Can Never Stop Looking out for You (A HulRat fanfiction)

"Bat for life"

Waiting outside, the team got the bright idea of getting something good for the mother to eat (not the father, he didn't touch street food), so after half an hour, Anushka was besieged with a huge pile of Mumbai's street food.

Virat stared at them in disbelief.

"Don't touch these, Nushkie," he warned. "These are street food."

"Guess what, Vi, I know that," Anushka said, rolling her eyes, snatching the packet from Rohit' hand. "Thanks, Ro, I needed that after this exhausting delivery."

Rohit winked at Virat.

"These Mumbai people," muttered Virat resentfully. "C'mon Rahuliya, I can't stand to see them eating this stuff."

Rahul who had just bitten into a vada, with Viratee in the crook of his other arm (he was no longer scared of dropping her) paused in the action. Before Virat could realize, he handed the vada to Bhuvi and innocent as an angel, said, "Me too."

So Virat, Rahul and Viratee walked out of the howling room (Viratee in Rahul's arms); no one tried to stop them since to the sensible people of the team it was clear Rahul had been jittery around Virat for the past hour, and to the idiotic members (Hardik, Yuzi, etc) it was a priority to win Anushka bhabi's favour.

Virat slung an arm around Rahul and Viratee as they went to the window. Rahul wondered nervously if Virat had forgotten about their tiff, or was ignoring it, or hadn't been serious about it at all.

"Half godfather, Moi," said Virat cheerfully.

"Half?" said Rahul. "You sure you don't mean one fifteenth?"

"No, half, I don't think the courts allow fifteen godfathers of a single child," said Virat solemnly. "So it's you and Ro. Officially. Unofficially of course she has more than fifteen."

"Whole of India, probably," muttered Rahul.

The prospect of Virat Kohli's child's birth had been sending social media into a frenzy for weeks now.

"They won't be disappointed," he continued. "Viratee is every bit as perfect as they could've hoped in their dreams."

"Ok, let's make it clear, her name is not Viratee," said Virat.

"Kuldeep's name is not Kuliya. Shreyas' name is not Shreya. My name is not Rahuliya," said Rahul. "Nor Moi or Scowliya," he added.

Virat shut his mouth, stumped. As if he could counter a logic like that.

As if anyone could counter a logic like that.

"Are you—" began Rahul hesitatingly. "—are you angry or upset with me or something?"

"Of course," said Virat.

"Oh," said Rahul, clutching Viratee closer to him. She yelled in protest. Rahul hastily loosened his grip.

"You're calling my daughter Viratee. I'm supposed to me angry and upset with you."

"Not for that," said Rahul impatiently. "You were being a phantom earlier today. You asked if our—my maiden century—reaction was fake."

"Well," said Virat, beginning to grin. "You pretty much repeated it an hour ago when you came to tell me about Viratee—"

Rahul's face burned.

"—so I guess it couldn't've been fake," magnimously.

Rahul supposed he'd better be glad he had repeated it.

"Good," he said. "Glad you realize it."

Virat ruffled Rahul's hair with his characteristic violence. Rahul tried to duck—but he did not try too hard.

A nurse came up and told Virat, very firmly, that outside food was not allowed inside the hospital, and also that a newborn child was not supposed to be taken around the hospital for over an hour.

So they went to return Viratee to Anushka, and Virat to tell his friends, very triumphantly, the outside food rule. With many promises to visit Anushka again soon, the ICT trooped out, finally letting the hospital return into a semblance of peace.

"And by the way, Rahuliya," said Virat.

"Don't—" began Rahul, then finally gave up trying to stop Virat calling him by that weird name. "By the way what?"

"I know you don't know that I know, but I know that you said—"

"Stop trying to confuse me," said Rahul drily.

"Well," conceded Virat, with a hint of triumph in his voice. "I know who'll choose me to bat for his life."

Rahul scowled.

"Tell him I'll choose him to bat for my life, too."

"Ok," said Rahul, trying to keep up the scowl. "I'll tell him."

"Scowliya," said Virat, shaking his head.

Now he didn't need to try to keep up that scowl. Of all of Virat's nicknames for him, Scowliya was the absolute worst.

"Why're you two dawdling?" hollered Shikhar. "Come on fast!"

"You go on, we have a car," Virat called back.

"No you don't," said Rohit tartly.

Rahul and Virat automatically looked around sharply at where they'd parked their car.

Unsurprisingly, it was missing.

"WHO STOLE MY CAR?" wailed Virat. "RAHULIYA DID YOU LEAVE THE KEY IN IGNITION?"

"Er," said Rahul, feeling his pockets hastily and coming up with naught. "I might've."

"Jaddu drove off with it," Jinks told Virat drily.

You'd think Virat would be glad that his car hadn't been snagged by a real thief, but apparently he considered Jad a real thief, too.

"RAHULIYA, THAT WAS SO CARELE—"

"Someone was yelling in my ears to go fast, Virat," said Rahul. "And he also challenged me to a race to the 3rd floor. Maybe you should berate him."

And then he proceeded to turn a deaf ear to Virat's howling wails as he dragged him off to Rohit's car.

Funny that he'd have a clown like this bat for his life, but somehow he couldn't consider anyone else either.

A/N: I just want to conclude this story with an observation...

There was a time, not long ago, when I was jealous of Rahul on Rohit's behalf because the former is so close to Virat. (I also resented him because he and Vijay ensured India played with 8 wickets in Tests, too, and that I still stand by).

Today, I can't see beyond Rahul and Virat's bond. Their friendship, their elder brother-younger brother bond, whether Virat being the elder one or Rahuliya...I can't see beyond them. I love them with everything, maybe even more than I love RohiRat (though I am not sure).

May God always protect their precious relationship.

HulRat fan for life...

Love, Neha

PS: What'd you think of the story? Do let me know!        

In case you haven't seen: https://cricketaddictor.com/cricket/virat-kohli-will-give-it-all-kl-rahul/