"Challenge you?" said Ishan.
"Okay," said Shubman, flashing him a grin. "I never back away from a challenge, baby."
"Trust me, I know."
Ishan's heart was thudding with ten million beats a second as Shubman, still grinning, leaned in and brushed their lips together.
Ishan grabbed Shubman's head and tugged it rather roughly, deepening the formal sort of kiss by opening his mouth and forcing his friend to do the same.
From the way Shubman's eyes widened, he could tell he hadn't expected this.
Shubman wasn't grinning anymore. A slight, intrigued sort of frown on his forehead, his eyes fluttered shut. His hands came up to cup Ishan's jaw.
And damn it all, Ishan had never found it more normal that Shubman could so easily find a girl to sleep with every month.
Why would-how could-anyone-ever-reject this.... this bliss?
The hunger in his abdomen moaned, Yes, yes, yes.
Then, more, more, more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Oh," gasped Shubman when they had to break apart from lack of air.
Surely this kiss had not been supposed to feel this great?
Shubman blinked rapidly; everything all around appeared hazy and he felt hot all over. Ishan's face was flushed as they both tried to regain their breath.
For an absurd moment, the tugging sensation in his gut told Shubman to grab his friend into another kiss. But it hadn't been supposed to feel so good, and they couldn't push a joke too far anyway.
"I love you," breathed Ishan in a kind of voice Shubman had never heard. "God, Shubi, I love you so much."
"Well, I obviously love you too," said Shubman, vaguely confused.
Ishan leaned towards him till their noses touched and lips were an inch from touching. Heart pounding unevenly, Shubman took a step back.
"No, I-I don't think-I don't think we should-it'll be going too far," he said with a nervous laugh.
"Too far?" said Ishan, dazed.
Shubman backed away till there were a safe few feet between them.
"I mean, once can be a joke-twice-I don't think-"
"A joke?"
"Huh?"
"How can you-how can you ever-call this a joke?"
"What? You....you said we're just trying something new for fun," said Shubman, starting to get nervous by the minute. "Like a, a joke.'
"When exactly did I use the word joke?" demanded Ishan.
Shubman backed away a few more feet.
"All right," he said, trying to sound calm, but his head was spinning with a confusing combination of factors. "All right, you didn't, but-but what exactly is the issue, Ish?"
"Everything's a fucking joke to you." Now Ishan was backing away too. "Everything, all the time, Shubman."
Shubman's head pounded. Ishan could not mean what it seemed from his words. It was obviously not possible.
'What are you two even doing? Acting like a couple all the damn time? You think it's funny? You think it doesn't send out a wrong signal?'
No, Shubman thought. No.
Ishan was playing a complex trick on him, he would burst out laughing any moment and make Shubman feel like an idiot.
"You're-you're kidding, aren't you?" he asked. "You're kidding....I'm not falling for-"
Ishan's mouth trembled like he was about to cry. "See?" he said bitterly. "Exactly what I was saying."
"But...but..." Shubman protested helplessly. "We were just trying-you said so-you said we're doing it as a joke-no, not a joke, but...."
Ishan raised a shaking hand as if to wipe his eyes, speaking in a heaving voice. "I've never come across an insensitive prick like you in my life, and I hope I never will."
"Okay," said Shubman, his head going out of control. "That's enough, you-you got me, now please quit acting like-"
For a moment, Ishan looked too hurt to speak.
Then he turned, strode to the door and was out in a blink. He slammed the door so hard behind him, Shubman's head almost exploded.
Shubman touched his lips, then caught his throbbing head and gazed at the door.
What had just happened?
He was having a nightmare-or a mix of dream and nightmare-
He had had a beautiful dream of winning the World Cup, but he had had an equally ugly dream of Ishan walking out on him. He pinched his arm, once, twice, thrice, each time harder than the previous one.
He was not supposed to feel the pain if it was a dream or a nightmare.
Oh, God. Oh, God.
Shubman pinched his arms all the way to his room till they were covered with bruises, and finally collapsed on the bed and hid his face in his arms.
He'd always been told that someday his tendency to act without thinking would land him in a mess he wouldn't be able to find his way out of.
But he'd never dreamt it would be with his best friend. With Ishan.
Nisha spoke in his head.
'You idiot, do you have any idea of the mess that you're gonna create if Ishan starts having feelings for you?'