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This had been a terrible idea. Awful, horrendous, the worst idea Team has ever had and he's had his fair share of bad decisions.
Sleeping with his senior at a team outing prior to actually dating him? Funny enough, not one of them.
Skipping swim practice without telling the aforementioned boyfriend? The grave is dug. He is lying in it.
Team glances at his phone screen again for the fourth time, his heart rate picking up no matter how many times he sees the notifications.
5 missed calls.
12 unread messages.
Yeah. He's fucked.
"Why don't you call him back?" Pharm asks, also for the fourth time, from the ground beside him. They're both sitting against the wall outside of Pharm's cooking club room in Team's attempt to wallow.
"Because then he'll ask what's wrong," Team groans, burying his head in his knees with a gift bag clutched to his chest. "And he'll be worried and then I'll feel bad and then I'll tell him what I was doing and then the whole thing will be ruined."
Pharm is silent for several seconds too long. "I think you're overthinking just a little," he says, not unkindly.
That's the thing. Team constantly overthinks his relationship. Him and Win have been officially dating for months now, but it all feels relatively new anyway, even with several weeks of hooking up preceding it. They're still learning about each other, wholly, in all the ways boyfriends can do outside of a bedroom.
But he's always known what Win is like at practice, and the fact Team isn't there without having said anything to him, there are only two possible reactions Win could have. And though Coach Win and Boyfriend Win are very different, he isn't sure which one is worse. Or which one he'd prefer in this instance. Neither would be the easiest. Hence wallowing.
"I'm just gonna hide here until I die," he says in lieu of voicing any real solution.
"Who are you hiding from?"
Team will forever deny the sound that comes out of him at the unexpected voice. He very nearly jumps out of his skin but upon realizing who it is, he relaxes instantly and glares at the appearance of Manaow.
"Team has something for P'Win so we're avoiding him," Pharm cheerfully answers for him. Team turns his glare on his other best friend. Traitor.
Manaow remains standing, but leans down to peer at the bag Team's been guarding with his life for the last 15 minutes. Pharm had helped him with it, but he'd made it all on his own otherwise so no, it was not leaving his hands. At least until he saw Win. Which would be never at this point if he has anything to say about it.
"Well when you say it like that, it sounds stupid," Team huffs.
Manaow flashes him a bright smile. "It is stupid."
"Shut up."
Team watches her mouth open, probably to snap at him with more snark and then the two of them can go on bantering back and forth with Pharm looking on with his usual exasperated but fond expression. Then at the last second she closes it, a slow smirk appearing instead as she looks from Team to something behind his head.
Suddenly the temperature around him seems to drop.
"What's stupid?"
This time Team manages to tamp down on the reaction his body has to Win's voice. He feels his eyes widen and whips around to see both Win and Dean standing in the hall with them. For the first time since exiting Pharm's club room, he leaps to his feet, instinctively going to hide the bag behind his back.
"Hia!" he says, surprise, excitement, and anxiety from seeing his boyfriend swirled around in his stomach until it eventually settles on confusion. Team furrows his eyebrows. How did he know where they were?
"Wait. Who told--" Movement in the corner of his vision catches his attention and he sees Pharm shift something back into his pocket. Ah. "Traitor," he hisses out loud this time. Pharm, the little shit he secretly is, at least has the decency to pretend to look guilty about outing his location to his beloved P'Dean.
Win has the face of a man who is warring between the professionalism and responsibility of being Team's self-appointed swim coach, and the concern and care of his loving boyfriend. Given that Team is standing, uninjured, with no visible indication of a mental breakdown, the former might be winning.
"Team," Win pulled his attention back from his friends, which causes Team to just realize that he'd much rather not do this in front of them. "What happened today?"
Something soft in Win's voice has Team hesitating to speak. Luckily (or not) Manaow has no such reservations and steps up next to him.
"P'Win!" she exclaims, putting a hand between Team's shoulder blades and giving him zero time to anticipate being shoved forward. "Team has something for you!"
Win raises his eyebrows expectantly, reaching out to stable Team who's nearly stumbled straight into him. He turns another glare on Manaow, who is not the least bit ashamed. Team feels his ears burn, but eventually he manages to thrust the gift out from behind his back, physically unable to make eye contact with anything but the ground as he mumbles under his breath.
"Happy birthday, Hia."
If he weren't dating him, he'd be disturbed how fast Win softens in the face of a crumpled bag. But the idea that Win sees something Team has given him and the reverence with which he takes the present from Team's hands is enough for him to forget his earlier nervousness entirely.
Still kinda wishes their friends weren't around though.
Team wrings his hands together watching Win take the container out. He pops the lid off and stares at the contents inside. Then looks at Pharm, who's gone to stand by Dean.
Pharm lifts his hands with a grin. "Don't look at me. This was all Team."
Win turns an unbelieving stare on Team. He wants to be offended but also no, he gets it.
"Team. Did you make Leum Kleun?" Win asks. "For me?"
Suddenly the pillar next to Win's head is very interesting. "I...yeah," he murmurs. "I tried, at least. Pharm helped."
Dean speaks for the first time since they arrived. "If you don't want it--"
Win whips his whole body away from Dean, curling protectively around the desserts. "Back off, they're mine."
It startles a laugh out of Team, relief overtaking everything else he's been feeling about giving Win something he made. He really should have known there was nothing to worry about but...he still has some things to work on.
Win turns his attention back to him, a manic look to his face is all the warning he gets before Team is abruptly enveloped in his arms. He lets out a soft oof at the impact but returns the hug as an instinctive reaction. His face heats up even as he tries to ignore the resounding awww from Manaow behind him.
"Thank you, baby," Win says softly next to his ear, quiet enough that nobody should've been able to hear it but to Team it's loud and clear as day. "Although I would appreciate a text next time," he adds as an afterthought, Team ducking his head in shame but nodding anyway.
"Sorry." He takes a deep breath, glancing at their friends and deciding it was now or never. He leans in to Win's ear and, as low as possible, "There is another present waiting for you in my room though."
With all the subtlety of a bull in a china shop, Win jolts out of Team's grasp and grips his shoulders. "Then we should definitely enjoy these desserts in the comfort and safety of your dorm," he announces, gripping Team's hand in his. "And for absolutely no other reason."
"Oh my God, Hia." Team slaps a hand over his eyes, allowing himself to be pulled along behind his boyfriend.
"Bye, guys!" Win waves, everyone yelling their goodbyes while Team just prays the ground swallows him whole until they're out of earshot. Then he starts giggling and Win glances back at him with far too much affection for Team to handle.
And that's one thing he'll be happy to get used to.