Make your own kind of Music | A Shubman Gill x Ishan Kishan Fanfiction

New York

The first thing Ishan did after talking to Aditi was dance out into the terrace and call Shubman. (Personally he wasn't aware he was dancing, but a bunch of his teammates who saw him pass asked why he was dancing, so...)

Luckily it was one of the times Shubman picked the call instead of texting and began, "I'll call you back-"

"NO, YOU IDIOT, YOU CANNOT CALL ME BACK," Ishan shouted into the sky jubilantly. "Guess what! I told Aditi about how we've been trying to talk less and all and she said that's not at all what she meant. Plus she seems ok with everything now. So we don't have to keep up this drama anymore!"

"It fascinates me how people call their own ideas drama, as if it was someone else's idea."

Ishan laughed irrationally hard.

"I actually have to go, Hardik bhai's gone for the toss," said Shubman. "I'll call you after the match."

"Right after the match," said Ishan.

"Right after the match," Shubman agreed.

***

After that, for the duration of IPL, they resumed talking like they used to, earlier. Shubman's stickers were back, but he'd send two stickers instead of twenty, which was a hint to Ishan that he wasn't completely fine.

Ishan resolved to fix everything in person.

Now that they could talk to their hearts' content, Ishan knew he could fix anything.

Team India had to fly to the USA for the T20 World Cup after IPL. The members of the squad from the IPL teams that didn't qualify for the playoffs, which included MI, flew earlier. So Ishan had to wait till GT played their third consecutive final, and lost their second consecutive final, against KKR, to see Shubman in person. He went to the New York airport, of course, though the others didn't.

He had to go to the airport.

Shubman got overwhelmed with the intensity of Ishan's hug. Normally, Shubman would have returned in kind.

"I'm sorry," said Ishan.

"About?"

"I was being an idiot, thinking Aditi would be happy if I talked less to you," said Ishan. "We talked a lot about it later, of course that's what not she meant..."

"If she had meant that, you should've said you don't want to be with someone who distances you with your best friend." Shubman sounded resentful.

"But she didn't mean that, so," said Ishan quickly. "It was my fault, not hers."

Shubman's forehead creased.

"And I'm sorry," coaxed Ishan. "So obviously you won't stay mad at your repentant best friend, will you?"

"That's very manipulative phrasing."

"Yep. Is it succeeding in manipulating you?" Ishan could see Shubman was trying not to smile. He reached to pull Shubman's cheek and stretch them as far as he could. "Now smile. Smile."

Shubman laughed as he tried to wrench away Ishan's hands.

"Yeah, I think it is succeeding in manipulating me," he admitted.

Ishan hadn't felt so happy in months.

"Wait a moment, why are you slouching again?" he demanded. "And you keep looking down. Like you used to do years ago. Don't tell me I have to go through the whole routine again."

Shubman stood straighter. "I hope not."

Ishan couldn't stop grinning all the journey back to the hotel.