Did You Know Me? (Shubman Gill x Ishan Kishan)

The time Ishan finally realized what's not right

One week before the World Cup

The day of the third One Day International in India's final series before the WC, Ishan woke up with aches all over his body.

"Morning," Shubman called over, "opener."

Rohit bhai had said yesterday that Shubman would be rested-richly deserved, everyone had said-and Ishan would open with him.

"Ugh," groaned Ishan as he tried to sit up. His head weighed a hundred tons.

"What? You don't want to open?"

"Course I want to...."

But Ishan could simply not rise off the bed. The moment he threw off the covers, he shivered. He gave up and slumped back again.

"Wake me up in a bit...."

"No," said Shubman. "You've got to get up now, it's already late....wait, don't you feel well? What's wrong, Ishu?"

Ishan smiled at the nickname. It was one Shubman used very rarely, and kept reserved for special occasions. Of course, Ishan falling sick was a special occasion.

"Ishan." Shubman walked over to him. "I asked don't you feel well?"

"Not really," said Ishan.

Shubman looked panicked for a while. Then he ran out of the door.

Rohit bhai and Rahul bhai came in soon afterwards with the physio. It was a viral fever, the physio said, and he was to stay in complete rest for at least a day.

"Will you open then, Rahul bhai?" Ishan asked, feeling vaguely guilty.

"I will, or someone else will," said Rahul warmly, patting Ishan's head. "You don't worry, and take rest, okay?"

"Best of luck," Ishan told his teammates, who must be leaving for the match soon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hey."

Ishan blinked against the bright light as the door opened.

"What time is it?" asked Ishan. "I thought they'd have gone to the stadium by now."

"Yeah, they did," said Shubman. "I didn't go. I assume you'd be calling for me if the fever gets worse."

"I did not call for-"

"I said I assumed it," protested Shubman.

He came and felt Ishan's forehead.

"Whoa, where did you pick up the virus from? You're burning up."

"Stay away," said Ishan. "Or the virus will jump on you too."

"Oh?" said Shubman, winking in that overconfident, challenging manner of his. "Bring it on, virus. Try to keep me away from my best friend."

For the first time since his head started exploding so badly, Ishan laughed.

"See?" said Shubman, and smiled.

Ishan had never seen anything so beautiful as that smile of Shubman's, eyes scrunched up and the dimple that made girls go wild in sharp contrast against his light skin and his hair golden-brown against the sun.

While Ishan wasn't as much in demand among girls as Shubman, he did have his fair share of female attention. Suddenly, he knew why he had never felt remotely interested in absolutely anyone.

No one, nothing could be as beautiful and intoxicating as Shubman Gill when he smiled....nothing....

That was when Ishan knew with all the certainty in this world that was he was irrevocably and hopelessly in love with his best friend.

And there was no going back.