it's okay if it's you | ishman ✓

CH: 14

“did you miss me?” ishan grins, plopping down on surya’s bed.

his sheets are always clean and smell fresh, unlike the ones back in their room because shubman likes to eat on the bed and you could probably find wrappers tucked under pillows.

(“no one is going to marry you,” ishan would tell him.

“tu hai na, meri jaan,” shubman would reply.)

surya turns to the doorway, waving shubman over. he stops by the edge of the bed, deliberately falling on top of ishan.

“fucking giant, get off me!” ishan squeals.

shubman grins, wiggling his fingers in the air to announce his tickle-attack. ishan cries out in defense but it’s inevitable. shubman knows all his weak points.

“face my wrath,” shubman says, laughing along with ishan.

“stop-!” ishan says in between his laughs. “you better stop- befo- before i kick your balls. let go!”

shubman easily takes ishan’s weak punches. “beg me first,” he laughs.

ishan kicks his feet lightly, trying to push him back. “fuck off. not there-! you fucker.”

shubman shakes his head. “try a little sweeter.”

“let me go, shubman,” ishan tries to sound stern but ends up guffawing.

“say please.”

“please, you son of a-”

shubman finally pulls back with a satisfied smile, as ishan glares at him.

surya stands staring at them with the most unamused expression.

“what d’ya wanna drink?” he asks.

shubman turns to him, sighing dramatically. “did you call us for company? you need to make more friends, surya bhai.”

surya turns to ishan. “vodka or beer, ishu?”

“vodka,” ishan grins.

shubman gasps. “how can you just ignore me like that? hey, ask me too!”

“i just did.”

shubman paces behind him as he uncorks the bottle. “why don’t you love me, bhaiya? is it because his cheeks are more pullable than mine?”

surya hands him a glass. “what is even your thought process? but yes.”

“oi!”

ishan snickers, reaching for the glass in surya’s hold.  “by the way, you and rahul bhai totally ghosted us back in the zoo,” he says.

“thank god we did,” surya mutters, taking a sip.

shubman is still whining about surya ignoring him but ishan is skeptical of his tone. maybe it’s paranoia but he’s been restless since the kiss they shared in the zoo. stupid shubman’s stupid idea. on the way back home, ishan could feel stares on his back. he felt like he got caught doing something, which is a bit of a reach but forgive a man who’s never kissed a girl in public before, much less a man.

ishan smiles up at him. “so? what did you wanna talk about?”

now this is the issue. surya is not sure how to bring it up. confronting teammates about their homosexual tendencies was in fact not a part of his cricket training.

he thinks about ways he can phrase his words.

how long have you been gay?
no, that sounds like an interview.