fathomlessbabbling - Tumblr blog

[fathomlessbabbling]

this is for those who despair over seeing ships or tropes that make them uncomfortable while they do their little scrolly-scroll on ao3, acting like they aren’t responsible for their own internet experience

(alternatively, the back button also works)

[fathomlessbabbling]

I really just need a win.

[fathomlessbabbling]

Hey y'all I'm super late to the party but I finally watched RRR and needed to write something~ This is a little canon-divergent post-whipping scene where Ram decides to visit Bheem in his jail cell and tell him everything. First shot at writing anything for this fandom, hope y'all like it!

Read on AO3

“Bheema.”

Bheem jerked awake at that voice - and then immediately regretted it. With consciousness returned the searing pain coursing through every fiber of his body. His bloodstained dhoti clung to his legs, and for some reason that made it hard to breathe. His chafed wrists had begun to heal, and the clotting blood had glued them to the ropes that bound him. He tried tentatively to move an arm and cried out in pain.

“Shh. Your left shoulder is dislocated. Don’t move,  I’ll help you.”

Ram stepped out of the shadows. Bheem struggled against his chains, trying to move away.

“No, don’t-” Ram’s voice cracked. “Bheema, please.”

Bheem froze. “What do you want?”

“I’m trying to help you.”

“Why?”

“They’ll kill you.”

“You- what about Malli? Why didn’t you-”

“I’ll tell you everything. Just let me untie you for a minute. It will help with the pain.”

Bheem stayed still as Ram knelt at his feet, unlocking the cuffs around his ankles. Then Ram stood and pulled out a pocket knife, using it to slowly peel the ropes away from Bheem’s wrists. Bheem choked back a whimper.

“I know, I know it hurts. I’ll be gentle. Lean on me, Bheema. Take deep breaths. You can do it.”

Bheem pressed his forehead into Ram’s shoulder, breathing through clenched teeth. 

Ram decided to distract him by telling him the truth. By the time the second rope had come off, he’d told Bheem everything - his training, his parents’ deaths, his mission, the atrocities he’d committed in the name of liberation. He explained, shamefaced, how he’d used Bheem as a pawn to get this position. He fought down a wave of nausea as he tried to justify not helping Malli sooner.

And then, when he had cut off the last bit of rope and officially run out of reasons to avoid Bheem’s gaze, he looked up.

Bheem was staring at him in horror. Ram didn’t know what else he’d expected.

“So anyway,” Ram continued. “I’m getting you and Malli out of here. I’ll have to kill the governor to do it. He doesn’t suspect me. If it stays that way,  I’ll survive and return for the weapons. If he puts two and two together…” Ram let out a shaky sigh. “God, Bheema, please say something. Anything.”

To Ram’s astonishment, Bheem got to his knees. With his uninjured hand, he clasped Ram’s feet.

“Annayya,” Bheem choked out. “I tried to kill you. Forgive me.”

“Bheema!”

“I did not understand your great purpose. I did not know what you had gone through to get here. At every step I made things harder for you, and you still came back for me. You are so merciful, Annayya, so good-”

“Enough,” Ram managed, fresh tears springing into his eyes. He took Bheem by the shoulders and lifted him to his feet, watching him wince at the injuries Ram had inflicted on him not even a full day earlier. “How can you say such things? And after what I did yesterday?” Ram tenderly brushed a hand over the lash marks on Bheem’s side, causing him to shudder. “If anyone should beg for forgiveness, it is me.”

Bheem shook his head, leaning weakly into Ram’s arms. “Annayya, I should have understood you, like I always have. I should have trusted you. Forgive me.”

Ram brought a hand up to cradle Bheem’s head, trying to steady his own breathing as Bheem sobbed quietly into his shoulder. He would get them out of this alive, Ram vowed. And when he did, he would apologize to Bheem properly. He would make sure that as long as he lived, Bheem never knew pain again.

But for now…

“Bheema,” Ram began, hating what he was about to do. “We have to relocate your shoulder, okay? Will you let me do that?”

Bheem nodded, looking at Ram with implicit trust. It made Ram sick with regret.

“Okay, here, lie down. This is going to hurt, Bheema, but you cannot cry out. There are guards out there not twenty meters from us. If they find me here, neither of us will make it out alive, understand?”

“Annayya…” Bheem whimpered, finally letting fear into his eyes in front of Ram.

Hot tears streamed down Ram’s face, but he knew what he had to do. He climbed over Bheem’s supine body, using his knee to brace Bheem’s clavicle. He positioned his right hand over the dislocated shoulder, and pressed his left hand tightly over Bheem’s mouth. He counted to three and then pushed with all this strength.

Bheem’s body spasmed under his, but Bheem did not cry out. Ram quickly clambered off Bheem and crawled on his hands and knees to a corner of the cell, retching silently. He had committed innumerable acts of torture before, but nothing had ever gotten to him like this.

Suddenly, he felt a warm hand on his cheek.

“Annayya,” Bheem said softly, turning Ram’s face towards himself. He shook his head, wiping away Ram’s tears with a gentleness of which Ram felt wholly undeserving.

Ram got to his feet, taking Bheem’s hands and walking him back to the bloodied chains and ropes. 

“Bheema, I need to tie you back up. Not properly, just enough to avoid suspicion. The ropes will be loose, and I won’t lock any of the cuffs. Tomorrow, when they come to get you, you will be able to break free easily, okay? Remember the plan. Wait until you are by the forest to escape.”

As Ram went about securing the chains, Bheem’s eyes filled with tears.

“Annayya,” he begged, unable to bury emotion with reasoning. “Annayya, don’t leave me here. Please don’t leave me.”

Ram made a wounded sound. His hands continued fastening the ropes.

“Annayya, I swear I will listen to everything you say. Have mercy, take me with you.”

“Quiet, Bheema.”

“Annayya, I’m sorry. Forgive my past transgressions. Don’t punish me by leaving me here alone. Annayya, please!”

Ram dropped the ropes in agony, gathering Bheem into his embrace. Bheem clung to Ram’s trembling frame, understanding how Malli must have felt when he left her behind. Understanding how utterly helpless Ram must be feeling now. He took a deep breath.

“Go,” Bheem whispered into Ram’s shoulder.

Ram pulled back, taking Bheem’s face in his hands. He pressed a long kiss to Bheem’s forehead. Then he stepped out of the cell and locked it.

Ram gripped the metal bars and caught Bheem’s teary gaze.

“Bheema, do you trust me?”

“Always, Annayya.”

“Then believe me when I say that this time tomorrow, you and Malli will be free.”

Ram turned to leave.

“Annayya, that is not enough.”

Ram froze.

“Promise me you will be with us.”

“Bheema-”

“Swear it. Swear it on my life.”

“Bheema!”

“Please, Annayya. I will never ask you for anything else. Just this. Just you.”

As long as he lived, Ram thought, he would never understand what he had done to deserve Bheem. He reached through the bars and placed his hand on Bheem's head. 

“I swear I will be with you. All three of us will make it out of this alive. And then, Bheema, I will see to it that suffering never touches you again.”

With that, Ram turned and disappeared into the night.

______________

@fangirlshrewt97 your writing for this fandom inspired me to try so I figured you might be interested? Please lmk if you don't want to be tagged!

[fathomlessbabbling]

[fathomlessbabbling]

Side Note To Fan Fic Authors

Here’s the thing.

I read a lot of scripts.  A lot.  From professionals to aspiring writers to complete newbies.  Features and pilots.  Specs and treatments.

And 8 times out of 10 the fan fic that I’ve read over the last, oh, 15 years is leagues better than this stuff.  It’s more inspired.  It’s more compelling.  It’s genre bending and creative and heartfelt.  It’s well-paced and intense and funny and sexy and meaningful.  It’s smart and thoughtful and good.  It’s novel-quality.  Better than, sometimes.

Rare is the script I don’t want to put down, but how often have we stayed up until 3am to get to the last chapter of a 100k fic? And it’s not even a fan fic author’s day job.  This is what they do on the side.  In their spare time.  For free.

So my point is, fan fic authors, you’re good.  You’re good writers and great storytellers.  I know it doesn’t always feel like it, especially if you’re one of the authors who’s not a BNF and doesn’t get the notes/hits that a few do.  And  because some people still view fic as “not real writing.” You guys know the shit that gets made into movies.  You’re better than that.  So be better than that.  If writing is what you think want to do, then just know you’re already doing it.   You’ve already started.

And you’re more talented than you might think.

[fathomlessbabbling]

THIS.

This.

[fathomlessbabbling]

Of course I would absolutely accept it from you as well! 🥹

I see sad Kitty. Sad Kitty gets a hug 🫂❤️

You get a hug too...

😘

And lots of love

[fathomlessbabbling]

Can I also sign up for a hug and loving? 🥺

I see sad Kitty. Sad Kitty gets a hug 🫂❤️

You get a hug too...

😘

And lots of love

[fathomlessbabbling]

TigeRRR2023 Master Post of created works

The total amount of works contributed for this event until May 10:

49 new works

AMAZING!! Thank you to all creators contributing to this event! You really helped getting more Bheem-centric works out there and spreading the love for his character.

You can find the links to all the submitted works below. Please go ahead and like, share and comment to show your appreciation for all these wonderful works!

Did we miss someone’s work? Please send us a message with the link so we can add it to the list! Did we write something wrong? Please also let us know!

(You may still submit works until May 20, they will be added to this post later.)

CHECK OUT THE FULL LIST OF WORKS BELOW:

ARTWORKS (19)

‘Bheem and his elements’, photo compilation by Gifseafins

‘Bheem + animals’, photo compilation by Gifseafins

‘Prompt 4: Bheem + medical abilities’, photo compilation by Gifseafins

‘Celebrating for Bheem’, photo edit by Mesimpleone

‘I Will Bring Her Back’, painting by Nisreen.

‘I came for Malli!’, photo compilation by Gifseafins

‘Bheem & Jenny during naatu naatu’, photo compilation by Gifseafins

‘Bheem & Jenny’, photo compilation by Gifseafins

‘Akhtar the mechanic’, photo compilation by Gifseafins

‘Flame’, pencil drawing by Nisreenart

‘Naatu Naatu, but it’s Bheem versus Jake’, photo compilation by Gifseafins 

'Bheem,Jenny and Ram', photo compilation by Astrafangs

'Bheem, Jenny & baby', photo compilation by Gifseafins

Artwork of Bheem for the fic 'To Name the Stars', by Rrrings.

'To the clouds and to the waves', photo compilation by Astrafangs.

Video compilation of Bheem & Ram, by Mesimpleone

'Bheem chibis', by Amalthea9

'Animal Transformations with Bheem, Ram and Malli' by Umbrulla

Gift for the fic "Honey Gold Eyes and Tiger Cubs", by Gifseafins

FANFICTION (17)

‘Bheem & Baby's Day out’, by Ronaldofandom

‘How big, how blue, how beautiful’, by Taylorklaine

‘When the nightmares come’, by Stars-in-the-distance

‘New regulars’, by Astrafangs

‘Raag dvesh / the fight unseen’, by Kaagazkefool

‘Worlds apart’, by Ronaldofandom

‘Dreams of your hair and your stare and sense of belief’ (NSFW), by Taylorklaine

‘Blueprints’, by Stars-in-the-distance

‘21. Sick’, by Ggunsailor (on Ao3)

‘9. A day off’, by Ggunsailor (on Ao3)

‘16. Comfort’, by Ggunsailor (on Ao3)

‘Children of the forest’, by Ronaldofandom

‘Bheem's love, a RamBheemJenny triangle fic’, by Ronaldofandom

‘Tam’mudu’, by Andyhoodfanatic

‘On the other side of the wall’, by Stars-in-the-distance

'Mere humnafas, mere humnawa mujhe dost ban ke dagaa na de... / Doomed', by Kaagazkefool

'To Name The Stars', by Rrrings

RRR - Honey Gold Eyes and Tiger Cubs, by Fangirlshrewt97

POETRY (4)

‘Rekindled - a jenny pov poem for bheem’, a poem by Kaagazkefool

‘Pious - a ram pov for bheem’, a poem in Hindi and English, by Kaagazkefool

‘All I know is that he was of the water’, a poem by Amalthea9

'Departure,' a poem by Kaagazkefool

OTHER WRITTEN WORKS (8)

Analysis of Bheem’s introduction scene in the movie, by Ririsasy

Incorrect quote between Bheem & Jenny, by Ronaldofandom

Funny short about Bheem avoiding an injection, by Ronaldofandom

Incorrect quote about squishing Bheem’s cheeks, by Ronaldofandom

Incorrect quote between Bheem & Ram, by Ronaldofandom

Incorrect quote about Bheem practising spelling, by Ronaldofandom

Incorrect quote about Bheem, Jenny and Ram making a wish, by Ronaldofandom

Incorrect quote about Lacchu loving Bheem, by Kaagazkefool

Tumblr taglist of creators:

@carminavulcana, @stars-in-the-distance, @ronaldofandom, @kaagazkefool, @gifseafins, @ririsasy, @amalthea9, @nisreenart, @mesimpleone, @andyhoodfanatic, @astrafangs, @taylorklaine, @rrrings, @umbrulla, @fangirlshrewt97

[fathomlessbabbling]

Smile, a Charak fic. Chapter 6: The Truth

This is a work of RPF. If you are uncomfortable with this, I VERY MUCH encourage you not to read this chapter.

This is also a chapter with an Explicit rating. Again, if you are not comfortable, do not read.

AO3 link here.

This is my first time writing a NSFW scene, so let me know what you think.

***

Tarak wrestled with the strange feeling in his gut since Tomas pointed out their observations of Ram at the beach. This sensation in the pit of his stomach was the perfect mixture of anxiety and hope; it made it difficult to live in and enjoy the moment truly. They spent a couple of hours on the beach before Tomas turned to Tarak and Ram with a face of fatigue.

“I think we have to wrap it up, gentleman. All this sun is hitting me a little hard this afternoon,” Tomas said with a weary voice.

Ram perked up with an expression of minor worry, “Not a problem! I’m sure we can find more to do throughout the day..”

Tarak’s attention picked up from his phone as he had read Tomas’ text multiple times since it came through, suddenly feeling a heat spread from his stomach to his chest as the opportunity to tell Ram was quickly approaching. He hesitated before nodding, “Yeah. We will be fine. We can care for ourselves if you both need to go home and relax.”

Tomas smiled, “Thank you, guys. I’m sorry. Too much sun on the beach, and all the energy gets sucked right out of me.” He gathered most of their stuff into their cooler to bring to the SUV.

As Tomas lifted the cooler to bring it to the vehicle, Ram stepped in to take one of the handles to assist. The two men left Tarak and Mateo to finish gathering the rest of their stuff. Mateo glanced at Tarak once the other two men were out of earshot.

“You feeling alright?” Mateo was blessed with a deeper voice that soothed Tarak’s ears.

“Yeah… I think,” Tarak said, too enveloped in his own thoughts to really be able to articulate.

Mateo put a caring hand on Tarak’s shoulder. “Remember something for me. Whatever happens, there is nothing wrong with how you feel, man.” The larger man gave a comforting squeeze as he stepped away. It was clear Mateo wanted to allow Tarak space to process everything.

Tarak was appreciative of the caring gesture. Even if, at this moment, he was too numb from his anxiety to show it. As Tarak and Mateo approached the SUV with the rest of the beach supplies, Ram stepped back from the trunk and hugged Tomas.

“I told Tomas since the hotel was so closeby that we could just go for a short walk back to our room to figure out what we would do for the night,” Ram said with a smile, then turning to Mateo, “Make sure he hydrates and uses some aloe vera. It will help with any sunburn if it comes up.”

Tarak watched as Ram went into caregiver mode. It was always the sweetest thing when Ram recognized when someone was ailed with something, either physical or emotional. It meant that he cared deeply and wanted to do his part to ensure their health. Tarak smiled lightly as he watched the conversation between Ram and their two friends. The anxiety eased momentarily and allowed Tarak to hope that what Tomas and Mateo said was true. He took a deep breath of the warm air and relaxed his mind and muscles.

Tarak approached and also gave both Mateo and Tomas a hug, “You are both wonderful. Thank you for this beach day. It was nice getting to relax by the ocean for a while.”

Tomas hugged Tarak closely and whispered as Mateo gave Ram a verbal goodbye, “We are a phone call away. Please keep us posted.” His tone was one of true caring, surprising Tarak to a point. Knowing he had people to turn to if the conversation went sour comforted him.

A few moments later, the black SUV pulled away from the parking spot, and with a wave, Tomas and Mateo had left them to their own devices. There was a comfortable silence between Tarak and Ram as they stood to wave. Eventually, Tarak turned and looked at Ram.

“Shall we, Charan?”

Ram met his glance with a warm smile that would melt any glacier, “We shall, Taraka.”

The two men walked through the beautiful Los Angeles streets and carried themselves as always. They talked about how wonderful Tomas and Mateo were to treat them to a nice time, they laughed and joked, and Ram managed to get one good pinch on Tarak’s ribs to the point that Tarak yelped with surprise and recoiled like a child. Things were as normal as they could be with the two men.

However, Tarak felt that energy build up inside him the closer they got to the hotel. How am I going to tell him? Should I wait until later in the evening? No, it has to be once we get back. I don’t know how long I can keep pretending. What will he say? Will he want me to leave and go back home? Thoughts continued to swirl in Tarak’s mind with each step. It was as if the fear inside had its own personality, and he struggled with it every time his heart swelled around Ram.

“Everything okay, Tarak?” Ram asked with a warm smile.

Tarak perked up at the question, “Of course, baby. Why?”

“You just seem very in your own head lately. I just wanted to make sure that you were alright.”

Tarak smirked and spoke truthfully, “I’m just working through some things in my head. Nothing to worry about.”

Ram’s eyes hovered on his for a moment as they continued to walk before he nodded.

A few minutes later, they approached the front doors of their hotel. Tarak’s heart was beating faster than it had in quite a while. Why can’t you be alright with how things are with you and Ram? Why do you have to want more? His mind was starting to betray him; the fear and angst of feeling something deeper for Ram than mere friendship beginning to grip him. As they stepped into the elevator, he could almost feel a weight on his chest slowly grow, threatening to rob him of his ability to breathe. Tarak did his best to take a deep breath as the elevator doors opened to their floor, and they moved to the hotel room door; an uncomfortable silence had settled between them.

Once the hotel room door closed behind them, Ram moved to his luggage to retrieve his phone charger. Tarak stepped towards his bag and felt like his skin was on fire with nerves. He took a long breath and stared out the window into the beautiful city.

Now, or never. Tarak told himself internally.

Just as he turned and was about to speak, Ram spoke up.

“Tarak…? There’s… There’s something I need to tell you,” Ram’s face was serious, but there was a hint of nervousness to his tone, which caused Tarak’s brow to furrow.

“What’s wrong?” Tarak asked. His thoughts immediately went to the beach. Maybe he saw Tarak looking at him. Maybe Tomas said something. As his mind ran wild with possibilities, Ram met his gaze, and he felt his thoughts go blank.

Ram paused and opened his mouth as if to speak, but only a breath came out.

“I…” Ram finally started to talk, Tarak seeing his expression drop as he found the words, “I had a wonderful time today….” His eyes were downcast, and he had the expression of someone who meant to say something else entirely.

Tarak eyed him with a curious and hopeful look but felt a surge of energy in his chest as Ram turned to sift through the clothes in his suitcase. As Ram had turned and broke eye contact, Tarak followed suit, but in the moments that followed, lost control of his body and his words.

“Ram,” Tarak said, husky and heavy, “I… I actually need to tell you something too….”

Ram turned quickly, locking eyes with Tarak. His eyebrows raised expectantly, but he remained silent.

Tarak took a deep breath, his heart pounding in his chest. "I... I have to be honest. I haven't been feeling alright, as I said I was before... I've been struggling with something that has weighed heavily on my heart. It scared me deeply, but I've come to terms with it." He paused, searching for the right words, his voice filled with vulnerability. "I've missed you so much, Ram. Working on RRR was undoubtedly one of the best times in my life, and it took me a while to understand why. It wasn't just about the work; it was because I got to be next to you every day. I got to hold your hand, and it was magical." Tarak's voice quivered as tears welled up in the corners of his eyes.

Clutching his eyes shut, Tarak continued, fearing the worst. "I can't stop thinking about you. Every night as I try to sleep, thoughts of you consume me. Your touch makes my smile brighten, your smile makes my heart race, and when you speak, my muscles threaten to give out." He struggled to find his next words, his voice filled with raw emotion. "I've realized that my feelings for you run deeper than friendship or brotherhood. I care for you with all my heart, Ram. I believe I've felt this way for years, but it took me so long to realize it. And while I'm overwhelmed with these feelings for you, I'm also deeply terrified."

Tarak's tears flowed freely now as he confessed his deepest fears, his voice breaking through shuddered breaths. "I'm terrified to be standing here, saying these words because my worst fear is that you will turn away or that our friendship will end. I need you like I need air or the sun on my face. I hope beyond hope that our closeness won't end because, with you by my side, I would no longer need to dream. Because how can a dream be more beautiful than seeing your smile each day...?"

There was a tense silence, and Tarak couldn't bear it. His fear gripped him too tightly, and the weight of his vulnerability threatened to break him. "I'm so sorry, Ram," he breathed out, holding his head in his hands. As Tarak's emotions overtook him, he felt Ram's warm, soft hands gently grip his own. Ram's fingers intertwined with his, giving him a glimmer of hope. Tarak slowly lifted his teary eyes to meet Ram's gaze.

Ram stood before him, tear streaks marking his cheeks. His voice was filled with tenderness and emotion as he spoke, his hand cupping Tarak's cheek, gently wiping away the tears. "Tarak... I have been yours since the day we met," he confessed, his voice quivering. "Thoughts of you have never left my mind all these years. You've always had my heart in your hands. You are my Tarak."

Tarak's heart skipped a beat, his eyes widening in disbelief. He searched Ram's face for any sign of uncertainty but found none. Something unspoken passed between them, a shared understanding. Tarak took a small step closer, silently asking for permission, and saw a faint smile tugging at Ram's lips. Tarak’s hand slowly rose to rest against Ram’s cheek as his thumb caressed away the tears that had rolled down his beautiful eyes. He felt their breaths comingle from their proximity, making his body tremble. Ram’s eyes were so beautiful. Tarak looked at Ram’s lips and felt his head lean closer, almost on its own.

In a moment of breathtaking beauty, Tarak closed his eyes and felt his lips brush against Ram's in a tender, hesitant kiss. Time seemed to stand still as their lips lingered, the world around them fading into the background. Every worry, every ounce of anxiety melted away, leaving only the warmth and connection between them.

Tarak felt a surge of electricity coursing through his veins as the kiss deepened, their lips moving in sync. It was almost a dance, a meeting of long-hidden desires finally given freedom. He could feel himself absorb the moment, the feeling of their genuine connection only realized through this kiss. He felt his body press closer to Ram’s, wanting to immerse himself in the other man's warmth. His arms wrapped around his Ram and pulled him into an embrace that conveyed all the desire inside. Ram's hands found their place around Tarak’s shoulders, his fingers caressing along his neck, which sent a shiver down Tarak’s spine. The world around them faded away as they kissed, leaving only the sound of their heartbeats in their ears. The weight that had lifted from both of them was the acceptance of their true feelings for one another.

Every touch, every movement felt electric, as if the universe had conspired to bring them together. Tarak reveled in the softness of Ram's lips, how they molded perfectly against his own as if this kiss was always meant to be. As the kiss gradually subsided, Tarak rested his forehead against Ram's; their breaths fell on their beards, the intensity of their desire thick in the air. They remained locked in their embrace, savoring the moment.

"I never want to let you go," Tarak whispered, his breathy voice filled with sincerity. He hadn’t spoken a truth so deep in his life. Ram's gaze met his, and they exchanged a knowing smile, their eyes conveying a depth of understanding that words could not capture.

"I don’t either," Ram replied softly, his voice laced with tenderness.

Tarak's heart swelled with joy, knowing that his feelings were reciprocated and their friendship had blossomed far deeper.

“I would very much like to kiss you again. If you’ll have me,” Tarak whispered, a slight grin playing across his face.

Ram giggled a little before leaning forward again, capturing Tarak’s lips in a kiss that continued to deepen. Tarak felt his body shift backward until his legs met the side of his bed. He broke the kiss to confirm how close they were to his bed before turning back to Ram. Before he could say anything, he felt Ram’s hand gently push against Tarak’s chest to guide him onto his bed. Tarak smiled and slowly moved until he was laid down while Ram followed him. Tarak let out a small excited giggle as Ram hovered above him and leaned down to capture another deep kiss again.

Their lips continued to move in sync, the passion and tenderness building with each passing moment. Tarak's hands roamed across Ram's back, pulling him closer until there was no space between them. Ram's hands trailed down Tarak's chest, his fingers tracing patterns over the fabric of his shirt. The heat between them was palpable, the air thick with desire.

Tarak moaned as Ram's lips moved down his neck, trailing hot kisses along his skin. He felt his body responding to Ram's touch, every nerve ending on fire. It was as if they had been waiting for this moment for years, the culmination of a love brewing beneath the surface for far too long.

Ram's hands moved to the hem of Tarak's shirt, his fingers dipping underneath to trace circles on his stomach. Tarak arched his back, wanting more contact, more of Ram's touch. He felt Ram's lips curve into a smile at his reaction. Then, feeling playful and explorative, Tarak quickly flipped their positions, Ram snickering at the sudden movements. Tarak dove back in to capture Ram’s kiss with hunger as his hands roamed his muscular chest, finally indulging all of the many thoughts that crossed his mind these last few days. As Tarak’s kisses traveled from Ram’s lips to his neck, he delighted in the small whines that emanated from him.

Tarak’s hands found the edge of Ram’s shirt, and he looked up into Ram’s eyes with a look of hunger and a need for connection.

“I’ve never done this before…” Tarak admitted with a breath as he gazed into Ram’s gorgeous eyes with anticipation.

Ram reached up and caressed Tarak’s face as he showed a comforting smile, “I haven’t either. But we can take it slow. We have all the time in the world,” Ram whispered, his voice filled with love and reassurance.

Tarak felt relief wash over him, knowing they were both in the same boat. He leaned in to capture Ram's lips again, his hands moving to explore the smooth skin of his stomach under the tank top. The heat intensified, the world around them nonexistent as they explored each other's bodies with a hunger bordering on desperation. It was an intoxicating feeling, the thrill of discovery mixed with the deep love and affection they shared. Tarak growled as he felt the bulge growing in his swimsuit rub against Ram's, the friction making his body tremble.

As their passion continued to grow, Tarak lifted Ram's shirt up and over his head, taking in the sight of the smooth tan skin of his chest. Tarak then removed his own shirt and leaned down, needing to feel their bodies together as his lips found Ram's clavicle. The sensation of Ram's bare chest against his own was exhilarating. Tarak's kisses trailed down to the center of Ram's chest, and he felt his lover’s hands move through his dark curls.

Their bodies were entwined in a heated dance, each touch and movement sending sparks of pleasure. Tarak could feel his own desire growing with each passing moment, matched only by the intensity he could feel radiating from Ram. His hands and lips traced their way down Ram's body, exploring every inch of skin, as Tarak moved lower and lower towards the tent in Ram's swim trunks.

“Tarak…” Ram moaned, his body trembling as his lover was now close to eye level with his waist.

“Do you want this?” Tarak asked in a flirty voice, lightly brushing against the tip of the tent in Ram’s swim trunks with his palm. Tarak felt a dark hunger build from the moment of contact and met Ram’s gaze with a look of mischief. Ram’s body flexed from the brief moment of contact, his breath coming in small bursts as the desire overtook his faculties. Ram met Tarak’s hungry gaze and nodded with a breathless smile.

Tarak slipped his fingertips under the waistband of Ram’s swimsuit trunks and lifted as he pulled down, slowly seeing Ram’s member revealed before him. He felt that burning desire only grow as he slipped Ram’s trunks the rest of the way down his legs and tossed them to the side. He stared with hunger at its length and smirked at the throbbing sensation that made it twitch. He locked his eyes with Ram as he reached up and gently wrapped his hand around its length, taking in the new and delightful feeling as he stroked it up and down. Ram’s eyes clutched shut, and another delicious sound escaped him at the sensation, making Tarak’s grin widen. He then took his other hand to gently cup and massage Ram’s testicles, finding himself mesmerized by how smooth they felt in his hand. This exploration was driving Tarak wild, and he constantly looked up to Ram for confirmation to continue.

As he played with Ram’s member, he found himself moving closer and closer to the tip. Tarak knew his breath was teasing the skin as Ram’s trembles beneath him became more uncontrolled. Feeling a surge of curiosity, Tarak held his hand at the base of Ram’s cock so it stood up straight and flicked his tongue over the tip. Ram became breathless as he cast a pleading glance down at Tarak as a sign to do that again. Tarak then dragged his tongue along the shaft before sliding Ram’s length into his mouth, enjoying the taste and the feeling.

Ram’s movements grew wilder as Tarak bobbed his head up and down, loving the feeling of Ram’s length throbbing in his mouth. Finding the hunger take over, Tarak moved with purpose. His once curious movements were replaced by the pure desire to please his lover. As Ram’s breaths became more energized, Tarak pushed himself to take Ram further and further down his throat. It was a challenge, but one he took seriously. The first time he found himself deepthroating Ram, his cock hit the back of his throat. He started to gag but fought back the urge. He wanted to feel the entire length of his lover in his mouth. His determination was rewarded as he slowly slid Ram’s length down his throat, feeling his throat open to accept it. Tarak found deep pleasure in the feeling while Ram’s hands shot down to his head and gripped him tight as he moaned out Tarak’s name.

It was the sign he had waited for. Tarak pulled back and had to work hard to catch his breath. He then looked up to Ram for his cue. Ram’s eyes were clenched shut, his head tilted back. Tarak then wrapped his hand around Ram’s length and began to stroke at a frenetic pace. Ram’s body seized up, and he let out a guttural moan, coating Tarak’s hand in his seed. He stared in awe at Ram’s primal sexiness. Tarak continued pumping his hand up and down until Ram’s cock stopped throbbing in his hand until the last drop had landed on his wrist. Tarak reached for one of the towels they had brought to the beach and cleaned his hand. At some point, he would explore what it was like to taste Ram’s release, but that would be an experience for later.

A few minutes later, Ram came to his senses as he looked down at Tarak.

“You… holy shit Tarak, you were amazing,” he said with a dazed smile. Tarak grinned and blushed, his confidence bolstered.

“You liked it?”

“Of course I did!” Ram replied, taking Tarak’s hand and kissing the back of it, “You’re amazing.”

Tarak blushed and looked away, but he didn’t have time to process that Ram thought so highly of him before Ram took hold of his face and pulled him in for a kiss. Tarak placed his arms around his waist, and the two kissed deeply. It started out slow, but soon it built into something more fiery.

Tarak felt Ram’s hand at his waist as the kiss built up in passion. When Ram broke the kiss, he saw the mischievous spark in his eyes as he deftly flipped their position again. Tarak allowed himself to be laid on the bed as his lover climbed on top of him. With a hunger and intensity that caught Tarak off guard, Ram’s mouth kissed and nipped from his neck to his hairy chest. Tarak closed his eyes and leaned his head back in pleasure as Ram stopped to bury his face in the tuft of hair at the center of his muscular chest before he continued kissing downward. As Ram got closer to his waist, he felt one of his hands grip and massage his own throbbing member under his swim trunks. He found himself almost growling at how he enjoyed the feeling, catching a mischievous glance from Ram as he smiled and continued kissing downward.

He blushed as Ram slowly slipped his trunks down, feeling completely exposed to his Ram. He smiled as Ram’s eyes widened at his size before he saw a hungry smirk reveal itself. Unlike his exploration of Ram, he was teased as Ram leaned down to kiss his inner thigh and then up to the base of his belly. It was as if Ram delighted in avoiding making any contact with his quivering length. Every time Ram moved as if he would finally caress the tip of Tarak’s member with his lips, Ram would shift his movement to tease him again. This delightful little dance made Tarak’s body tremble with desire; his nerve endings felt like they were catching on fire every time Ram moved away.

Tarak sent a hungry glare down at Ram and saw a devilish grin in return. Eventually, Ram positioned his mouth above the prominent member and, without hesitation, slid as much as he could into his mouth, eliciting a moan dripping with pleasure from Tarak.

"Ram! " Tarak groaned his name in the throws of ecstasy,

That was all it took for Ram to begin bobbing up and down, taking the length as far down his throat as much as possible. Ram was completely lost in the pleasure that having Tarak so deep in his mouth gave him. He couldn't help but look up as he serviced Tarak, satisfied at the moans and whimpers coming from above him. He loved the feeling of Tarak’s hands in his hair and that he was the one to make Tarak feel this way.

Tarak could feel his body heating up. He could feel the haze of the pleasure building toward his climax. Ram must have picked up on that as he removed his mouth from Tarak's length and leaned down to lick at his balls, preventing the release for the moment. Tarak had no idea how sensitive that area was to such sensations and felt his whole body tense as he hissed with pleasure. He looked down to match Ram's playful gaze as he felt one of his testicles slip in and out of his talented mouth. Tarak couldn't help but continue to moan in pleasure as he wondered where Ram had learned these techniques. That pressure in his body returned as he felt himself building towards his climax, the moans and trembles in his body becoming much more erratic with each flick of Ram's tongue.

" Ram! I'm going to-" Tarak's breathless words were cut off as Ram quickly shifted to take the member back into his mouth. Tarak looked down with uncontrollable pleasure as he came with a groan.

He couldn't help but look down at his lover like a lovestruck schoolboy as Ram swallowed all of his seed. With each pump out of his cock, he felt Ram's eager tongue lap his seed and swallow it down.

Tarak felt every muscle, every worry, and every thought melt away as the spasms of his orgasm subsided, and he looked with a dizzy smile down at his Ram, who slowly kissed his way back up Tarak's belly. He reached and ran his fingers through Ram's hair as his mouth reached his chest, and eventually felt their lips meet in another passionate kiss, Tarak tasting some of himself in Ram's mouth. Tarak slowly pulled back from the kiss and met Ram's gaze.

"That was... absolutely incredible..." Tarak uttered breathlessly.

Ram smiled with a satisfied expression. "I'm happy you enjoyed it, baby."

The term of endearment meant something different now, shifting away from the playful term to an actual heartfelt label for how they felt about each other. It warmed Tarak's heart as he slowly wrapped his arm around Ram as he lay beside him.

"Where did you learn to do those things...?" Tarak asked, his eyes slowly blinking as he enjoyed the afterglow of their first experiences.

Ram giggled and blushed slightly, "I may have watched an adult film or two."

The two men giggled like children before a comfortable and emotional silence filled the room. Ram leaned to rest his head on Tarak's arm and placed his hand on Tarak's chest, their legs slowly entangling together. They just lay together and stared into each other's eyes, periodically leaning over to lightly kiss the other. Tarak was convinced this was what heaven must feel like as he reached up with his free hand to lightly brush against Ram's temple and hold his cheek.

"I don't believe there are enough words to express how lucky I am." Tarak eventually said in a sound just above a whisper as he looked with affection into Ram's beautiful face.

Ram smiled with a blush as he moved closer to nuzzle into Tarak's shoulder. "I'm the one who is lucky, Taraka."

The two eventually drifted off to sleep in this position, holding each other close and finding the sweetness of their proximity infectious. Tarak's eyes slowly opened as he heard his phone buzz from the nightstand. He made no move to check it as he saw Ram's sleeping form in his arms, not wanting to disturb him. There was no need to do anything other than just lay with his Ram and smile.

After a few moments of this peace, his phone buzzed again. This time, Ram's eyes slowly opened, and Tarak saw the funniest and cutest sleepy face ever. He giggled at the sight of Ram with one eye closed as he glared at the nightstand, to which Ram replied with a quick pinch to Tarak's side. As the two finished their playful moment, Ram eventually spoke.

"You should check your phone... And then throw it off the balcony." Ram suggested with a playful sleepy grin.

Tarak laughed as he grabbed his phone from the nightstand, grunting as the screen's brightness blinded him. It was a text from Tomas, one of many, as it turned out.

T: Is everything alright with you two?

T: Hello?

T: Did you talk to Ram?

T: You’d better be bumping uglies!

T: Seriously tho, is everything good?

Tarak laughed a little at the texts, which caused Ram to raise a brow.

“Who is it?” Ram asked with that tired tone.

“It’s Tomas. He was just checking in on us.”

Ram shook his head and took a breath. “He must have been psychic.”

Tarak laughed, then paused for several moments as a suspicious thought entered his mind. “Wait, what did you say?”

Ram picked his head up from Tarak’s chest with a look, “I said he must have been psychic. I vented to him several times about wanting to tell you what I felt. In fact, I may have asked him discreetly if we could end the beach day so we could have time to talk.”

Tarak’s expression turned shocked, “ I vented to him too! He asked me the other night at the clothing store if we were together! I ended up confiding in him everything I was feeling!” Ram’s eyes widened before he laughed uncontrollably, burying his face into Tarak’s armpit. “That little snake!” Tarak shouted as he also laughed at how funny the situation was. The two men continued to giggle at their circumstances before Tarak felt his heart swell, his arms wrapped tightly around his Ram, and he smiled brightly.

Ram’s head lifted from Tarak’s armpit, and he pecked Tarak on the lips, “We will have to do something special for our matchmaking friends.”

Tarak’s eyes narrowed as he tried to think of some ideas. “Well, now that we know he is not feeling sun sick, we should bring them both to dinner. It's still early enough,” Tarak said, glancing down at the time on his phone.

Ram’s eyebrows raised in excitement at the prospect of food. “I like that plan.”

@vijayasena @kaagazkefool

[fathomlessbabbling]

Departure

RRR poem. a Bheem pov for his last night together with Jenny.

//

all his prowess as the shining knight, yet he could not hold back the night. the sun rays shone through the curtains, and the protector silently wept at the sight.

his beloved in his arms, tracing her silk skin, the moment ebbed and flowed, holding eternity within. inquilaab demanded his blood, his life, his very soul but then it demanded her; he broke like a bottle of gin.

memories stormed his mind of their very last intimacy, the cries, the whimpers- not just in the throes of ecstasy. his heart breaking to pieces with every kiss and caress, he cursed every God known, his fate, his prophecy.

it was her wish, to share one last night to remember, reality winning of course, over naive vows of forever. she stirred in his arms, and he held her tighter still, a desperate attempt to fight and not surrender.

he collected the precious seconds, all but in vain, like little shells on the beach, lifeless as they remain. the time was up, he knew in his shattered heart, he whispered last confession, succumbing to the pain.

//

tagging: @rambheemlove @rambheem-is-real @fangirlshrewt97 @filesbeorganized @greysunshinexx @jrntrtitties @ladydarkey @stanleykubricks @stuckyandlarrystuff @ssabriel @aan-4-u @meastradeur @mesimpleone @yehsahihai @burningsheepcrown @jjwolfesworld @badtabbywhitecat @boochhaan @veteran-fanperson @ronika-writes-stuff @beingmes-blog @carminavulcana @ronaldofandom @daphneofhastings @rambheemisgoated @milla984 @chaidrivenwhore @bheemaxrama @toiletpotato @taylorklaine @iam-siriuslysher-lokid @voidsteffy @vijayasena @astrafangs @fathomlessbabbling

pls let me know if you want to be added or removed at any point in time.

also, feel free to leave your thoughts and comments. they will be cherished a lot

[fathomlessbabbling]

fanfiction is like. here's a piece of my soul! here's the parts of me i didn't know what else to do with! i wrapped them up in something i love in an attempt to understand my own feelings and morals and maybe the whole world. hope you like it.

[fathomlessbabbling]

You guys. I’m feeling all the positive emotions. I haven’t written a fic in years and it feels so nice to get all the love from everyone who has read mine. I just wanted to say that I love all of you wonderful people and thank you for being beautiful. ❤️❤️❤️

[fathomlessbabbling]

Smile, a Charak RPF fic, Chapter 5.

This is a work of RPF. If you are uncomfortable with this kind of fiction, I encourage you not to read.

A03 link here

The rest of the night went by without issue as Tarak, Ram, and their now good friend Tomas showed them a wonderful restaurant and a nice place to relax with a few drinks. Tarak’s admission to himself in the changing room was enough to ease his mind of the fear he had harbored in his chest over the last few days. The more Tarak pondered about it, this worry that weighed so heavily on him had truly been with him for much longer but only presented itself when RRR wrapped filming, and the Awards tour had finished. Tarak was in a better place mentally to put that aside and enjoy his night with his new friend and his… crush? He was still trying to think of how to identify Ram now that he admitted that the connection he felt was deeper than the ‘best friend’ title could signify.

Tarak raised his glass of bourbon on the rocks in a toast. “Let us cheers our newfound wonderful friend Tomas. Long may he know that haters gonna hate, hate, hate-” As much as Tarak wanted to finish singing the Taylor Swift song with his toast, Tomas’s groan made him let out a deep husky laugh.

“Ugh. Why do you do this to me? That song drives me nuts!” Tomas whined with a smile on his face and his head in his hands.

“Welcome to being friends with Tarak. This is the man who, when we were on stage promoting RRR, reached over and pinched me in the side as I was complimenting him on his professionalism! ” Ram proclaimed with a large grin on his face. He sat with his arm over the back of Tarak’s chair and giggled as Tarak recalled the memory and laughed even harder.

“I remember that! Jakanna just laughed and said it was like working with children!” Tarak continued to snicker to himself.

“I can definitely see why,” Tomas quipped as he joined in the laughter.

As the laughter died down, Tarak actually held his glass up for a toast, “Seriously, though. Thank you, Tomas, for being wonderful, showing us clowns around town, and helping us on a fantastic first day in beautiful Los Angeles.”

Ram clinked his glass of vodka soda against Tarak’s, “I’ll happily drink to that.”

Tomas sheepishly smiled and joined in the toast, “Here’s to two of the most fun people I’ve ever had the pleasure of showing around the neighborhood.”

The three men sipped their drinks in celebration. Ram slowly rose from his seat as they continued their conversation, “I have to go use the facilities. Don’t get too drunk while I’m gone.”

Tarak held up his glass that was once filled with bourbon but now barely had any left, “I don’t know if I can keep that promise, baby.”

Tomas almost spat his drink out. “What did you just say?”

Tarak felt a wide grin spread across his face, and his cheeks flush, “Baby. I call him baby.” He then immediately started to laugh at how that must sound.

Ram tried his best to hold his giggles back as he spoke. “And I call him baby back. Baby one and baby two.”

Once again, the three laughed before Ram finally started moving towards the bathroom, leaving Tarak and Tomas alone at the table. As the laughter died down a little, Tomas looked to Tarak with an appraising look.

“How are you doing? Since our talk earlier, that is?” Tomas asked with genuine care in his tone of voice.

Tarak took a moment to think, but his smile didn’t fade as he nodded. “I’m doing much better, I think. It is strange to admit to yourself that you may love outside the norms you were taught as a child. It may take time to grasp it fully, but I am happy,” Tarak smiled wider, “I am happy to have been able to understand something about myself that I thought was a defect or something similar. In truth, I am just glad to have this connection to Charan.”

Tomas’ eyes squinted as he smiled, raising his glass to Tarak. “To understanding ourselves.”

Tarak nodded, clinked his glass against Tomas’, and sipped the bourbon, enjoying the heat after he swallowed. “We should probably cut ourselves off. We have to be up early for that lunch tomorrow.”

Tomas nodded, “Not a bad plan. I’ll take care of the bill,”

Before Tomas could protest, Tarak waved down the server who had brought them their drinks and presented his card for payment. “Thank you so much for everything. I will close out all three of our tabs.”

Tomas’ face went from shock to a faux grumpy face that made Tarak laugh.

“Rude.” Tarak laughed as that was the only word to come out of Tomas.

The black SUV pulled up to the hotel doors, and Tomas looked into the backseat at Ram and Tarak, both having the sway of someone with a nice alcohol buzz. Before speaking, he inwardly thanked himself for only having one drink because this sight was entertaining.

“Alright, gentleman. We have reached our destination. I will be back tomorrow morning at eleven to pick you guys up so you can meet with Kevin. Go get some good sleep!”

Tarak leaned forward and squeezed Tomas’ shoulder, “Thank you for a wonderful day, Tomas. Go home to your Mateo! Tell him Tarak says hello!” He then climbed out of the SUV as Ram also said his goodbyes.

As the two of them watched the SUV pull away, they both waved with a twinkle in their eyes as the drinks they had earlier hit a little harder than they had planned. The two men turned and looked at each other and couldn’t help but stand and giggle for a moment before making their way inside the gaudy lobby of their hotel towards the elevators. As they walked, Tarak reached over and pinched Ram in the side just as they passed by some other hotel guests, which made his friend jump and contort at the tickling touch right in front of them.

“I’m so sorry. My friend is a child,” Ram said in a low voice as he glared at Tarak with a smile on his face, the hotel guests giving Ram a look before stepping away.

Tarak walked a little faster to the open elevator, hoping to avoid Ram’s revenge. This escape plan was futile as once he stepped inside, Ram entered right behind him. Tarak instinctually covered the sides of his ribs to protect himself from pinches while giggling like a schoolboy. Ram hit the button for their floor and glared at his friend.

“It was too tempting! You would have done the same!” Tarak said in a higher pitch, waiting for Ram to strike as the doors to the elevator closed.

Ram smiled and laughed at the truth that Tarak spoke. “You are right. If I could, I would pinch you while you meet with Steven Spielberg.”

Tarak’s expression turned to one of overdramatic shock, “Betrayer!” he spoke before giggling some more.

The two of them continued to snicker at their almost drunken buffoonery as the elevator arrived on their floor. As they walked, Tarak slung an arm over Ram’s shoulders and felt his friend put an arm around his waist as they approached their room. Tarak fiddled with the keycard to unlock the door as Ram found his time to strike. Just as Tarak opened the door, he felt the pinch he had hoped would have been forgotten in the elevator ride and immediately shifted his body to avoid the tickle while laughing and stepping inside. He whirled around with a smile on his face as he held his hands in a defensive posture while Ram stalked towards him almost like a hunter, a goofy expression on his face.

The door behind them closed, and Ram leaped at Tarak to continue tormenting his sensitive ribs, but Tarak’s strength was too much for him as his wrists were caught and held in place. The two men giggled as they play wrestled with each other, Tarak’s strength and history of winning these fights proving an advantage as after a few moments, he managed to pin Ram down to one of the beds, luckily Ram’s, with his arms above his head. Tarak straddled his friend's waist, still giggling as he secured his win. “Do you give up?” he asked with a husky, out-of-breath voice.

Ram struggled under his grip, but eventually, the wiggling subsided. Ram looked up at Tarak with an expression of defeat. “Alright. You win,” he murmured dejectedly.

Tarak eased his grip on Ram’s wrists, allowing them to move freely. Ram placed them on each of Tarak’s quads. Something about that touch slowly caused the smile on Tarak’s face to change. He was still seated on his friend, both arms on each side of Ram’s head for support. It took a moment to realize that neither of them had moved or spoken for a long while. They remained in that position, simply looking into each other’s eyes.

This moment seemed to stretch time and space for Tarak. A million different thoughts flew through his mind, all about how beautiful Ram really was and how he didn’t want to admit it in the past. There was nothing outside of himself and Ram in this position that mattered. Tarak wanted nothing more than to lean down and kiss Ram, but he realized he hadn’t breathed in a while and felt himself inhale shakily.

“Are… you alright?” Ram asked quietly, his eyes not leaving Tarak’s as his expression also changed. Something about his eyes made his gaze deepen.

“Y-Yeah. Yes. I’m alright.” Tarak answered, his throat feeling dry. He blinked and shook off the thoughts in his head, not wanting to possibly ruin what he cared so deeply for. Tarak lifted himself off Ram and sat on the edge of his own bed a mere foot away. “Sorry for lingering. The bourbon had me a little dizzy.”

Ram let out a small groan as Tarak’s weight was removed, and he could sit up. Tarak noticed a little grin on his friend’s face as he found a more comfortable sitting position. Tarak caught Ram’s gaze and instinctively looked away, feeling a blush start to form on his cheeks.

“You and your bourbon are a perfect recipe for chaos,” Ram snickered.

Tarak found his smile and laughed in response, “What can I say? It’s my poison of choice. Unless you were making coffee,”

Both men giggled momentarily, and a comfortable silence fell between them. Tarak found his gaze magnetized to the warmness of Ram’s eyes. After allowing the moment to remain, Tarak eventually rose from his seat on his bed. “We should probably get some sleep. Big day tomorrow.” Tarak spoke in a low, shuddered voice.

Ram nodded, looking like there was something he wanted to say before choosing to leave it unsaid. The two men took turns stepping into the bathroom to change into proper pajamas instead of just underwear. As they did, Tarak felt something hanging in the air between them, a strange energy that made his heart flutter even more when he caught Ram glancing in his direction as he prepared his bed for a good night’s sleep.

Both men climbed into their beds, and Tarak turned off the lamp that was on the wall. As darkness filled the room and both men got comfortable, Tarak’s eyes hovered over the dark shape of his best friend in the other bed. He strained his eyes as he tried to determine what position Ram was sleeping in, then lightly shook the curiosity off. Don’t be creepy, Tarak. He thought to himself. As a few moments of trying to find sleep passed, he eventually turned back to look in Ram’s direction, his eyes adjusting enough to see his head poking out from under the covers. In a moment of something between weakness and boldness, Tarak called out quietly from his bed.

“Are you still awake?” Tarak whispered,

There was slight movement before he heard a whisper back, “Yes. What is it?”

Once again, Tarak found himself in a predicament where he only wanted to confess his feelings, climb out of bed, and lie next to Ram. He was so tempted, finding that the voice of reason in his brain was apparently having trouble reporting in until the last moment as Tarak replied.

“I think… You are going to do wonderfully tomorrow. Kevin is going to love you,” Tarak clutched his eyes shut in defeat.

Tarak then heard some movement from Ram’s side of the room before his voice broke through,

“I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this without you here, Tarak.” Ram’s velvety voice spoke out from the mass of blankets that was a bed.

Tarak took a moment and absorbed each word, smiling deeply and closing his eyes to the feeling. He would do anything for the man in the other bed to be happy and successful. Tarak knew he wanted to say more, to reveal what was in his heart, but he was thankful for the words that reached his ears.

“Good night, baby one,” he heard Ram say in a sleepy voice, making the sweet feeling in his chest more palpable.

“Good night, baby two.”

***

Both men had awoken extra early to make sure they would be ready in time for Tomas to pick them up. Ram managed to awaken at eight and immediately jumped in the shower to ready himself. Tarak noted that Ram took a little longer as he assumed some meticulous beard grooming was happening. Eventually, Ram did step out of the shower wearing the bathrobe from the day before, now freshly cleaned. Before he could let himself be distracted again by the beautiful man, Tarak retreated into the bathroom to diligently clean himself and prepare. He quickly disrobed and jumped into the shower, deciding it would be best for a cold shower this morning to help him fully awaken. The coldness of the water thankfully further prevented any thoughts of Ram. After feeling clean enough, he stepped out and continued his morning routine.

Unlike his friend, however, Tarak had little patience for making sure his beard was as immaculate. His face was mere inches from the mirror's glass, and he moved his head in every possible direction to ensure his beard was even and not crooked. As he moved, Tarak released more than one grumpy curse in Telugu. After several minutes of making the tiniest adjustments to his beard, Tarak heard Ram’s voice on the other side of the door.

“I can hear you from out here. Do you need help?”

Tarak growled, “No. I can do this myself. We should have gone to a barber yesterday,”

He heard a muffled chuckle and instinctively glared at the dark wood of the door, “Come on, Tarak. I can assist you. I don’t want you to take all day.”

Tarak grumbled as he reached for the door handle, then looked down and realized he was still completely naked from the shower. He quickly grabbed the bathrobe and secured it before finally opening the door.

Of course, he already looks positively radiant. Tarak grumpily thought to himself. All he has to do is wake up, comb his hair a little, and he is ready to meet the bloody Queen of England. Ram stood in the doorway wearing the outfit he had bought from the shop the day before. Even though Tarak chose to suffer through a cold shower, there was a feeling of heat in the pit of his stomach as he took in the sight of his beautiful Ram.

Ram paused momentarily, moving Tarak’s head in a few directions while examining his beard. After an appraising look on his face, Ram stepped into the bathroom and took the razor. Methodically, he lifted Tarak’s head and gently touched up the lower part of his friend’s beard. With each touch, Tarak’s nerves threatened to jolt in excitement; the hands of Ram softly dragging across his neck almost drove him mad. All he could think was what the feeling of Ram’s lips on his neck would feel like if his hands were this soft. As he stood with his head craned to look at the ceiling, he slowly clutched his eyes shut in an attempt to will his lower extremities to behave. Finally, Ram lowered Tarak’s face and inspected the beard lines on his cheeks. Tarak had experienced this closeness with Ram before while shooting a particular scene in RRR where the character of Bheem was being groomed to attend the party at Jenny’s invitation. However, instead of a look of naive curiosity on Tarak’s face, it was a look of restraint as Ram’s hands caressed his cheek.

Finding it far too difficult to continue this torture, Tarak eventually spoke up. “I really only needed help with my neck. Thank you for all of your assistance, baby.” His voice was breathy, and he mentally kicked himself for sounding like a child.

“Are you sure? There is one spot I can fix-” Ram tried to continue,

“Oh! I can see it. I’ll take care of it.” Tarak quickly asserted that he could handle the rest.

Ram shrugged with a smile and stepped out of the bathroom, checking his watch. “We have about an hour before Tomas gets here. If you are ready by then, take all the time you need.”

Tarak felt himself melt a little at that smile once again, nodding as he closed the door to the bathroom. He glanced down at the tent in his bathrobe that would have slowly parted if Ram had not left when he did. After Ram’s touching, his thoughts were of wrapping him up in a tight bear hug and pinning him to the door. Tarak groaned quietly as he willed his arousal to calm, doing his best to push such thoughts from his mind. Instead, Tarak focused on the small part of his beard that Ram had pointed out, trying to mimic Ram’s attention to detail as he evened it out. Confident that his beard was well groomed, Tarak stepped out of the bathroom to finish preparing for lunch.

***

The two men were at the main entrance ten minutes before the scheduled meeting time, and, to their pleasant surprise, Tomas was already there waiting for them. The three hopped into the familiar large SUV and felt the excitement build as the vehicle pulled away from the hotel doors and onto the street. Some small talk was exchanged, but Tomas could tell that his two backseat guests were nervous. As the SUV pulled up in front of a beautiful modern restaurant with ‘Cecconi’s’ labeled above the large open double doors. The two men in the backseat stared out the window at the building as if they were staring at the gates to Mount Olympus.

With the car parked, Tomas turned around in his seat to lock eyes with the two men, a comforting expression on his face.

“You are going to do fine. Just breathe and be yourselves. Kevin is a very nice guy. Plus, this is just a casual lunch. The business talk will probably be in a couple days,” Tomas spoke gently, realizing that maybe fifty percent of what he said was heard by the two men, making him chuckle.

Tarak turned to Ram with an excited expression. “You ready, Charan?”

Ram took a moment to take in a deep breath, nodding in reply to his friend.

Before they stepped out of the car, Tarak placed a soft hand on Ram’s thigh and lightly squeezed. “You were born for this, baby.” He spoke sweetly and smiled when Ram’s nerves visibly relaxed. Tomas smiled and looked at Tarak’s eyes, noting that particular sight.

The two men stepped out of the black SUV and approached the door, seeing a hostess standing behind a small beautiful wooden desk. She looked up and smiled at the two men, “Welcome to Cecconi’s! Kevin just arrived a moment ago. Let me lead you to your table.” she spoke sweetly and very professionally, which made Tarak smile and nod. Ram looked like he felt more than a little stiff.

They were led through the interior of the restaurant and past several tables. As they walked, Ram whispered to Tarak and gestured to a table on the other side of the room, “I think that is Jake Gyllenhaal.” Ram’s perception made Tarak giggle as he glanced in that direction, inwardly confirming that it was, in fact, Jake Gyllenhaal. I wonder how many other celebrities come here for lunch. Tarak thought to himself as they walked.

The hostess led them to the patio, where they saw the man they had come to meet sitting at one of the tables. Unlike some of the other guests, Kevin was wearing a simple blue polo and a baseball cap with jeans. Kevin glanced up as the hostess approached with Tarak and Ram and rose with his hand out,

“Wonderful to see you both! You guys made it!” Kevin said with a smile.

Ram and Tarak both shook Kevin’s hand, Ram speaking up first.

“It's wonderful to meet you, sir. This place looks wonderful! The food smells great,” Ram smiled that charming smile, but there was a minor shake to his voice,

“Thank you so much for inviting us,” Tarak said with a bright smile as the three men sat at the table.

“Of course! This is one of my favorite spots to get lunch. Their green eggs are my favorite,” Kevin said with a smile.

The polite conversation followed with all three men enjoying their lunch. Tarak noticed that Ram still seemed a little nervous as time passed. Knowing he needed to do something to ease his friend’s mind, Tarak slowly moved his foot under the table to lightly press against Ram’s. Since he couldn’t hold his hand, he would try and communicate the same calming feeling with his foot. As he smiled at Kevin’s current story of his time in LA and his favorite spots, he stole a quick moment to glance at Ram and give a comforting smile. As he did, he saw Ram’s eyes lock with his, and a smile spread across his face as he tuned back into what Kevin was saying. A moment later, Tarak felt Ram’s foot push against his own, almost an unspoken gesture of thanks.

Kevin eventually shifted the conversation away from the small talk as he used his napkin to clean off excess crumbs from his face from his toast. “So, I know that we are going to meet in a couple more days to discuss particulars, but I wanted to let you know the role we had in mind for you,” Kevin said, looking at Ram.

Ram leaned in slightly, his expression shifting to business mode, “Absolutely. I’d love to know more.”

Kevin smirked and continued, “We are going to be working towards a relaunch of the X-Men to fit into the greater MCU, and we are looking to fill out our cast. We want to include a particular character from the comics named Indra. He is one of the students at the academy. This would start as a minor role that would eventually grow with future films.”

Ram smiled and nodded respectfully, allowing Kevin to explain further. Tarak couldn’t help but take in the sight of Ram speaking with Kevin, a mammoth producer in Hollywood. It warmed Tarak’s chest to witness the moment that Ram’s career would change and grow. He looked on almost like a proud parent or spouse.

Kevin glanced at his watch and let out a sigh, “Ugh. I’m so sorry. I’m going to have to cut this a little short. One of our trailers got leaked, so we must officially prepare to show it at the upcoming comic convention next month.”

Ram nodded, “Oh, I completely understand! A producer’s job is never done, right?” Ram joked,

“Haha! You aren’t kidding for sure.” Kevin stood again, offering his hand to the two men, “It was wonderful meeting the two of you. I promise we will have more time to discuss everything in a few days.”

Ram eagerly shook Kevin’s hand, “The pleasure was all ours, Kevin. Thank you so much,”

Tarak also shook Kevin’s hand with a grin on his face. He then signaled one of the servers as they passed by the table. “I am going to take care of the check for the three of us.”

Kevin’s eyes widened as he smiled, “Oh, you didn’t have to do that!”

Tarak shook his head with a smile, “It is my treat. You showed us yet another wonderful place to visit for some delicious food. It’s the least I could do.”

Mr. Feige smiled and had an appraising look for a moment, “Well, thank you, Tarak. I gotta run. I will let Tomas know when we have a meeting set in stone,” Kevin said as he stepped away from the table and waved to the two men.

Once he was out of sight, Ram sat back down at the table and sighed as though he had an unbearable weight on his shoulders.

Tarak sat back down as well, looking to Ram with a worried expression, “What’s wrong? You did great!” he said in a comforting voice.

“I was so nervous the entire lunch. I don’t know if I was participating in the conversation as I should have been. I couldn’t tell you what we discussed before he started talking about the role.” Ram finally uttered. He held his head with one of his hands and stared at the white tablecloth.

Tarak sighed with a smile and reached over to lightly take Ram’s chin in his hand, turning it so he could look directly into Ram’s worried eyes. “I promise. You did wonderfully. He even specifically brought up the role he is considering you for. He wouldn’t have done that if he wasn’t serious about his consideration for you,”

A moment passed where Ram’s eyes still held onto some of the worries, but Tarak was pleased to see a light smile play across his face. “I don’t know what I would do without you, Tarak.” his voice was low and sweet, making Tarak’s eyes squint.

I don’t know that there are words to explain how beautiful you are. I don’t know if there are enough stars in the sky to match how many ways you make me happy. There is no need to dream as long as I am with you. So many possible responses to Ram’s confession entered Tarak’s mind. He wanted to admit them all. To sit and say each one until night fell. There wouldn’t be one wasted moment.

Instead, Tarak chose to lightly cup Ram’s cheek and smile a little wider, almost hoping that this small gesture would satisfy his desire to pour everything in his heart out for Ram to see. After letting his hand linger and feeling the need to pull it back for fear of onlookers, his breath hitched as Ram placed his hand on top of Tarak’s. That little act made Tarak’s mind race. They had done this a million times before; it was their normal behavior. But after the last few days, it made Tarak’s heart dance in his chest.

In this moment, as Tarak took in the sight and feeling of Ram’s cheek in his hand, a terrible and dangerous thought entered his mind. What if? When this question came to the forefront of his thoughts, Tarak felt heat spread throughout his body, his nerves slowly numbing. What if Ram felt the same way toward me? Tarak repeated in his mind as he tried his best to memorize the feeling of the pristine beard of his best friend in his hands, the texture of his soft skin, and the eyes of Ram staring right back at him with that sweet smile.

Tarak felt his expression shift, his smile changing as it did the night before, and his breath shuddering for just a moment. Everything in his body wanted to pursue this hypothetical scenario to whatever conclusion there would be. Just as Tarak’s mouth opened slowly to take that step and ask the question that could ruin everything, he and Ram felt their phones vibrate in their pockets. Tarak slowly retrieved his hand as his wits returned to check his phone to see Tomas's message to him and Ram.

T: Where are you guys? Kevin left a couple minutes ago.

Tarak smiled as his mind began working correctly once again. He quickly typed that they were leaving before looking up at Ram.

“You ready to celebrate the start of the next chapter of your career?” Tarak asked with an excited tone,

Ram nodded, and the both of them rose from their seats and walked towards the exit. As they walked, Tarak inwardly thanked the heavens for not allowing him to be foolish enough to take such a risk with his beloved friendship with Ram. Yet even as he was thankful, much of his heart hurt with yearning. With each step, his limbs regained feeling, and he felt himself settle back into reality as they approached the familiar vehicle their guide sat in.

The two men climbed inside, and Tomas looked back excitedly. “Well? How did it go??”

Tarak spoke before Ram could underplay his performance, “It went wonderfully. Kevin divulged a little insider information on what Ram was being considered for.”

Ram waved off Tarak’s compliments. “I worry that I was a little overly nervous, but I do also think it went pretty well.”

Tomas smiled brightly, “Fantastic news! I’m always glad to hear it!”

Tarak smiled. “I think we should celebrate. What do you recommend, Tomas? It’s the middle of the day, and the weather is beautiful.”

Tomas smirked a devilish smile, clearly already having something in mind. “What would you guys say to a beach day? Mateo has been bugging me about catching some sun and unplugging for a while. I don’t have any other appointments or talent to cart around town anyway,” He said in a playful tone.

Ram’s eyes lit up, “I love the beach!”

Tarak laughed, “Mateo has the right attitude! In fact, bring him along! I want to meet this Mateo!”

Tomas’ eyebrows shot up, “Really?”

Ram shrugged, “Why not? The more, the merrier.”

Tomas laughed and shook his head, “You two are definitely the nicest talent I have taken care of since I started this job,” Tomas said as the vehicle pulled onto the street.

***

The SUV stopped by the hotel, so Tarak and Ram could change into proper beach clothing, finding their swimsuits and a tank top to wear with their sandals. They also brought a small bag with a couple of water bottles, sunglasses, and some sunscreen, just in case. They then quickly stopped by Tomas’ apartment and watched as Tomas stepped out wearing his own beach clothes with his Mateo. Mateo was a taller man with a thicker build and had long hair kept in a bun. He walked alongside Tomas while holding his hand. Before he stepped into the car, Mateo pulled Tomas into a fleeting yet passionate kiss. Tomas then opened the trunk to place a small cooler and a couple of beach blankets inside.

As Mateo settled in the passenger seat, he gave a slightly nervous wave to the two men in the backseat. “Hey there! I’m the husband!”

Tarak chuckled at the greeting, “Hello, the husband! I am the Tarak, and this is the Ram!”

Ram rolled his eyes at Tarak’s joke and smiled, “Wonderful to meet you, Mateo. Tomas has said so much about you.”

Tomas smiled as he closed his door, turning the car on. “Don’t worry, I only told them terrible things about you.”

Mateo made a face, “You would,” he said in a tone that made all the men laugh.

It didn’t take long before the SUV was parked at a small parking lot next to the beach. Tomas opened the trunk to retrieve their supplies. The four men walked along the beach and laughed as they continued their small talk, finding a suitable spot to set up their blankets under one of the large umbrellas and a couple of beach chairs available.

Ram had put on his sunglasses and handed Tarak his pair, “So, how did you two meet?”

Mateo smiled at Tomas and explained, “We met at a coffee shop. He sort of cut me in line for coffee and-”

“Hey now! You cut me in line. If you’re going to tell the story, tell it right.” Tomas grumbled, smiling to himself.

Mateo laughed, “We cut each other in line and managed to make small talk. We pretty much hit it off right away. After a few days of idle chat, I asked him for dinner. Little did I know how picky he was.” Mateo glanced in Tomas’ direction once again, expecting a snarky response.

“I took Matt Damon to that restaurant, and he got food poisoning from it! I was wary! So sue me!”

Tarak laughed at the two and how adorable they were but found all attention diminished from them as Ram removed his tank top, and the beautiful, sculpted muscles of his chest and back were in plain view for all to see. He looks like he should be on the cover of a magazine. Or a romance novel. Tarak thought to himself, stunned in place by the sight.

“Hey, Tarak! How about a bottle of water? It’s extra hot out, I wouldn’t want you to be thirsty,” Tomas said rather loudly to break Tarak out of his trance, tossing him a cold bottle of water from their cooler. Ram retrieved one of their own water bottles from their bag.

Tarak thankfully smirked, shaking his head from the spell Ram’s beautiful body had him under. He took a drink and also removed his own shirt, stretching a bit as his own chest and back were exposed. His muscles still ached from the other day's workout, but not as painfully. He quickly sprayed the sunscreen over his furry chest and arms to be on the safe side. Then, he turned away from Ram to set up one of the blankets on the sand.

As Tarak fought against the wind to have the blanket settle without being blown away, he heard Ram speak behind him,

“I’m going to go and get into the water for a bit.”

Tarak noted a strange inflection in his voice and turned to see Ram already on his way to the water’s edge. He then heard Mateo and Tomas snickering and glanced in their direction, his eyes narrowing.

“And what’s so entertaining?” Tarak inquired, his eyes still narrowed in a faux grumpy face.

Tomas took an extra moment to respond as he shook his head. “You two are hilarious and cute. That’s all,”

Mateo nodded, “It’s true. I’ve known you two for twenty minutes, and I think you guys are adorable together.”

Tarak felt his cheeks flush, “Together- Oh no. No, we’re not…” Tarak slowly silenced himself as Mateo’s expression didn’t change. His eyes then looked to Tomas irritated, “You told him, didn’t you?”

Tomas opened his mouth to explain, but no words came, and he hung his head. “I’m sorry, Tarak. I only told him so I could get another perspective involved to help you if needed. Please forgive me.”

Mateo sat up a little from his blanket, “It was my fault. I asked how the day went yesterday, and I kinda poked and prodded for a full rundown of the situation. My lips are sealed. I promise.”

Tarak wanted to be upset but nodded. He could tell that the two of them meant well and genuinely cared. As he finally laid back on his blanket, he felt the dam of thoughts of the last several hours about to burst.

“I need to figure out how to control myself. It’s like I’m an animal starving for food around him. Whenever he shows a bit of platonic sweetness toward me, I want to pounce. Its happened multiple times since we arrived here. We have only been here for a couple of days! How am I going to be able to get through this without ruining everything?” Tarak grumbled. Both Mateo and Tomas nodded in understanding but shared a look between the two of them. Tarak caught this exchange, and again he felt his eyes narrow. “What now?” he asked in a grumpy voice.

Mateo looked at Tomas and took a long drink from his water bottle.

Tomas sighed before he looked at Tarak with a genuine smile on his face, “Okay. Tell me more about these interactions.”

Tarak spent the next few minutes divulging, with some explicit details about his physical reactions missing, the several encounters he had with Ram that had his mind spiraling. With each one, the eyebrows of both Mateo and Tomas rose higher and higher.

“You were on top of him, and he gave no intention of pushing you off?” Mateo asked with a slightly incredulous tone to his voice.

“No. We just stared at each other for a few moments.” Tarak replied.

“Wait, let's go back to yesterday morning. He saw you in your boxers, and you said his behavior changed a little. Changed how?” Tomas asked.

Tarak’s head wobbled as he tried to think of how to explain. “He looked like he was flustered. He blushed a little and looked away.”

Mateo and Tomas shared a look and were about to continue speaking when they saw Ram approaching and opened their cooler to present a bottle of margarita mix and tequila, quickly changing the subject.

Ram wandered back with clear signs he did more than just dip his feet in the water as droplets were running down most of his body, his swimsuit clinging a little to his form. Tarak quickly distracted himself by accepting one of the margaritas and taking a big gulp, choosing to instead stare out at the horizon. The drink's coolness combated the sun's heat rather well, as Tarak felt a chill run down his back.

“How’s the water?” Tomas asked,

“Surprisingly warm. It was nice to step into the waves.” Ram said, a strange smirk on his face as he lay on one of the available blankets.

Tarak saw Tomas nudge Mateo a bit with his elbow. A moment later, Mateo started conversing with Ram about his workout habits, mentioning that he really liked lifting weights. As Ram was distracted by Mateo’s mention of healthy habits, Tarak felt his phone vibrate. It was a text from Tomas.

T: Do not react to this message. Why haven’t you pounced, exactly?

Tarak put on his best poker face and feverishly typed a reply.

NTR: What do you mean? These interactions are no different than before I started having these thoughts.

Tomas’ response came quickly.

T: That’s my point, Tarak. What if these moments happened before this because Ram has been feeling the same way about you that you do for him? What if he is waiting for you to say something?

Tarak felt his heartbeat quicken, unsure what to send back.

T: Mateo and I saw him check you out when you took your shirt off, almost exactly how you checked him out a second beforehand.

Tarak had to read that message several times before it sunk in. Before he could respond, Tomas sent one final message.

T: Just think about it. Maybe by talking about it with him, things may work out differently than you think. Now relax and enjoy a couple of drinks.

Tarak slowly put his phone away, suddenly hyper-aware of his position in relation to Ram on the beach. His eyes looked over in Tomas’ direction. Tomas took a long drink from his margarita while looking directly back at Tarak, signaling to do the same. Tarak savored another taste of the cold drink as his mind whirled in his head. That question he had at the restaurant returned with a vengeance in his mind.

What if?

After much internal debate, Tarak came to a decision. His heart began beating a mile a minute, but he was resolved on the next action to take.

Tonight. I will talk to him tonight.

@vijayasena @kaagazkefool @stars-in-the-distance

[fathomlessbabbling]

Smile, a Charak RPF fic

(This is a work of RPF. If that is not something you are into, I would encourage not reading.)

Thank you guys for the love! I couldn’t stop writing this one. I know it’s super long. Love you all! Let me know what you think!

Chapter 4

Tarak very slowly awoke after one of the most restful nights of sleep he had in quite some time. His eyes slowly opened to see the late morning sun coming through the window. The view of Los Angeles was beautiful and it looked like a bright sunny day awaited him and Ram when they decided what their plan for the day was going to be. Tarak didn't want to move. The blanket covered most of his body except for his left leg and some of his chest. As he slowly yawned, he stretched his arms over his head. I definitely overdid the workout yesterday. he thought to himself as he felt the tightness in his body. As Tarak stretched, he turned to see if Ram was still asleep.

Ram lay on his back in bed with the blanket covering most of his body, exposing only the top of his chest. His hair was messy, and his left arm was over his head. Tarak couldn't help but smile at how beautiful Ram was. He hadn't realized until now how much attention his friend paid to self-care, including this stylish hair that could use a good combing through this morning. Other things about his appearance also struck Tarak, like his sharp features and broad shoulders. It was evident that Ram did push-ups to keep them defined, making him look more handsome and desirable. His large muscles stood out, with each line on his body looking ripped.

Tarak stared for a moment before the guilt crept into his mind again. He slowly tore his gaze away from his sleeping friend and shut his eyes inwardly, kicking himself. Tarak shook his head at himself and slowly pulled the blanket off, moving to rise from the bed. As he moved, he felt the stinging soreness of overworked muscles, and it took him an extra moment to shift to the side of the bed and rest his feet on the floor. Tarak sat there facing Ram's bed but took inventory of all of the muscles that felt extra sore. Shoulders, chest, biceps, quads... he thought to himself as he reached and felt each one almost to confirm which muscles he plans to tell a masseuse to work on.

Then suddenly, Tarak became aware of eyes on him and raised his gaze. Ram had not moved from his position, but his eyes were open, staring at Tarak, who had been handling his muscles. The moment Tarak had the expression of a deer caught in headlights, a laugh burst out of the waking Ram, causing him to clutch his belly and turn his head.

"What?! I'm getting a lay of the land after a hard workout yesterday morning!" Tarak exclaimed, smiling and laughing at how that must have looked.

Ram couldn't form words to reply. He just continued to laugh that sweet, deep, velvety laugh that disappeared into squeaks that Tarak loved so much. In protest to Ram finding his condition so funny, Tarak picked up one of his pillows and threw it at Ram. He felt satisfied when it hit him in the head and caused his already ridiculous bedhead to become even more otherwordly. "You've done the same thing!"

Ram took the pillow that Tarak threw off his head and finally turned back, fighting tears from laughter. "Yes, but I never did it in front of you!” Tarak's cheeks immediately flushed, and he covered his face. He will never let this one go. he thought to himself as Ram giggled like a schoolgirl. Finally, rolling his eyes, Tarak stood and started walking towards the bathroom.

"Whatever! I'm going to shower!" Tarak proclaimed.

Ram's laughter slowed to a stop, which caught Tarak’s attention. He glanced back at his friend, who had a different expression than the moment prior. Tarak stood in nothing but his boxer briefs and saw Ram's cheeks fill with a deep blush and avert his gaze. Tarak rolled his eyes, picked up one of Ram's shoes, and tossed it at him.

"The free show ended a minute ago!" Tarak joked as he finally stepped into the bathroom. He shook his head to himself as he closed the door and turned the shower on. It wasn't the first time they had seen each other in their underwear. They had gone to the gym more than once together and made use of the locker room. Out of respect, Tarak never snuck a peek at Ram while he changed clothes.

However, the more Tarak thought about how Ram was just looking at him made his mind conjure up some strange ideas. As he wrestled with his mind, he stepped into the shower and hissed as the water met his sore body. As he relaxed with the hot water soothing his muscles, his thoughts continued to go back to that expression. It wasn't one of humor or disgust, but something else. Tarak had never seen that look before. Tarak found himself doubting what he was thinking and tried to shake off his train of thought as he leaned his head back and felt the water soak into his hair and run down his face and beard. No. No more of this. We have a lot of time to relax and to do that, I need to put this to bed. He is my best friend. That's all.

The bearded man finished his shower without another thought devoted to his stupid fantasy and dried himself off with one of the towels, happy to see that they included a set of bathrobes as an apology for not having two separate rooms for him and Ram. He pulled the robe around his body and tied the waistband, thankful that it was a robe that fit correctly, leaving only his feet and calves visible. Before Tarak stepped out of the bathroom, he took a breath, finally putting the last of the strange thoughts away and doing his best to return to his normal self.

Tarak stepped out of the bathroom and made his way across the room to his large suitcase where he kept his toothbrush and other toiletries, not allowing himself to look at Ram as he moved. As he placed his suitcase on the table next to the television, he could see Ram in the corner of his vision looking in his direction.

“I’m sorry, Tarak. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable,” Ram said quietly from his spot on the bed.

Tarak glanced back with a smirk, “Nothing to apologize for, baby. I would have made fun of you too!” he laughed it off, then felt his eyes wander once again.

It was his skin in the sunlight coming through the window that caught Tarak’s attention. Ram had sat up and the blanket had mostly been removed from his upper body, showing off more of the toned muscles Tarak had spied earlier. Ram’s skin almost glowed in the spots the light had shown upon. It was so smooth and Tarak’s mind drifted to one of the thoughts he had while in the shower. The thought of feeling that beautiful skin of Ram’s chest with his hands.

Tarak came back to reality as Ram’s eyes squinted with a smile as he rose from the bed and tossed Tarak’s pillow back to its resting place. As Ram slowly moved across the room towards the bathroom, Tarak couldn’t help but take a moment to drink in the sight of his friend as he turned to face away from him. Something about the sight of Ram’s butt in his underwear caused a stirring in Tarak’s gut and he had to physically force himself to look away. He heard the bathroom door close a moment later and the shower turn on. Tarak put his toiletries down for a moment and held his face in his hands. This is going to be much harder than I thought. He shook his head and his body to try and flush that strange burning feeling out of his body so he could dress.

After a struggle to fit in his boxer briefs due to another side effect of seeing Ram’s rear, Tarak managed to finish dressing in a nice polo shirt and stylish jeans. He fixed his dark curls so they wouldn’t frizz out too much and found his favorite pair of sunglasses. After he finished getting dressed, he picked up his phone and saw a text message from Tomas.

T: Good morning! Let me know when you two are ready for a day on the town! I have a few recommendations for places to see and things to do if you would like them. I also texted Ram but I’m guessing he is still sleeping.

Tarak smirked and wrote a reply.

NTR: Sorry about that. The princess needed her beauty sleep apparently. He is in the shower now. I am ready to go.

A moment later, Tarak’s phone lit up again as a reply from Tomas came through.

T: Haha! Well, I’ll be down in the lobby in about 5 minutes and can have a car come around to pick us up whenever. See you guys soon!

The bearded man sent a thumbs up as a reply and pocketed his phone. He then moved to take in the view of the city. Even though it wasn’t very early in the morning, most people had already begun their daily routines. His stomach growled as the noise reminded him that he hadn’t eaten breakfast yet. He heard the shower turn off and his mind suddenly jumped to another worry. Maybe I should let Ram know I’ll be in the lobby to avoid seeing… more. Tarak then quickly flitted about the room, making sure he had everything before approaching the bathroom door wishing to god it would stay closed as he spoke.

“Tomas is headed down to the lobby! I’m going to head down so we can figure out breakfast!” Tarak said in an attempt at a normal tone of voice.

“Oh! Give me just a minute. I’ll be right out and we can go together!” Ram spoke, his voice muffled slightly by the bathroom door.

Tarak’s body jolted in a silent tantrum as that would not solve the predicament. Covering his face in his hands, he struggled to come up with an alternative solution to the problem. Just as Tarak was going to say something else, the exact thing he was hoping to avoid occurred.

The door to the bathroom opened and Ram stood in the other bathrobe that Tarak had seen hanging on the wall. His hair was wet and there were beads of water slowly moving down his beautiful face and into his immaculately kept beard. Tarak’s eyes keyed into one drop that went down his neck and disappeared under the robe. In that split instant, he felt his jaw drop but willed it back shut.

“I’m sorry I took so long. If you need to use the toilet, it's available now.” Ram said with a snicker as he stepped past Tarak and moved toward his luggage.

Tarak willed his body to move back into the bathroom and close the door, leaning his forehead against the strong wood after the latch closed. He then made sure to take his time to make it seem like he was relieving himself before opening the door again. As he stepped out, Tarak pulled out his phone to try and immerse himself in the latest TMZ story to distract from his best friend going through his suitcase to find a suitable outfit.

”TMZ Exclusive: Ezra Miller to be replaced by Grant Gustin in future DC film projects.

In a tweet from James Gunn earlier this morning, he confirmed that Grant Gustin would be stepping into the red suit of the speedster and you can’t stop thinking about Ram’s butt.”

Tarak blinked and shook his head as his invasive thoughts blended with what he was reading.

”This is not surprising given the allegations against Miller and the huge percentage of DC fans that have wanted to see the change in the casting. Grant Gustin tweeted later that you should see if you can catch another glimpse. It was beautiful after all.”

Tarak felt something inside of him take control and he glanced up from the phone just in time to see that Ram had already pulled on a pair of underwear while wearing the robe and was now bending down to pull on a pair of jeans. The bright white fabric of Ram’s briefs was very clearly filled out by his rear end. Tarak tore his eyes away and pocketed his phone again with an awkward cough, rubbing his eyes in frustration.

“Everything okay?” Ram asked, sliding a white v-neck shirt onto his toned core.

“Yeah. Just need some food in my stomach. I can’t even focus on reading an article correctly. I think I’m dying,” Tarak joked.

Ram snickered as he finished dressing himself, “Well if you do, I would like to have written in the will that I get all of your shirts.”

This made Tarak laugh and feel more at ease with himself. At least for now.

A few minutes later, Tarak and Ram emerged from the elevator and saw Tomas near the main entrance to the hotel. Tomas’ eyes lit up as he saw the two men approaching and stood up from his seat and slid his phone back into his pocket. Tomas greeted them both with a handshake and a professional smirk.

“Good afternoon! How are you both feeling?” Tomas asked with a small glance at Tarak and a smirk.

“We are doing pretty well. Hey, Ram, what's his name again?” Tarak gestured to Tomas, then turned and looked at Ram with a mischevious expression.

Ram glanced between the two men and their faces and blushed before glancing at his phone for confirmation, “I'm terrible with names! I'm so sorry!”

The three men laughed loudly in the hotel lobby before Tomas spoke again, “So I do have a bit of news, Mister Charan-”

“Please, just Ram or Charan. No mister needed,” Ram said with a smile.

Tomas nodded, “Well then, Charan, Mister Feige was able to fit a small meeting into his schedule for tomorrow at noon. He has about an hour to play around with and really wanted to meet with you for lunch. Are there any objections to moving up the first meeting? This is going to be very casual. He likes to meet with prospective actors to get a read on their personality and what they would like to see in a character they are auditioning for.” Tomas spoke with a professional tone as he spoke. Tarak was impressed by the man and felt excitement at the opportunity to meet Kevin Feige earlier than planned.

Ram’s eyes widened for a moment before he found his words, “Absolutely no objections. That would be perfect. We can be ready to go by eleven tomorrow if that works with the schedule.”

Tomas’ expression shifted as he spoke, “Well, about that. This would sort of be a one-on-one lunch meeting,”

Tarak suddenly felt a little bit of heat in his cheeks. He knew this trip was for Ram to make the connection and that he was brought along for support. Tarak would love to make some connections of his own, but he understood and accepted that that was not a guaranteed thing. Tarak smiled and was about to speak before Ram spoke first.

“I understand, but Tarak knows my body of work and we sort of feed off of each other when understanding a role that one of us has. He’s not just an accomplished actor but is also the one I turn to for an additional creative mind when I need some assistance. I would very much like to bring him with me if that’s possible.”

Tarak glanced at Ram and felt his smile falter. What? You don’t ever include me in these things. He thought to himself as he turned back to look at Tomas.

The younger man nodded, “I absolutely understand. I’ll let Kevin know.” Tomas smiled a genuine smile as he gestured to the front doors. “Your breakfast chariot awaits, gentleman! Let's make sure you guys get to relax today.”

As the three walked out to a large SUV that was to be their transport for the day, Tarak tugged on the sleeve of Ram’s shirt while Tomas was making his way to the driver’s seat. As Ram made eye contact, Tarak mimicked texting on his phone before they both got in the vehicle. Ram returned Tarak’s gesture with one of his own, signaling Tarak to take a breath.

The SUV pulled away and Tomas turned on some music to pass the time as they headed to breakfast. As the SUV moved down the street, Tarak took out his phone and immediately started texting Ram, who was seated less than six inches from him.

NTR: What was that?! You didn’t have to do that. You could jeopardize your chance to make a good connection.

A moment went by before Ram’s phone vibrated in his pocket. Tarak saw in his peripheral vision as Ram looked at the message and began typing.

RC: They knew I was bringing you with me. This shouldn’t cause any problems.

NTR: I don’t want you getting into trouble over me. You deserve this opportunity, don’t waste it. Don’t worry about me. I’ll make it happen for myself eventually.

RC: I don’t want to do any of this without you next to me. Also, I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that you meet the same people I do.

Tarak’s heart fluttered for the briefest of moments, but he kept the emotion hidden in his poker face. As he slipped his phone back into his pocket, he felt a little nudge from Ram and his heart warmed in his chest. This little gesture made that feeling that Tarak had been struggling to ignore only grow so much stronger.

Building up their costars achievements in the filmmaking business was something that they were trained to be able to do in interviews. It made for great PR and gave the advertisements additional material to use. Even if he didn’t believe some of the things he was saying, Tarak knew that you had to build up everything from the production, the script, and his costars. He and Ram were in countless interviews on the press tour for RRR and always built up each other’s accomplishments and steps in their career, but there was not a word of what Tarak had said about Ram that wasn’t true. He was a fantastic costar and his best friend and working with him was like a dream. Tarak remembered saying in an interview that in the process of working on RRR that it felt like they may have two separate bodies, but they shared one heart. He meant every word.

But Ram just placed his dreams of working in America on a tightrope with nothing but fire below. All so he could bring Tarak with him on this journey. Tarak wanted to shake Ram for making such a foolish choice, but with how Ram held himself and how confident he was, there was no convincing him otherwise. Tarak was filled with such a conflicting strange feeling. Tarak handled his career moves on his own with some small help here and there, but nothing major like this.

Tarak stole a glance at Ram who had that signature smile on his face. It made Tarak’s heart melt. He reached and squeezed Ram’s thigh as he had done countless times in the past as a ‘thank you’ for the gesture. Ram’s eyes squinted as his smile broadened.

The day was filled with lots of exploration and fun for the two Telugu superstars. The food was delicious with every restaurant that Tomas had taken them to, walk along Venice Beach and catch the beautiful California weather, and they got to sneak into a karaoke bar at Tomas’ recommendation and laughed as they butchered some American pop songs.

Throughout the day, both men realized just how fun and genuine Tomas was as an individual. His position meant that he should be professional with the talent that he was working with, but he never let that hide who he was as a person. Throughout the day, they learned that Tomas was married to another man named Mateo. While Tomas worked with some of the big names in Hollywood, Mateo worked as an individual entertainer on the internet and as a producer for smaller productions online. They also learned that Tomas was vegan, loved to dance, and was not a fan of Taylor Swift as they would see his eyes roll every time one of her songs came on. Ram and Tarak would take turns referencing some of her lyrics to see what faces Tomas would make.

The three men left the karaoke bar and climbed back into the SUV. Ram spoke up with a suggestion for what to do before going to dinner as the sun was setting soon.

“I just had an idea. Why don’t we go and get a nice outfit for lunch tomorrow? Tomas, do you know of any good spots to put something like that together?”

Tomas grinned, “I know just the place!”

The SUV pulled into one of the more popular streets Downtown and parked in a rare spot that sat across from a long line of shops, one of which was labeled RNT23. Tomas turned off the SUV and stepped out to join the other two men.

“This place is perfect. Given what you guys are wearing, I’m pretty sure this spot will have what you need.”

As they stepped in they saw many racks with many different kinds of blazers, some fashionable pairs of jeans, and some designer t-shirts. Pretty much everything matched the style of the two men. Tarak glanced at Ram with eyes wide and a grin on his face and they began their search for something fashionable. Tomas agreed to step in and help.

“Anything, in particular, you want me to look for?” Tomas asked in the next aisle, perusing through the many brands on the rack in front of him.

“Make sure to look for a camouflage military jacket for Charan,” Tarak said before Ram could answer, a big grin on his face.

Tomas snickered, “If it were anyone but Charan, I would refuse. I’ve personally never been a fan of that look.”

“I like how they look on me!” Ram whined at Tomas before turning back to Tarak and in a similar mocking tone, “Make sure you find three white t-shirts with only a small difference between all three for Tarak.”

Tarak let out a jovial laugh. “Whatever. You wanted to wear one of them anyway,”

Tomas couldn’t help but laugh with all of the banter between the two men.

Eventually, Ram picked out several items to try on, stepping into the dressing rooms. As he disappeared, Tomas approached Tarak who was looking at a striking black faux leather blazer, his arms already holding a few shirts and a pair of stylishly distressed jeans.

“Can I ask you a question, Tarak?” Tomas spoke with a hushed tone.

Tarak’s eyebrow perked up, “What’s on your mind?”

Tomas hesitated before glancing back in the direction of the changing rooms and then back to Tarak, “I hope I’m not prying by asking, but are you two…..?”

Tarak’s eyes widened and he let out a laugh and shook his head, “Oh! No, no not at all. We are really just friends. Haha. No, nothing like that.” Tarak smiled the best fake smile he could as he then decided to stare into the stitching of the blazer in hopes that that would qualify as something normal to do after being asked that question.

Tomas gave an appraising look for just a moment before nodding and turning to look at a rack of hooded sweatshirts, “I completely understand.”

There was a moment of awkward silence between the two of them before Tarak spoke again, “I mean, I suppose it's just a cultural difference really that makes people think that there is… you know, something with me and Charan, but there-there really isn’t. Good male friends can be physically affectionate, but not in a romantic way.”

Tomas nodded with an attentive look, “Of course. I can understand that for sure-”

“You know, and we do hear some comments about how we handle ourselves and that it could allude to something, but we are really just very good friends- best friends even.” Tarak continued, now clearly on autopilot.

Tomas nodded, his expression softening as he looked at Tarak, a knowing look starting to appear.

“Just friends… Nothing more than that.” Tarak finally finished his rant, realizing the extra weight that was added to those last few words. Almost as if saying out loud felt wrong. It felt like a punch to the gut. This must have been evident on his face as he tried to show a fake smile again which failed. Something was building behind Tarak’s eyes and his breath started to falter a little. Tomas placed a hand on his shoulder with a worried expression on his face.

“I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to bring this on,” he spoke softly, feeling confident that they were out of sight of the other patrons and, most importantly, the changing rooms, “Its okay, Tarak. Take a breath for me.”

Tarak took a slow shuddered breath and looked at Tomas and didn’t understand why his eyes were threatening to well up. “What is wrong with me?” He asked in a shaky voice, reaching up and rubbing his eyes, preventing tears from appearing.

“There is nothing wrong with you, Tarak.” Tomas spoke in that soft tone again, “Nothing. Not a single thing is wrong with feeling that way for someone.”

Tarak looked up at Tomas with a worried look, unable to find the words to reply as Tomas continued.

“I understand it can be a little scary finding things out about yourself that you never knew. Trust me, I know, but there’s absolutely nothing wrong or bad about the way you feel.” Tomas spoke slowly and calmly, rubbing Tarak’s shoulder lightly as he spoke.

Something in Tomas’ words and eyes comforted Tarak and eased that fear inside of him. He nodded and gave a small smile to Tomas, feeling confident enough to speak the truth of what has been on his mind, “Thank you. I… I don’t know when this all started, but it's like I can’t get him out of my head. When he is near me it's like my nerve endings are on fire and everything in my body fights against my brain.”

Tomas didn’t say anything but merely nodded with a comforting smile.

“You have to swear you won’t say anything,” Tarak pleaded in a hushed tone,

“I swear on my marriage to Mateo that I won’t say anything. Your secret is safe with me, Tarak.” Tomas spoke with sincerity, then spotted Ram stepping out of the changing room sporting his new outfit and scanning the store looking for the two of them, “Ram’s back. Take a second to gather yourself. I am going to distract him for a bit for you.”

Tomas quickly stepped away, grabbed a nearby hoodie, and approached Ram. “That looks fantastic on you! I was thinking of maybe getting this for myself, what do you think?” Tarak heard as Tomas moved away, allowing Tarak time to shrug off the moment of vulnerability. He quickly reached up, making sure his eyes were clear of any tears, and then stepped out to join the other two men.

Ram wore a slate gray button-down shirt under a suede safari jacket and a necklace as an accessory. He looked like a model and Tarak felt his eyes be magnetized to him as he approached. “That looks very suave, Charan!” he spoke, eliciting a squinty grin from Ram.

“I thought the same! It's casual but stylish. I think it works for a fancy lunch with a big-shot movie producer.” Ram said with a grin, feeling confident.

Tomas nodded, “Absolutely,” He turned to Tarak, “Go try on what you have! I’m excited to see your look too!”

Tarak smirked and stepped away from the other two men, glancing back to see a knowing look from Tomas and a nod before entering the changing room. He felt a sense of relief as he finally had someone to talk to about what had been going through his mind and heart lately. And by saying it out loud, his mind finally clarified enough for him to admit something to himself as Tomas’ words played over and over again.

”There’s nothing wrong with you, Tarak.”

He stepped into one of the small stalls and set his clothes down, looking into the mirror and feeling the tears start to well up again. He reached up and covered his face with his hands, taking a steadying breath.

”There’s nothing wrong or bad about the way you feel.”

Tarak let the air out of his lungs with a slow sigh, removing his hands to stare into the mirror in the stall with him. He then said out loud to himself in nothing more than a whisper.

“There’s nothing wrong with how I feel about Ram.”

He reached into his pocket and sent a quick text to Tomas, still taking some deep breaths as he felt the thoughts in his mind ease his worry.

NTR: Thank you. This is all a little overwhelming for me and I appreciate you being there.

Only a moment went by before a reply came through,

T: There are no thanks necessary. I am always here if you need someone to talk to about this.

Tarak felt his heart rate normalize and reached up to wipe away the last of the tears that had fallen down his cheek. He then focused his mind on the small pile of clothes he had brought in with him and began to undress to see how they would look on him.

[fathomlessbabbling]

I can’t handle the cuteness of these two.

Tarak and Charan said that they call each other baby, they’re the cutest lmao