"So what about the monster under the bed?" You asked in a barely audible tone and Shubman looked at you.

Your eyes were still closed while your head was on his shoulder. You were still sleeping.

Smiling a little at your somniloquy, he kissed the crown of your head as his arm that was wrapped around you moved a little, running his hand through your hair.

The car finally stopped once inside the driveway of the mansion, right in front of the stairs to the entrance.

"That's me," you mumbled, still talking in your sleep. "I slept under the bed." In the house you grew up in.

You always called that place a house and not your home. They are two different things. Four walls and a roof cannot make a home.

When the car door was opened for him from outside, Shubman held you carefully, getting out of the car with you in his arms. And you felt at home.

Stirring a little, you snuggled your head in his chest sleepily. "Are we home?"

"We are," he answered with a kiss to your temple, walking towards the stairs and up to your room on the third floor without breaking a sweat.

You said that you'll do the same for him another time.

"Alright, another time," Shubman replied as he walked inside the room, not turning the lights on.

He placed you on the bed and sat on the edge with your legs on his lap.

Slowly, he untied your shoes, taking them off your feet and placing them on the floor.

You winced a little, your legs hurting from all the running in the evening.

Shubman paused, waiting until you settled in your sleep again before he placed a hand on your ankle.

His hand gently stroked upwards to your knee, maintaining a steady and even pressure.

He repeated the action for ten minutes, pressing your legs and massaging your feet. It stimulates blood flow and improves circulation.

"Much better," you mumbled with a small yawn once he was done. "Thank you, Shubi."

"You're most welcome, love," Shubman mumbled, moving so that he was hovering above you a little.

He kissed your forehead, placing his fingers over your heavy eyelids and bringing them down softly.

"Sleep tight," he whispered as you wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him towards you.

He stayed for a few minutes, waiting till he was sure that you were completely asleep.

Half of his body was bent over in your embrace while his legs were on the floor. It was probably not the best position to sleep in for the whole night.

So he slid his own shoes off without waking you up, moving carefully so that he was lying on the bed too.

Shubman pulled you closer, placing another soft kiss on your forehead before letting your head rest against his chest.

"I love you," he whispered again, letting himself fall asleep knowing that if you were awake, you'd say that you love him too.

Time skip to morning~

"What about the second bracelet?" The mafia boss asked as he sat on the couch in his office, his face lacking any emotion.

But people who really knew him would see the hidden spark in his eyes as he looked over at the gifts, all that he had meticulously picked out for you.

"It's this one, sir," the man standing in front of him answered, moving one of the velvet boxes on the table forward.

Shubman stared at the diamonds, stating to himself that they'd look even more beautiful when they're on you.

The thought was interrupted as the elegant double doors to his office slammed open, revealing the one person who is the witness to most of his childhood injuries and is also the reason for a few.

"Shubi, Y/n and I are leaving for the store," Shahneel announced as she walked in. "We're working on a new design."

"Robin, assign the usual three-tier security," he ordered the man standing in front of him. "No newbies."

With a curt wave, he was dismissed and Shubman was looking over at everything placed on the table.

"Is that Cartier?" Shahneel asked as she sat on the couch beside him, eyes on the sparkling jewelry and accessories in front of her.

"Those two necklaces are Cartier," he pointed to the boxes placed beside each other. "This one is Bulgari."

"And the watch?" She asked with a bar of Amedei Tuscany in one hand and Mars in the other.

"Graff," he said while his sister unwrapped the Mars bar.

"And the pendant?" She asked again, breaking the chocolate in a seemingly equal share, handing it to her brother.

"That's not half," Shubman said as he looked at her hand. "Break it equally."

"It's mine, little brother. Be grateful that I'm even giving you this much," Shahneel replied as she chewed on her share of the chocolate.

"What about that one?" He briefly eyed the Italian chocolate in her other hand.

"Ishan brought it for me," she said and he nodded in response, eating the piece of Mars he was holding.

"Y/n?" He asked once he was done with the confectionery.

"She's getting ready and told me we'll leave after she comes down to your office for a goodbye kiss," Shahneel answered. "Well, she didn't exactly tell me."

She passed the wrapper to her brother.

"But her eyes gave it away when she said she wanted to see you before leaving." she added, counting the boxes placed on the table.

There were all kinds of jewelry, ranging from earrings to anklets, pendants to necklaces, made of everything from gold to platinum, emeralds to sapphires and fine rubies to diamonds.

"Twenty four," Shahneel said as she finished counting.

"For every birthday she couldn't celebrate," Shubman handed the chocolate wrapper to one of his men in the room.

"And for Christmas?" She asked and he pulled out another velvet box from beside him. "Diamonds again."

"They symbolize love and faithfulness," he said, a small smile appearing on his face as he looked at the bangles.

"I'm sure I'll be able to see no difference between you and whipped cream," Shahneel said as she got up. "I've raised you well."

"You didn't raise me," Shubman rolled his eyes a little. "Still, are you proud of me?"

"Yes, I did raise you," she said and he smacked her arm slightly. "And I'm proud of myself for bringing you up."

"Considering that time when you dropped a six month old me?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"How do you know?" She asked, just a little bit shocked. "That was between me and ma!"

"Dadi told me and papa when I was in fifth grade and apparently, she was present at the crime scene," he simply said. "Remember when I ate eight aloo parathas in one go?"

"And you had food poisoning the next day," his sister recalled.

"Yeah," Shubman confirmed as she got up from the couch, getting ready to leave. "Though she was happy I loved the food, she thought it had something to do with me possibly hitting my head."

"She thought you damaged the part of the brain that has a direct effect on digestion," Shahneel said and he nodded. "Whatever, I hate you."

Turning around, she was about to leave when her brother signaled for his men to place the boxes away carefully before you arrived.

And then he pulled out another velvet box from beside him.

"Di," he called and she turned to face him again.

Without warning, he threw the box at her and she caught it in time.

Opening the box, Shahneel found a Trinity Knot bracelet, one of the symbols for siblings from Celtic culture, representing never ending love, eternal love and unity between them.

"I hate you too," he said back.

A/n

Thought about this tweet Shubman posted for Shahneel's birthday in 2020: 'To the one who witnessed most of my childhood injuries and caused quite a few of them. The one who knows way too many embarrassing childhood secrets about me. Happy birthday to my doppelganger, have the best day. Love you.'