Did You Know Me? (Shubman Gill x Ishan Kishan)

Epilogue

The day before Shubman's 25th birthday, Ishan knew their room would be invaded at midnight, so he started early.

He switched off the movie they were watching at thirty minutes to midnight and said, "Sit up, please."

"What? Why?" Shubman, sprawled comfortably, didn't move.

"Because I'm telling you to!" said Ishan.

"Fine, fine..."

"All right," said Ishan. "Can you go the next few minutes without joking? Because what I'm going to say is very, important."

"Okay," promised Shubman. "No jokes."

"Right. So as it happened, since you knew I was in love with you before either of us knew you were in love with me,  that day at the airport, you got to say everything. All the nice things. I could have you the nice things from my side the next day...or that day too...but it was my birthday, so I decided to wait for your birthday. It's good that the wait was less than two months..."

Shubman started to smile, but stopped immediately at Ishan's look.

Ishan grinned.

"If you and I can't be together, Shubi, everything is worthless, even the World Cup. You're all I think about, all the time...you're everything to me..."

"Severe signs of a copycat," said Shubman. "But I like it. You know how they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?"

"Did I ask you for metaphors?"

"Oh-no, sorry..."

Ishan unnarrowed his eyes to normal. "Well, honestly, I can't add much to all that, because nothing's really changed, only that each day I spend with you, your-your happiness-becomes more and more important to me."

"That's a very good line," said Shubman with approval.

"And that," said Ishan, "was a joke."

"I can't help it," said Shubman. "I just can't help it."

"Maybe I love you because you can't help it," said Ishan, resigned.

That gifted him with Shubman's beautiful, beautiful smile. 

Ishan had just started to pull Shubman into his arms when they were interrupted with the door banging open, making them jump apart in panic.

"Happy birthday Shubi!" everyone shouted.

Ishan bit his lip to keep himself from letting free the worst curses he could imagine. But he didn't think it would be any good to shout at them to bugger off anyway, because Virat and Hardik and Surya were in the lead.

"Um, thanks," said Shubman.

"It's not twelve yet," said Ishan sulkily.

"Yeah, we decided to be early, just like you," said Virat. "Too bad, Ish." He pulled Shubman into a hug. "Our little prince turning twenty five. God help me."

Shubman, who still got like a fanboy in front of Virat bhai, definitely didn't look like he minded the interruption, which annoyed Ishan.

"And you stop making faces," Hardik ordered Ishan. "If not for me and Surya your best friend would have never realized anything and you would still be in the friendzone."

"All right!" said Ishan, throwing up his arms. He was really tired of the friendzone jabs. "All right, Harry bhai, I owe you my whole life and happiness!"

"And me?" said Surya.

"Yes, yes, you too!"

Everyone cheered as Hardik and Surya took bows and presented the cake.

Shubman was laughing with Virat bhai's arms around him.

Ishan wanted to bottle that laugh and keep it with him forever.

Or, it was all right if he could keep the owner of that laugh with him forever.

He wasn't particular.

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