it's okay if it's you | ishman ✓

CH: 2

shubman never complains about hangovers. he just accepts his self-imposed fate of throbbing headache for the rest of the day.

ishan takes it upon himself to care for his friend like a toddler on hangover days. he has to get shubman his favourite spicy soup dumplings right after he wakes up; then he has to rub shubman's temples for him because that seems to help the pain; then he has to force shubman into the shower.

you can call ishan a manchild but he's older than shubman after all. naturally, he has the caring instinct when his friend needs it.

"ah, fuck, i must have blacked out. what'd they give me bro?" shubman says, slurping the soup.

"you're just lightweight." ishan starts his push-ups. seems like he'll be skipping morning gym.

"i don't know, man, that shit seemed strong."

ishan pauses for a while. he scoffs, recalling the previous night.

"strong enough to make you kiss a random stranger?"

shubman gasps. "stranger?"

"a man."

"a man!"

ishan continues his workout. frowning to himself, he wonders if shubman really has no memory about it.

now, it's not like ishan has been overthinking about the...accident. it was just a drunk kiss. his female friends do it all the time. it's totally normal.

but something about it is making him uneasy so he can't just forget it. well, he definitely hasn't forgotten about how the kiss felt. a man's lips aren't all that different, to be honest. there's just a lack of softness as compared to girls. but the alcohol in his system didn't really let him process and analyse the situation.

"please tell me you're joking! ishan!" shubman waves his hands frantically to get his attention.

"don't believe it if you don't wanna."

"wha- how- ugh. who was it?"

it's not going to be that easy, babe. ishan shrugs. "dunno. i was too busy dragging you away from sucking his face off."

shubman shrieks. "don't say it like that!"

ishan grins. "poor man, he just got attacked."

shubman sinks into the bed covers. "oh my god, ishan, i sound like a molester. fuck, i need to apologise to the guy."

ishan tries not to smile. "i already did that. he didn't seem to mind a lot."

shubman groans in embarrassment. "i'm never drinking again."

ishan can't hold it anymore, he's so close to just burst out laughing. he wants to see shubman's reaction when he reveals the identity.

"okay, listen-"

"actually, no. im glad i don't have to face him. i can't imagine, just, you know, talking casually with a man i kissed. that's just- no. i'll be running away."

ishan stops his words right away. fuck.

"uhm, huh... yeah." ishan nods, not really knowing what to say.

"anyways," he adds. "go get your shower, we have a meeting today."

it takes another ten minutes to get shubman to drag his lazy ass into the bathroom. once ishan is alone in the room, he faceplams.

idiot. he was so close to making things awkward. in his defense, he didn't think it would weird shubman out all that much. what's a little drunk kiss shared between two best friends?

it would have been fun to tease him. ishan sighs to himself and leaves to grab his breakfast.

"his lips do look soft, though,'' ishan thinks to himself before yuzi calls him, thereby shutting out thoughts of last night.

shubman tries to forget about what ishan told him but it's giving him the creeps to think of having kissed some random dude.

he can't even blame this unease on the guy since apparently, it was him who kissed first. how'd ishan even know that? was he there? if so, why didn't he stop him then?

now that he thinks about it, shubman does faintly recall being pushed away after the kiss. and someone shouting something at him. and then there was silence for a while in the room. it's a blur after that.

but ishan said he dragged him away from the man. this doesn't quite match his memory.

oh well. shubman isn't trusting himself with anything after last night's incident. he's just going to trust ishan and move on with his day.

okay. there's a problem. just a....minor inconvenience.

ishan can't stop thinking about the kiss. he tried, alright? he really tried. but the memory of warm, soft lips touching his is still fresh. there was some tongue involved, he's not going to lie. it was...not bad, actually. pretty decent skills for shubman.

alright. he knows it's getting creepy now to keep thinking about his friend in that manner. he feels humiliated for some reason. what if someone can hear his thoughts?

he sure hopes shubman, who's sitting next to him, isn't secretly psychic. or anyone on the table for that matter. hmm, why's rahul bhai giving me an weird look?

"ishan," rahul says. "i told you to pass the bottle."

ishan blinks. "huh? oh, sorry, bhaiya. there ya go." shit, he was zoning out again.

"what's up with you? you've been acting weird since last night," siraj aks.

ishan smiles. "why'd you think that? im totally fine."

siraj shrugs, letting it go. but surya seems to be in a mood for teasing.

"nah, there's something you're hiding."

"no, i am not."

"you are, you are."

"are you trying to gaslight me?"

"look at you, you're red on the cheeks!"

ishan's hands automatically reach for his cheeks. surya snickers at his action.

"you're too easy, ishu! now c'mon, tell us what's up? did you forget to use a condom last night?"

ishan groans. "what are you even talking about?"

rohit scowls at his plate. "do not ruin my appetite yaar."

shubman looks up from his phone, pouting. "ishu, what's this? you're cheating on me?"

"blasphemy!" surya gasps. hardik starts singing 'moye moye'.

"if you're going to break up, do it in your room," virat says, reading the newspaper.

yuzi lets out a dramatic 'ooh'. "make-up sex-"

"what did i say about not ruining my appe-"

"kiss! kiss! ki-"

ishan normally isn't bothered by teasing like this. but he's just not in the right mood today. he has to stop this.

"shubi kissed a man."

shubman starts choking on his juice and the table falls silent.

rohit slams his spoon on the table. "can a man eat his cereal in peace- wait, what'd you just say?"

—x—

author's note:

hope you like this chapter ♡

thanks for all the fun comments in the last chp hahah.