"Did you see that shot? Damn so neat right? "
"What do you mean, I can do it better and you've seen me do it too. Why're you so impressed with that Aussie fellow. "
"Omg Mr Gill, you're really quite something. What's with the jealousy? Am I not supposed to appreciate anyone but you?"
Ishan laughed at the face Shubman was making. He waited for the I'm not jealous rant but it never came. Instead Shubman put his hands around Ishan's shoulder and pulled him closer.
"Of course I'm jealous. You're supposed to be mine"
Ishan laughed out aloud.
"Why and how am I yours??"
Shubman simply made an of course I know best face. Ishan didn't have the heart to push him away. Ugh he was just unimaginably soft for his best friend.
They were so thick that he suspected they'd be the kind of friends to end up in jail together as against bailing one out when necessary.
They did so much stupid shit together. It's almost like their education to be an adult started with the other. They spent almost all their time together from before they turned 18 to now that they had imprinted on each other.
One would (he would, let's be real) come up with a plan to pull a prank and Shubman would be invariably roped in. He always thought Shubman joined for two reasons first being he never said no to Ishan and the second being he would hate to be the one left out when Ishan was doing something.
"Ishaaaaaan"
Ok, the boy was whining now. They were in the room now all changed huh and relaxing after a good day at the office. (Well, field)
"Tell me you like me the best"
Ishan rolled his eyes. There he goes again.
"Ishaaaaaan"
Sometimes the long whiny Ishans made him want to throw a cow at him. Like in Mulan.. not a literal cow, you imbeciles.
Shubman had jumped to his side of the bed and was now looking at him expectantly.
"I do." He replied shortly.
Shubman with his heart stopping smile had responded with an "I do"
"Does that make us husband and husband" he was asking wiggling his eyebrows like the ridiculous child he was. Ishan has really really had it with this boy.
He then proceeded to take both of Ishan's hand into his and proceeded to kiss both.
"Ideally, it would've been the lips" he says conversationally.
Ishan kept opening and closing his mouth in a fine imitation of a gold fish in a bowl. Shubman snickered and rolled around laughing.
That was it. Ishan jumped on him trying to slap some sense into the infuriating boy but they ended up rolling around, pretending to wrestle when both knew they weren't using anything close to their full strength.
When Ishan was trapped under Shubman stopped and raised one eyebrow. "You look good under me, my baby" Then waggled it like the fool he was.
Ishan flipped them around. "Well so do you... babbbbyyy" Shubman looked stupefied and it made his day. Wait no, the entire week. He laughed until he had collapsed on top of Shubman. He just lay there listening to Shubman's heartbeat that wasn't exactly calm.
He narrowed his eyes.
"Are you getting all excited baby.. why's your heart beat so erratic ?"
Shubman scoffed and pushed him from the top to the side but didn't put any distance between them. He wrapped his arm around Ishan instead.
"I'm always excited about you babbbyyy"
His wannabe sinister looking grin made Ishan want to bring back the cow from before.
But Shubman just pulled his neck to his chest again and being the pathetic soft boy for Shubman, he went along. Happily, might he add?
He felt a brush of Shubman's lips on his forehead. If he were soft for Shubman it was nothing to how soft Shubman was for him. They were just melted goo for each other and everyone around them had completely given up on them.
No girl will ever want to date them despite being so popular and famous was the common verdict among their teammates. Maybe for a couple of dates nothing permanent is what some others had very kindly informed them.
Such utter nonsense Ishan thought. Shubman and he were not like that. At all. They just were really good friends and closer than most because of the years they spent together in such close proximity. They knew everything about each other. Their deepest darkest secrets were safe in each other's hearts.
Why was everybody talking like they're the only ones like this? He was sure there were other friends in the team who were as close? Surely? He thought of other friends in the team. Well ok maybe.. just maybe Shubman and he were closer and acted more like a couple than most. But!!! That didn't mean anything. They had just grown accustomed to acting like that. It didn't mean anything and it most definitely didn't amount to anything.
Objectively, he found Shubman hot. But he still liked girls. Shubman had called him hot multiple times though he wasn't sure if he really meant it but he was quite certain Shubman liked girls too. So that was that. Next time they went out they would find girls they were attracted to (who were attracted to them, of course!) and would end these speculations once and for all.
—
They had lost the match that day and Shubman was fretting about having gotten out to a cheap shot. He was the only set batsman and had made 78 and yet his one wrong shot had triggered a complete collapse. Ishan hadn't played the game due to a mild niggle so he was able to focus on Shubman more. Shubman had barely eaten and was just a picture of misery on the bed.
Ishan pulled Shubman's head onto his lap. He was running his fingers through his hair. "Aren't you the one who always says an athlete is one who has the ability to move on?"
Shubman closed his eyes and hummed. "You should stop beating yourself up. You scored the highest"
"What's the point though, we lost"
"You idiot, don't you see., if not for you we would've lost horribly. This was a respectfable loss that'll not be remembered in the long run"
"I don't see any difference. A loss is a loss"
"My love, you did your best. I'm so proud of you. You held your own against such tough conditions and intense bowling"
Shubman opened his eyes and looked at him. There was something there that flustered Ishan. F**k was he talking like a partner instead of a team mate or best friend? He looked away feeling a blush creeping in. How inconvenient. Shubman sat up and gently turned Ishan towards him. "Thank you"
Ishan looked into his eyes. Shubman's eyes were on him, so utterly sincere and exuding comfort, he felt a warmth enveloping him.
He pulled Shubman into a hug. Shubman enveloped him in his arms. He always felt so secure when Shubman held him. Ishan pecked Shubman on the neck. A brotherly, friendly moment that has happened many times among cricketers and team mates but why did it fluster him again. He tried to move back quickly but Shubman would have none of it. He held him back and snuggled into his neck as was his habit.
That they had habits involving hugs, kisses and snuggles was something he refused to think about.
They needed to go out, he decided. A party maybe? They were not in India anyway so they could get away with a lot more. At least he hoped so.
"Let's go to that party Harry bhai invited us to"
Shubman looked at him strangely.
"Okay?"
"Say okay! Not okay?"
"It's literally the same word" Shubman rolled his eyes.
"But I can hear the question in your voice. Come on! Let's go. It's been so long Shubi!!" He knew he was making puppy eyes, the kind Shubman can't resist not just in this life but in the next 6 as well.
In no time they were dressed and ready.
Shubman was wearing his shirt. Again. The boy earns in millions but his wardrobe consists of shirts stolen from him. Ishan sighed.
Not like he hated it. If anything, he was the one who started the trend of having Shubman wear his shirts. A few years back, Shubman was a good, young and upcoming cricketer and had clothes that would make any girl's mother happy if he were their daughter's boyfriend. Ishan would have none of it, so he routinely offered him clothes for casual outings and parties. But who would've known the habit would persist even 5 years later.
If someone asked how he felt about Shubman wearing his clothes. He'd say he doesn't mind. If team mates asked, he'd shrug and say Shubman is annoying for doing that. If Shubman asks, which he would never because that's not a thing they do, he would say Shubman is frustrating with a capital F. On lonely nights when he's lying awake if his head whispered this question, his heart had only one answer, he loved it.
Ishan was staring. The blue shirt looked so good on Shubman. He shouldn't be thinking so much about his best friend. Which is why this party is the best distraction. He couldn't wait to meet girls who didn't know him and would be with him only because they found him charming.
Shubman had gone along rather unwillingly but he had used the ride to the party to convince him how good an idea it was.
<~~>