A/N: Dedicated to my evil little sister Shivani who was unpretentious enough to remind me the date. (I'm sorry it went out of my mind in the first place) I couldn't come up with a MahiRat but I got this RohiRat idea after watching the re-run of my favourite ODI yesterday, and they're almost equal to you, right? 

Happy birthday Shivani!!

It had been a whole month into the lockdown; a whole month, thus, without Rohit and Virat fighting, and it was beginning to freak Virat out.Their regular phone and video calls were running remarkably smoothly, and even in the group conference calls they weren't bickering much. Virat was beginning to wonder what if even after this pandemic ends, when they meet, they don't fight at all? 

He couldn't let that happen. Definitely not. Everyone would have a heart attack, starting with Jinksy, and after all as captain and well-wisher of the team (and Jinks' best friend), it was his duty to prevent that dangerous scenario.

He could prank Rohit, thought Virat. A bit difficult to prank someone while he and his victim were both locked inside separate houses (though in the same city, a thought which gave him vague satisfaction). But he would think of something.

As it turned out, after 24 of incessant hunting for ideas, when Rohit video-called him in the evening two days before his birthday, fate granted Virat's wish after all.

"Heard you've been hitting the gym seventeen hours everyday," said Rohit innocently.

"Sixteen and a half," corrected Virat. "Heard you've been sleeping eighteen hours a day?"

"Seventeen and a half," said Rohit, grinning.

"You're abnormal," muttered Virat.

"Hey, what's wrong with sleeping to kill the boredom during lockdown?"

"Ro..." said Virat patiently. "See, what you're doing does not come under the bracket of 'sleeping'. Humans sleep 8 hours a day. What you're doing is, you're hibernating."

Rohit rolled his eyes.

"Why do you get out of bed at all? Why don't you just sleep 24 hours every day of your life and spare us the bother of waking you up in the morning and dragging you for practice, and forcing you to maintain your fitness so that you don't fail the yo-yo test again one of these days..."

"I've never failed the yo-yo test!" said Rohit, flaring up, because he hadn't.

"That," said Virat condescendingly. "Is only because I lowered the passing score."

Virat had done nothing of that sort, and before Rohit could protest, Virat continued, his cheeks stretched into a wicked grin.

"You're in the team only because I want you in the team."

Rohit always took awful offense at being jibed at about his fitness.

"I've never seen anyone as narcissistic and arrogant as you," he declared.

Virat also always took awful offense at being called arrogant, because he knew he had been arrogant early on in his career, and had tried his best to live it down.

"Huh," scoffed Virat. "Why did you call me then anyway!"

"Most awfully sorry," said Rohit sarcastically.

"Bye," spat Virat, and disconnected the call before Rohit could say anything back.

___________________

The very next day, Rohit's Instagram displayed, 'Going live with my friend AB tomorrow at 6:30 pm.'

Nice, thought Rohit bitterly. Classy. 

Virat knew exactly what would hurt him the most, and he hadn't even needed a day to implement this.

Rohit didn't know why he put up with Virat, he really didn't. And he never understood why he couldn't take these smooth revenges as well. Maybe because being a jerk was Virat's talent.

He seriously...seriously needed someone Virat would be jealous of on his behalf. But of course no such person existed. Virat didn't get jealous on his behalf. He would get jealous on Jassi or Kuliya or even Mahi bhai's behalf but never on his. 

Why would he, anyway? thought Rohit, getting more and more bitter. He knew he valued Virat a lot more than Virat valued him; that couldn't be changed, not at this age.

Why couldn't he live with that peacefully?

_________________

Jinks saw Virat's post and called him immediately.

"What's up, Jinksy?" said Virat cheerfully.

"Why are so happy?" demanded Jinks. "Because you've fought with Rohit again?"

Virat's cheer vanished swiftly. "Why does he always go and complain to you? Sneak!"

"He didn't complain to me," said Jinks, annoyed. "You're going live with AB out of the blue; obviously you're doing it to get back at him for something."

"What?" said Virat. "No! It's...it...has this commercial reason..."

"Commercial reason?"

Jinks sounded so skeptical that Virat felt compelled to say, "Damn it, I'm not supposed to disclose it but it's you, so ok...we're going to auction off our 2016 IPL gear to raise funds. We're doing the live to announce that."

Jinks was silent for a moment, maybe contemplating about whether to believe him or not. Finally he decided to believe him.

"Ok," he said. "That may be your reason, but since you're saying you two have fought, kindly try to understand how this seems to him."

"A bit mean, maybe," admitted Virat.

Jinks knew from his tone that the fight had not been a very serious one, just a regular commonplace one. You know, another day, another Rohit-Virat fight, that sort.

"And you hadn't even considered that," said Jinks. "You're a horrible friend, you know."

"Am I a horrible friend to you?" wailed Virat.

"I didn't mean that and you know it," said Jinks sternly. "Nor to Shikh or Jaddu or Bhuvi. You're just exceptionally horrible to Ro all the time without reason."

Jinks could practically sense Virat scowling on the other end of the call.

"You are horrible to him all the time," said Jinks. "Really, I feel sorry for Rohit. He has done nothing to deserve such a jerk for his best friend."

Virat's breathing got a little heavier, so Jinks decided to push a just a little more.

"I'm sure he's always hoping, every time you two make up after a fight, that now you're going to stop being a jerk and act a little normally...maybe even nicely, the way you do with the rest. But imagine him getting disappointed all the time, because Virat being nice to Rohit is simply impossible."

"It's not impossible, Jinks!" cried Virat. 

"Are you sure?" asked Jinks doubtfully.

"Yes!" said Virat, his competitive spirit coming fully alive. "I'll--I'll show you."

"All right, then," conceded Jinks, trying not to laugh. "Show me." 

Virat grunted.

"But I also need to add, if you're doing it just to show me, don't. Do it only if you're going to do it for your best friend whom you keep hurting all the time with no reason at all."

"It's his fault for always getting possessive regarding AB," said Virat.

"Yeah, it's his fault for wanting to always keep you close to him, and only him--and having you fight with him all the damn time," said Jinks.

The way Jinks phrased it, it made Virat begin to feel emotional.

"No," he said in a subdued voice. "It's not his fault. It's completely mine, Jinks."

"So you finally admit it."

"But what do I do?"

"The same thing you were going to do to show me. Just do it for him. His birthday is coming up as well."

"Ok...let me think of something really, really nice."

"That's the spirit, Vi."

____________________

Virat lay in bed for a long time after his conversation with Jinks, suddenly wanting to do something really special for his Ro, something that makes him forget (temporarily, but still) all their fights. 

Because Rohit was incalculably special to him; he had never been able to deny it, even during their worst fights. He knew he treated Rohit worse than practically everyone he knew, but at the same time Rohit was also the most special person in his life.

He wanted so badly to make Rohit terribly happy instead of mad for something he did for a change. 

When Virat put his brains to something with his heart, the result is always good, as Rohit found out, much to his surprise on his birthday eve.

 He did not open Virat's live with AB, though their team was clearly watching it, because they were all passing obnoxious comments in their WhatsApp group. Since he was watching a movie in his phone, he kept getting the notifications from the top, and they were seriously annoying him. After an hour or so, Virat started messaging in the group too, so Rohit concluded his session must have ended.

Thank God he didn't watch it.

He muted the chat to avoid seeing Virat's annoying name.

After a while his phone pinged.

It was from Virat, messaging him directly.

Virat: Ro

Virat: Ro

Virat: RO

Virat: ROHIT

Virat: ROOHIIIT

Virat: ROHEEEET

Virat: ROOOOOOHHHHHHIIIIIITTTTTT

By the time Rohit could open the chat, Virat had tried practically all variations of his name.

Rohit: Why are you spamming me?

Virat: Good you're online

Virat: Stay online ok

Virat: Don't dare go off

Rohit wondered what he was up to now. And weren't they in the midst of a fight?

Rohit: I'm going offline, I was watching a movie

Virat: Don't be such a jerk! Stay here for a little while!

Great, so now Virat was calling him a jerk. Curiosity forced him to stay online. 

After a moment pictures began to appear on the screen in quick succession.

******

Do you think anyone can take care of you better than me when you're injured?

You still haven't thanked me for matchmaking you and Ritsy but what would one expect from you anyway

Had problems believing my hand took that catch??

I just realized I can get away with anything when it comes to you

Look at me comforting you after you've thrown away your wicket AGAIN

I'm more myself with you than with anyone else

Even if we fight all the time over stupid things

Slip fielding got so much better since you became the awesome Test opener you are now

When will you learn to think twice before gloating over me you idiot?

You are fit so you took that wonderful catch 🤭
And I'm un-arrogant, because I'm always prouder of you than of myself

Having to deal with your sleeping troubles, Ro, I'm washing my hands off them

If the world could get our inside jokes....

How we manage to take good memories even out of the lost matches

In all our happiest moments, when we got into the semi final...

....when we ruled India's biggest chase...

And in all our worst moments, when we lost our dream...

You have been with me

I will always be there to pick you up when you fall😉

Because you're my best friend and I'm yours.
PS: Have you ever seen me holding AB like that? No, right? Because how could I ever claim he belongs to me?

******

Rohit began to feel dizzy with staring at so many photos in such a less time (of course Virat had chosen to fire them off in the span of seconds). And then, of course, he started feeling  all emotional about his best friend.

Virat: Why don't you say something 😭

Rohit called Virat; he didn't think he could reply anything to this over text.

"Since when did you become so sweet?" demanded Rohit.

"Jinks said that me being nice is impossible."

"Great, so now you did it just to prove a point to Jinks."

"No! No!" cried Virat vehemently at once, remembering that he was beginning to be a jerk again. "I love you Ro, I love you so much you can't imagine, I'm sorry I am such a terrible friend at times, I just wanted to do something nice for you to make up for that fight and--by the way, I didn't do that live to get back at you or something, it was to announce an auction to raise funds..."

The last part made Rohit's heart soar even more than it did after seeing the photos, and Virat certainly didn't seem like he would stop talking till Rohit interrupted.

"Ok ok, I get the point," said Rohit. "And I love you too. That was...that was quite a good idea, actually, so it's surprising to believe you came up with it yourself. Are you sure Jinks didn't help you?"

"You can ask him," said Virat sulkily.

Rohit wanted to get Virat beside him right then and hug the life out of him.

"I believe you," he said. "Of course I believe my best friend!" he added for good measure.

"Nice," said Virat, his voice brightening again. "Oh look, it's already 12! Happy 33rd Ro...and this time I'm definitely the first one to wish you."

Rohit laughed, remembering Hardik and Virat's fight last year about who wished him first.

"Yeah, you are," said Rohit. "I'm pretty sure you gave the best gift too."

Hearing that made Virat's heart soar, too, and then they decided to go to their group chat, otherwise everyone would kill Virat for keeping Rohit engaged past 12, and needless to say they were fighting again within minutes.

But Rohit didn't get mad this time...because it was difficult to forget that night that Virat being nice was improbable, but not impossible.