#bhadra x diego castillo

[broken-balance-baby]

forgotten idols and their intertwined destinies (chapter 6)

Chapters: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/13/14/15/16/17/18/19/20/21/22/23/24/25/26

QUEMAR + JAALANA

If Adhrit was playing his cards right, the royal guard and whoever the FND were were going to attack from above before reaching ground. 

Which means they needed to think fast— think ahead. After that incident in Meh Teh Airport, there was no way they weren’t going to be careful next time. 

So in case Adhrit’s plan would be messed up, she had a backup that she intended to use on one of the soldiers in their team.

“Sakshi!” The radio buzzed. 

“Yes?” Bhadra answered. “We’re closing in on Rochan Brick Factory!” 

“Good, good. Be sure to stay hidden, I’ve received intel that they’re spreading out.” Adhrit said on the other end. “Good luck, Sakshi.” 

Just as suspected, as soon as Bhadra heard someone setting off the call, she noticed a flurry of white, red and black move and close in on the outside of the brick factory. As Bhadra tried to call for the snipers, she turned her head to find the sniper dead, with an arrow stuck to his head. 

“ Bhenchod! ” Bhadra whispered, looking at her surroundings and taking the sniper rifle. She heard more of the thwip from the arrows, and Bhadra was soon rounded by corpses that were appearing far too fast. 

So they did think ahead.

Her jaw started to ache, but as soon as she spotted the source of one shooter she shot them and ran the other way. 

“Everyone— anybody who’s still alive! I need you to run to the south!” Bhadra called to the radio. 

Then, when she tried to run towards the rebels, the bombs dropped. 

Diego watched from above as they dropped the bombs, watching the rebels scurry like ants in an attempt to escape the fire. 

Still, if they needed to capture Bhadra, she had to at least be put together. 

“Call off the bombs,” He spoke into the radio, then he ordered for the pilot to lower the helicopter down as they searched for bodies. “I want every woman who was part of the rebels captured.” 

The soldiers nodded, then hopped off the helicopter once it reached ground. Before long, the bodies of women were being dragged to the helicopter, and when the body was all wrong, he kicked it out and proceeded to inspect the next.

Then he noticed dark skin, long black hair, face down to the ground. There was a beeping noise that followed and, as Diego pulled open her jacket, he was met with the sight of a C4 bomb strapped on with a belt. 

He didn’t know what was coming until Bhadra, feet away, activated the bomb. 

“COME MIERDA —” Diego yelled, sprinting from the helicopter as it exploded. An explosion was set off from afar, the fucking brick factory was getting bombed and he hissed, calling for back-up as the surviving few of his team scrambled to protect him. Then they started falling, one by one into the ground, bullet holes coming from their heads. Before Diego could make a break for it, the piercing agony shot through his thigh and he looked down, seeing a ring of blood. 

He had no fucking time for this shit. He limped, but he limped fast, forcing his leg to work as the blood spurted out of it— it was agonizing , burning through his body so quickly that it almost didn’t feel real. 

Blood was staining the white of his pants, and he barely made it to the nearest truck that called for him to enter. Then when he got in, a bullet shot through the glass, creating a cobweb of glass shards. 

The radio in his belt started to chime. 

He took it out as the truck began to move. 

“Who—”

“Did you like my surprise, general?” Bhadra’s voice came in. Diego’s eyes widened. 

“ Mi pinga , you’re alive?! How the fuck —” 

“What, never heard of a decoy before? Or did you forget my pretty face already?” Bhadra said with a smirk. Though, she shouldn’t be— she won at the cost of a team. She looked at the brick factory, moving as she threw grenade after grenade to the inside. 

“ Voy a despellejarte viva— ” he was seething . 

“ Teri maa ki saaki naaka .” Bhadra spat back. “Now, say hello to Pagan and Ajay for me, hm?”

Before Diego could respond, the call was already off. He cracked his knuckles, one by one,

then shattered the ruined window. 

[broken-balance-baby]

forgotten idols and their intertwined destines (chapter 5)

Chapters: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/13/14/15/16/17/18/19/20/21/22/23/24/25/26

DAR

The room they were in was cold— naturally, from the winds Kyrat had, they somehow managed to be so cold that they needed a heater. It was a familiar room too, Diego had been old enough to remember wandering haplessly in the palace, waiting for his papa to finish whatever he had with Pagan before being tucked into bed. Now, it was occupied with Pagan sitting down across him, while Ajay walked in with the radio in hand. Bhadra’s knife was in his hand, and he was flipping and turning it with his fingers.

He watched as Ajay sighed, putting the radio down, throwing the vase off the table in front of him.

“I take it she hasn’t been an obedient little girl?” Pagan asked, drinking from his cup. “That vase was a gift, by the way. Diego’s papa and all.”

“We should be out there, fighting back, not here, throwing tantrums like a child.” Diego scoffed. Ajay glared at him, but it was apparent that he was more miserable than he was angry. Diego tried to ignore the tapping of fingers on his shoulders, those invisible forces of his state were a manifestation of his own anxiety; they taunted him. Diego blinked, holding back the urge to brush it away, shifting his attention to the way Pagan had his legs crossed, the pink of his suit and shawl patterned in a way that made them match. 

He remembers being young and meeting the man— pink had always been his favorite color, but the man used to sport gold and white on the side too. Now that manifested into his hair instead. 

Despite his papa squeezing his shoulders right now, the man didn’t seem to say anything. Isabel came into the room, playing with the strands of his hair as he faced Ajay. 

“We need a plan. If they try to lure us again, we have to make sure that we have back up to circle them in.” He said. “Whoever’s leading this is definitely onto something—”

“You wasted that girl then.” Diego said. 

“Her name is Bhadra .” Ajay snarled, “And the leader’s what’s important, second to her.” 

Diego only stared at him, but he got up and moved past Pagan as soon as Ajay left the room. He tucked the knife into his pocket.

“Tio,” Diego said. “Will you join us in our planning?” 

“Oh, go ahead, little one! I’ll certainly be caught up later if your plans fail.” Pagan said, sipping his cup of tea. For the first time today, Diego felt a bemused twitch of his lips before completely dropping it, taking the abandoned radio with him.

The others followed him along. 

The strategy room was a long enough walk, but enough to keep a distance between him and Ajay as he continued to think. Green eyes, dark skin, but a certain stubbornness to that woman named Bhadra made something itch under his skin and he didn’t like it. 

The Dani in his head had been more of a nuisance, though on the worst days she would show up as a walking corpse waiting for Diego to get himself killed. But here, she walked with him, fully formed, with the blood still in her non-existent body, holding onto his arm. 

“I’m sure he’s gonna try and kill you soon.” Dani said, turning her head to him. Diego ignored it. “Hm? Don’t you agree?”

“No.” Diego muttered under his breath. Though he couldn’t shake the feeling, trying to work through these alliances in a way that would make it seem like Ajay wouldn’t be the only one benefitting by the end of it was difficult. Diego wanted to show that Yara was more than capable of handling a threat, just like it was years ago. Months ago, even. He didn’t care for the riches that Kyrat had to offer— he needed living proof of himself, to be stronger, to be dependable as El Presidente. He’s the leader of his people, his army needs to see it. 

This will be that proof. 

“Start here,” Carlos pointed east of the map, then drew a circle over the image. “Then we can attack from the ground up where they’ll think we’ll do it from above.”

“We will need arrows,” Diego continued from Carlos’s thought. “Snipers will only be spotted soon enough. Then from high up we can drop a bomb.”

“I’ll be there to see it happen.” Ajay said, puffing a cigarette. 

“No. I will do it.” Diego said. 

“... And if Bhadra is there?” 

“I will get her to you. If she wants to look for you then you are at risk of it.” 

Ajay contemplated it for a moment, then he nodded. “Fine. I want her alive.”

As Diego blinked, he huffed through his nostrils and put on his uniform jacket. “I cannot guarantee that.” 

And then, he left. 

[broken-balance-baby]

forgotten idols and their intertwined destinies (chapter 2)

Chapters: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/13/14/15/16/17/18/19/20/21/22/23/24/25/26

Luz De Sol

Bhadra left the homestead early in the morning. Her travel to Banapur was quicker than she’d expected, but nothing had prepared her for the breezy breath of the heights they were in, the simplicity of its terraces and the village that once used to be her home.

Though she’s glad it isn’t anymore.

Swallowing away the sick feeling of nostalgia, she spotted the familiar color palette from yesterday— there stood another one of Modern Shangri-La’s soldiers, by the stairs. She approached the girl.

“Modern Shangri-La?” Bhadra asked. The girl’s eyes widened, mouth curved into a grin.

“Sakshi! Come, you have to follow me.” she said, strapping her rifle to her back. She led the way to an ATV, their path travelling down the mountain and into the main roads, but to Bhadra she realized this path was more foreign than she had remembered. Following the slope,  the road slowly curved from dirt into the grass, meeting with a stone wall.

As Bhadra followed the girl up with a grappling hook in hand, a cave system within the mountain became visible. Upon closer inspection, the cave was only small, but that wasn’t the end of it. The soldier used her grappling hook, throwing it to a ring attached to the stone ceiling, gesturing for Bhadra to follow.

Light came into view on the other end, and Bhadra’s eyes widened, realizing that what was before her was a built-in camp full of soldiers, training and fighting in the dark, illuminated only by candles and torches that were banned long ago. As she hopped down from the rope, the girl lead her to a man watching the others train, three make-shift straps tied to his uniform. As he turned his head, despite it being dark, it was easy to see that the man had shorter cropped curly hair. The hair at his back was long and tied into a loose braid, hanging over his shoulder. His eyes were lined with mascara and eyeliner, making his eyes seem bigger. Unlike the others, his shirt had been unbuttoned down to the chest, and the high waisted line of his pants were shown.

He looked rugged, really, but he was cheerful. The girl had left Bhadra for awhile now, and so the man had approached her instead.

“Sakshi Bal, correct?” he held his arm out, and Bhadra had mirrored his movement, gripping by the forearm, then letting go.

“Yes. You are…?”

“The leader of Modern Shangri-La. I am Adhrit. It’s an honor to meet you, sister.”

Bhadra smiled. “An honor to meet you too. I’m impressed with the work you’re doing here.”

Adhrit sighed, “It could always be better. We found that the caves of long ago tribesmen would have been useful to us as base camps. Pagan Min would have been searching high and low for us if we were out there.”

Bhadra bit back the need to say that it was actually Ajay who would be looking for them. This new generation, considering Adhrit’s young face and this revolution being full of young enough faces to make Bhadra feel old at 32— they probably wouldn’t even remember Ajay Ghale. To them, he disappeared from the face of Kyrat, never to return, plundering the country back into the chaos that it had been in for decades.

“I know,” she replied, “I grew up during the Golden Path’s time, you know.”

“As did I. My father was a soldier under Sabal.” he said. “Things weren’t the same when the Tarun Matara died; many of his people perished, so did he.”

“Well… Do you aspire to be like him? Sabal, I mean.” Bhadra asked. She had to know this early. Adhrit gave her a puzzled look, then he smiled and shook his head.

“I simply want to free Kyrat off its shackles.”

She chuckled, “Good.”

“Adhrit!” One of the soldiers called. Both their heads whipped to where the call was, followed by another who carried a flashlight from behind. “We caught sight of the new soldiers heading south of Meh Teh Airport!”

“Have you laid out the mines?” Adhrit asked, moving past Bhadra to lead the way for the rest of the soldiers. Bhadra followed after him.

“Yes! We need someone to get there to set off the first one.”

“I’ll do it.” Bhadra interrupted, standing between the soldiers and Adhrit.

“Sakshi, be careful.” He said, glancing down to where her belt was. “We’ll be tracking you with your radio so we can find you for your getaway.”

Bhadra nodded. Climbing up the rope and running outside, she saw the nearest pathway to Meh Teh Airport and spotted a car, making a run for it and driving all the way south of the field.

As she noticed the growing cluster of soldiers in the airport, her heart began to pound a little faster at the notion that this was going to be the biggest group she’s handled in awhile.

“Sakshi!”

Though at least she wasn’t alone. She pulled her radio out.

“I’m here, I’m here!”

“How close are you?”

Bhadra moved behind a bush, crouching down. “Close enough to count the trucks. I see 4, 5, 7, 9 of them. Is that going to be enough?”

“Yes! Throw a rock at the first mine that you see on your left, it won’t set off a chain but it will catch their attention.”

Bhadra took a peek, staring into the plains before reaching out for the heaviest rock in her vicinity. She threw it to the glint of white she spotted, and just like that, the bomb had gone off, alerting the soldiers nearby.

“Sakshi, you’re going to need to find a rope somewhere close by. When you do, don’t touch it.”

“Hey— who’s there!” A voice shouted from afar. Bhadra covered her radio and tucked it back into her belt, moving to the next bush in the foliage as the truck had driven over to where the mines were.

Find the rope, but don’t touch it.

Bhadra clenched her jaw. Taking out her knife to prepare, though, a rustle in the trees caught her off guard, making her look up to find the rope that went into a downward angle, digging into the dirt. She realized what exactly it was going to do. The other end of the rope was what she couldn’t see, but as soon as the car rolled into the field with several others, it exploded.

Bhadra scrambled away, avoiding the shrapnel that would come her way.

“—kshi—Sakshi!” The radio cried out.

“Adhrit?!” she shouted, sliding down the hill.

“We heard the explosion! Get ready to find the road, we’re coming to get you!”

A car pulled up. She was about to hit the passenger’s seat until gunfire was heard, and suddenly the driver in the seat was shot dead. Bhadra cursed, kicking the body out of the car and moving into the seat, stomping on the pedal.

The car went as fast as it could, bolting through the roads with Bhadra’s recklessness. The shooters from before were following her, but all she could make out was the familiar sight of a fortress nearby and a lake.

Then another car came into view. She stomped on the brake, only for the car to hit something along the way and causing it to take off from the road, meeting eyes with a man with long hair and a uniform that screamed general—

And landing hood first into the water.

For once, Bhadra was lucky to not wear a seatbelt. She kicked open the door, scrambling upwards to the surface. As she swam towards the shore the cars were already rolling up, and the same man from earlier had come to her. As soon as Bhadra was about to open her mouth, though, a kick to the head sent her vision into black.

[broken-balance-baby]

A writing prompt could be that one scene I mentioned? Y’know the one where Ajay texts Diego after he started questioning if Vaas loves Ajay or not 👀

thanks for the prompt! i'm posting this on ao3 too, hehe <3

word count: 945 ;P

just some sweet ajaas and bhadiego fluff for the fc3!diego au!

basta ya

Another one of those days, Diego presumes.

He’s grown used to the usual ramblings that Vaas has been having about he and Bhadra’s usual couplings, but Diego was sure it was just about his dislike for girls in general up until he watched as Ajay’s hand was swatted like a cat in response to his attempts to touch Vaas.

“Ow.” Ajay waved his hand off, still looking at him with a small smile on his face. Vaas did that thing, the scrunch in his eyebrows as he scoffed and looked away.

“Go away, motherfucker.” He grumbled.

“Love you.” Ajay teased, laughing as Vaas hit him in the shoulder.

He felt Bhadra’s smaller hands reach out to his own, and she leaned forward, whispering softly.

“Is it me, or does Vaas seem to not like Ajay?”

Diego took one look at them, then back at her. “It’s definitely not just you.”

--

Their living room was big, stretching from across, and the couch was comfortable and spacious enough for them to keep cuddling. Bhadra, drowning in Diego’s much bigger hoodie, had her arms around him as he kept his face buried on her shoulder.

“I like you.” Bhadra muttered into his ear, hugging him closer.

“You can do better than that,” Diego whispered, kissing her jaw teasingly.

Bhadra rolled her eyes, “Hm. I love you. Is that better?”

Diego grinned, tilting his head upwards. “Much better.”

They heard the door swing open from behind, and as Vaas’s footsteps were heard, followed by Ajay’s chiming voice, Bhadra put a finger to her lips as they both listened in on their conversation.

“I’m not fucking around, Ajay--”

“-- I know--”

“And that’s what makes you SUCK!” Vaas cut him off. Diego’s eyes widened at the tiny remark of an “ow!” and Bhadra’s snicker was soft as they heard a “You bit me.”

With the head of the couch as their only barrier from seeing, the rest was off to their imaginations as Bhadra leaned her head backwards on the couch. It was silent for a few moments, then afterwards Diego had tilted his head upwards when he heard a “Come on, let’s get the fuck out of here.”

—

Over at the park, they sat down with snacks in hand and a readiness to scout for Vaas and Ajay, who were sitting on a bench together and having a chat.

Trying to stealthily observe a veteran soldier and a warrior was hard. They were trained to be able to detect even the slightest movements, and it’s evident how because Diego had to whip his head away as soon as Ajay had looked at them both.

“You’re making it obvious.” Bhadra whispered.

“Try overhearing them from afar!” Diego replied.

“I’m reading their lips.”

Diego quirked a brow. “And you know what they’re saying?”

“They’re talking about hunting something together,” Bhadra said, making a quick glance at them once more, which only found them both in confusion as Vaas suddenly stormed off, leaving Ajay to laugh to himself as he seemed to wait on him to come back.

Then he saw them both. Diego flinched, Bhadra looked away immediately.

“You two can hang out here if you want. He’ll be back soon.” Ajay waved his hand, gesturing in a “come hither” motion as Bhadra gave him a smile. So they did.

As Ajay moved to let them sit down together, he simply looked at them and said, “You guys wanna join our hunting?”

“H-how did you--” Diego sputtered.

“Just a hunch,” Ajay hummed playfully, “Or did Bhadra not tell you who taught her about lip reading?”

Bhadra grinned sheepishly, looking away quickly as Diego gave her a light glare.

—

“Maybe we should talk to him about that.” Bhadra thinks, placing her hand on her chin in a thinking position. Diego wraps his arms around her from behind and keeps his head rested on hers.

“How do we tell him that? Is “hey, you should break up with my brother” any good?” Diego remarked.

Bhadra scoffed, “No. I’ll do the talking, if you like.”

“You like my directness.” Diego said, lowering himself down to her eye level.

Bhadra rolled her eyes, “Maybe I do.”

“I’m going to miss you if you stop coming when he does.” Diego joked,, kissing Bhadra on the cheek.

“We’re not siblings!” Bhadra chided.

Upon seeing movement from the other window, Diego and Bhadra made a look outside to find Ajay and Vaas having a hug. And then as soon as they were done, Vaas gently pushed him away. With the light in the way, they couldn’t see a thing for what they were saying at all.

“Huh.” Bhadra commented. “Weird.”

“Very weird.” Diego replied.

“We have to talk to Ajay soon.”

—

Diego: hey ajay

Diego: can we hang out in the room? we want to talk

Ajay: Oh? Sure.

Ajay: You can come in, by the way, Vaas is just asleep.

They quietly peeked into the room as Diego tucked his phone in.

Much to their surprise, Vaas had his shirt off, cuddling as closely as he could on top of Ajay, arms and legs clinging around him as Ajay had his phone in his hand and the other around his waist. As they made their way inside, Diego heard his brother mutter soft words into Ajay’s neck.

He couldn’t make out much, but his ears caught a soft “te amo” and Diego could do nothing but smile.

As it turns out, they were wrong about Vaas: he does like, no, love, Ajay.

Ajay: Did you want to say something?

Diego: nevermind

Diego: we just wanted to see you guys, hehe

[broken-balance-baby]

care for you

song

prompt: waking their lover up to tell them they look beautiful, even when sleeping.

word count: 732

bhadiego fluff

ao3 mirror

“How do I look?” Bhadra giggled, swaying Diego’s loose shirt over her legs as she showed how big it was off to him, and Diego couldn’t do anything but sputter at the way she was just so small in it. He sat on the edge of his bed, clad in his own pair of pajamas. There was music in the background, Bhadra’s favorite playlist filling the room along with the shelves of miniature cars and the TV screen that showed a movie on mute. The windows were half open, but it really didn’t matter when Bhadra was too small to be seen anyway— something Diego had to keep in mind, considering how it felt more like she needed to eat more than having to be naturally small. He’ll feed her breakfast in bed if he can.

“Cute,” Diego replied, reaching his arms out to tug her between his knees, hugging her waist as closely as possible, “But you look cuter when you’re like this.”

Bhadra couldn’t stop smiling. “Like what? AH—”

Lifting her off the floor, Diego moved his own waist and pushed her back onto his bed. They usually don’t get to do impromptu sleepovers like this, but when it happens Bhadra only has the choice of Diego’s clothes or sleeping in her own, only one of those options having a leeway of convenience for the next day over.

“Like this.” Diego said, kissing her softly. Bhadra kissed back, wrapping her arms around Diego’s neck, before they both pulled away and rested their foreheads against each other.

“Hi.” Bhadra whispered, as if it was a secret.

“Hi.” Diego whispered, as if it was to be kept.

As Diego shuffled forward, his fingers found themselves at the hem of the shirt Bhadra was wearing, fingers tugging loosely before dropping them.

“This could be a dress.” Diego said.

“Mm,” Bhadra hummed, “Would it be a nice one?”

Diego looked at her. “No. But I’ll buy you a nice one,” And then he realized what he said and, flushing intensely, added, “If you want.”

“You’d buy me that?” Bhadra asked, a glimmer in her eyes.

“Y-yes,” Diego was weak, sure, but his pride would tell him that he wouldn’t buy too much.

Unless it would be for her, with the way she looks at him. “I’d buy you anything you want.”

For a moment, Bhadra stared. Then she burst out laughing.

“What?” Diego asked, about to panic.

“Nothing! You’re just cute!” Bhadra said, pulling his head to plant kisses on his hair. “You don’t need to buy me those things.”

“I want to,” Diego replied, tilting his head upwards. It got Bhadra to kiss him on the lips by mistake, only to continue talking as they kept kissing and kissing. “You’d look pretty,” He said, “You’d look so pretty.”

“So I’m only cute in your shirt, hm?”

“No, you’re beautiful.”

Bhadra nearly choked. She searched for any sort of lightness to Diego’s eyes, but none of that was present because he really did mean to be this serious and direct. With the fact his ears were already flushed red, she couldn’t help but feel the heat of her own start to rush into her face. Diego wouldn’t see it, but then—

He cupped her face and ran his thumb over her cheek.

“Your face is warm.” He said, smiling.

“It’s— it’s your fault!” Bhadra said, lightly shoving him. Diego simply laughed, right before pulling the sheets open for them to sink into.

When the morning rays hit the second half of the room, Diego was already awake. Bhadra was still asleep in his arms, curled up and facing him as their movie was permanently paused and the last of Bhadra’s playlist had stopped the moment he reached to turn it off. .

They slept late last night, having been too busy laughing and binging movies together, kissing and hugging to the point that all attention was directed to each other, treating everything as a simple background because they couldn’t get enough of each other.

It was a miracle that they even fell asleep.

But he likes it. Diego likes the peace.

He couldn’t help his stare on her face, brushing away the hair that fell there before he kissed her eyelids to wake her.

With a slight stir, a soft sound, her gold eyes fluttered open.

“You look beautiful,” He said, kissing her forehead, “even in your sleep.”

She always was.

[broken-balance-baby]

POSTED CHAPTER 3 OF THE MERMAY AU BITCHLETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[broken-balance-baby]

‘cause i like you (and that’s not enough)

Prompt: Bhadra and Diego meet again.

Word Count: 1.9k

AO3 Mirror

“Bhadra— Bhadra, hello? You there?”

Despite the twitches in Ajay’s mouth, Bhadra couldn’t find herself to laugh at the absolute fact of it all: Diego was back. No warning, no news, even if they’ve texted back and forth about the things for the past few months, Bhadra had absolutely zero (shoony!) notice until today that the Castillos were coming. Today of all days— today, having to be a party that Pagan instigated with some of the leaders in the UN, something she wasn’t exactly informed off clearly until today. Now, they had to get ready, and now—

“Bhadra!”

Oh. Right. Ajay.

Bhadra took a deep breath, sputtering through her inhale as she looked back at him with a darkened face.

“Are you Good? Are you Okay?” Ajay placed emphasis on those two words, speaking to Bhadra as if she’d just had a stroke.

And, well, she’s not too far off from one.

“Yes.” She breathed out. “I am very okay.”

“Excellent! Get dressed now, you two!” Pagan shouted from the other end of the hall.

“Why didn’t you say anything before?!” Bhadra called back out.

“We… wanted it to be a surprise.” Ajay grinned. Bhadra looked at him, offended.

“This is an attack.”

“No, it’s a gift!” Pagan chided.

“Yeah, your boyfriend’s coming!”

“He’s not my boyfriend!” Bhadra flailed. Then, the familiar sound of a chopper drew nearby, and by the push that Ajay was giving to the small of her back she knew it was time to dash to get her clothes.

—

She was adorned in blue, a beautiful sari draping over her body in floral pattern, along with silver jewelry dangling from her earrings to the necklace around her neck. Bangles were also dazzled on her arms, bringing a new shine to her outfit as she looked into the mirror. Bhadra took a deep breath. Trying to adjust to this kind of life felt more of a cultural shock, more than anything, but with Ajay by her side and no doubt equally as awkward in something he wasn’t used to wearing, she was glad that she wasn’t alone.

As she stepped out of her room, Ajay gave her a grin. The choice for his outfit was also new: A silk kurta in black with a pattern of branches and leaves embroidered at the side, paired with a white dhoti underneath, and, with the way the gold chain was around his neck, Bhadra had figured this was also one of Pagan’s hand-picked choices. She had to give it to him— the man looked good.

“Looking good.” He said, stroking her head. Bhadra squeezed at the hand.

“You too.”

“You ready?”

Bhadra snorted, “For what? Eating food?”

“Diego.” Ajay said without a beat.

Then her face dropped. “Shut up.”

“It’s a genuine question—”

“Shh!”

“Alright, now,” Pagan said, coming out of the hall, dressed in a pink, linen tang suit, embroidered with dragons at their center. He had his own sets of jewelry all over him, gold spilling on his neck along with dangling earrings to boot. He and Bhadra matched in that regard; and she smiled at him. “I knew you two would look absolutely dashing! Come!”

Pagan took Bhadra by the hand, leading them down the stairs to the lobby where the rest of the guests were— and among them, happened to be Diego and his father. Anton and Diego, always clad in their reds and whites, looked different this time. Anton, in his usual suit and tie, but Diego had worn his own suit in dark blue, lined with white by the edges and a bright white jacket. He and Anton matched in jewelry, but Bhadra noticed something: he had his hair tied up into a ponytail, revealing from his previously hidden ear several piercings hooked in one. A barbell piercing in the shell, a clasp between, and a golden stud for almost every piercing possible.

“Wow.” Bhadra said under her breath.

As if by magic, Diego had looked up from his phone, equally awestruck to see her again after so long (and has he grown taller? Oh, Kyra, help her.) He had tucked his phone in his pocket and wondered to her.

Suddenly, Bhadra realized that Pagan and Ajay went their separate ways, entertaining the guests as she was left alone in the middle of the growing crowd of people. Diego stood out— even if he was short, she could still find him, wading through the population until he finally stood in front of her.

Bhadra’s heart felt like it was going to stop.

“Princess.” Diego said with a smile.

“Diego.” Bhadra replied. He took her hand, kissing it softly by the knuckles, and he couldn’t keep the grin off his face and neither could she. They spent months dancing around this— talking and talking just to keep stalling, because Diego outwardly knew what she was doing, and Bhadra learned to realize that he had been grabbing her attention after all this time.

Still, neither of them had really done this before. It’s nothing like the movies Pagan puts on— the flimsy coming of age movies that Pagan is most certainly too old for— it’s slow, and it’s weird, and they keep flirting and flirting, but the more they’ll keep going the more Bhadra would be ready to die on the spot before anything happens.

Still, little does she know that Diego’s been holding back on rocking himself back and forth, and he finds himself squeezing Bhadra’s hand, unable to let go. Bhadra doesn’t pull away, her eyes darting back and forth between her hand and his eyes.

“You didn’t tell me you were coming today.” Bhadra said. Diego chuckled.

“I wanted to keep it a surprise. Unless… King Pagan told you?”

“Only today did he tell me, you know.”

“Hm.” Diego glanced around, “Do you want to hangout somewhere else?”

Bhadra let out a sigh of relief, “Please.”

—

As they walked together down the trail, the trees waved in the wind, and the sky was ready to turn dark as the lights of the party began to rise from behind them. They haven’t let go of each other’s hands at all.

“You look nice.” Diego commented, running his thumb over her knuckles.

“You too. I’m surprised you didn’t do something more… traditional, like us.”

Diego chuckled, “Oh, it wasn’t really up to me. But… I don’t think frilled sleeves suit me either.”

Bhadra hummed, “Then I like you in your suit.”

He looked at her. “And I like you in your saree.”

For a moment, they stared at each other, and Bhadra glanced down to Diego’s lips as it parted.

It was a fast kiss, but as Diego was ready to pull away, she held the back of his head and kissed back.

So full of inexperience, and yet the right amount of determination, kissing enough to the point they had to pull away to breathe.

Lips shining, faces flushed, the cold breaths showing up in front of each other as they panted. Oh, Kyra, all Bhadra could do was let out a laugh.

“Wow.” She said, “Wow.”

“I…” Diego trailed off. He looked completely dumbfounded, surprised by his own actions, but the tension in his shoulders left him as soon as Bhadra threw them both into a hug. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and soon Bhadra gave him another kiss on the lips.

“So,” She said between their kisses, “Excited, aren’t you?”

Diego held her tighter, “Of course, it’s you—”

They’d been waiting too long for this. Ever since the day he left, Bhadra couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss on her knuckles. She couldn’t stop thinking about seeing him again, the fact he texts her a sweet “good morning” and “good night” ever since she’d left him a message saying for them to come back soon. And then they talked, and they talked, and they talked, about nothing and everything, about Diego’s love for cars and his practicality to her abilities in fighting and her shit skills at cooking— everything and nothing, and, for a moment, just as Diego pushed her against the trunk of a tree to keep her as close to him as possible, she asked herself:

Isn’t this what normal kids do?

Normal.

The kind of normal that beckons drama, some spice in her life that wasn’t intended to hurt or kill people, and in comes Diego, walking from a country that just survived its own revolution, as broken as she was but never really showing it either.

If this is what being young feels like, exploring in kisses, touches and the warmth of being held, not knowing what to do or where to go except to each other, completely in inexperience, then so be it.

Bhadra likes it.

“I like you.” She whispered.

Diego’s eyes crinkled, lips curling upwards as he pressed his forehead against hers. “And I like you.”

Diego’s phone buzzed.

“Papa?” He answered.

“Diego, come, dinner is ready.”

And the moment was over.

—

Dinner was rich in everybody’s culture, from Gong Bao Ji Ding to Schweinshaxe, Bhadra had never tasted this much richness in food beyond her own country’s. She chewed through meat, cheeses and salads, finding that she hadn’t eaten like this in so long. Having to explore another country just by the tip of her tongue was such a foreign thing. For a long time she’d only known the taste of home, but here, at the dinner table, filled with new people and new faces, she wondered what it would be like if she left Kyrat, for once.

The thought mostly comes back to her after dessert, following how her fingers hooked with Diego’s much bigger ones under the table, feeling the way his thumb brushed over her knuckles, and she came to realize her question as soon as she asked it: “How long will you stay?”

“A week, maybe.” Diego whispered back. “Do you want me to stay longer?”

Bhadra nodded.

Diego smiled. “Me too.”

“I’ll go to Yara with you if I have to.” Bhadra said. The boy chuckled, but upon noticing how serious her face was he laughed even harder.

“I hope you’ll be ready, then.” He said, giving her a kiss on her cheek.

Eyes wide, glancing around, she looked at Diego in surprise. “Out here, Diego?”

“Why not, right?” Diego leaned in closer, waiting for Bhadra to respond.

And so, they kissed at the dinner table, completely uncaring of the world around them.

—

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Diego said, walking her back to her room.

“You want to hang out at our spot again?” Bhadra asked. Diego bobbed his head.

“Let’s go hunting!”

Bhadra giggled, “Sure!”

“Goodnight, Bhadra.” Diego said as he turned around, the jingling of his chains echoing in the dim hall.

“Goodnight, pashushaavak.” Bhadra replied. As soon as he whipped his head back, she gave him a wink. “Means ‘cub’.”

With a smile, he left, and the night was over, but it was good.

—

Before Bhadra lay down in her bed, nothing but a shirt and a pair of shorts, Ajay knocked on the door.

“Hey.” He said, opening it gently. Bhadra turned her head, unable to keep herself from not smiling.

“Hi, Ajay.”

“Saw your little kiss at the table tonight. I take it he really is your boyfriend now, huh?”

“Shut up!” Bhadra threw her jacket his way for good measure.

Ajay laughed, “I just came to say goodnight. You had a good night, right?”

“I did, don’t worry. And you?”

“Had to have a few chats here and there, but it was good anyway.” Ajay said with a grin.

“Goodnight, Ajay.”

“Goodnight.”