It was one of those rare, lazy Sunday afternoons where the world seemed to move at half speed. The curtains were drawn just enough to let in the golden sunlight, casting a warm glow over the living room. Shubman and Prapti were sprawled out on the couch, the remnants of their lunch still on the coffee table.

Prapti had been flipping through a magazine, her legs draped casually over Shubman's lap, but the magazine had long since been abandoned. 

Their attention had shifted entirely to each other, laughter melting into teasing banter, which in turn had led to Shubman leaning in to kiss her.

"I swear," he murmured between kisses, his hands sliding up to cup her face, "you're the most distracting person on the planet."

Prapti smirked against his lips, her hands tangling in his hair. "Says the guy who couldn't keep his hands off me during the movie last night."

"Not my fault you looked irresistible in that hoodie," he shot back, pressing another kiss to the corner of her mouth before trailing a line down her jaw.

Prapti giggled, her arms wrapping around his neck to pull him closer. "Shubman Gill, I think you might be addicted to me."

"Damn right, I am," he muttered, his voice low and teasing.

Neither of them heard the sound of the front door unlocking, nor the loud, boisterous voices that followed as Shubman's teammates let themselves in.

"Yo, Shubman, we're here!" Ishan's familiar voice called out.

Before they could react, the door swung open fully, and in marched Ishan, Virat, Rohit, KL Rahul, and Shreyas, carrying bags of snacks and drinks. 

The boys froze mid-step, their jaws collectively dropping as they took in the scene: Shubman on top of Prapti, their faces mere inches apart, clearly very preoccupied.

"WHAT THE ACTUAL F***?!" Ishan shouted, breaking the stunned silence.

"Holy sh**," Virat muttered, his eyebrows shooting up so high they nearly disappeared into his hairline.

Shubman and Prapti sprang apart like guilty teenagers caught by strict parents. Shubman's face turned bright red, while Prapti hastily adjusted her dishevelled hair, her cheeks flushed.

"Uh..." Shubman stammered, struggling to find words. "This isn't—uh—we were just—"

"Oh, don't even try, bro," Shreyas interrupted, raising a hand to stop him. "We all know what we just saw."

Rohit leaned casually against the doorframe, an unholy grin spreading across his face. "So this is what you've been up to, huh? Sneaking in make-out sessions on the couch while we're out busting our asses on the field?"

KL Rahul set his bag down on the floor, his arms crossed as he smirked at Shubman. "I mean, we knew you two were together, but damn, you're not even subtle about it."

"Don't blame me," Shubman blurted defensively, pointing at Prapti. "She started it!"

Prapti's jaw dropped in mock outrage. "Excuse me?! You kissed me first!"

Ishan groaned, covering his face with both hands. "This is so f***ing awkward. My girlfriend's best friend and my teammate—this is cursed."

"Oh, please," Virat said with a snort. "Like you and Kalyani haven't been caught doing worse."

Ishan sputtered indignantly, but before he could fire back, Shreyas clapped his hands loudly, drawing everyone's attention. 

"Okay, focus! The real issue here is that Shubman didn't tell us he was such a simp."

"Shut the hell up," Shubman muttered, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

Prapti, still flustered but unwilling to let the boys have the last laugh, raised an eyebrow. "You guys done gawking, or should we go back to ignoring you?"

Rohit laughed loudly, clearly enjoying every second of the chaos. "Oh no, we're just getting started. This is gold. Absolute gold."

"Alright, alright," Shubman groaned, standing up and running a hand through his hair. "You've had your fun. Now can you all leave us alone?"

"Leave? Are you kidding?" Virat said, plopping down on the armrest of the couch. "This is the most entertaining thing I've seen all week."

"Yeah, no way we're leaving," Shreyas added, grabbing a handful of chips from one of the bags. 

"This is prime-time reality TV."

Prapti sighed dramatically, throwing her hands up in mock exasperation. 

"Fine. Stay if you want. Just know that I'll be telling Kalyani and Geeta every embarrassing thing you idiots say."

Ishan groaned. "Oh, come on! Don't drag them into this!"

Prapti smirked, her confidence returning. "Then maybe don't barge into someone's flat unannounced."

Shubman couldn't help but laugh at her sass, his embarrassment melting away. He draped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. "You tell them, jaan."

The boys immediately erupted into fake gagging noises.

"'Jaan'?! Oh my God, he's whipped," KL Rahul declared, clutching his chest dramatically.

"Whipped? I'd say drowned," Rohit added, laughing.

Shubman rolled his eyes, leaning down to press a kiss to Prapti's temple. "Laugh all you want," he said with a grin. 

"She's still way cooler than any of you losers."

And with that, the chaos dissolved into a mix of teasing, laughter, and a renewed sense of camaraderie. Sure, the boys were relentless, but in the end, it was all in good fun. Shubman and Prapti wouldn't have it any other way.

woop woop!

and here we have the 12th chapter! 

i love them lmao

anyway, comments on the chapter?

hope y'all liked it!

- love soup