The airport buzzed with the usual hustle and bustle of travelers, the echo of announcements blending with the murmur of countless conversations. Ishan and his family, along with Aditi, stood together near the check-in counters, their bags packed and ready for the flight back to their country. The past weeks had been a whirlwind of emotions, and now, as they prepared to leave, a mix of relief and sadness filled the air.

Ishan glanced at Shubman, standing a little apart from the group, his expression unreadable. The urge to ask him to stay, to never leave his side, gnawed at him, but fear held him back. What if Shubman didn’t feel the same? What if he was just a temporary solace amidst the chaos? Ishan’s heart ached with uncertainty.

Shubman, on the other hand, was struggling with his own turmoil. The thought of Ishan leaving made his chest tighten painfully. He wanted to tell Ishan to stay, to confess that he couldn’t imagine his life without him. But doubt clouded his mind. Was it selfish to ask Ishan to stay when he had a whole life waiting for him back home? He clenched his fists, trying to gather the courage to speak.

Aditi was chatting with Shahneel, unaware of the silent battle raging in Shubman and Ishan’s hearts. Shahneel, however, had a determined look on her face.She took a deep breath and turned to Aditi, her eyes shining with love and nervous excitement.

"Aditi, can I talk to you for a minute?" Shahneel asked, his voice trembling slightly.

"Sure, Shahneel. What’s up?" Aditi replied, smiling warmly.

Shahneel led her a few steps away from the group, his heart pounding. She took her hands in her, looking deeply into her eyes. "Aditi, these past weeks have been incredible. I’ve seen how strong and caring you are, and I’ve fallen in love with you. I can’t imagine my life without you. Will you marry me?"

Aditi’s eyes widened in surprise, and tears filled her eyes. "Oh, Shahneel, I... I don’t know what to say."

"Say yes," she whispered, her voice filled with hope and love.

Aditi looked at her, heart swelling with happiness. "Yes, Shahneel. Yes, I’ll marry you."

The group, having overheard the proposal, erupted into cheers and applause. Ishan hugged Aditi tightly, his own emotions bubbling to the surface. "I’m so happy for you, Aditi. You deserve all the happiness in the world."

Shubman, watching the joyous moment, felt a surge of determination. If Shahneel could muster the courage to propose, then so could he. He took a deep breath and walked over to Ishan, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Ishan," Shubman began, his voice shaking. "I... I need to talk to you."

Ishan turned to him, his eyes filled with curiosity and a hint of hope. "What is it, Shubman"

Shubman fumbled for words, his heart racing. "Ishan, these past few weeks have been so intense, you know? We've been through so much together, and I just... I wanted to say that, well, I really appreciate everything you've done. I mean, you've been so strong, and you've held everything together even when things seemed impossible."

Ishan’s heart sank a little. He hoped Shubman would say something more, something about staying together. But he listened, nodding, waiting for the words he longed to hear.

"And," Shubman continued, "I just think you're an incredible person. I don't know how I would've gotten through all this without you. You've been my rock, Ishan. You've been... you've been everything."

Ishan's chest tightened with disappointment. Each time Shubman spoke, he hoped for an "I love you" or a "stay with me," but it never came. He forced a smile, his eyes betraying his inner turmoil. "Thanks, Shubman. That means a lot to me."

The final boarding call for their flight echoed through the terminal, signaling that they had only moments left. Ishan turned to grab his bag, his heart heavy with the realization that Shubman might never say what he desperately wanted to hear.

As Ishan took a step towards his family, Shubman’s panic set in. This was it—the moment slipping through his fingers. He couldn't let Ishan leave without knowing how he truly felt. Summoning every ounce of courage, he reached out and grabbed Ishan’s arm, pulling him back.

"Ishan, wait!"

Ishan turned, surprised by the urgency in Shubman’s voice. Their eyes locked, and in that moment, everything else faded away. Shubman took a deep breath, his heart pounding so loudly he was sure Ishan could hear it.

"Ishan, I can't let you go without telling you the truth. I love you. I have for a long time, and these past weeks have only made me realize how much I need you in my life. I know it's sudden, and I know we have so much to figure out, but please... stay with me. Don't get on that plane. Stay here, with me."

Tears welled up in Ishan’s eyes as the words he had longed to hear finally spilled from Shubman’s lips. His heart swelled with joy and relief, the weight of uncertainty lifting from his shoulders. "Shubman, I love you too. I was just too scared to say it. I want to stay with you. I don't want to imagine my life without you either."

Shubman smiled through his own tears, pulling Ishan into a tight embrace. "I don’t care about anything else as long as we’re together. We’ll figure it all out,I will love you with all my hearts,I promise."

Ishan’s family watched, their hearts full of happiness for the two lovers. The final call for their flight echoed again, but this time, it didn’t matter. Ishan and Shubman stood there, wrapped in each other’s arms, oblivious to everything around them.

He put his forefinger under Ishan's chin and tilted it up. He ran the pad of his thumb back and forth over Ishan's lower lip. "So soft."

His other hand lifted to Ishan's cheek, fingers brushing the flushed skin. His hand slipped up into Ishan's hair, his finger's running through the thick black silk. He wallowed in the texture a moment before his hand slid behind Ishan's head and pulled him forward until their lips met in a featherlight kiss.

Shubman kept his eyes open, not wanting to miss anything, as he gently coaxed those soft full lips apart. He watched Ishan's eyes, and knew he wasn't mistaken in what he saw there. Love.His heart isn't hurting anymore, knowing that his feelings were returned.

Shubman memorized it all. This first and last kiss. The welcoming lips. The sensation of Ishan's tongue flicking around the inside of his mouth, tickling. The smell of Ishan's perfume.The sight of Ishan's eyes, half closed, losing focus. His thick black lashes brushing blushing cheeks. Moans, his and Ishan's, at the rising passion between them.

Ishan's hands trembled. He didn't want this kiss to ever stop.

But kisses have to end, and this one did, Ishan pulling back, both men breathing heavily, Shubman shaking with the effort required to restrain himself from going faint

Ishan sagged against Shubman's chest, feeling a mix of relief and joy. "You know, if by some chance you hadn’t proposed to me, I would have run back to you and slapped the daylights out of you anyway."

Shubman started laughing helplessly, tears in his eyes, as he held Ishan and kissed his forehead. "Good thing I did then."

******(Ten years later)

“Let’s go to sleep. It’s been ten years, but you’re always emotional when you’re writing this autobiography.” Shubman said.

"I can't understand how I should finish it after our airport confession. Help me," Ishan complained.

"Well, as the Indian team captain with a World Cup, I can tell you where the fielders should be. But this isn't my cup of tea. Write it later hubby, come here," Shubman called Ishan to bed.

Shubman pushed Ishan back until he reclined, then curled up at his side, kissing Ishan’s forehead. Shubman’s hands slowly raised and began combing through Ishan’s hair until they both fell asleep, just as they had been doing for the past ten years.

Ishan woke up in the middle of the night and saw Shubman's peaceful sleeping face—his favorite sight. Suddenly, an idea struck him on how to finish his autobiography.

Quietly, he slipped out of bed and went to his desk. With a heart full of love, he wiped the tears from his eyes and wrote the last line.

“Stay,” he said.

“And I stayed for the rest of my life.”

************************************

[a/n:This story first started as a 3 chaptered book only but then ended up being a seires.I did't know you guys will like it this much😭.Even I also enjoyed writing it most.

This is my last series on wattpad,(at least for a while),I will miss being bombered with notification from you all.Miss me guys!😭❤️

And If I miss Ishman too much, I might occasionally write one or two oneshot on my oneshot book.

Thanks for reading my books and all those sweet comments.They really mean a lot to me.😭❤️]