Revathi unlocked the door to Shubman's apartment with the key he had given her a couple of weeks ago. It was quiet except for the faint sound of water running in the shower. She smiled to herself. He must be finishing up. Guess I'll just wait.

She kicked off her sneakers and wandered into the living room, glancing at the neatly stacked cricket memorabilia on the shelves. Everything about his place was so... him. Organized, sleek, but still cozy enough to feel like home. She loved that contrast.

As she was aimlessly walking around, something caught her eye—a drawer slightly open in the cabinet near his bed. The gap was just enough to reveal colorful packaging peeking out. Her curiosity got the best of her, and before she knew it, she was kneeling down, tugging the drawer open to see what was inside.

Her eyes widened instantly.

It was filled with Durex products—packets of condoms in various bright colors and sizes, and small bottles of what she quickly realized were lubricants. There were condoms labeled Extra Ribbed, Invisible Ultra-Thin, Mutual Climax, and even Extended Pleasure. The bottles had names like Play Tingle, Play Warming, and Play Feel, each promising things she didn't even know were possible.

Her cheeks flushed bright pink. Holy shit. This man is prepared. Like, REALLY prepared.

She picked up one of the bottles, staring at it like it was some kind of alien artifact. "What the fuck does tingle even mean? And warming? What are you warming?" she muttered to herself, feeling her face heat up.

Revathi had zero experience when it came to intimacy. Sure, she'd kissed Shubman a few times, and things had gotten steamy here and there, but they hadn't crossed that line yet. She didn't even know how half of these things worked. Do people just... buy this much at once? Or is this like, a stockpile?

As she was debating whether to put everything back and pretend she'd never seen it, the sound of the shower stopping snapped her out of her thoughts. Her heart rate skyrocketed. She quickly tried to shove everything back into the drawer, but of course, the damn packets were slippery, and one of the bottles rolled out, hitting the floor with a soft thud.

"Shit, shit, shit," she whispered, frantically picking it up and slamming the drawer shut just as Shubman walked into the room, towel wrapped around his waist, his damp hair dripping onto his toned chest.

"Hey, babe," he said casually, running a hand through his hair. "You've been here long?"

Revathi froze, the bottle still clutched in her hand behind her back. "Uh... no. Just got here."

Shubman's eyes narrowed as he noticed her pink cheeks and awkward stance. "You okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

She let out a nervous laugh. "Nope. Totally fine. Nothing weird here."

He smirked, stepping closer. "You're a terrible liar, Rev." His eyes flicked down to her hands, and his smirk grew wider. "What are you hiding behind your back?"

Her grip tightened on the bottle. "Nothing!" she blurted out.

"Babe," he said, his voice low and teasing. "Show me."

"I swear it's nothing!" she insisted, but Shubman was too quick. He reached around her and gently pried the bottle from her hand. When he saw what it was, he burst out laughing.

"You were snooping!" he accused, holding up the Durex Play Tingle bottle like it was a trophy.

"I wasn't snooping!" she shot back, crossing her arms defensively. "The drawer was open, and I just... happened to see it, okay? It's not my fault you leave your entire sex arsenal lying around!"

He laughed even harder, clutching his stomach. "Sex arsenal? Babe, it's just a few things. Relax."

"A few things?" she repeated, glaring at him. "You have enough condoms and lube in there to last a lifetime! What are you, a walking advertisement for Durex?"

Shubman wiped a tear from his eye, his laughter finally subsiding. "Okay, okay, I admit, it's a bit much. But, you know... better to be prepared than not, right?"

She groaned, burying her face in her hands. "I can't believe I saw all of that. I didn't even know half of those things existed!"

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. "Aw, my sweet, innocent girl. You're too cute when you're flustered."

"Don't call me innocent," she mumbled, her face still buried in her hands.

He kissed the top of her head. "You are, though. And I love that about you. But seriously, don't worry about all that stuff. We'll go at your pace, okay? No pressure, no expectations."

She peeked up at him, her heart melting a little at how genuine he sounded. "You promise?"

"Cross my heart," he said, tracing an imaginary X over his chest. "And, for the record, you can ask me anything. No need to be shy about it. I'll explain whatever you want to know. Even if it's what tingle means."

She smacked his arm playfully. "Shut up, you asshole."

He grinned, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "I'm serious, babe. You can always talk to me about this stuff. Now, how about we forget all that and order some food? I'm starving."

Revathi smiled, her nerves finally settling. "Yeah, okay. But for the record, I'm never opening another drawer in this apartment again."

"Fair enough," he said with a laugh, grabbing his phone to place their order.

As they sat on the couch together, waiting for their food, Revathi couldn't help but feel a little more comfortable. Shubman always had a way of making her feel safe, even when things got awkward. 

Maybe this whole "dating a cricketer with a secret stash of Durex" thing isn't so bad after all.

Shubman returned to the room after getting dressed, a pair of relaxed joggers and a snug black T-shirt clinging to his toned frame. 

His hair was still damp, messy in a way that only made him look more effortlessly attractive. Revathi, meanwhile, was curled up on the couch, still recovering from her drawer discovery.

He walked over to her with a playful grin. "Come here, sweetheart."

"Nope," she replied, burying her face in a pillow. "This conversation is never happening. Ever."

"Babe," he said in a teasing yet firm tone, effortlessly lifting her off the couch and plopping onto the bed with her in his lap. 

"We're talking about this. You looked ready to combust earlier, and I can't have my girl running around thinking I'm a weirdo hoarder of questionable products."

She crossed her arms, pouting. "I wasn't thinking that!"

"Sure you weren't," he said, brushing her hair back from her face. "Now, let me explain, because it's obvious you're overthinking the hell out of this."

Her blush deepened. "I'm not overthinking," she muttered.

"Baby, you're practically a tomato right now." He chuckled and kissed her cheek before reaching over to grab the Durex Play Tingle bottle from where he'd left it on the nightstand. 

"Okay, let's start with this one. This," he said, holding up the bottle, "is lube. It's for, uh, reducing friction. Makes things smoother, more comfortable... and this one specifically has a cooling, tingling sensation."

Revathi's eyes widened. "A tingling sensation? Why would anyone want that?"

"It's supposed to feel good, Rev. Like, it adds a little extra... um, sensation during—" He cleared his throat, suddenly realizing how awkward it was to be explaining this to her. "You know."

"Oh my God," she whispered, covering her face with her hands. "This is worse than reading fanfic."

Shubman laughed. "Wait, you read smutty fanfiction? And you're this clueless?"

"Shut up!" she hissed, smacking his chest lightly. "Just because I read it doesn't mean I understand everything! Most of it is... exaggerated anyway."

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? Exaggerated, huh? Like how?"

"Not the point!" she snapped, her face burning. "Just keep explaining before I die of embarrassment, please."

"Okay, okay." He relented, holding up another bottle he'd grabbed—a small blue one labelled Play Warming. 

"This one's similar but creates a warm sensation instead of a cool one. Again, it's just about making things more enjoyable for both people. Totally normal."

She wrinkled her nose. "Doesn't that feel... weird? Like, how do you even know if it's too warm? What if it burns?"

He laughed so hard he almost dropped the bottle. "It doesn't burn, babe! It's not like chilli oil or something."

"Great," she muttered. "I've now learned way too much about your preferences."

"Hey, I said no pressure, remember?" He cupped her face gently, his voice softening. "I don't care if we never use any of this stuff. It's just there for when or if you're ready. It's about us being comfortable together, not about a drawer full of supplies."

She looked up at him, her blush still lingering but her nerves easing a little. "You're really sweet, you know that?"

He grinned. "I try." Then, he grabbed a bright blue condom packet labeled Invisible Ultra Thin.

 "And just so you know, this one is supposed to feel like it's not even there. Good for... um, you know, closeness."

"Okay, stop," she said, waving her hands frantically. "I don't need to know what each one is for! I get it now. You're just... thorough."

"Thorough is an understatement," he teased, setting the packet back down. "But I want you to feel like you can ask me anything. No judgment, no awkwardness. Okay?"

She sighed, leaning her head on his chest. "I guess that's fair. But next time, maybe warn me before I accidentally stumble on your 'collection.'"

"Deal," he said, kissing the top of her head. "And for the record, I think it's adorable how flustered you get."

"I hate you," she mumbled, though the smile tugging at her lips betrayed her words.

"Sure you do, baby." He pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her as they sat together. 

"But seriously, if you ever have questions about this stuff—or anything—you can always come to me. I've got you."

"Thanks, Shubman," she said softly, feeling a little less overwhelmed and a lot more grateful for how patient and understanding he was.

"Anytime, my love," he murmured, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.

SOUP RANTS!

Welcome to the twenty first chapter of this book!
okay, so I genuinely felt like including this chapter.
also yes, I had to google too much stuff as I myself don't know what the hell so many
products are for. and i know most of us just know 'condoms' and think that's how sex works.
also the next chapter is related to this too!
did we like this chapter?
I'll see you guys soon!
yours truly,

soup 🫶