Pores, Plans, and Pretty Boy
Summary : Who knew a national hero could be defeated by a face scrub? Sushant pouts, Maya laughs, and the day ends in kisses.
A/N : This fic is dedicated to all the 'scary' men who are actually just 5 year-olds when their wives bring out the skincare bag… enjoyyy.
The bathroom was steaming, not from a shower, but from the sheer amount of "recovery equipment" Maya had laid out on the marble counter. Sushant stood in the middle of the room, looking like he was facing a firing squad rather than a self-care session.
He was still wearing his grey undershirt, his hair messy from sleep, and a faint, rugged shadow across his jaw that spoke of a man who hadn’t looked in a mirror for forty-two days.
"Maya, is this really necessary? Main theek hoon," he muttered, eyeing a particularly bright pink headband on the counter with genuine suspicion.
"Bilkul necessary hai, Sushant," Maya replied, her tone leaving no room for negotiation, the kind of tone he usually reserved for his field agents. "Look at your face. It’s dry, you’ve got a sunburn from God-knows-where, and you’re frowning in your sleep, consider this mandatory for your pores."
Sushant sighed, but he didn't move away. He never did when it came to her. He sat on the edge of the bathtub as she instructed, feeling absurdly large for the delicate space. Maya stepped between his knees, her hands reaching out to slide the pink plush headband over his forehead, pushing back his dark, unruly hair.
Sushant caught his reflection in the mirror and winced. "Maya, if my team saw me right now, meri sari izzat mitti mein mil jayegi. What is this even called?"
"It’s a spa headband, and you look adorable. Ab chup-chap baitho," she teased, squirted a bit of cleansing oil into her palms.
As she began to massage his face, her warm fingers circling his jaw and forehead, Sushant’s eyes involuntarily fluttered shut. The tension he carried in his temples, the kind that came from calculating variables and managing risks, began to leak out.
"Yeh kya hai? It feels... oily," he mumbled, his voice already losing its command edge.
"Cleansing oil. It breaks down the dirt and the sunscreen you probably applied once and forgot about for a week.”
"Sunscreen roz lagaya tha, promise," he lied poorly, his eyes still closed. "But tell me something... after this 'oil' thing, I’ll look better, right? Like, ek dum chamak aa jayegi?"
Maya burst out laughing, her fingers pausing on his cheeks. "Chamak? Sushant, it’s skincare, not magic. It takes time."
He opened one eye, looking genuinely confused. "Waiit. You mean I have to do this more than once? Ek baar mein results nahi milte? This is very inefficient, Maya. Logistics ke hisab se, it should work instantly."
"Logistics nahi hai, jaan, skin hai," she whispered, rinsing his face with a warm cloth. "Step two: Foam cleanser. It gets rid of the oil."
Sushant frowned, his brow furrowing under the pink headband. "Wait, wait. Pehle oil lagaya, ab oil hata rahe ho? Why did we put it on in the first place? Direct sabun se dho lete na?"
"Because 'sabun' is for your hands, not your face, and the oil pulls out the deep-seated gunk. Trust the process, jaan."
Sushant grumbled something about “being forced” but he didn't pull away. In fact, he leaned closer, his hands find her waist, anchoring her to him. The playful banter was cute, but the proximity was doing things to his heart rate that a mission never could.
"Next is exfoliation," Maya announced, picking up a small jar of scrub.
"Exfoli-what? Sounds like a weapon, something that Ajay sir would suggest for the enemy," he said, eyeing the grainy paste.
"It’s a scrub. It takes off the dead skin cells. It’s going to tingle a bit."
As she rubbed the scrub over his nose and cheeks, Sushant made a face. "Ow. Maya, are you sure this isn't sandpaper? Isme toh chote chote pathar hain. Are you sure this is safe for human consumption?"
"It’s sugar, Sushant! Sugars and coffee. Just sit still."
"Sugar? Waste of good chai ingredients," he muttered, though he was secretly enjoying the way her face was only inches from his. He could see the little flecks of gold in her eyes and the way she bit her lip when she was concentrating. "So, after these pathars, then the glow comes? I’ll look like those heroes in the movies?"
Maya rinsed his face again, her touch lingering on his jawline. "You already look better than them to me. But yes, you’ll have a 'glow'."
"Good. I want to look so good that you can't look away," he said, his voice dropping an octave, his eyes darkening as they tracked her movements.
"Sushant, behave. I’m trying to be professional here," she whispered, her cheeks flushing. She reached for a sheet mask, the ultimate test for any man. When she unfolded the cold, dripping white cloth, Sushant actually recoiled.
"No. Absolutely not. Maya, main bhoot lagunga isme. What is that? It looks like a wet handkerchief with questionable holes."
"It’s a sheet mask, Sushant! It’s full of serum. It’s the most important part. Please? Just fifteen minutes."
He looked at the mask, then at her pouting face, and he was a goner. He sighed, leaning his head back against the wall. "Fine. But no photos. Agar headquarters mein yeh photo pahonchi, toh main resign kar dunga."
Maya carefully laid the cold mask over his face. Sushant let out a small yelp at the temperature. "Arre! It’s freezing! Maya, are you punishing me for something? Maine kya kiya?"
"It’s cooling! It’s good for the inflammation. Just breathe, Sushant."
For the next fifteen minutes, the fierce commander of the most elite unit in the country sat on a bathtub edge, wearing a pink headband and a dripping white sheet mask that made him look like a very confused ghost.
Maya didn't stay still, her phone was out in a second, the camera shutter clicking repeatedly. She needed this saved in high-definition. A well-moisturized, pouty Sushant was a rare sighting, and she wasn't about to let that go undocumented,
Then, pretending as if she didn’t do anything mischievous she started organizing her own vanity, huming a song.
"Maya," he said, his voice muffled and stiff because he was afraid to move his face.
"Is it working? Can you feel it happening?"
She turned around, biting her lip to keep from howling with laughter. "I can feel it. It’s a very intense transformation, Sushant. You’re practically sparkling, like Edward from twilight ."
"Mazak uda rahi ho na?" he asked, though he couldn't see her clearly. "I’m serious. I’ve gone through three layers of chemicals and sugar stones. I expect to be unrecognizable. Like a new recruit."
"You’re ridiculous," she said, coming back to him. She sat on his lap, her weight making him grunt softly, and she checked the timer on her phone. "Okay, time’s up."
She peeled the mask off, and Sushant let out a breath of relief. "Thank God. I felt like a mummy."
"Wait, don't wipe it off! You have to pat the leftover serum into your skin," she said, her fingers dancing over his face, tapping gently.
Sushant caught her wrists, stopping her. The playfulness in the room shifted, the air suddenly feeling heavy and warm. He looked at her, his skin actually looking hydrated and bright, but his eyes were focused only on her.
"Enough tapping," he whispered, pulling her closer until her chest was pressed against his. "Maine bohot mehnat ki hai aaj. Sugar stones, cold cloths, pink headbands... I think I deserve a reward for my bravery."
Maya smiled, her heart doing that familiar flip-flop. "A reward? You think you’re a hero because you wore a mask for fifteen minutes?"
"In my world, this is considered as an act of bravery," he teased, his thumb tracing the line of her lip. "And I didn't break.“
"So, now give me my reward," he murmured, his gaze dropping to her mouth.
He didn't wait for her to respond. He pulled her into a kiss that was slow and sweet, but backed by the intensity of days of longing. Maya’s hands went to his neck, her fingers grazing the soft edges of the pink headband he was still wearing, which made the whole moment feel absurdly domestic and incredibly sexy all at once.
He broke the kiss just an inch, his forehead resting against hers, his breathing ragged. "So... if I do this every day, will I become even more handsome ? Or is there a limit?"
Maya laughed, her forehead still against his. "You just want me to touch your face every morning, don't you?"
He smiled, a genuine, boyish look that he only ever showed her. "Pakda gaya? Caught me. I know a good deal when I see one. I get a face massage, you get to look at my 'glow'. It’s a win-win."
He stood up, still holding her in his arms as if she weighed nothing at all. He walked toward the bedroom, the pink headband still firmly in place, looking like the world’s most dangerous and most well-groomed diplomat .
"Sushant, the headband! Take it off!" she giggled.
"Nahi," he said, his eyes full of mischief as he kicked the bedroom door shut. "It’s part of the mission now. And we haven't even finished the final step of the recovery protocol yet."
Sushant smiled, a slow, dangerous look that made her pulse soar. "Full-body hydration. And I think I’m going to need your help with that, Maya."
The lights went out, leaving only the scent of sandalwood, ginger tea, and expensive face cream lingering in the air—the scent of a commander finally, perfectly, at home.
PS : All the images and text dividers are from Pinterest.
@poetry-beauty-love-writez , @anxiousbeeing , @tanipartner , @tere-ni-kararan , @misteriadare , @abc1234y , @sea-breeze-in-my-hair , @dreamcatcher-cat , @moon-inked , @bitchy-bi-trash , @celestecelina , @begumwithbaggage , @lipistickkkk , @maraudersbitchesassemble , @gulaabjamun08 , @thebookyworm7 , @ossiespinsladen , @yearnersaremytype , @budugu , @shawty-writes-a-little , @mischiefmanaged666 , @seasonofthenerd , @buchanana00 , @lutt-le-gaya , @mainyahaankyunhoon , @rehmandakaitswife , @y0uneversawmehere , @zeherili-ankhein , @wannabefucko , @obsessedwidskincare , @desi-brownie , @nostalgicbitch-12 , @kenkozkmg , @dumbassdictionarysds , @natkhat-sa-shyam , @aaglagibastimainhumapnemastimain , @anakookie , @yetunekyakiyaa , @messrsmoonysblog , @capybara-fairy , @mysticalnightingale , @kamalkafool , @giantfirefly , @celesteablack , @idek19291 , @jagershootss , @idonthavechatpateusernamed , @rosiasthings , @loveunity24 , @carpediemdps707