Is This Love? [Shubman Gill x Ishan Kishan]

Chapter Thirteen

Ishan wakes up with a pounding headache and the harsh morning sunlight hitting his face. He tries remembering how he got to his room last night, but he doesn't remember anything past his initial meeting with Rahul.

He shakes off the queasy feeling and gets out of bed before making his way over to the kitchen to get some water. He lets out a small yelp when he turns the corner to the kitchen and sees Shubman eating cereal on the kitchen island.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," Shubman says, mouthful of food. "It was late last night so I slept over."

"What?" Ishan asks, confused. "Why are you here?"

Shubman swallows his bite before asking, "You don't remember last night? You called me– well someone called me and asked me to pick you up from some random hotel."

Ishan moves closer, eyebrows furrowed, "What? That's so weird, I don't remember any of that."

"You don't?" Shubman asks, also visibly confused. "Did you have a lot to drink last night?"

Ishan thinks back to last night and what he does remember. He tries counting the amount of drinks he had, but it all honestly seems like a blur, "Yeah, I think."

Shubman waves him off, "Normal hai. People black out all the time when they drink. You didn't seem hurt or anything last night when I picked you up. You said something about a guy."

Ishan feels his ears heat up, embarrassed, "I don't know how I ended up there. I know that guy was straight– he was a friend of Hardik bhai's."

"Oh," Shubman mumbles before turning his attention back to his cereal.

He clears his throat, "Thanks for picking me up, by the way."

"Yeah, it was no problem, I was in the area," Shubman replies, offering a polite small. "Sorry, I stole your cereal."

"No, it's fine. It's Viraj's," Ishan explains, making his way to the refrigerator. "He likes it so I keep some for when bhaiya and bhabhi come to visit."

"Oh, that's embarrassing," Shubman mumbles to himself, staring down at the colorful cereal.

Ishan chuckles, shaking his head, "I'll make you some eggs?"

"No no, it's fine," Shubman assures, "I'm gonna head out now, anyway."

"Are you sure?" Ishan asks, pouring himself a glass of water.

Shubman nods and shoves the last bites of the cereal in his mouth before placing the bowl in the sink, "Yeah, it's fine." He assures, mouthful.

"Okay, thanks again," Ishan mumbles, watching Shubman moving around the apartment and grabbing his wallet and phone.

"Congrats on winning the IPL though," Shubman says, making his way over to Ishan. He hesitates before pulling Ishan into a quick and awkward hug, "You deserve it. You worked really hard."

"Thanks," Ishan mumbles, pulling back and ignoring his racing heart. "Not bad yourself, Captain shaab."

Shubman chuckles and rolls his eyes, "Thanks." He takes a deep breath, "I'll take your leave now. Stay safe."

"Bye," Ishan waves, watching Shubman open the door and close it behind him.

Ishan lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding in. He takes another sip of water, trying to shake off the lingering confusion and the strange sense of vulnerability that Shubman's hug had left him with.

After Shubman leaves, he decides to take a shower, hoping it'll help clear his head and the lingering headache. The hot water provides some relief, and he begins to feel a little bit more like himself. As he dries off and gets dressed, his phone buzzes on the bedside table. He glances at the screen and sees an unknown number calling.