Somewhere Only We Go

Chapter 13

Kabir

I love Nutella. I could just lie on my couch and finish an entire jar in less than 30 minutes and be in a sugar coma. At this point, I don't know how I am alive. "Fuck!" I almost scream.

So yes I love Nutella but what Avi is doing right now with it splayed in my belly button and him licking and cleaning all of it is something I love more. There is no better use of Nutella from now on. Why did I even waste it all these years? I should have stocked it for future me so that I could kidnap Avi and make him lick me clean after I was bathed in it.

His cold fingers start massaging my nipple, which sends a shiver down my spine and I try thinking about anything other than his hands all over my body because if I come right now with merely his hand and tongue on my body while I am lying on the kitchen counter would be embarrassing. Whimpering right now and being at his mercy is already embarrassing enough. Think about-

"Shit..shit..fuckkk..fuckk..Avii....!!!!" Avi looks up and grins. His face is covered in Nutella and he still looks gorgeous with his evil smile right now.

"What...that was..." I try forming sentences between panting.

"Hot." I was going for embarrassing and sorry but I'll take it.

I sit up and wrap my legs around his waist pulling him close to me. for the next few minutes we sat there kissing each other, our hands all over each other, it's sloppy, messy, and wet, and adding the Nutella was probably gross, but I couldn't care about any of it. Kissing Avi will always be my happy place.

"We are supposed to be having breakfast." My voice comes out hoarse.

"I think I had mine. But I'll make those pancakes for you after we take a shower."

"I-that was a little embarrassing. I don't just..you know..." God, I don't even know how to finish those sentences. Avi places his finger on my chin and holds it up.

"It wasn't embarrassing. The noises you make it music to my ears and every time you come for me it feels like my salvation."

My heart races so fast I am sure I am having a heart attack. Avi kisses me on the forehead and then grabs my hand. "Come on let's get clean."

I hop off the counter and as soon as we get in the shower I get down on my knees and thank him for everything in the best possible way.

Avinash

I may have not watched movies but I have read enough books including romance so I knew with surety that it's all fiction. You can't just fall for someone while watching them doing something insanely normal, like eating pancakes. I don't think anyone can look this adorable eating pancakes.

"Do you want more?"

"ohnghha" He swallows the food in his mouth. "No please if I eat more I'll burst." After a pause, he says, "But um I don't mind if you make it tomorrow again."

I smile. No one has ever appreciated my cooking before, to be fair I haven't cooked much for others, but I like doing it for Kabir. If he asks me to I'll prepare a seven-course meal for him daily. "Actually I'd like it if you asked me to cook for you. If you want to eat something and we are home, I'll love to, only if you are okay with it."

Kabir takes a minute to reply. "I will but on one condition. You have to stop hiding from me."

"Wh...what do you mean?"

"I mean I know we haven't known each other for long so I don't expect you to just pour your heart out but I know you are always holding back. Like that day at the food court. When I asked about your work you hesitated for a second. So I want you to stop doing that."

I didn't realize he noticed it. "I don't know how to open up to anyone, I have never done that." My voice is lower than normal and suddenly I am getting uncomfortable with this conversation.

Kabir gets up from the stool he was sitting on and comes to my side of the table, kneeling in front of me he takes my hands in his entwining our fingers. "We can start small, like how about where did you learn to cook or the first book you read. You know the small things. Little things that make you Avi and not Avinash Mehrotra."

Since Ishan, no one has called me Avi until now. And I didn't realize how much I missed it until Kabir came into my life.

"Can you do that baby?" He whispers.

"I will try."

"Then we have a deal. I will tell you what I want for lunch if you tell me where did you learn to cook so well."

"I didn't learn from anyone. More like self-taught." Then I get up. "Come with me, I'll show you."

I open the door of the room on the other side of the drawing room. It is a big office room with a big window that faces the beach in the distance and on one side of the window in the corner is a small shelf.

"Here," I say pointing towards the twenty books or cookbooks sitting with a slight dust on it. Kabir reaches down and picks up the first book. This one was the latest addition to the shelf mostly for cupcakes and muffins.

"You learned it through books?" Kabir looks amused.

"Yeah, this and YouTube videos. Sometimes they help my anxiety. Baking mostly, but I rarely do that because there is no one to eat those baked goods and I hate wasting food. And cooking was my way of trying. When Ishan was gone I thought if I did something new and got good at it my mother might notice me, so I tried different things. That was also how I knew writing would never work for me. I was reading a book and the MC was a chef so I thought I could give cooking a shot. And it worked. This villa in Goa is where I experimented and learned until I got good at it. There are so many dishes in the world and I don't think I have learnt more than like 5% of it so there is always something new I can try. This book you are holding this is the one I got recently when I was in New York."

"Have you tried any of these?"

For a moment I thought about lying and then changing the subject but then I looked at Kabir and he was standing here with a curious expression and genuine interest. So I give him the truth.

"No."

"Why is that?"

I sigh. "Because it gets depressing after a while, being the baker, the tester, and the one who has to finish all of it."

Kabir quietly places the book back where it was and then wraps his arms around me. I am frozen for a second before I throw my hand around him pulling him closer, deeper.