Thousand Years | A Shubman Gill & Ishan Kishan Fanfiction ✓

Fitzroy and Samuel

1519 AD, Nottingham

Samuel opened his eyes once he finished praying. He looked towards his left to see that Fitzroy’s eyes were still closed. And this made him smile. He could almost hear Fitz’s prayers. For his wife. His two daughters. His dear father. His elder brother. His milkman. The old lady next door. That stranger who had been kind when he had bumped into him with his hands full of groceries and even offered to take a bag and relieve him of some of his burdens. Oh, my kind-hearted Fitz, you're too good for this world, Samuel thought.

Fitzroy on the other hand was praying for Sam. He knew that the year had been a hard one for Sam with his factory shutting down and a dozen mouths to feed. Yet Sam had remained stubbornly optimistic and painstakingly hardworking. He hadn't distinguished between day and night, taking odd jobs, saving money on every instance he could. On bad days, Fitzroy knew that Samuel ate leftover porridge and drank barley water as a substitute to tea; he had seen his friend lose pounds of weight but never an ounce of strength.

Fitz deeply admired Samuel. And he wanted God to admire him too. Have mercy on him. Bestow him with the heartiest feasts in the coming year. And some rest. And smooth working days. And…

As Fitz continued to pray, Sam looked at the streets of Nottingham from the glass windows of the Chapel. The snow covered lanes filled with folk just like the Chapel was filled with kneeling people. Sam closed his eyes again, praying that all of them make merry and have a joyous Christmas.

Fitz opened his eyes and saw two boys in front of him huddling together and whispering, as their family prayed. He smiled his dashing dimpled smile as he reckoned that twenty three years ago, the two boys had been him and Sam.

They had met on a wintery night when the town was hurled with a hailstorm. They had been on the streets celebrating Christmas, singing carols, drinking wine when the hail destroyed their houses and they took shelter in the same Chapel. The elders of their house were worried about the future. About rebuilding. But young Fitz and Sam were too delighted to find company of their age to ponder on the harsh reality.

Fitz’s younger daughter, Clara, tugged his sweater. He looked at her, beaming. For a moment he had forgotten about his family. And so had Sam.

This was a running joke the two families loved to jest upon. All these years ago, Fitz and Sam had forgotten about their families when they had found each other. And even after all these years, they'd be so absorbed in conversation or what the other was doing that they'd momentarily forget about their families.

The two always had the same answer whenever they were mirthfully accused of the same, “He is my family too!”

As the families got ready to leave the Chapel, Fitz and Sam slowed their pace to fall back and have a chat with each other.

“Sam, I know I haven't verbally thanked you for your friendship because I didn't want to make you feel awkward but you do know that I am grateful for you, don't you?”

Samuel looked at his friend in disbelief.  Of course he knew. “Oh Fitz, I do know. Always have. You don't need to say it. I see it. In everything you do to keep me sane and well fed. Do not think that I don't notice the sudden addition of food in our kitchen. I know it is you who drops a bottle of wine, a sack of potatoes or beans every time you come to visit us.”

Fitzroy was about to deny it but Sam shook his head and held his hands up.

“I know you, Fitz. I know you don't want me to feel ashamed of having a hard year. And I'm not. But that doesn't mean I cannot thank you. You are a silent angel in this world filled with boastful saints. And I cannot believe that a devilish little elf like me got to befriend you!”

The two men burst out laughing and their families stopped walking and turned.

“Goodness, Mama look, a mistletoe above Papa’s head!” Clara shrieked, excited.

Fitz looked up to see that they were beneath a mistletoe tree and winked at Sam who laughed.

They both shook their heads and shrugged.

“We can't possibly…” Sam started but was cut by his own wife.

“It's tradition, Sam. Maybe not on the lips but you have to kiss Fitz.”

Fitzroy looked at Samuel almost collapsing with laughter before laying his hands on Samuel’s shoulder. He was gigantic. And towered over Sam. He took a step ahead planting a tender kiss on top of Sam’s forehead.

“My ickle Sam.” He whispered.

Sam laughed, getting on his toes when Fitz raised his eyebrow.

“What? You kissed me but I did not.” And as he tried to reach Fitz's forehead he slipped and the two fell on the ground.

The families erupted in laughter and cheered as Sam decided to instead take Fitzroy’s hands and brushed his lips through his rough knuckles.

“It's not Christmas without you my friend.” He tried being cheeky.

Fitzroy rolled his eyes feigning annoyance when he was smiling from ear to ear.

“What, now. I have to say it back too?”  He said when Sam was looking at him expectantly.

He held up his hand for Sam to take to help him get up. As they started walking he looked at Sam and admitted.

“You know that there's no Christmas without you.”

And Sam beamed at him.