The bangles aren't what attract his attention, nor is it the fact that you're wearing a kurta in the heat and listening to ghazals.
It's the bliss on your face as your head falls back in satisfaction after eating your weekly bowl of rasmalai.
It's the way the juice is dripping from your lips.
He wants to kiss it off.
"Jake? Anything wrong?" you ask him, your lovely thick eyebrows furrowed as you lick your lips.
He just shakes his head, enamored at the fact that someone like you even gives a single shit about him. He understands why you love Steven, the guy was sunshine incarnate. And Marc, who showed his love often and communicated his feelings openly.
But him? What made him special?
He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice your hand come closer to cup his face, the cold glass bangle shaking him out of his thoughts.
His heart began to beat faster as you smiled, coming closer. Your fingers lightly dancing over his face, tracing the contours of his nose, smoothening his furrowed brow, softly rubbing his cheek bones.
"You have no idea how much I love you, huh?" you murmured.
He scoffed slightly, trying not to blush. You huffed out a laugh.
"Pichi."(idiot) and then you kissed him, lips tasting of rasmalai. Bangles jingling as your hands moved to his hair, tugging lightly. Your chunni was discarded.
The ghazals kept playing as you stared at each other, getting lost in each other as you had so many times before. Your kohl-lined eyes, were looking at him with so much love he was taken aback. He didn't need anymore reassurance.
----
He is supposed to be the calm one out of the three.
Yet he can't help but feel his blood boil when he sees you crying.
As he cups your face and makes you look at him, his heart breaks at the tear stains and the smudged kohl, which was always immaculate. Your lips are wobbling as you mumble incoherently.
"Baby, what happened?" he asks softly.
" Oh Marc, my boss, that harami.(asshole)" was all you managed to say before pulling him into a hug and sobbing into his chest.
"Oh baby, it's okay. You need to calm down. Do you want Steven to front?"
You shake your head, "Na na, it's okay. Koi bath nahi.(it's nothing)"
He smiles comfortingly, "Want some chai?"
He nearly laughs at the way your eyes light up as you nod.
A few minutes later, after you've washed your face and calmed down, he asks you again, "What did your boss do?"
You sigh, "He's one suar ka aulaad(son of a pig). You know how many nights I've stayed up late, finishing his reports for him, doing his work, and then doing my own work to the best of my ability. I'm one of the best writers in the team and I was so sure I would get the promotion, arey(used to show exasperation) everyone else was expecting me to get it. But that white piece of shit gave the promotion to Micheal, who didn't do a single thing. And when I asked him about it, all he said was that Micheal deserved it more because he was born here and he would benefit from it as a citizen of this country. Like, what shit is that? I don't deserve a promotion for all the shit I've done for him, and because I'm Hindustani? Somehow that doesn't click."
He clenches his jaw, "That jerk."
You nod and stand up, "Kutta.(Dog) I refuse to be made to feel small because of where I'm from. Arey, what right does that haramzaade(bastard) have? To state that me being Indian is a good enough reason to give MY promotion, the one I worked my ass off for, to some white dude who doesn't even lift a finger?"
"He has no right, baby. No right at all." he stands and takes your hands, pulling you into a hug, "Want me to teach him a lesson?"
You nod against his chest, "Don't let Jake kill him, please."
He chuckles, kissing your hair.
"Oh!" you pull back and reach into your bag on the table. You pull out a box and open the top to reveal sweets of all kinds.
"Found a good Indian store and I just had to buy these! They look just like Nani's." (nani means maternal grandmother)
He smiles as you take one out and cup your hand under it, moving to feed him a bite. His mouth is rewarded with a burst of flavour that leaves him wanting more.
"Nice, na?" you wink.
He swears he's never loved you more.
----------
"Ma, no. Please understand what I'm trying to say! How am I disrespecting you? I never raised my voice once! Please just listen!"
Steven has met your mom over video chat a few times, and she's one of the sweetest women he's ever seen. And yet, this very woman is the reason his love his currently trying not to scream into a pillow.
"Amma, just-. Look, you're in a bad mood, I'll call you later when you've calmed down." you cut the call and groan into your palm.
He slowly makes his way to the sofa where you're currently seated and plops down beside you.
"Lovey..what happened? Why was mum upset?" he asks.
"Nothing, jaan. She gets into one of her moods and expects me to remain in a good one because she's elder and she supposedly is never wrong and all that shit. All the elders in our family, except my nani are like that. Being elder makes you right, being younger makes you wrong, and if you think otherwise, you'll get a slap."
"Oh, lovey. I'm so sorry." he pulls you into a hug.
"Tell me what to do, Steven." you choke out, " I mean, one time she's the sweetest mother on Earth and the next she's like some fire-breathing dragon. She's the one who told me to pursue what I want, everytime I bitched about the education system back at home. She's the one who gave me chai everytime I dozed off during studying history. Gandhi sucks by the way. She cares for me, she loves me, i know that. And yet, if she loves me, why do I feel like this everytime we have a conversation?"
"Lovey, you know your mum better than I do. It sucks that she's like that. But you have to understand that all her life, she's probably been treated the same way you're being treated right now, she's would have felt the exact same way after every disagreement with your nani. Talk to her when she's calm, explain your situation. I know it hurts, baby. It'll be okay." he kisses your forehead.
"Oi Hoi, you've become quite the clever man, meri jaan. Thank you, thank you for being so understanding, so caring." you kiss him lightly and rest your forehead against his.
"Can we dance?" he asks after a few moments.
You grin, reaching for your phone and playing that one song that he's become obsessed with. The one from the Bollywood movie. You move slowly in tandem. Snorts of laughter coming from him when you trip over a discarded pair of chappals.
As the music intensifies, the both of you spin and crash into each other. Your jhumka's swing and your bangles jingle. Your kurta flies as he spins you in the air and kisses you.
Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta hein, yaara, mein kya karu. (I see god in you, my love, what should I do)
------
They're speechless.
She's looking so pretty. Jake coos.
Damn right, mate. Steven agrees.
Your lehenga is a dark green, gold embroidery on the shawl, and blouse. Your hands have mehendi on them, your lips tinted. Your eyes lined with kohl, you're wearing your signature jhumkas. The smile on your face as you look away shyly almost makes him fall flat on his face.
"Baby" he takes a step closer, the sherwani your mom gifted him matching with yours, "You look so lovely. Wow."
"Aw, thanks Marc. You look amazing as well."
Shut up and kiss her! Jake shouts
No, it'll ruin her lipstick! Steven protests.
He settles for taking her hand in his and kissing her palm.
Summary-You and Jesper argue over whose food is better, so you both prepare some food and feed them to none other than Kaz Brekker.(I’ve kept the dishes reader makes vegetarian okay? sorry to my non-veg peeps, dont worry tho, you’re going to get more in the next few days!)
Jesper! I’m telling you! Nothing beats an amazing paneer subzi! with pulao.”
“and I’m telling you that nothing beats an amazing pasta!” Jesper argued.
“ Oh really? Fine. Jesper Llewllyn Fahey, I challenge you to a cookoff, to see who’s food is better!” you get up and stand in front of him.
“ Challenge accepted! and who should we feed our food too? Nina would not like it since both the dishes are not sweet. Inej is out, Wylan is spending some time with his mother and you’re boyfriend is brooding as always.” Jesper looked around the Slat.
“We’ll feed it to Kaz, he secretly likes eating so he’ll eat anything we give him,” you say.
“ I don’t believe that” Jesper replies.
“ No one does, Jes, No one does.”
“AH saala chutiya thel!” you shriek as the oil splatters when you add the curry leaves.
“ Angel? Are you okay?” Kaz immediately comes over as you put your hand under water.
“ I’m fine Jaaneyman. Don’t worry” you add the mustard seeds and start mixing everthing.
“ What are you making?” Kaz asks.
“ Jesper and I are having a cook-off to see whose food is better and you’re going to be the judge.”
It’s because you’re so close to him that you can just manage to hear the small ‘yes’ he lets out.
“So what are you making?” he sits on the counter and stretches his bad leg out.
“ I am making some Indian food because I want you to finally taste some actual food instead of the bland, boiled food you eat.” you add the dal and the water and cover the pot, moving to making the paneer ka subzi.
“Not exactly disagreeing with you about the bland food angel.” saying so, he pecks your head and leaves.
~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~
“ Jesper, what are you making?” you ask the sharpshooter as he makes a sauce of some kind.
“ I am making my special pasta love, and let me tell you, you’re food doesn’t stand a chance!”
“ We’ll see Jes, we’ll see. Now to make the pulao!”
~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?
Finally after a few hours, Kaz is seated at the head of the table, fork and spoon in each hand as you and Jesper set the table up.
“ Okay Kaz, I’ve made my special two-sauce pasta, it’s a modification of my dad’s recipe and it’s a simple pasta with white sauce, mixed with red sauce and chicken.” Jesper announces as he serves Kaz his pasta.
Kaz takes a few bites while nodding and occasionally taking a sip of water.
“ This is good Jes.” he pushes the plate away.
Jesper whoops in delight, “ HA! Dirtyhands himself said my food was good, your’s doesn’t stand a chance!” he points at you and laughs.
You roll you’re eyes and give Kaz a plate of pulao, with a bowl of dal and some paneer.
He discreetly licks his lips and takes a spoonful of dal-chawal, And he instantly turns red.
“ Kaz? You okay?” you look at him.
He nods before taking a glass of water and chugging it down.
“ It’s spicy!” he breathes out.
“ It’s dal chawal! It’s literally the blandest indian dish ever!”
“ But why is it so spicy?”
“ It isn’t! Jes try some!” you tell the sharpshooter who is gawking at the sight of dirtyhands whining like a child for water.
Gingerly, Jes takes a bite.
“ This is amazing! Screw my pasta! and Kaz, this isn’t spicy what the hell?”
