EYES LIKE THAT (Shubman Gill X Ishan Kishan)

hot then cold

When the shower water hits his skin, Ishan thinks of his love life. A lot of the team members joke about Shubman and Ishan being in a relationship and they both play along too. He has always secretly wondered what Shubman thinks about when their friends tease them, whether he minds. He himself doesn't care, but Shubman's always dating some girl.

It would be nice to have a girlfriend, he thinks. It would be easy too, since a lot of girls like him. His thoughts shift to the air hostess, she was Ishan's type.

She had the cutest dimples, just like Shubman.

Suddenly, the hot water stops and extremely cold water starts coming out of the shower. Ishan lets out a yelp.

"Shubman!" He yells.

"What?" He hears Shubman's mumbled voice and turns off the shower faucet.

"Why is cold water coming out of the shower?" He starts wrapping the towel around his waist, stepping out to give Shubman a piece of his mind. Surely, only he could've turned off the geyser.

"Why don't you go ask the shower?" Ishan hears him laugh at his own quip.

Ishan sighs and steps out of the door, "Can't a man shower in here?" He is startled to see that Shubman isn't alone and is sitting next to a handsome young man wearing the cricket team's jersey and cargo pants.

Shubman glances at Ishan and coughs. His voice falters as he says, his eyes everywhere but on him, "Why aren't you wearing any clothes?"

Ishan notices the youngster eyeing him and when they make eye contact, he immediately looks away, blushing.

"Because I'm not done showering. And who is this?" He asks roughly, feeling a little self-conscious. He narrows his eyes at Shubman, mentally reprimanding him for letting a stranger in their room.

"He's my cousin, Aksh. And he's leaving now," Shubman murmurs, still not looking him in the eye. "Get up, dude."
Shubman practically pushes the poor kid, who completely ignores him and shyly comes up to Ishan.

"Bhaiya, you're the best cricketer ever. You're my idol, I-I've always...... always wanted your autograph. I mean, if you can give it to me. When I saw your double century, bhaiya, I realised I wanted to become someone like you. You-you you are so driven and...." Aksh stutters over his own words, gushing and blushing all the while.

Ishan feels a sudden warmth toward the kid. "Yes sure, kiddo, why not!" He takes the notebook out of the eager boy's hand and quickly signs.
"How old are you, by the way?"

"I just turned 22," Aksh replies, grinning at the autograph in his hands. "Thank you so much, Bhaiya. I will always support you forever, I swear. You're the coolest!" His eyes shine as he looks up at Ishan.

Ishan ruffles Aksh's hair, feeling touched.

Shubman, who had been leaning against the wall, didn't say anything. Ishan feels his gaze on him but whenever he turns to meet his eyes, he shifts his gaze. Ishan wonders why he is so uncharacteristically silent.

Aksh shifts his feet and glances up at Ishan and blushes such a deep red that Ishan becomes concerned, "B-Bhaiya... I mean I am, like, your hugest fan, you know. I was just wondering, whether, you know, I could have a hug. If you're comfortable, then only. I mean if you are ok with it."
Aksh says all this in one breath and seems immensely relieved when Ishan bursts out laughing.

Ishan bends over himself and feels his stomach hurting, "Oh my God, you're so cute. Of course."

Aksh barely moves, when Shubman pulls Aksh aside roughly by his wrist and leads him to the door.

"You need to leave before your train leaves you." He snaps, and with that, he shuts the door in his face.

Ishan stands there in the room, shocked.
"I am confident something is wrong with your brain," Ishan says in wonder.

"And I sure am certain something is wrong with yours," Shubman folds his arms, his expression inscrutable.
"Why did you come out of the shower half-naked? Why would you offer to hug that kid half-naked? Don't you realize...?" Shubman cuts himself off and squeezes his eyes shut.

"What?" Ishan prompts.

"That guy was practically eye-fu*king you!" He explodes, running his hand through his hair.

"What!? Are you fu*king insane, Shub? I think you seriously need to get some sleep. That's your cousin you're talking about."

"Yeah, so I should know."

"You're impossible. And of course, I would come out half-naked if you turn off the geyser suddenly like that. That was a real di*k move, by the way."

"How could I turn off the geyser when you were the one inside the bathroom and the switch is also inside that bathroom?"

They both stand looking at each other for a moment, chests rising up and down. In a second they're racing for the bathroom door.

"There it is! Haha oh my, look it's not even turned on." Shubman points toward the geyser button, which as stated was truly turned off. Shubman is laughing hysterically, his breath coming out in gasps.

Ishan covers his face, but a laugh escapes him.

"Ishu. I wonder who turned off the button? Was it a ghost? Or maybe it was never turned on? Were you expecting hotel staff to come switch it on, Your Majesty?"
Shubman clutches his stomach, in fits of laughter.

Ishan scrunches up his face and turns on the shower faucet in a stroke of genius. Now he would laugh at Shubman.

Cold water falls on Shubman's surprised face. A pause occurs and they both resume laughing.

Ishan looks at Shubman's face, his dimples and his eyes wander down to his t-shirt which is thoroughly soaked and has practically become a see-through. His smile disappears and he gulps and looks away. His eyes keep going down Shubman's lean, muscular body, seemingly out of his brain's command. His eyes take in every little crease of his shirt which has draped tightly around his body, how his shoulders have fitted into his tight shirt, he has no idea. He forces his eyes to look up at Shubman, who is still smiling, still flashing his dimples.

Yeah, he needs to leave.
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