Work Text:
𝜗ৎ Act 1 – Dinner with the Grants - Nash 𝜗ৎ
Ravi had fought apartment fires with less preparation than this.
He'd stood outside collapsing buildings with a helmet under one arm and adrenaline buzzing through his veins, mentally reviewing every possible scenario before stepping inside.
Somehow, none of it compared to standing in front of the bathroom mirror, adjusting the collar of his button-down for what had to be the seventh time.
"You know," May called from the bedroom, "at this point you're actually making it more wrinkled."
"I'm not."
"You've changed shirts three times."
"I changed twice."
"You put on a blue one, then a white one, then another blue one."
"The first blue one was a different blue than this one."
May appeared in the bathroom doorway, already dressed, one earring still missing as she searched for it with one hand.
She took one look at him and had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from smiling.
He looked ridiculously handsome.
Dark blue button-down, sleeves rolled neatly to his forearms, black jeans instead of the cargo pants he practically lived in, curls behaving for once.
And yet he looked like he was about to attend a job interview for the position of Most Worthy Boyfriend.
"You okay?" she asked softly.
He looked at himself in the mirror.
"I don't know."
She walked over until she was standing in front of him, gently taking both his wrists before he could fiddle with his sleeves again.
"Ravi."
"I am okay."
She looked at him as she leaned against the sink.
"I just..."
His shoulders lifted in a helpless shrug.
"I really want this to go well."
May's expression softened immediately.
She stepped closer, resting both hands on his chest.
"It will."
"I have to impress your dad."
"You already know my dad."
"I have to impress your other dad."
She smiled.
"And Athena."
"...Okay, that one's fair."
He groaned dramatically, dropping his forehead onto her shoulder.
"I have to impress three parents."
May laughed, wrapping an arm around his waist.
"You don't have to impress anyone."
"I absolutely do."
"No, you don't. I’m already your girlfriend, you’ve impressed me enough."
"But they raised you."
She frowned.
"...And?"
He looked up at her as though that explained everything.
"They raised you."
May blinked.
"I fail to see your point."
"My point," he said carefully, "is that they somehow managed to produce..." He gestured vaguely in her direction. "...this."
"This?"
"You."
"Oh."
"And now I'm dating you."
She raised an eyebrow.
"You make that sound like winning the lottery."
"It kind of is."
She smiled before she could stop herself.
God.
He did this far too often.
Just said things that sounded so matter-of-fact, so obvious, as though it had never occurred to him that saying I'm lucky to have you without actually using those words might completely dismantle her emotional defenses.
She reached up and fixed the collar he'd been obsessing over.
"There."
"It still looks weird."
"It doesn't."
"It definitely–"
She kissed him.
Long enough that when she pulled away, he'd completely forgotten what he was complaining about.
"There," she repeated.
He blinked.
"That– that’s cheating.”
𝜗ৎ
Twenty minutes later, they were in the car.
Ravi was driving, his knuckles turning white from the force with which he was gripping the steering wheel.
May watched him out of the corner of her eye.
"You know..."
"Hm?"
"My family's going to love you."
"I appreciate your optimism."
"Ravi! I'm serious." She laughed, enjoying a little too much his nervousness.
"I know."
"They already like you."
"They've met me at work."
"So?"
"That's different."
"How?"
"They've met Firefighter Ravi."
She turned in her seat.
"And tonight?"
He was quiet for a second.
"...Tonight they're meeting the guy dating their daughter."
She couldn't really argue with that.
After all, Bobby had known Ravi for years.
Athena had too.
They'd trusted him on calls.
Laughed with him around the station.
Shared meals after shifts.
But tonight...
Tonight wasn't about Ravi the firefighter.
It was about Ravi, the person who kissed their daughter goodbye every morning and left his hoodies scattered around her apartment.
Different.
Understandably.
She reached across the center console and laced her fingers through his.
He squeezed them immediately.
“It’s going to be okay, babe.”
"So."
Ravi glanced sideways, still looking anxious.
"So?"
"You never told me what am I supposed to call Bobby."
May laughed.
"His name?"
"I know his name."
"So..."
"...Can I call him Bobby?"
"Yes."
"It feels weird."
"Then don't."
"Captain?"
"I guess."
"'Cap'?"
She looked amused.
"Sure."
"'Mr. Nash?"
"Oh, not that one. C’mon, you know him."
“What about your dad?”
“Just call him Michael.”
"What if I panic?"
"You won't."
"But what if I do?"
She thought for a moment.
"...Honestly?"
"Yeah?"
"My mom will probably think it's adorable."
He groaned.
"Oh my God, that's somehow more embarrassing."
𝜗ৎ
When they finally pulled into the driveway, Ravi stared at the house for a second longer than necessary.
The porch light was already on.
Warm yellow spilling across the front steps.
Inside, silhouettes moved past the windows.
"You ready?" May interlaced her hand with his, waiting for him to take the first step toward the house.
"No."
"Good."
He looked at her.
"...Good?"
She smiled.
"Means you're taking it seriously."
He sighed dramatically.
"I liked you better before you started sounding like Bobby."
"Hey, he’s my dad, I need to be a little like him."
Before he could answer, the front door swung open.
Harry leaned against the frame with the grin of someone who had absolutely witnessed them sitting in the driveway for the last minute.
"Took you guys long enough."
May laughed.
"We've been here for thirty seconds."
"Yeah."
He looked directly at Ravi.
"You look nervous."
Ravi straightened instinctively.
"I'm not nervous."
Harry tilted his head.
"I think I can smell the sweat from here…"
Ravi panicked.
May immediately burst into laughter.
"Harry stop scaring him!"
"Well," Harry continued. "He's definitely going to start sweating. Look at him."
"Don’t be mean."
"He’s right May, I’m already sweating."
“Oh man, I was just joking. Relax.”
Before Ravi could speak again, another voice floated from inside.
"Harry, stop interrogating our guests before they even come in."
Athena.
Harry shrugged innocently.
"I was just making observations."
"You're being a menace."
"I learned from the best."
Athena rolled her eyes as she appeared in the hallway.
The moment she saw them, her expression softened.
"There you are."
She hugged May first.
Then, to Ravi's mild surprise, she hugged him too.
Not a long hug, but a warm one for sure.
"We're glad you made it."
Some of the tension left his shoulders immediately.
"Thank you for having me."
"You didn't have to bring anything," she said, noticing the bags in his hands.
"Oh."
He glanced down.
"I... wasn't sure what everyone liked."
May closed her eyes.
Here we go.
"So..." Ravi held up one bag. "I brought flowers."
Athena smiled.
"Those are beautiful."
"And..." He held up another. "Dessert."
"Ravi..."
"And another dessert."
Athena blinked.
"...Another?"
"I couldn't decide."
May pinched the bridge of her nose.
"I told him one was enough."
"I panicked."
Harry was trying so hard not to laugh that he had physically turned away.
Athena accepted both boxes with the expression of someone who had already decided this young man was impossible not to like.
"Well," she said, exchanging a glance with May that made her daughter immediately suspicious, "I suppose we'll just have to eat both."
Ravi let out the smallest, quietest sigh of relief.
May heard it anyway.
And she smiled, leading him to the living room
The house smelled exactly the way she remembered.
Garlic.
Fresh herbs.
Something baking in the oven.
And the cinnamon candle Athena insisted on lighting whenever people came over, despite Bobby claiming nobody could smell it over dinner.
She missed home.
"It smells amazing," Ravi said as Athena disappeared into the kitchen with the flowers.
"That's because Bobby is making enough food to feed a small army, I’m sure," May answered.
"I heard that," Bobby called back.
"Good."
Harry snorted.
"You know," he said to Ravi, "she gets brave when she's home."
"I do not."
"You absolutely do."
"I pay rent now."
"So?"
"So I can leave whenever I want."
Harry looked around dramatically.
"...And yet here you are."
Before May could think of a comeback, another voice carried in from the dining room.
"There they are."
Michael.
He walked over with the easy smile May had missed these past few months, immediately pulling her into a hug.
"There she is."
"Hi, Dad."
"It's good to see you, sweetheart."
"You too."
When he stepped back, his attention shifted naturally to Ravi.
For half a second, Ravi forgot how to breathe.
Then Michael smiled.
"It's good to finally meet you outside a FaceTime call."
Ravi laughed, relieved.
"Yeah... sorry it took so long."
Michael waved the apology away.
"I’m the one living four thousand miles away."
"I know, but–"
"If anyone should apologize, it's me."
He extended a hand.
"I'm Michael."
Ravi shook it.
"I know."
Michael grinned.
"I figured."
"It's really nice to meet you."
"You too."
There was nothing intimidating about him.
Nothing at all.
Which somehow made Ravi want his approval even more.
"I'm glad May finally convinced you to visit," Ravi said.
Michael glanced at his daughter.
"Oh, she didn't have to convince me."
"No?"
"I would've come sooner if flights from Hawaii weren't so expensive."
May folded her arms.
"I've been saying that."
"You've also been guilt-tripping me."
"I prefer 'loving encouragement.'"
Michael laughed.
"That's definitely Athena talking."
"It is not!"
"It absolutely is."
𝜗ৎ
By the time everyone sat down, the dining table looked almost too full.
Roast chicken.
Vegetables.
Mashed potatoes.
Salad.
Fresh bread.
Three different side dishes Ravi couldn't identify but fully intended to try.
Athena caught him looking.
"Don't worry."
He looked up.
"There's enough food."
"I wasn't worried."
"You looked worried."
"I was wondering where to start."
She smiled knowingly.
"A good problem to have."
Everyone settled into their seats.
May found herself between Ravi and Harry.
Across from them sat Bobby and Athena.
Michael occupied the other end of the table, already reaching for the bread basket.
For a few blissfully ordinary minutes, conversation flowed easily.
Michael talked about Honolulu, and everything the city where he lived had to offer.
Harry complained almost everything that had happened to him that week.
Athena corrected Harry's version of events at least twice.
May laughed harder than she'd expected to.
It felt...
Normal.
Comfortable.
Until Michael turned to Ravi.
"So."
Here it comes.
"How's work been?"
Ravi nearly laughed from relief.
"Oh."
He relaxed slightly.
"Busy."
"I've been hearing that from everyone."
"Heat wave doesn't help." Harry says.
Bobby nodded.
"People forget how quickly small mistakes become emergencies."
Michael looked between the three firefighters.
"I don't know how you guys do it."
Bobby shrugged.
"One call at a time."
Ravi found himself nodding before he'd even realized it.
"Exactly."
The conversation drifted toward funny station stories.
Safe territory.
Harry was laughing so hard he nearly knocked over his water.
"You're kidding."
"I wish I was."
"And Buck actually did that?"
Ravi smiled.
"He'll deny it forever."
"Good."
"He should."
May watched him from beside him.
He'd relaxed.
Not completely.
But enough that his smile had stopped looking rehearsed.
Enough that he was talking with his hands again.
Enough that he laughed without checking whether anyone else was laughing first.
Athena noticed too.
She hid a smile behind her glass.
"So." Harry spoke out of the blue, pointing his fork at Ravi. "Who's more stubborn?"
Ravi blinked.
"...Sorry?"
"You or May."
"Oh my God," May groaned.
Michael immediately leaned back in his chair.
"This should be interesting."
Athena sipped her water.
"I'd like to hear this."
Bobby stayed wisely silent.
Ravi looked at May.
May looked back.
"This is a trap."
Harry nodded.
"Correct."
"...Can I plead the Fifth?"
"We're not in court," Harry said.
May nudged Ravi's knee under the table.
"Answer carefully."
He looked around the table.
Everyone was waiting.
Even Bobby.
He considered it for a moment.
Then...
"I think..."
Long pause.
"...we're stubborn about different things."
Athena raised an eyebrow.
"Go on."
"May doesn't like asking for help."
May opened her mouth.
Closed it.
"...Okay."
"And I..."
He smiled sheepishly.
"...don't like admitting when I'm tired."
There was a beat of silence.
Then Bobby laughed.
Not loudly.
Just enough to make Ravi look at him.
"That's probably the most accurate answer you could've given."
"I've had practice."
May looked at him.
"...Have you?"
He smiled.
"You've gotten better."
She blinked.
"At asking for help."
Her expression softened almost imperceptibly.
"So have you."
"At?"
"Letting people take care of you."
The room fell quiet.
Michael smiled into his plate.
Athena reached over to refill Ravi's water before he'd even noticed his glass was empty.
Nobody commented on it.
She simply did it.
And Ravi, without thinking, murmured, "Thank you."
May caught the exchange.
Something in her chest squeezed.
It was such a small thing.
But she'd grown up watching her mom do exactly that. Noticing empty glasses, refilling them before anyone asked. Taking care of people in a hundred invisible ways.
Seeing Athena extend that same quiet kindness to Ravi... It felt like watching two worlds gently overlap.
𝜗ৎ
Later, while Athena and Michael argued good-naturedly over whether the dishwasher should be loaded "properly," Harry dragged May upstairs to show her something on his computer.
"I'll be right back," she told Ravi.
He nodded.
"Take your time."
Bobby was already gathering empty plates.
Without thinking, Ravi stood.
"I can help."
"You don't have to."
"I know." He smiled. "But I'd like to."
Bobby studied him for a second.
Then handed him a stack of dishes.
"Alright."
They carried everything into the kitchen in comfortable silence.
When the last plate had been set beside the sink, Bobby dried his hands on a towel.
"You mind stepping outside for a minute?"
Ravi's stomach dropped.
"...Sure."
The back porch was quiet.
The sun had long since disappeared, leaving only the soft glow of the garden lights.
For a few moments, neither of them spoke.
Bobby leaned against the railing, and Ravi stood beside him, trying very hard not to look as nervous as he suddenly felt.
"You were nervous tonight."
It wasn't a question.
Ravi let out a quiet breath.
"...Yeah."
Bobby smiled faintly.
"I could tell."
"I'm sorry if it was obvious."
"It was."
A beat.
"But that's not a bad thing."
Ravi frowned slightly.
"No?"
Bobby shook his head.
"It told me this mattered to you."
Ravi looked out into the yard, it was exactly what May had said to him.
"It does."
There was no hesitation.
No embarrassment.
Just honesty.
"I know you've all known me for a while..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "...but I don’t know… tonight felt different."
"It was."
"I didn't want to... get anything wrong."
Bobby nodded once, understanding more than Ravi realized.
"You know," he said quietly, "May's always been good at pretending she's okay."
Ravi looked over.
"When I met her..."
Bobby's eyes stayed on the garden, smiling to himself.
“She was fourteen and determined to prove she didn’t need anybody.”
Ravi listened quietly.
"If she had a bad day, she'd disappear into her room and tell us she had homework."
"If she was overwhelmed, she'd say she could handle it. And if she thought she was becoming someone else's problem..."
Ravi listened without interrupting.
"She's better now."
Bobby glanced at him.
"But every now and then..."
"...she still forgets she doesn't have to carry everything alone." Ravi finished the sentence.
Silence settled between them.
Ravi thought about every late shift May had insisted she was "fine" after.
Every time she'd said don't worry about me.
Every time she'd smiled before admitting she was exhausted.
"I know," he said softly. "I've noticed."
Bobby nodded.
"I figured you had."
Ravi swallowed.
"I just..." He hesitated. "I hope she knows she doesn't have to do that with me."
"She will."
There wasn't a trace of doubt in Bobby's voice.
"You're patient."
Ravi laughed quietly.
"I don't always feel patient."
"You don't have to feel it."
Bobby smiled.
"You just have to keep showing up."
Ravi looked at him.
Then, almost shyly–
"Can I admit something?"
"Of course."
"I worry sometimes..." Ravi stared at the wooden porch beneath his feet. "...that I'm not enough."
Bobby didn't answer immediately.
He let the words sit between them.
"Enough?" he repeated.
Ravi shrugged helplessly.
"She's... May."
A smile tugged at Bobby's mouth.
"She is."
"She's brilliant."
"She is."
"She deserves..." He searched for the words. "...everything."
Bobby was quiet for a long moment.
"You know what May told Athena after your second date?"
Ravi blinked.
"...No."
"She said she liked how safe she felt with you."
Ravi's breath caught.
"Not because you're a firefighter."
Bobby shook his head.
"Because you listened."
Another pause.
"Because you noticed when she was tired before she did."
Ravi looked away, suddenly finding the garden lights incredibly interesting.
"So..." Bobby pushed off the railing. "I don't think you need to worry about being enough."
He rested a hand briefly on Ravi's shoulder.
"I think you've already been exactly what she needed."
And with that, as if he hadn't just rearranged every insecure thought Ravi had carried into that house–
He opened the back door.
"C'mon."
"She’s probably waiting for you."
Ravi stood there for another second.
Blinking.
Then he smiled to himself.
Maybe this had gone even better than May had promised.
𝜗ৎ Act 2 – Dinner with the Panikkars 𝜗ৎ
If there was one thing May had learned in the three months she'd been dating Ravi, it was that he had a remarkable habit of making things sound considerably smaller than they actually were.
Not because he was trying to mislead her. Quite the opposite. Ravi was so matter-of-fact about the world around him that he often forgot other people hadn't grown up inside it.
The first time he'd invited her over to his apartment, he'd apologized for the place being "a little plain." She had walked into an apartment that looked as though someone had spent the afternoon preparing it for a magazine photoshoot. Every book sat neatly on its shelf, every throw blanket had somehow remained perfectly folded despite clearly being used, and the kitchen was immaculate except for the saucepan quietly simmering on the stove.
She had wandered into the pantry while he finished making tea and laughed loud enough for him to poke his head around the corner.
"What?"
"You alphabetize your spices."
"I do not."
"You absolutely do."
He'd frowned, walking over beside her.
“Cardamom. Chili powder. Cinnamon. Cloves.” She looks at him with a small smile. “Cumin.”
"...Huh."
"You didn't know?"
"I just put them where they belonged."
She'd laughed all evening.
Ravi, meanwhile, had remained completely convinced it was a coincidence.
So perhaps she should have questioned him a little more when, halfway across Los Angeles, he casually informed her that dinner would be "just immediate family."
Well, she had.
Technically.
"How many people is that?"
"My parents," he'd answered easily.
"Okay."
"My sister."
She'd nodded.
"And probably my aunt."
"That's all?"
He'd shrugged.
"More or less."
"That sounds manageable."
"It is."
The certainty in his voice made her smile.
But now, standing halfway up the front path with at least twenty pairs of shoes lined neatly across the porch, May was beginning to suspect that "more or less" meant something very different in the Panikkar household.
She looked from the tiny trainers tucked beneath the bench to the polished men's shoes arranged beside them before slowly turning towards Ravi.
"...Immediate family?"
He followed her gaze.
For a brief, glorious second, genuine confusion crossed his face.
"Oh."
She folded her arms.
"'Oh'?"
"My cousins."
"Your cousins."
"I forgot they said they were coming."
"You forgot."
He winced.
"You are unbelievable."
"I know."
"No." She smiled, reaching for his hand. "I don't think you do."
He intertwined their fingers instinctively, his thumb brushing once across the back of her hand before leading her the rest of the way up the path.
"I promise they're going to love you."
But before either of them could reach the door, it swung open.
"Ravi!"
His mother appeared before he had the chance to knock, wiping her hands hurriedly on a tea towel slung over one shoulder. Her smile transformed her face completely, bright enough that May instinctively found herself smiling back before they had even been introduced.
"My goodness, you're late."
"We're two minutes early."
"Exactly."
Without another word she wrapped her son in a hug that left absolutely no room for protest.
"You've lost weight."
"Aai..." (Mom)
"You have."
"I haven't."
"You have."
"I haven't," Ravi repeated, though there wasn't much conviction behind it. If anything, he sounded resigned, as though this were an argument he'd been losing for most of his life.
His mother clicked her tongue softly, one hand coming up to cup his cheek with practiced affection.
"You work too much."
"Yeah, but I eat."
"You forget."
"I don't."
"You do."
May watched the exchange with poorly concealed amusement. Ravi, who could calmly de-escalate panicked civilians and walk into burning buildings without raising his voice, was reduced to sounding like a mildly exasperated teenager in the space of thirty seconds.
Mrs. Panikkar finally patted his cheek once before letting him go. Only then did her attention drift to May, and the warmth already present in her expression softened into something gentler still.
"So." She stepped forward without hesitation, taking May's hands in both of hers. "You must be May."
"I am." May smiled. "It's so lovely to finally meet you, Mrs. Panikkar."
"Oh, no." She shook her head immediately. "No 'Mrs. Panikkar.'"
She smiled so kindly that it was impossible to feel embarrassed.
"I'm Priya." she added after the briefest pause.
"Nice to meet you… Priya." she replied quietly.
Priya's face lit up.
"Good."
Then, with all the efficiency of someone who had hosted family dinners for decades, she reached forward to straighten a strand of hair that had escaped May's ponytail.
"You are even prettier than in the photos he shows us."
"Aai," Ravi groaned.
"What?"
"You can't say things like that."
"Why not?"
"Because it's embarrassing."
"For who?"
"For me."
She laughed.
"But she's beautiful, you shouldn’t be ashamed to show it."
May felt warmth rush to her cheeks before she could stop it.
Ravi looked equally flustered.
"Can we go inside now?"
"In a minute."
Priya was still looking at May with open curiosity, though there wasn't a trace of scrutiny in it. It wasn't the careful assessment Ravi had feared from the Grants, nor was it the polite distance reserved for strangers.
It was simply the look of someone trying to connect a real person to months of stories.
"I've heard so much about you," she said.
"Oh, really?"
"Mhm."
Priya nodded matter-of-factly.
"My son talks."
Ravi made a noise somewhere between a laugh and a protest.
"I do not."
"You do."
"I really don't."
"You called me three weeks ago," Priya reminded him, counting on her fingers, "'May made me watch Pride and Prejudice.'"
May covered her mouth to hide a smile.
"It was a good movie," Ravi defended himself immediately.
"I know."
"'May says I have to stop apologizing every five minutes.'"
"I didn't–"
"'May fell asleep on the couch and now I can't move because I don't want to wake her.'"
May's head snapped towards him.
"You told your mom that?"
Ravi looked suddenly fascinated by the flowerpots lining the porch.
"...Maybe."
Priya smiled knowingly.
"He talks."
May couldn't help herself.
She laughed.
Not because the stories were particularly embarrassing, but because she could picture every single one of them perfectly.
Ravi complaining good-naturedly through the phone after she'd insisted on showing him one of her favorite films.
Ravi sheepishly admitting that she'd once fallen asleep halfway through a movie and he'd remained trapped beneath her for nearly an hour because, in his own words, she looked comfortable.
The image alone was enough to make her heart ache.
She looked at him, still smiling.
"I thought you said you didn't tell your family much."
"I..."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"I didn't think I did."
Priya and May exchanged the same amused look over his shoulder.
Clearly he had no idea how often he talked about her.
From somewhere deeper inside the house came another voice.
"Are you planning on keeping them on the porch all afternoon?"
Priya startled slightly.
"Oh!" She laughed, as though she'd genuinely forgotten why they'd come to the door in the first place. "Come in, come in."
Ravi bent automatically to slip off his shoes completely, lining them beside the others without a second thought. May followed suit, and before she'd even straightened up again, the warm scent drifting through the house became almost overwhelming.
It smelled like home.
Not her home.
Someone else's. But somehow... welcoming all the same.
As she stepped over the threshold, she realizes the house is full of noise, but not bad noise.
It was conversation.
Real conversation.
Someone laughing in the dining room.
Two children arguing over whose turn it was with a colouring book.
A television playing quietly in the background, promptly ignored by everyone present.
Voices drifting effortlessly between English, Hindi and Marathi without anyone seeming to notice the change.
And before May had time to take in much more than that, three more people appeared in the hallway at once.
Ravi glanced at her with an apologetic smile.
"Welcome to immediate family..."
𝜗ৎ
When dinner was served, people moved around each other with the effortless choreography of those who had shared the same space for years. Someone disappeared into the kitchen carrying an empty serving bowl just as another emerged balancing a tray of glasses. A little boy darted between two adults in socked feet, only to be scooped into someone's arms without interrupting the conversation happening over his head. Somewhere further inside the house, laughter erupted loudly enough to draw an affectionate, "Arre, bas!" (Oh, that’s enough!) from an older woman May couldn't yet place.
Ravi, meanwhile, had slipped into the rhythm of it all as though he'd never left.
She watched him greet an elderly man with a warm embrace before accepting a playful clap on the shoulder from someone who looked enough like him to be a cousin. He answered a question thrown at him from the dining room without even turning around, reached automatically into a cupboard for a stack of drinking glasses, then carried them into the kitchen on his way to greet another relative who had only just noticed he'd arrived.
Not once did he hesitate.
Not once did he ask where anything was.
It struck May then that, for the first time since she'd met him, she was seeing Ravi in a place that had shaped him.
At the station, he was dependable.
At her apartment, he was thoughtful, careful, almost meticulous in the way he folded blankets after they'd watched a movie or rinsed dishes before putting them in the dishwasher.
Here he was simply someone's son.
Someone's little brother.
Someone's cousin.
The quiet confidence she'd fallen in love with was still there, but it sat beneath something softer, easier. He smiled more. Interrupted people mid-sentence without apologizing because they all talked over one another anyway. Laughed with his whole body instead of the polite chuckle she was used to hearing when strangers made conversation.
She couldn't stop watching him.
By the time everyone had settled around the table, May had entirely lost track of who belonged to whom.
She knew Ravi's parents, of course. Anika, his sister, sat across from them, her husband beside her, their two children occupying themselves with painstakingly separating peas from rice. Beyond that, introductions had become a blur of smiles, handshakes and names she repeated to herself in the hope they might stick.
"This is my cousin, Neel."
"My aunt, Kavita."
"And you remember me talking about Uncle Suresh."
She absolutely did not remember Uncle Suresh.
Fortunately, nobody seemed to mind.
Plates were passed around the table before anyone thought to serve themselves, and every time May reached for something, another hand was already there to offer it first.
"Try the batata bhaji," Priya insisted, spooning a generous helping onto her plate before May had managed more than a polite, "Just a little is… And some varan."
"Aai..." Ravi's voice carried the familiar note of amused resignation. "She hasn't even tasted what's already on her plate."
"Exactly," Priya replied without missing a beat. "Now she has options."
May looked down at the steadily disappearing patches of porcelain beneath fragrant curries, vegetables and rice, then back up at Ravi.
He merely smiled.
"Don't fight it."
"I wasn't planning to."
"Good. You won't win."
She laughed.
Conversation resumed almost immediately, flowing around her rather than stopping because of her. It reminded May of listening to a river: one topic gave way to another so naturally that she couldn't quite pinpoint where one ended and the next began.
Someone asked Ravi's father how work had been.
An uncle complained theatrically about Los Angeles traffic despite living twenty minutes away.
One of the children proudly announced she'd learned to whistle, immediately demonstrating with limited success.
It wasn't until everyone had settled into eating that Anika, Ravi’s sister, looked up from across the table.
"So, May," she said, passing another basket of warm chapatis around the table despite everyone already having one on their plates. "Ravi told us you recently started working as a nurse."
May smiled, setting her fork down.
"I did."
"How are you finding it?"
There was something so sincere about the question that May answered honestly.
"I love it." She laughed softly.
"It's exhausting."
Several people around the table smiled in understanding.
"But I love it."
"What kind of nursing?" Ravi's father asked.
"I'm in the emergency department."
"Oh," one of Ravi's cousins said, eyebrows lifting. "So you and Ravi still spend your days running towards emergencies."
May glanced sideways at Ravi.
"I suppose we do."
"Just from different sides of the hospital."
Ravi smiled.
"She's got the harder job."
May immediately shook her head.
"No, I don't."
"You do."
"You literally run into burning buildings."
"And then we bring people to people like you."
There wasn't a trace of competition in his voice.
Just quiet certainty.
May smiled despite herself.
Across the table, Anika watched the exchange with obvious amusement.
"Do you always do this?"
Her husband looked up.
"What?"
"This." She gestured vaguely between Ravi and May. "The arguing over who has the more difficult job."
"We're not arguing," Ravi replied.
"We've had this conversation before," May added.
"And?"
"We never agree."
Priya looked between them before smiling.
"Good."
Both of them turned towards her.
"Why?"
"Because it means neither of you thinks your work is more important than the other's."
She reached for another spoonful of dal.
"That seems healthy."
May hadn't thought about it like that.
She looked at Ravi again and he was already looking at her.
He smiled, small and almost sheepish.
She smiled back.
Conversation drifted on naturally after that.
Someone asked May where she'd trained.
Another cousin wanted to know whether she'd always wanted to be a nurse.
One of the older uncles admitted he could never have done a job that involved so much blood, earning an immediate, "Arre, Suresh, you fainted during your flu vaccine," from his wife.
The entire table dissolved into laughter.
May found herself laughing with them.
𝜗ৎ
The conversation drifted on long after plates had begun to empty.
Someone insisted there was still room for dessert despite everyone's protests to the contrary. Children abandoned the table one by one in search of toys hidden somewhere deeper in the house. At some point, May lost track of which cousin belonged to which aunt entirely and simply accepted that everyone seemed related to everyone else.
She was halfway through helping Priya carry bowls into the kitchen when another pair of hands reached for the stack of plates beside her.
"I'll take those."
May looked up to find Anika smiling.
"I promise you're allowed to be a guest."
"I know." May laughed softly, handing over half the stack anyway. "I just feel bad sitting while everyone else is doing something."
Anika balanced the plates effortlessly against one hip.
"Congratulations."
"For what?"
"You've already passed the first unofficial family test."
May raised an eyebrow.
"I didn't know there was one."
"There isn't." Anika grinned. "Aai just quietly decides whether people instinctively help in the kitchen."
"And?"
"Oh, she noticed."
May couldn't help smiling.
Together they disappeared into the kitchen, where the noise of conversation from the dining room became pleasantly muffled behind the clatter of running water and cupboard doors opening and closing.
Without really thinking about it, May reached for a tea towel and began drying the dishes Anika washed.
For a few moments they worked in comfortable silence.
Then Anika glanced sideways.
"So..."
May smiled knowingly.
"So?"
"What do you think?"
"About your family?"
"Mhm."
May laughed under her breath.
"I think Ravi owes me an apology."
Anika looked delighted.
"For what?"
"'Immediate family.'"
She burst into laughter.
"Oh, he actually said that?"
"He did."
"I'm never letting him live that down."
"I'd appreciate that."
"I think he has absolutely no idea how many relatives we have."
"I've noticed."
They laughed together, and for a moment the only sound in the kitchen was the steady rush of warm water.
Then Anika turned off the tap.
"You know..."
Her voice softened.
"I've never seen him bring anyone here before."
May looked up.
"...Here?"
"To our parents' house."
A small smile touched Anika's lips.
"He's always kept this part of his life to himself."
"Really?"
She nodded.
"He's always been incredibly private. Even growing up, he'd separate everything. School stayed at school. Work stayed at work. Home..." She glanced towards the dining room, where Ravi's laughter floated in from somewhere down the hall. "...Home was just for family."
She smiled to herself.
"I don't think he's ever invited anyone into this part of his world."
May felt something warm settle quietly in her chest.
"Not until you."
She wasn't quite sure what to say.
Instead, she found herself looking towards the doorway.
Ravi was standing with one of his cousins now, laughing at something one of the children had said. His sleeves were rolled up, his hair slightly messier than when they'd arrived, and he looked so completely at ease that she almost didn't recognise him.
"I've never seen him like this," she admitted softly.
Anika's smile widened.
"I know."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Anika picked up another plate.
"When he got sick..."
She said it so naturally it took May a second to realize what she meant.
"...everything revolved around him for a while."
There was no sadness in her voice.
Only affection.
"Our parents did everything they could to make life feel normal."
She smiled faintly.
"I don't think he ever realized how frightened they were."
May listened quietly.
"I remember my mom asking him every day how he was feeling."
Anika laughed under her breath.
"And every single time he'd answer..." She slipped effortlessly into an impression of her brother. "'I'm fine. How about you guys?”
Anika looked towards the dining room again.
"He spent so much of his childhood being looked after that I think, once he got better, he made a decision—consciously or not—that he'd rather be the one taking care of everyone else."
May swallowed.
Because that was Ravi.
The man who noticed when she'd skipped lunch.
Who carried spare phone chargers because someone always forgot theirs.
Who apologized when strangers bumped into him.
Who instinctively stepped between other people and danger without stopping to think.
"I don't think he even realizes he does it anymore," Anika continued. "It's just... who he is."
May nodded "Yeah."
"He forgets that he's allowed to need people too."
The words settled gently between them.
Then Anika smiled again.
"But lately..."
She tilted her head.
"He's happier."
May looked at her.
"He laughs more." She smiled to herself. "I haven't seen him this relaxed in a long time."
Her eyes met May's.
"I don't mean because of tonight." She shook her head. "I mean these past few months."
May looked down at the tea towel in her hands.
"I hope so."
"I know so."
Anika reached over and squeezed her forearm.
"He's spent most of his life making sure everyone else is okay." She smiled warmly. "It's nice seeing someone who reminds him that he doesn't have to carry everything on his own."
Emotion caught unexpectedly in May's throat.
"I try."
"I know."
Anika smiled.
"And... for what it's worth..."
She hesitated just long enough for May to look back up.
"I'm really glad you're the first person he brought home."
Before May could answer, Ravi appeared in the doorway carrying three empty serving bowls.
"There you both are."
Anika immediately straightened.
"We've been talking."
"I gathered."
He looked between them suspiciously.
"...About me?"
"Maybe."
His sister's grin widened.
"I'll never tell."
Ravi narrowed his eyes.
"I'm suddenly very concerned."
May laughed.
"You should be."
The expression of mock betrayal on his face made both women laugh.
Anika set the last clean plate onto the drying rack before brushing her hands together.
"Well..." She looked between them, a knowing smile tugging at her lips. "I should probably rescue Aai before she decides to pack the entire fridge for you."
"I heard that!" Priya called from somewhere down the hallway.
"I know you did!" Anika laughed back.
She started towards the door before pausing beside May.
Quietly, so only she could hear, she said,
"I'm really glad you're here."
Then she gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze and disappeared down the hallway, leaving the kitchen unexpectedly quiet.
For a moment, neither May nor Ravi spoke.
He rested the bowls on the counter before turning towards her.
"So..."
She smiled.
"So?"
His eyes searched her face for a second.
"You okay?"
The question was so immediate, so instinctive, that it made her smile widen.
"Yeah."
"You sure?"
She nodded.
He stepped a little closer.
"I know today was..." He searched for the right word. "...A lot."
May laughed softly.
"I think I met about thirty people."
"It wasn't thirty."
She looked at him.
"...Twenty-eight?"
He considered it.
"...Maybe."
That made her laugh again.
"I had a really nice time, Ravi."
Something softened in his expression.
"You did?"
"I loved seeing you here. With your family.” She smiled to herself. "I don't think I've ever seen you laugh that much."
A faint flush colored his cheeks.
"I laugh."
"You do."
She tilted her head.
"But not like tonight."
He looked down for a moment, almost shy.
Then he admitted, quietly,
"I wanted you to see this."
May's heart skipped.
"Your family?"
"My home." His voice was gentle, almost hesitant. "This is... such a big part of who I am." He glanced towards the dining room, where another burst of laughter drifted through the house. "I wasn't sure what you'd think."
She stared at him in disbelief.
"What I'd think?"
He shrugged one shoulder.
"It's loud."
“Yeah...”
"There's always too much food."
“Aham...”
"And everyone talks over each other."
"They really do."
A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
"I know it can be... overwhelming."
May closed the small distance between them.
"It wasn't." She reached for his hand. "It was wonderful."
His fingers instinctively intertwined with hers.
"I've never seen you so... comfortable."
He looked back towards the doorway.
"I guess I don't have to think so much here."
"No."
"You just... are."
He nodded once.
"Yeah."
He looked at her for another moment before speaking again, so quietly she almost missed it.
"I really liked having you here."
May stepped closer until there was barely any space between them.
"I really liked being here."
“Good, because my mom is already planning spending Christmas together.”