Chapter Text
Islam had a painful plane ride from Australia to Dagestan. He had bruises on his body that stung whenever he tried to get comfortable in his seat. Muslim advised him to rest throughout the trip, and after a few tosses and turns, he was able to do so at the end. As soon as he arrived at the airport, he was bombarded by the media, fans, and strangers. Despite feeling tired, he remained polite and answered questions, took pictures and signed autographs with fans, and even gave an interview to the local news station. He was then quickly escorted to one of the vehicles that his friends had driven to pick him up and take him back home.
Upon arriving at his house, he decided to skip dinner and opt for a warm shower before lying down on his bed. His stomach was still unsettled from struggling to eat the airplane food earlier, despite his gratitude for it. This had been the case since he won his second championship title. Exhausted, he fell asleep and ignored the messages and missed calls that were appearing on his phone.
Islam was jolted awake by a persistent knocking at the main door. Despite his reluctance to leave the comfort of his warm bed, the knocking grew louder and more insistent, prompting him to investigate. To his surprise, he found Khabib waiting outside with a worried expression on his face. As Khabib embraced him, he felt the chill of the morning air and realized that it was way too early, but he gestured for him to come inside. "Why didn't you call me back or respond to my messages?" Khabib asked, concern evident in his voice.
"I was asleep, Khabib. I was exhausted from everything that happened," Islam said with a sigh, "Why are you here so early? If you're here to ask me to train at this hour, you can leave right now." He tried to create some space between himself and Khabib, but Khabib held on tight. "I'm sorry, I was just worried," Khabib said. Islam knew that he had always been protective, but this worry felt different. As Islam was about to reassure him, a strong gust of cold air from the still-opened door made him shiver. Khabib, realizing this, shut the door immediately and went back to hugging Islam to warm him up.
Islam leaned closer to him, embracing their warmth. He relished the warmth that enveloped him and was almost lulled to sleep by Khabib's soothing presence. He felt a tender kiss on the top of his head from Khabib. He was surprised by what happened, but he didn't refuse it and proceeded to kiss him on the lip. Islam closed his eyes, savoring the moment. Khabib's lips were cool from the outside, while Islam's were warm. It felt surreal to kiss someone he had always looked up to as an older brother. As he reminisced about their time spent training and sleeping in the same room, he realized that Khabib may have been unaware of his feelings. Sensing Islam's doubt, Khabib's hold on Islam's wrist tightens to redirect his focus and deepens their kiss, wanting this as well. Not knowing how long the kiss went, Islam broke away first, feeling a mix of anxiety and yearning. He was concerned that Khabib could have a negative response, but Khabib's loving gaze made him want to continue. However, Khabib held back when he saw Islam's uncertainty.
"I enjoyed that, actually" Khabib remained composed despite his elevated heartbeat. He smirked at the sigh of Islam's cheek flushing red. Feeling guilty for waking up Islam from his slumber, he was unaware that Islam was unwell. Seeing that Islam was still dazed, he took hold of his hand and guided him back to his room, Islam willingly followed. Islam's cheeks turned even redder when he saw where Khabib led him, but Khabib quickly reassured him that he was just tucking him into bed. After tucking him in and a quick peck on the cheek, Khabib left and locked the front door behind him.
As Islam lies in his room on the still-warm bed, he reflects on the events of the day, thinking about Charles and Khabib's affectionate gestures towards him that made his heart flutter and his palms sweaty.
If both Charles and Khabib want to see him more, Islam is unsure of what to do. Khabib is unaware of the fling Islam had with Charles, Charles thinks that Khabib is just having a brotherly bond with Islam. He is aware that he is in trouble, but at the moment, he can make himself believe that Volkanovski hit Islam's head too hard, causing his brain to create delusions.