Homecoming

Chapter 26: A Helping Hand

Life was...considerably easy after.

Shubman still helped Ishan with his appointments, with bouts of relentlessly stupid jokes that never landed and a throng of movies, while Ishan responded with harmless insults and a small smile now and then.

There was still an unspoken agreement to never talk about what had happened, how their bodies had come alive under fervent touches. They both relived those moments in the late hours of the night, when they yearned for one touch, one hug...one moment.

Today, Ishan woke up mildly irritated. He had grown his beard to look a little rugged, but now it had become so long that he could pack for a trip to the himalayas and no one would bat an eyelash. He had trouble getting a clean shave due to his injuries, and the hospital nurse was not due for another day.

He bit into an apple, but when it tasted stale, he threw it a little angrily. Shubman startled for a second due to the noise, and then asked,

"Hey, what's wrong?"

Ishan scratched his beard a little, and sheepishly admitted,

"I want to shave my beard, but I can't do it and the hospital guy is not due till tomorrow. It itches, a lot!"

"Why don't you trim it a little?"

"I tried - there's wounds on my face as well. They hurt."

Shubman smiled at how cute Ishan looked, all frustrated, and came up with a bright idea.

"I'll help you."

"You? Do you even know how to shave? Baal aate bhi hai kya tumko?"

Shubman threw a throw pillow at Ishan's head at that, which prompted a wounded puppy look from Ishan.

Shubman, unfazed, continued.

"Look, do you want me to shave you or not?"

Ishan rolled his eyes, but finally relented.

"Fine, but you better not shave my eyebrows."

"Maybe just the one?"

The answering pillow to Shubman's stomach hurt just a little.

Shubman wheeled Ishan to the master bathroom, and gathered everything necessary. He stood at the side, and placed a hand on Ishan's neck to tilt it backward. Ishan shivered at the contact, but chalked it up to the cool air. Shubman placed a thick towel between Ishan's neck and the wash basin, and washed the razor with laser focus.

"Alright, I'll give your beard a trim first, and then we can go in with a shave, okay?"

"You're not a celebrity stylist Shubi, just get on with it."

Immensely glad that Ishan had called him 'Shubi' after what seemed like forever but not wanting to show his glee lest Ishan never say it again, Shubman simply proceeded to shush him.

"Hey, I am holding the razor, so shut it."

Ishan promptly complied, indicating Shubman to continue.

Shubman adjusted the trimmer setting, and got to work on Ishan's face. Chunks of hair began falling, and Shubman expertly maneuvered the trimmer to work on getting rid of all the length. When Ishan tried fidgeting as his neck started cramping, Shubman swiftly caught his chin in hand to hold him still. The resulting action meant Ishan now had no other option but to look at Shubman, who had the same concentrating expression on his face he wore during cricket training sessions. Ishan was so mesmerized watching Shubman work that he was surprised (and a little disappointed) when Shubman went,

"Ta-da! All done."

"Oh. All done?"

"Yeah, I mean, there's still shaving left, but now atleast you don't look like you have ridden the bus from the neanderthal age."

"How dare you - there were no buses then."

Shubman burst into laughter at the exchange, which seemed to ease some of the tension of the past few days.

"Just wash your face with hot water, dumbass."

As much as Ishan wanted to lie to himself, he knew he had missed this - the easy banter, the familiarity - pain had carved a permanent place for itself inside his heart, but these moments turned that pain into manageable aches. He was still not ready to welcome Shubman back into his life, but if he could have this, he'll gladly grab it.

Ishan was grabbed out of his reverie by a hand on his face, and he looked up to see Shubman tilting his face for a better angle. His touch felt like a caress, the feeling heightened with the way his beard scruff felt rough against Shubman's hand. Shubman must have felt something too, because his breathing suddenly got heavier, and he could not help but steal a glance at Ishan's tempting lips.

A faint blush bloomed on Shubman's cheeks, and he removed his hand as if burned. He applied the cream, and began moving the razor with a delicate precision. Ishan could do nothing but hold his breath, partly because of the razor, but also because being this close to Shubman made his head swim. He gripped his chair tightly, because he was not sure what his hands would do if left to their own devices.

Shubman, for his part, knew that he could not afford any distractions, not when Ishan's pretty face was at stake. He ignored the effects of Ishan's unique scent, and traced the contours of his jawline with the razor, making sure to linger as long as possible, not knowing when he would be awarded the opportunity to be this close again.

There was only so much of Ishan's face to be shaved, so Shubman reluctantly backed away.

"Done! See, even your eyebrows are intact."

"They better be, they're my most outstanding feature."

"No, that would be your mouth."

Shubman instantly cursed his motor mouth, but it was worth seeing Ishan's flummoxed impressions as he tried to try and contain his surprise.

Shubman decided to help the poor sod out.

"C'mon, freshen up, I want to kick your ass at Fortnite."