Unconditional Love

67. In This Warmth

The next morning, Virat woke up slowly, his eyes adjusting to the soft morning light spilling through the curtains.

The first thing he saw was Rohit, peacefully cuddled close to him, his face calm and relaxed in sleep.

Virat stayed still for a moment, just watching him, his fingers lightly brushing through Rohit's hair.

A small smile tugged at his lips as he leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to Rohit's forehead.

Carefully, he slipped out of bed, not wanting to disturb him.

He stretched, took a quick shower, and changed into comfortable clothes before heading to the kitchen.

He wanted to make Rohit's favorite breakfast—it felt like the perfect morning for it.

Half an hour later, while Virat was setting the coffee pot on the counter, he heard soft footsteps behind him.

Turning, he saw Rohit shuffling in, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, his hair messy and face adorably drowsy.

Virat couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. "Look at you," he murmured, setting the coffee pot down and walking over to him.

But Rohit was already making his way toward Virat.

Without a word, he wrapped his arms around Virat's waist and rested his head on his shoulder, humming softly in response to Virat's greeting.

Virat smiled warmly, cupping Rohit's cheeks in his hands and lifting his face slightly. "Morning, baby," he whispered.

Rohit only hummed again, not quite ready to speak yet, leaning into Virat's touch, feeling perfectly lazy and content in his arms.

After about five minutes of standing there in that warm, quiet hug, Virat gently broke the embrace, his hands still resting on Rohit's arms.

"Come on, baby," Virat said softly, brushing Rohit's hair back from his forehead. "Go get a shower so you can have your favorite breakfast."

Rohit gave a sleepy nod, still not fully awake, but there was a little smile playing on his lips.

Virat leaned in and pressed a kiss to his cheek before giving him a soft nudge toward the bathroom.

Rohit shuffled off, and Virat watched him go with a fond smile before turning back to his tasks.

He quickly picked up his phone and sent a message in the group chat with Aman and Jassi: "Breakfast's almost ready. Come over whenever you're set."

Then, he shot off another message to Rahul bhai, asking, "Are you coming?" and Rahul replied within a minute: "Yes, on the way."

Virat gave a small breath of relief, then set about finishing things up in the kitchen.

Once everything was in place—plates, cutlery, hot food ready—he quickly ducked into the bedroom, changed into fresh clothes, and splashed some cold water on his face to freshen up.

Virat was standing in front of the mirror, running his fingers through his hair to set it neatly, when he suddenly felt arms wrap around his waist from behind.

He smiled instantly, seeing Rohit's reflection as he leaned into him, chin resting on Virat's shoulder.

Virat chuckled softly, "How are you this lazy with me, and the moment everyone shows up, you're suddenly all active and alert?"

Rohit didn't answer right away.

Instead, he tightened his arms around Virat and buried his face into his back, his voice muffled as he spoke, "Because I can be me with you... I don't have to be responsible in front of you."