Playing the Game: A Devdutt Padikkal Fanfiction

Chapter 6 - More Butterflies, YJHD and Jealousy

Ayden's POV

I smile, thinking about the last two days; India has been a dream! Not only did I cross off something that has been on my bucket list since I started watching cricket, but it's also easily one of the most beautiful countries I've been to. And to top it all off, Devdutt freaking Padikkal wants to see me again.

My beautiful train of thought is ruined by a message from Alec. Shit! I completely forgot to ask him about the cricket match. I doubt he would say no, but I am not entirely sure how we are going to get there. I quickly come up with a convincing enough argument and walk over to his door, knocking thrice.

'Hey.'

'Okay, so I might have jumped the gun with something.' I walk into the room and seat myself on the bed. 'DDP invited us to the game in Chennai, and I said we'd be there.' I give him a little smile to soften the blow.

'Aydy! You should have asked me first. How are we going to sort out the logistics?'

'Well, I was thinking we fly out tomorrow morning; there's a flight at 5 am, and we'd get there for 6 am and then return the day after, which would give us a day before we fly out.'

'Oh wow, you really thought this through, huh?'

'I just thought it would be nice to explore another city while we are here, or a small part of it anyway. And it would be nice to hear some Tamil being spoken.' The last part just slips out, I didn't realise how much I missed home until visited India – so close, yet so far.

'Okay, I guess it would be nice to watch Dhoni in action.' Alec seats himself down next to me. 'I assume you know how much the tickets cost?'

'Of course! A round trip would be £30, but we would need to factor in hotel and transport to and from the airport.'

'And how much do you think it'll all cost?'

'I'd say £100 for the two of us if we get just one room.'

'You know what, you can tell pretty boy that I'm in.'

Alec's POV

'Well,' she laughs, looking at me, 'I kind of already did.'

'Yep, should have thought.' I can't help but smile because Aydy is visibly elated at the thought of seeing this guy again, but I also can't help but wish I was the reason for this smile. Maybe, one day.

'I'm going to message DDP, but honestly, thank you for agreeing to go!' Ayden hugs me.

'Hey, come on! Why would I say no to free cricket tickets?' Ayden just smiles, but she's a little preoccupied by the looks of it. She puts her phone away with a smile plastered on her face,

'Do you want to watch a movie?' She raises her eyebrows in question, and I nod.

'I'll get some popcorn while you pick a movie.' It's her turn to nod.

'Thanks! And by the way, pretty boy says he always knew you fancied him,' she puts on a very thick British accent for the word 'fancied' and I laugh.

'Oh, I do not fancy him.'

'Aww, don't worry, Alec, you'll always be my first pretty boy.'

I grab two packets of microwave popcorn from my carry-on and grab Ayden's keys to use her microwave and to give her some space while she texts DDP, who apparently seems to be gunning for the position of her man. I laugh because I can't believe how jealous I am right now, but at the end of the day, I just want Ayden to be happy.

Ayden's POV

I quickly take out my phone after Alec agreed to go to Chennai. I'm so relieved and a little bit surprised, to say the least. I text Devdutt Padikkal.

So, I guess I will see you in Chennai tomorrow.

As if on cue, I get a reply.

Your friend agreed?

No one is passing over an opportunity to explore Chennai, and watch MSD live, and apparently watch pretty boy try to get my attention again.

I knew he fancied me.

That's a British thing, right?

Yep, but I would have added the 'innit' for full effect.

I wouldn't be caught dead saying that.

That makes me a little happy because there is no way I am dating someone who uses 'innit' in a sentence. You know, in case you thought this was heading in that direction.

Are you saying that's an ick?

I'm a little upset he didn't respond to my suggestion that we might date, but I might not either, especially so quickly.

Not per se, but I like my local accent, you know.

Local being Sri Lankan?

Definitely (I fully intend for this to be read the way you say it in interviews).

So, I'm not on your radar, then?

You could be, do you speak Tamil?

You'd be surprised!

Well, you're back on the radar in that case.

I don't know whether it's because I've been single a little while or because he is just so damn charming I can't wipe the smile off my face.

I look up at Alec, 'do you want to watch a movie?'

He nods and, without debate, leaves to go make some popcorn after telling me to pick a movie. Since we've met, I've only ever made popcorn once for movie night. And because it didn't come out perfectly, Alec has taken over popcorn-making duty for, in his words, the rest of his life. I don't really mind because it means I get to choose the movie.

'Thanks! And by the way, pretty boy says he always knew you fancied him,' I put on an obnoxiously thick British accent for the word 'fancied'. He laughs. He has the most beautiful laugh, so much so that I always do supposedly silly things to see it over and over again.

'Oh, I do not fancy him.'

'Aww, don't worry, Alec, you'll always be my first pretty boy.' I think back to when I had a crush on Alec; we had just gotten to know each other, and I was getting over quite a horrid break-up. Maybe it was the circumstances of our friendship at the time or the fact that he was undeniably attractive both inside and out; I had a giant crush on him. He, however, was quite enamoured by his now ex-girlfriend, and so, nothing really came of that.

Alex walks in with a big bowl of popcorn, 'See, absolutely perfect!'

I grab the bowl from him, 'So, I thought since we are in India, we should watch an Indian movie.' Alec nods.

'Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani – a rom-com for ages, great songs too, or Ayan – one of my all-time favourite Tamil movies.' He looks for YJHD on Netflix; the decision was made, I guess.

Devdutt's POV

I'd been texting Ayden for most of my evening until I had to force myself to bed to ensure I was fresh for the game.

I can't get myself to fall asleep because my mind keeps thinking of date ideas for after the game. She mentioned she's never watched 3 Idiots, so that's happening, and I guess we could just explore Chennai and maybe, go for dinner. Man, I wish we were in Bangalore because it would have been amazing to take her to all the places I loved growing up.

My mind finally slows down after deciding on a rough plan for the evening, and I drift off to sleep; the butterflies in my stomach are going insane, and I hope this feeling doesn't go away. Before I sleep, I make a quick, silent prayer – please let tomorrow go well. I can't wait to see her!

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Hey guys! I know this isn't a super popular story or anything but if any of you have been waiting for a new chapter, I'm sorry it's taken so long. I've been super busy with deadlines at university. I hope you guys like this chapter, and I am really excited for the next one. I've got loads of ideas, and I think we're finally going to get a long chapter! Thank you for reading.