"Did something happen?" Gareth asked Cristiano with a look of concern.

He froze, "Uh no?"

Gareth gave him a look.

Cristiano gulped, "How did you know?"

"Well," Gareth rolled his eyes, "you guys usually talk and laugh but this dinner? It couldn't have been more awkward. She didn't look at you. You avoided her. And don't even get me started on how you sat beside me instead of her. So, are you telling me what's happened? Did you guys fight? Because that would be lame since you invited her all the way here and then fought with her within hours of being in the same house."

"I nearly kissed her," Cristiano blurted.

"YOU KIS-"

Cristiano covered his friend's mouth and looked to where Zarine and James were playing the How Well Do You Know Cristiano Ronaldo? Quiz on Xbox. "Don't shout it like that!" he whispered.

"You kissed her!?" Gareth whispered. "Wow, I'm so proud. It took you guys forever though. I was beginning to get worried."

Cristiano corrected, "I nearly kissed her."

"Nearly?" Gareth groaned.

"Yeah, and it would have been a kiss if you guys hadn't barged in."

"Wait, you didn't kiss her because we came?"

Cristiano let out a breath, "We got surprised and all the spontaneity of the moment went poof!"

"Go kiss her now, then," Gareth suggested.

"Now?"

"Yes."

"Like right now?"

"Right now."

"In front of you guys?" Cristiano frowned.

His friend glared, "What are we, twelve? Okay, fine, we're going." He shouted, "James, stop being a fanboy and come along."

"Last question," Zarine and James said together.

"And OH MY GOD I WIN YESSS!" Zarine pumped the air. She turned to James, "I think this is the part where I tell you I told you so, little boy."

James combed his hair back with his fingers, "Ugh, you're obsessed."

She laughed, "I told you so, little boy."

"Cris!" James called. "Zarine is being mean to me."

She stopped laughing as she caught sight of Cristiano and blushed. Oh no no no. Don't go all tomato, dear face. Please don't blush. You are not supposed to blush. You're supposed to be cool. Oh no, my face is burning up. He'll know I'm thinking about the kiss. So embarrassing.

Cristiano gave her a little smile which she returned.

So awkward.

"Okay, we're going," Gareth said, pulling up James by the collar.

"Why? It's only-" James looked at the clock. "ITS 12:30! WHAT HAPPENED TO THE TIME?"

Zarine snickered, "You lost it away."

James narrowed his eyes playfully, "I'll get you back."

Cristiano finally escorted his best friends outside.

"Bye, Cris," James hugged him. "I know I've told you this before but man, Zarine is a great girl. Don't mess it up."

"I won't," Cris smiled.

"Now go kiss her," Gareth said, patting his shoulder.

Okay, so I'll just go in and kiss her. Go in and kiss her. Go in and kiss her. Go her and kiss in. Go kiss and her in. Wait, what am I chanting?

Go and kiss her.

Go and kiss.

There she is. Kiss her. Kiss her.

Omg she is looking at me. She thinks I'm being weird. I can see it in her eyes. She's going to ask something.

"You okay?" Zarine asked as she watched Cristiano stumble towards her. "You look a bit dazed."

Cristiano smiled widely, "I'm okay. Totally okay. I just wanted to talk."

"Oh," she said, blushing again, looking back apprehensively.

"Yeah, so I was...about your bathroom..."

She quirked an eyebrow, "About my bathroom!?"

"No, no," he laughed. "About what happened after the bathroom...How about we sit down and talk?"

"O-kay," she sat on the sofa with him. He wants to talk about the kiss. He is going to say something really disappointing, isn't he? Like, sorry, Zarine, it was a mistake. Like oops, Zarine, I had actually just slipped towards you. It wasn't a kiss, Zarine, I was just getting a closer look at at your lips.

Well, to be honest, it really wasn't a kiss.

But but it was going to be a kiss, right?

Just kiss me.

Or sit still, so I can kiss you because your fidgeting is driving me crazy, Cristiano.

He moved his hand towards her as if to hold her hand but then seemed to abandon the though halfway. He started, "So, we hugged upstairs, remember?"

Zarine let out a breath and laughed, "Yeah, I remember."

"And then..." Cristiano trailed off. "Then...before James and Gareth came-"

His phone started ringing and both of them jumped slightly. He took out his phone and cut the call, "Sorry about that. I was saying, you know, I really, really like you."

Zarine's eyebrows travelled upwards.

He bit his lower lip and waited for a response. When she didn't respond, he repeated, "I like you, a lot, like a-"

His phone rang again and he cursed under his breath before cutting the call again. "I was saying I like you, a lot, like a huge lot."

"I like you too," she said, giving him one of her wonderful smiles. "Well, actually I lo-"

Again, his phone interrupted, the ringtone getting on his nerves. He cut the call again and put it on vibration.

"I'm so sorry," he apologised, throwing the phone on to the coffee table. "I can't believe my manager is totally spoiling this moment. Believe me, I had planned to tell you in far better ways."

"So this isn't a spur of the moment decision, right? Because even though I'm all for spur of the moment-"

Now, his phone was continuously buzzing, rattling the table.

Zarine pointed to it, "Maybe you should hear what he has to say. Sounds important."

Cristiano groaned and picked it up, "Hey, Jorge, I'm trying to kiss a girl I like, can you please call me later?"

Zarine burst out laughing.

"Yeah okay, bye. Now, where were we?"

Zarine shrugged, trying to contain her happiness, "Apparently, you were trying to kiss a girl you like."

He clicked his fingers, "Yeah that." And just like that, he reached for her hand and closing his fingers around her fingers, pulled her closer. He traced her jaw and tucked back the strands of hair that fell over her eyes. He put his other arm around her waist tightly. "You're amazing, you know that?"

"And you're freaking slow," she shook her head and putting an arm around his neck, leaned in to kiss him.

"I left my wallet, guys. Have you seen-Oh oops."

Immediately, Zarine stood up and shifted away awkwardly, feeling her ears burn. Cristiano coughed awkwardly and stood up too, looking royally pissed at his friend.

"Oh you guys were about kiss. Oh shit, I interrupted didn't I?" James tried to crack a smile but failed miserably. "Um, so this is why Gareth didn't want me to come back, huh? How about you go back to where you were and we'll just pretend I never came in? I feel terrible. I should get going."

Zarine waved a hand, "It's okay, James." It's not. This is so damn awkward. I can feel my whole face burning like a flame. I better leave the scene before I say something equally embarrassing. Oh God, please don't let James ask any questions or crack any perverted jokes. Yup, I better slink away and let Cristiano explain this. "Uhm, I was thinking of going to bed anyway. Okay, then, good night, you two."

Holy shit. That has to be THE most embarrassing moment ever. I was practically on top of Cris. Shiiit.

James watched Zarine run up the stairs and sheepishly asked, "I hope I didn't interrupt your first kiss with her. Like I'm sure you guys kissed once or twice before I came?"

"You've interrupted us twice now," glared Cristiano. "Your sense of timing sucks."

"Twice? Are you sure? Because you tend to exaggerate sometimes...okay I'll leave now."

[ Uh James! Not again, man!
BUT DON'T WORRY GUYS NEXT CHAPTER IS GOING TO BE A PLEASANT ONE FOR #ZARIANO ;) Stay tuned.

And now let us talk about my other love...CRICKET omg. WE SLAYED THE T20 SERIES YAAAAAAAAAAAAS SO PROUD OF THE WHOLE INDIAN TEAM. Plus the way my baby Raina ended the match :') and mera Kohli toh hai hi amazing hehe. So, awesome day for us!

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