Serendipitous Saturation ✔ [Completed]

Chapter 5 - Sharing

Riddhima carried two mugs into her living room. Vansh was on her couch, his eyes transfixed on a page in front of him from a file set on her coffee table. She placed his tea down beside the manila folder and he looked up with a soft smile. "Thank you."

She sat down beside him and blew on her hot chocolate after pulling her legs up under her and leaning back on her couch. She glared good naturedly at him, "When are you going to stop stealing files from my bag as soon as my back is turned?"

He smiled without looking at her. "Hardly stealing, I'm assisting you in your hard fought quest for justice, my dear."

She giggled, "I see. So you've decided you're the Robin to my Batman now, have you?"

He chuckled in response. "Not sure I have the legs for that particular outfit. Although I wouldn't mind seeing you in a Catwoman costume while we're on the topic." He paused and looked into space across the table as he blatantly imagined the vision before turning around, grinning both salaciously and hopefully at her.

She kicked his thigh with her foot lightly. "Nice try, boy wonder. No chance."

He shrugged with one shoulder. "Can't beat a man for trying. Anyway, since you wouldn't let me help with the dinner dishes I thought I'd help you with this case instead."

He kissed her quickly, pulling her legs onto his lap in one swift motion. He went back to reading the file again as he started to rub her feet. It had taken him a week to learn that she loved nothing more than a relaxing foot rub after a long day of pounding pavements. Her stubborn and independent nature had meant it had taken him two further weeks to entice her to allow him to do so.

"You're not even supposed to be reading that," she said as she stifled a moan of delight as he ran his thumbs pleasingly across the arch of her right foot, her slight gasp of approval delivering her reprimand with a lot less conviction than what was intended. She cleared her throat, tried again. "Those files are confidential for CBI personnel only."

His tone was filled with slightly obnoxious amusement. "Hmm. I know. You've told me that before." He tapped his temple. "Memory palace, remember? And I won't tell anyone if you don't."

She rolled her eyes and took a mouthful of her hot chocolate as he picked up his tea and sipped it before his fingers resumed their massage on the ball of her foot, finally earning him a hum of approval from his companion as she succumbed to enjoy his tender ministrations.

In the four weeks they'd been dating they'd relaxed into an easy routine when together. Riddhima's long hours and Vansh's commitment to Aadhya meant they hadn't been able to see each other more than twice a week although she went to the diner for lunch if she was having a rare quiet day at work or he'd drop by her office with a sandwich. It suited both of them to not jump into the relationship full time and with both feet right away.

As well as foot rubbing, he'd learned that she preferred a quiet night in with takeout than expensive restaurants, ball games instead of the opera. They both shared an appreciation for music, though their tastes differed mostly on the genre they preferred but had found soft jazz a pleasant compromise.

He was surprised to learn that she enjoyed dancing but it delighted him that she did. Maira had two left feet so he'd rarely gotten the chance to indulge in one of his favourite pastimes when he was married. As they watched the band, he'd watched Riddhima tap her foot in time to the rhythm as they attended a jazz club on one early date. Pried with a couple of glasses of Rioja she'd finally succumbed to the call of the music and his insistent requests to take to the floor. The memory of them with their bodies glued to each other and his hands splayed across her hips as they swayed to the sound of a lonely saxophone was one he had revisited often since.