Canvas of Love

Under His Skin

The atmosphere on the training field was buzzing, not just with the anticipation of the upcoming match, but with the subtle undertones of rivalry, camaraderie, and a hint of mischief. 

Ishan had been nursing a goal of his own for the day: find a way to annoy Shubman Gill. 

After all, Shubman's cool, unbothered demeanor had been eating at him for a while now, and Ishan was more than ready to knock him off his pedestal—even if just for a moment.

As the team warmed up and prepared for drills, Ishan noticed Shubman standing alone, meticulously adjusting his gear. 

It was a perfect setup. With a slow grin, Ishan meandered over, casually whistling a slightly obnoxious tune as he strolled closer, watching Shubman out of the corner of his eye. 

He leaned up against the boundary line, crossing his arms and whistling louder, letting the tune pierce the morning calm.

"Gill!" he drawled, loud enough for Shubman to hear. 

"You look a little... tense. Need me to show you how to loosen up?" His tone was laced with sarcasm, and his eyes sparkled with mischief.

Shubman barely glanced his way, merely tightening the strap on his glove. 

"I'll keep that in mind, Ishan." he replied smoothly, not a trace of annoyance on his face. He turned his back to Ishan as if continuing his preparation without a second thought.

But Ishan wasn't giving up that easily. 

He edged closer, and when Shubman went into his batting stance to practice some footwork, Ishan sauntered directly into his line of vision, still whistling the same tune, now louder and deliberately off-key.

"Are you... always this obnoxious?" Shubman muttered, his jaw tightening ever so slightly as he tried to stay focused on his movements.

"Obnoxious?" Ishan raised his eyebrows, feigning hurt. 

"I'm just trying to add some... inspiration. Don't want you falling asleep out here." He crossed his arms, giving Shubman a challenging stare. 

"But if I'm bothering you, just say so. I mean, we all know how much you love your... zen moments."

Shubman took a slow breath, his lips curving into a barely-there smirk as he straightened up. 

"If that's what you think I'm doing, you're paying more attention to me than I thought." His eyes locked onto Ishan's, a flicker of amusement passing through them.

Ishan faltered, his cheeks heating slightly under Shubman's steady gaze. 

"Pfft, don't flatter yourself, Gill. I just happen to notice when someone's as... robotic as you." He muttered, running a hand through his hair to cover his embarrassment.

"Oh, so I'm robotic now?" Shubman's voice was calm, his gaze unwavering as he took a step closer, enough that Ishan could see every line of focus on his face. 

"That's interesting coming from someone who talks so much, he forgets what he's even saying half the time."

Ishan bristled, but before he could come up with a retort, Shubman's hand moved, almost instinctively, to adjust the glove on Ishan's wrist, his fingers lingering for a fraction longer than necessary. 

Ishan's breath caught for a moment, the unanticipated contact sending a jolt through him, his usual sassy bravado faltering.

"Oh, please... Just because you think silence is some deep, mysterious personality trait doesn't mean you're actually interesting." Ishan muttered, trying to keep his voice steady.