In his hand is a whiteboard marker, which he twirls between his fingers like a weapon, which Shubman does seem scared of. On the small table in front of him, he's drawn a surprisingly detailed diagram of the hotel's layout.
"Alright, Gill," Hardik says, tapping the map with the marker. "Run me through it one more time."
Shubman groans, dragging a hand through his hair. "Broo, we've been over this five times. I know what to do. I get it."
"I don't care if you get it," Hardik says, rolling his eyes. "This is our Pocket Dynamo that we're talking about here. He's like a squirrel on three cans of Redbull. You need to be prepared."
Shubman sighs, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. He glances at the map, then back at Hardik, his jaw tightening with determination. "Fine. Uh, Ishan would be holed up in Surya's room. And Jasprit will be handling the part of dragging Ishan out of the room. He'll convince Ishan it's just a casual late-night swim."
"Okay," Hardik says, nodding. "And what do you think would happen when Ishan sees you?"
Shubman hesitates. "He'll probably try to run..?"
"Definitely try to run," Hardik corrects. "So what do you do?"
"I... I tell him not to leave?" Shubman says slowly, as if testing the words in his mouth. "I ask him to stay. I... I don't know." He pauses, his voice catching. "I'll just tell him everything."
Hardik tosses the marker onto the table with a satisfied smirk. "There you go. Easy."
"Easy?" Shubman raises an eyebrow. "This plan hinges entirely on me not screwing up the speech of my life."
"Don't overthink it too much kiddo," Hardik says, clapping him on the back. "Just speak from the heart. You're good at that. And hey, if you mess it up, at least you'll have a funny story to tell the guests at your wedding."
Shubman groans again, burying his face in his hands. "You're the worst."
"I know that you know I'm the best," Hardik counters. "Now get out of here and practice looking romantic and talking smooth. You've got maybe about three hours before showtime."
_________________________________________
Meanwhile, Ishan is in his room, scrolling through reels on his phone in a futile attempt to distract himself. He's halfway through a video of a cat named Megatron falling off the counter when there's a knock at the door.
"Who is it?" he calls, not moving.
"It's me," Jasprit's voice says from the other side. "Open up."
Ishan drags himself to the door and opens it a crack, peering out at his teammate suspiciously. "What do you want?"
Kuldeep raises an eyebrow. "Nice to see you too, sunshine. Get up, we're going for a swim."
Well, that's suspicious. Ishan blinks.
"It's almost midnight."
"So?" Jasprit shrugs, leaning casually against the doorframe. "The pool's still open. And you've been sulking all day. Come on, it'll be cool."
"I'm not sulking," Ishan mutters defensively while pointing a finger at the other man, but Jasprit just gives him a look.
"Ten minutes," Jasprit says firmly. "Or I'm coming back with Hardik, so that he can annoy you and drag you out the bed to push you into the pool."
With a heavy sigh, Ishan agrees. He throws on a pair of swim shorts and a loose T-shirt before following Jasprit downstairs. As they walk through the hotel's dimly lit corridors, Ishan starts to feel uneasy. Something about this feels... off. It sure was chilly. They were surely planning something behind his back.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" he asks, frowning. "It's kind of late."
Jasprit glances at him with a faint smirk. "Is this even you who's talking? Since when did you become such an old man, Ishu? Just come with me dude, it's fine okay?"
They step out onto the pool deck, where the water glimmers under the soft glow of string lights. The air smells faintly of chlorine and night-blooming flowers.
Ishan's eyes scan the area, lost in the beauty of the night and secretly wishes that Shubman was here with him so that could just sit together and talk in this pleasant atmosphere.
And almost as if God had heard his thoughts and decided to grant his wish, his stomach drops when he sees who's walking towards him.
Shubman.
Ishan freezes. His heart skips a beat, then starts pounding wildly.
Everything clicked into place now. The random late-night swim, Jasprit's oddly persistent coaxing, the way he'd refused to meet Ishan's eyes while walking and fidgeted with his fingers-it all made sense now. He knew Jasprit wasn't a good liar, but he still fell for it.
Ishan's brows furrow as he turns, a finger already pointed accusingly in Jasprit's direction, ready to demand an explanation.
"You-" But when he looks back, the space where Jasprit should be is utterly empty, the faint sound of fast retreating footsteps confirming his worst suspicion.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Ishan mutters under his breath, realizing his so-called friend had bolted the moment they reached the pool, leaving him stranded with no escape.
His first instinct is to turn around and bolt, and he does just that, spinning on his heel and heading back toward the inside.
But Shubman's voice stops him.
"Ishan! Wait- don't leave, please?"
It's not a demand. It's a plea, soft and raw and filled with something that makes Ishan's chest ache.
He stops but doesn't turn around. His fists clench at his sides, his nails digging into his palms as he fights the urge to keep walking.
"Ishan," Shubman says again, his voice closer now. "Please, just stay."
After a long, agonizing moment, Ishan slowly turns back around. Shubman is standing just a few feet away, his hands shoved into the pockets of his joggers. He looks nervous, his usually confident demeanor replaced by something quieter, more vulnerable.
"Why are you doing this?" Ishan asks, his voice barely above a whisper.
Shubman takes a deep breath. "Because I need you to hear me out. And I need to say this before I lose my nerve. I promise I won't be long."
Ishan crosses his arms over his chest, attempting to keep his expression guarded. "Fine. Say it."
Shubman hesitates, his eyes searching Ishan's face like he's trying to memorize every detail. Then he steps closer as Ishan fights his own urge to step back at that.
Shubman's voice steady despite the rapid thud of his heartbeat, "Ishan, I love you," he says, the words tumbling out in a rush. "I don't mean as a friend or a teammate or anything casual. I mean I'm in love with you. I have been for a while, but I was too blind to admit it- to you, and to myself."
Ishan blinks, his throat tightening. He doesn't respond, doesn't move.
Shubman presses on, his voice growing softer but no less earnest. "You're the first person I think about in the morning and the last person I think about at night. You make me laugh like nobody else can, and you drive me crazy in the best possible way. I literally can't stop thinking about you, Ishan,"
"And I'm.. sorry. For how I've treated you in the past few months. I think I was afraid of my own feelings. I didn't realise I hurt you, and I didn't realise I hurt myself in the process. I'm a fool to not realise why I was so unhappy anytime I found myself with someone other than you. This is not a joke, you know I'm stupid and make mistakes, but I'm not stupid enough to mistake what I feel for you."
He takes another step closer, his eyes locked on Ishan's. "I know I'm not perfect. I know I've messed up before, and I've probably been a complete idiot more times than I can count. But I need you to know that what I feel for you- it's real. It's the most real thing I've ever felt. And I love what I feel. I love you."
Ishan's lips part as to say something, but no words come out. His mind is racing, and his emotions swirling like a huge tornado.
Shubman takes one last step forward, close enough now that Ishan can see the faint shimmer of tears in his eyes. "You don't have to say anything," he says quietly.
"I just... I needed you to know. Whatever happens next, I'll deal with it. But I couldn't keep this inside anymore. I had to tell you."
For a moment, the only sound is the gentle lapping of the pool water and the distant hum of crickets.
Ishan's gaze drops to the ground, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. He feels like he's standing on the edge of a cliff, torn between jumping and running away to safety.
And Shubman waits, his heart in his throat, hoping-praying-for a sign, for anything. But just something.
But Ishan doesn't say a word. He just stands there, staring at the ground, as if the weight of Shubman's confession is too much to bear.
And in that silence, Shubman's heart breaks, even as he tells himself he wouldn't change a thing.
Shubman exhales deeply, his shoulders sagging as he steps back slightly. "It's okay," he says, his voice a little quieter now.
"You don't have to say anything, Ishu. I get it. We can just forget this happened. Go back to being friends, teammates-whatever. I'll-" He swallows, forcing a strained smile.
"I'll be fine."
Ishan's head snaps up, his brows furrowed. "No, wait- What do you mean?"
Shubman lets out a short, self-deprecating laugh, scratching the back of his neck. "I mean, I know I was being weird and stupid. I shouldn't have said all that, you knkw. I probably just made everything awkward, and I don't want to ruin what we have, so let's just... forget it, okay? And kindly ignore me if I run away out of embarrassment any moment from now."
For a moment, Ishan doesn't respond. Shubman searches his face for any kind of reaction, but all he sees is confusion and a flicker of something else unreadable in Ishan's eyes.
And then his wonderful overthinking takes over.
This is it.
It's over.
Shubman can practically hear the death bells of his romantic dreams ringing in his ears. Funny that his dreams were somehow breathing until then even after Ishan's extremely cold rejection, but now it was like someone had pulled them out of their life support, so they just laid lifeless in a corner of his mind now.
His mind spirals into a million directions at once, each thought more dramatic and self-pitying than the previous one.
God, what was I thinking? Of course he doesn't feel the same way. I just made it awkward for everyone. He's probably going to avoid me now. No, he's definitely going to avoid me now. Great job, Gill. You've ruined your friendship. Fantastic.
He's so lost in his mental self-flagellation that he almost misses the subtle shift in Ishan's expression.
Almost.
To Shubman's surprise, Ishan takes a step closer, his voice soft but steady. "What if..." He pauses, his teeth catching on his bottom lip. "What if I don't want to forget this?"
Shubman blinks, the words taking a moment to register. His brain screeches to a halt, as if someone has hit the brakes on his overthinking train. "Huh- I thought you didn't-"
"No, forget about that. Can I kiss you?"
The question comes out of nowhere, catching Shubman so completely off guard that for a second, he's convinced he's hallucinating.
"What?" he says dumbly, his voice barely above a whisper. He's doesn't know if he looks like a fish pulled out of water, but he definitely feels like one.
"I said," Ishan repeats, a bit more confidently now, stepping even closer until they're standing so close that Shubman can feel Ishan's breath on his lips, "Can I kiss you?"
Shubman's heart stops. Or maybe it's racing. He can't tell anymore because every coherent thought in his head has dissolved into static.
"Y-yeah," he stammers before clearing his throat. "I mean yes. You definitely can."
And before Shubman can say another word, Ishan's hands are on his shoulders, pulling him down as their lips crash together.
It's messy and frantic and so utterly Ishan that Shubman doesn't even have time to process it before his own hands find their way to Ishan's waist, holding him close.
The kiss feels exactly the way Shubman remembers from the night before- electric and overwhelming and impossibly perfect. It's actually so much better, because Ishan is sober this time, reminding him that they're doing this not as a joke, but as them.
Ishan's lips are warm and insistent against his, and there's a hint of desperation in the way he clings to Shubman, like he's afraid this moment might slip away if he lets go.
Shubman melts into it, his mind going blissfully blank as he kisses Ishan back with everything he has. The world around them fades completely, the gentle hum of the pool's filter, the faint light of the string lights overhead, even the cool night air. None of it matters.
All that matters is Ishan.
When they finally pull apart, they're both breathless, their foreheads resting together as they try to catch their breaths. Shubman's hands are still on Ishan's waist, and Ishan's fingers are curled into the fabric of Shubman's shirt.
"Wow," Shubman breathes, a lopsided grin tugging at his lips.
Ishan chuckles softly, his cheeks flushed. "Yeah. Wow."
For a moment, neither of them speaks. They just stand there, looking at each other, their breaths mingling in the cool night air.
And then Ishan breaks the silence, his voice barely above a whisper. "I don't want to forget this, Shubi. Not now. Not ever."
Shubman's chest tightens, a wave of relief and happiness washing over him. "Mhm, don't worry. I'll ensure that you'll never forget it." he murmurs, his voice soft but firm.
And just like that, the tension between them dissolves, replaced by something new, something warm and full of promise.
This time, when Ishan leans in to kiss him again, it's slower, gentler, but no less passionate. And Shubman knows, without a doubt, that this is where he's meant to be.
With Ishan.
Always.
They're so lost in each other that Shubman doesn't even notice when his feet begin to shuffle backward along with Ishan, step by step, his grip on Ishan's waist firm and sure. His mind is too busy registering the softness of Ishan's lips, the way his hands curl into the fabric of Shubman's shirt, and the faint taste of mint lingering on his breath.
Ishan follows him, utterly oblivious to the world around them, until-
With a loud splash, they both tumble into the pool, the cool water swallowing them whole.
Shubman doesn't even register what's happening until he's underwater, the sudden chill shocking him out of his haze. His hands instinctively tighten on Ishan's waist as he blinks his eyes open, adjusting to the dim, blurry glow of the lights from underwater.
And there, right in front of him, a few inches away, is Ishan with a soft smile, floating in the water like some ethereal creature pulled straight out of his dreams. His hair fans out around his face, dark strands curling and twisting in the water. His eyes are open too, wide and bright, catching the soft blue glow of the pool's lights and reflecting it back like damn gemstones.
For a moment, Shubman forgets how to breathe. Not that he can, being underwater and all.
Ishan's lips curve into the faintest of smirks, as if he can read Shubman's thoughts. Then, with a single kick of his legs, he closes the small distance between them.
Shubman feels Ishan's hand on his cheek before he sees it, the touch warm despite the coolness of the water. He's utterly mesmerized, his pulse pounding in his ears as Ishan's fingers gently tug him closer.
And then Ishan kisses him.
Underwater, everything feels slower, so weightless. The world above the surface fades entirely, leaving only the two of them suspended in the quiet, depths of the water The water muffles every sound, the sensations he feels clearer- the press of Ishan's lips against his own, soft yet insistent; the way their noses bump awkwardly before they adjust; the slight sting of chlorine that neither of them cares about.
Shubman's hands drift from Ishan's waist, trailing upward to cup his face. The movement sends tiny bubbles spiraling around them, catching the light like scattered diamonds. He pulls Ishan closer, deepening the kiss, and feels the faint vibration of a pleased hum escape from Ishan's throat.
Time seems to slow, every second stretching endlessly. Shubman is hyper-aware of every little detail- the way Ishan's lips part slightly against his own, the warmth of Ishan's body pressing against his, the gentle ripple of water that wraps around them like a shield from the rest of the world.
It's intoxicating, surreal, and Shubman prays to god, If this is what drowning feels like, then let me drown.
Ishan's fingers slide into Shubman's hair, tangling in the wet strands as he tilts his head to deepen the kiss. It's almost too much and not enough all at once. The pressure of their bodies, the softness of the kiss, it all blurs together into something that feels so achingly perfect.
They're lost in the kiss, so much so that the reality of their breathing capacity doesn't register until Shubman feels the faint burn in his lungs. He pulls back slightly, just enough to look at Ishan, his chest tightening even more at the sight of him.
Ishan's eyes meet his, wide and searching, the light from the pool still reflecting in them like tiny stars. He looks.. happy. Breathless and glowing, even underwater. And Shubman knows, in that moment, that there's nowhere else he'd rather be.
Reluctantly, Shubman tugs Ishan's hand, gesturing upward. Ishan nods, and together, they push toward the surface, breaking through with loud gasping breaths and water streaming down their faces.
Shubman laughs first, breathless and giddy, running a hand through his soaked hair. And Ishan follows him, his laughter warm, echoing in the stillness of the night.
And as their laughter fades slowly into the air, Shubman drifts closer, his breath still uneven from both the kiss and the fall into the water. Droplets slide down his face, catching the faint light of the pool, and his nose brushes against Ishan's cheek in a soft, unintentional touch that makes his heart flutter. He doesn't pull away, though. Instead, he lingers, close enough to see the droplets clinging to Ishan's lashes, to feel the warmth of his breath mingling with his own.
Shubman's forehead comes to rest gently against Ishan's, the intimacy of the moment stealing what little air he's managed to regain. Ishan's eyes flutter shut, and Shubman takes it all in- the way Ishan's lips curve into a faint smile, the way his fingers trace a lazy circle on Shubman's arm as if to anchor himself. For a moment, everything else- the water, the world, just everything feels secondary, as though they're the only two people who exist.
"The fall was intentional, wasn't it?" Shubman murmurs, his voice soft but laced with that familiar teasing warmth.
"Mhm, I wanted to try that since forever." Ishan replies, his grin wide and unguarded.
"Then I'm glad you tried it" Shubman says back, with a chuckle leaving his lips.
"Me too." Shubman admits, his voice low, almost reverent.
And as their soft laughter fades again, replaced by the soft lull of the water around them, Shubman realizes he could stay in this moment forever. He wants every moment in his
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