced as both men now looked at her cautiously. "Erik can now start on the library and when you have finished cleaning the sofa and reading chair, you can join him." Annette all but ordered, "I have permission to enter Christine's room so I will change the sheets and clean in there." She added before turning on her heel, leaving Erik and Nadir groaning as they moved to start the library.
ooo
Penthouse clean and ready, Erik and Nadir had gratefully removed their aprons and were relaxing in the sitting room with a cup of tea each. Nadir had managed to convince his friend that lounge wear was acceptable to welcome his student back and not to get all dressed up. Agreeing with him Annette was just heading off to get Christine, when she noticed one member of the welcoming committee was missing. "Where is Ayesha?" Annette asked looking around.
Erik immediately scowled, "You haven't done it again have you?" he grumbled looking directly at Nadir.
"No, I have not shut your cat in her room again." Nadir replied, as the afore mentioned missing cat strutted from Erik's bedroom into the sitting room climbed onto the sofa and promptly coughed up a hairball, before jumping off the sofa and heading into the kitchen.
"Hey I cleaned that!" Nadir complained bitterly, as he put his half drunk tea on the table and got up.
"I swear she almost looked smug as she went to the kitchen," Erik commented glibly. " I'd say she approves of your cleaning." He added as Nadir scowled and fetched some paper towel to clean up the hairball. Annette shook her head then noticed Nadir's overnight bag right by the front door.
"I'm off to get Christine. Move that bag before someone trips over it." Annette announced as she left.
Nadir was about to sit down again as Annette made her announcement. Waiting until she had left he groaned. "The bag is clearly visible, who on earth is going to fall over that?" he grumbled as Erik nodded in agreement.
ooo
Back at Annette's, Christine was packed, ready and once again nervous. Her pacing the floor was finally starting to irritate a normally chilled Meg.
"Please don't wear a hole in the carpet." Meg requested, her voice a little terse.
"Sorry, just worried about... things..." Christine replied deciding to sit down at last.
"Erik is fine, and back to his normal self, Ayesha is fine, and they are both missing you." Meg pointed out. "What is there to be nervous about?"
"I'm just muddled up about my feelings." Christine confessed.
Meg took a deep breath, getting annoyed at her friend would help no one. "Listen Chris, let's get you home and settled first. Then we can talk about feelings. Does that sound okay?" she asked as Christine thought for a moment and nodded.
"Are you coming to Erik's?" Christine then enquired.
"Only as far as the front desk, Jean is working this evening. That and I don't think you and Erik need an audience." Meg replied just as Annette came through the front door.
"Meg, help Christine with her stuff, and let's go." Annette announced as she turned back out the door, leaving the two friends to grab the bags and follow.
ooo
Leaving Meg and Christine chatting to Jean at the front desk, Annette made her way up to Erik's to find Nadir still sitting calmly waiting and Erik trying to set the rug on fire with nervous pacing.
"Will you calm down!" Annette ordered, "Anyone would think you were about to meet royalty."
"At least with royalty I don't care if they don't like me." Erik responded finally coming to a halt.
Nadir looked at the two gold awards for architecture that were on a shelf near his friend. "I think you should get an Oscar for over dramatics, would go well with your Pritzker Prize and RIBA presidents medal." Nadir pointed out, Erik just scowled at him, as the front door opened and Jerry came in carrying Christine's bags, Christine followed him in and stood by the front door nervously.
"There ye go Christine, ome again... Ello Erik, Nadir and Annette!" Jerry chirped as he placed her bags by her bedroom door. "I'll leave ye here, and welcome back." Jerry finished as he took his leave.
With Erik and Christine both staring cautiously at each other, Nadir took the initiative, and stood up. "Welcome back Christine." He said merrily as he came over and gave her a hug. "Ayesha is not the only one who missed you being here." He prompted as he released his hug and aware of his bag by the front door moved carefully to stand behind her.
Erik's mind went blank. Christine was home and he knew he had to say something. "The finger is better, we can resume your lessons." He said holding up his hand to show her, as Annette and Nadir both rolled their eyes.
"That is good to know, and are you okay?" Christine asked softly, as a seemingly happy mew indicated that Ayesha was aware Christine was home, followed by claws scrabbling as the cat shot out of the kitchen and leapt for her second favourite person.
Catching the cat mid jump, Christine made a big fuss of her as Erik smiled. "I am a lot better." He remarked happily. "I just needed to relax and de-stress." He added indicating his relaxed attire.
"Not before time!" Nadir commented earning him another Erik scowl as Annette quietly sniggered.
Christine smiled, if Erik and Nadir were bickering, then Erik was indeed feeling better. She took a couple of tentative steps closer to her maestro and stopped dead.
Nadir could see that if someone didn't take the initiative they were all going to be there until morning. He went to step forward planning to gently prod Christine into approaching closer to Erik. Alas he forgot one very pertinent fact...
The nervous calm that had descended over the penthouse immediately turned to utter chaos as Nadir tripped over his own bag.
Before landing on the floor, he shoved Christine who then lost her balance and was heading to the floor herself, face first so she released Ayesha, who leapt towards Erik, who caught the cat in his arms just as Christine grabbed hold of the first thing available to slow her descent...
"What ever you do; Don't open your eyes Christine!" Erik yelped as she hit the floor, along once again with his lower garment.
Annette surveyed the scene. Nadir was picking himself off the floor laughing, Christine was laying on the floor clutching Erik's lounge pants for grim death. Erik at least remained upright, and was now trying to juggle a stressed cat and at the same time cover his very exposed groin.
"Picked a hell of a time to go commando Erik, looks like you have quite the handful there!" Nadir joked as he stood up.
"Nadir there is a young lady present!" Annette barked, watching as every part of Christine she could see went from puce of embarrassment to looking like the poor girl was going to self combust.
"Irritating Iranian, you are not helping!" A bright red, embarrassed Erik grumbled, still holding Ayesha, now in one arm and covering what he could with his other hand.
"Sorry Christine." Nadir apologised.
"S'okay!" Christine mumbled from her location on the floor.
ooo
With some tactful directions from Annette, Ayesha was handed to Nadir, Christine released her death grip on Erik's lounge pants and after he had pulled them up and vanished into his bedroom. Annette helped a beyond mortified Christine from the floor.
"I told you to move that bag." Annette grumbled at Nadir as he located some treats to calm the cat and had the decency to looked remorseful as Ayesha scoffed the treats from his hand.
"At least nobody got hurt." Christine pointed out as she got her blush under control.
"Just some ruined dignity." Erik complained as he reappeared.
Nadir, Annette and Christine had to do a double take of their friend and boss. Erik had changed his lounge pants for a pair of trousers, held up with...
"A belt, and two pairs of braces?" Nadir questioned.
"One pair for my trousers and one pair for my underpinnings." Erik told him, "That is not happening again." He adamantly declared.
"I'm so sorry Erik." Christine said as she carefully approached him, stood there for a moment then hugged him. "I missed you and Ayesha." She said.
Erik was in heaven, she wasn't unhappy, in fact she seemed overjoyed to be back. Better still she was hugging him, he reciprocated with a happy sigh.
After basking in his student's hug for more than a moment, Erik pulled back a bit. "There is one more person who missed you." Erik said cryptically as he started waving his hands behind his back before seemingly producing from thin air, a well loved toy pig
"Mr Schnoodles!" Christine exclaimed joyfully, as Erik gave her the toy pig to hug. "Is Mozart, okay?" she then enquired.
Erik glared at Nadir, before waving his hands behind his back once more and with a flourish, Erik's own teddy bear appeared. He handed the bear to Christine. "As you can see, they are fine." He added as Christine hugged both toys.
Annette sighed, "You still have him!" she declared with a smile.
"You knew Erik owned a teddy bear?" A shocked Nadir asked.
"The Teddy bear is only a few months younger than Erik!" Annette replied.
"And will live a lot longer than you, if you say tell anyone outside of this room!" Erik warned.
"Like anyone would believe me!" Nadir mournfully announced.
Christine giggled. Yes, she was most certainly home, and Erik was definitely feeling better.
