Chapter Text
Phuwin blinked. Closed his eyes and then blinked again. He took one shaky breath, bracing himself for the inevitable.
This cannot be happening to him. Never in his life did he imagine he would do this. If his mother was here, he would've had an earful, but she wasn't and Phuwin, for a brief moment, was glad he woke up in someone else's bed.
He patted his torso, expecting to touch his naked chest but was met with the mesh button-up shirt he wore last night. He sighed in relief.
That kind of confirms that he probably didn't go to pound town and made things worse for himself and the other party involved.
Although Phuwin enjoyed the chaos that is partying till the crack of dawn, getting shitfaced drunk and flirting with half the student body, he was, in some ways, a little bit shy when it comes to anything remotely intimate. Making out with a stranger? He has to be extremely drunk to even have the courage to lock lips with someone. A one night stand? He really doesn’t have the balls to do it on a whim. That's why waking up in a stranger's bed was the worst thing that could happen to him.
With his throat parched and lips a bit crusty, all Phuwin could muster was a low, "hello?"
He was met with silence.
Sunlight pooled through the small window of the room. Phuwin knew the interior of the athlete's dormitory thanks to eating instant ramen with Fourth till their bellies were full to the brim. Phuwin would accompany his best friend while he burned the midnight oil, reciting numerous civil law lectures to him. As an engineering major, all Phuwin could do was slowly nod and give him a gentle smile to encourage Fourth, who was always one step away from having a mental breakdown.
So, an athlete, he mused mentally. Absolutely, diabolically great of you Phuwin. Truly no one is doing it like you do.
The walls of the room were the same maroon and cream colors of the university’s emblem. The bed, desk and wardrobe were all located in the same corners as Fourth's football poster littered bedroom. However, compared to Fourth's war zone of a room, this one was pristine. The walls were literally bare. The desk was almost empty. Aside from books which were surprisingly organized by height, not a single trinket nor figurine was in sight. Pencils and pens were all inside a reused plastic coffee cup from the nearby local cafe outside of campus. Two pairs of sneakers were lined perfectly under the desk.
However, beside the table standing proudly was a black bass guitar. It was glinting, as if trying to catch Phuwin’s attention. The bass was the only sense of personality in such a drab room.
Athletes, in Phuwin's opinion, were very interesting. They were a motley bunch of the most unhinged people to ever exist. They consume more calories than most people, mix protein in everything, and get cranky if they don't get their daily workouts in between classes and university work.
Fourth, Phuwin's only direct knowledge of any kind of sport-related topics, who is also his best friend, was a mixture of almost everything an athlete is. He was in their university as part of the athlete’s scholarship program specifically for football and according to Fourth, he was the star player. Sometimes, Phuwin found that hard to believe but who was he to question an expert when he was merely an outsider who had zero interest in it.
Besides, for athletes, sports were basically their whole life, sometimes, it was their only personality trait and Phuwin couldn't blame them. If he was as good at one thing, he'd be flaunting his skills and medals whenever he can.
That was why Phuwin found it surprising that there was a high-range bass guitar in this athlete's bedroom. Sure, Fourth knew how to play a six-string guitar and also has one in his bedroom, but with Phuwin's extensive knowledge when it comes to music and his slight nerdy need to know about every single instrument brand out there, this guy's bass was extraordinary. It was expensive and was typically used in a more professional setting than being stuck inside a college student's dorm room.
Speaking of Fourth, where were his friends? Did they literally leave him to fend for himself after getting drunk?
After playing a gig at a nearby bar with his bandmates, Satang, Winny and Jaoying; Phuwin and the band were dragged by Fourth, who miraculously finished his training on time, to a party for some more drinking and indulgence.
Looking back, Phuwin couldn't recall what had happened. All he could remember was that he was drinking more than he should. The beverages were mixed in a manner he wasn’t sure was safe. They stung his throat and made him wince in disgust. Dancing was definitely involved at one point, a bit of cheering and someone getting thrown into a pool as well. Afterwards, some guy argued with another guy. It was all too hazy for Phuwin to recall. By this time, he was absolutely smashed.
On top of the bedside table was a glass of water, a piece of sticky note was stuck on the glass and a bunch of painkillers beside it
Phuwin could not help but snort. This dude was kind of endearing. An athlete, a bass player and a guy who knew how to take care of people. Whoever he was dating was lucky as hell.
He picked the sticky note up and read:
Good morning. If you have a headache there are painkillers on the table. If you need any clothes you can pick whatever you want from my closet. Spare underwear and toiletries are in the bathroom. Your bag is inside my closet.
Phuwin smiled. Even his handwriting was neat. The sentence structure was almost perfect. If he wasn't a faceless and mysterious person, Phuwin might've developed a tiny crush on him.
Inside his jean's pocket, Phuwin's phone vibrated and he almost fell off the bed. That was his calendar. As an engineering student, Phuwin's time was more organized than a travel itinerary. Every minute, for most part of the day, he has it all mapped out. The vibration only meant one thing, he had about thirty minutes to prepare before his first class started.
Phuwin hastily got out of the bed and opened the closet. He sighed in relief when he saw his bag. He took it out and proceeded to hunt the guy’s closet.
Biting his lower lip, Phuwin scanned the guy’s selection of clothes. He cannot, for the love of everything, show up with the same shirt from last night. Phuwin knew damn well some of his classmates were at the same frat party and saw him frolicking around, being a total goof head and drunkard. Going back home was futile. Time was not on his side today. Since Mr. Bass Player Athlete has graciously offered his closet to Phuwin, he might as well take him up on his offer.
Most of the clothes were baggy on him. He decided that maybe a jacket or hoodie would be better. It could at least hide the black sheer button up he was wearing. He could not show up in class with his tits out and about. Christ, Professor Lee was one step away from his grave and Phuwin, with this shirt would definitely give the old man a heart attack.
There were a bunch of jackets and hoodies in the closet, but they all looked expensive and fairly new. Sure, the guy gave him permission to take his stuff but Phuwin wasn’t going to be an asshole and pick the best looking one. Even though he does plan on returning the item, there was a possibility that they would never cross paths again, so Phuwin would rather take something that looks old and almost disposable.
The closest thing to that description was a maroon and cream varsity jacket. The maroon faux leather sleeves were almost peeling, there were patches of lint peeking out on the torso, one of the lower buttons were missing and the sewing of the university’s name was shredding. Perfect. He took the jacket off its hanger and without any hesitation, wore it.
Phuwin was done fixing himself in under five minutes. He even managed to style his long brown hair, patting the edges down and tucking them behind his ears. However, he did spritz a few sprays of mystery guy’s perfume on because no way in hell was he going to class smelling like liquor and cigarettes.
The morning sunlight would have been a nice addition to his walk of shame if he wasn't feeling last night's endeavors on his body. Dragging himself to class felt even more like a chore than usual. He tightened the jacket around him, afraid that his classmates might pick up on his late night rendezvous.
Instinctively, Phuwin took his place at one of the front seats, his usual spot. Hong, one of his engineering friends, sat beside him and from what little he recalled from last night's party, Hong was far worse for wear compared to Phuwin. However, the hangover didn’t stop Hong for being a bit of a menace.
“I didn't know you started dating,” Hong murmured, albeit his voice a little drowsy so Phuwin wasn't sure if he heard his friend right.
“What?” Phuwin asked, genuinely confused by the statement. Dating? When does Phuwin even have time for that? He barely could finish most of his assignments let alone have time for band practice.
Hong shrugged eyes back on the board. Phuwin reckoned he was still drunk but who knew.
As his professor drew in front of the lecture hall, explaining theories and formulas, Phuwin felt a chill in his spine. He quivered a little, as he realized numerous pairs of eyes were zeroed in on him. Don't get him wrong, Phuwin doesn't mind the attention. In fact, he was used to it. Being on stage almost every week has trained him to command a crowd while he holds a mic stand, strums his electric guitar and sings his heart out with his band.
But this time, it felt different. He could hear his classmates whispering behind him as if curious. But what were they curious about?
Did he still look like absolute shit or stank of liquor? He did his best to make himself appear proper in the athlete dude's dorm. Maybe he should've outstayed his welcome and took a shower. But he was going to run late if he didn’t leave immediately and he had already overstayed his welcome by sleeping in the guy's bed.
Ignoring his classmates and opting to give his full attention to his professor, Phuwin pulled up his notebook from his bag and decided to start writing his notes for the next hour.
The cafeteria in the engineering department was fully occupied, luckily Fourth managed to snag a seat since his classes finished earlier. Satang, a senior they were both close to and the lead guitarist in Phuwin’s band, was already beside Fourth when Phuwin arrived.
“You look like death,” Fourth commented the moment Phuwin placed his meal down and sat opposite of his two friends. Around him, Phuwin felt more eyes glancing at him. He took a quick peek and caught two girls whom he recognized from one of his classes giggling and smiling at his direction. Confused and annoyed by the lack of caffeine in his system and the tiring events from last night, Phuwin simply shrugged off the unwanted attention. The staring was getting ridiculous.
“Please save the insults. I feel like death. You assholes left me to fend for myself.” Phuwin stabbed a piece of lettuce with a little more force than he should and shoved it down his mouth.
Satang and Fourth shared a look before Fourth replied, “we did manage to drag you out of the party but you pushed me and Satang away and sprinted back inside. Telling us you forgot your bag. Which you actually did.”
Phuwin titled his head, confused yet again. He really doesn’t recall much from last night since he was incredibly drunk. Quite frankly the mystery of it all was bothering him just a tiny bit. But last night's shenanigans weren't his first rodeo. He has come home to his parents a little bit tipsy and then simply blacking out with no recollection of the night before.
“You mean this bag,” Phuwin asked, lifting the black sling back he always carried.
Fourth and Satang nodded. “That’s a relief you found it. By the way.” Satang reached out towards Phuwin and ruffled his hair. Phuwin simply glared while placing his hair back into place. “We also tried to call you but you wouldn’t answer.”
“To be honest, I don’t remember much from last night,” Phuwin admitted, rubbing the back of his neck before looking at Fourth and Satang apologetically.
“No worries, we were pretty out of it too,” Satang replied and Phuwin once again felt eyes on him. He looked to his left and found a group of students smiling at him from ear to ear. He waved to them, out of curiosity and they simply giggled to themselves and walked away. Slowly, Phuwin lowered his hand and was now even more confused.
“What the hell is going on?” Phuwin muttered to himself which both of friends managed to catch despite the buzzing chatter of the students around them. At this point, it was getting a little bit unsettling. This wasn’t the same as the curious eyes who would watch him after every performance, begging to catch his attention. They weren’t interested if his band had demos posted online or what his social media handles were. This was something else.
“What?” Fourth asked.
“Are people being weird around us? I feel like I’ve grown a thumb on my forehead with the way people are looking at me,” Phuwin murmured. Once again, Fourth and Satang shared a look.
“Are you finally realizing you’re hot?” Satang suggested, eyebrows wiggling. Phuwin made a face and Fourth stifled a laugh.
“Shut the fuck up, Satang. I’m being serious,” he gritted through his teeth.
“You’re probably being paranoid. Maybe it’s the hangover,” Fourth shrugged.
“I don’t have a hangover,” Phuwin disagreed, flicking Fourth’s forehead in the process. His best friend winced before sticking his tongue out.
“Maybe, they like your jacket-“ Satang paused, eyebrows burrowing in confusion. “Huh.” He eyed the varsity jacket Phuwin borrowed earlier. “That's not usually your style. I have never seen you wear that before.”
Phuwin nearly choked on his drink. He paled. Will they realize he kinda stole someone’s jacket? Well, the mysterious guy did give Phuwin his blessing to take anything and besides, he planned on returning it. The question was when though. Soon, hopefully. When he remembers how to go back to the exact dormitory. He could ask Fourth, sure but the guy’s dormitory was in a different building and Phuwin doesn’t want to get lost and get roped in in more rumors.
“It’s new, kinda. I thrifted it?” It came out more of a question than a statement and Phuwin almost face-palmed himself out of embarrassment.
Satang snorted while Fourth stood up from his seat and circled to Phuwin’s side of the table.
“What the hell are you doing, Fourth?” Phuwin hissed. In mere seconds, Fourth was behind Phuwin. His hands were suddenly on Phuwin’s back and before Phuwin could protest, Fourth whispered: “Holy fuck. It’s you.”
Satang, from Phuwin’s peripheral view, gaped. “Are you sure?” Satang asked and Fourth nodded immediately.
Frustrated, Phuwin turned to Fourth. “What the fuck is going on?”
Fourth simply smiled sheepishly, “do you know the captain of our hockey team?”
“No, why the hell would I care about hockey or basketball or even football.”
“You wound me, truly. And here I thought the only reason you watched me play was because you thought football was cool and I looked cool playing," Fourth sighed and dramatically placed his hands on his left chest.
“Fourth, we’re getting side tracked here. The longer you don’t tell me what hell is going on, the longer people will stare at me. Because I can feel their eyes. Every. Single. One. Of. Them.”
Phuwin almost grabbed Fourth by the collar but managed to control himself. He was already being watched, he didn’t want to make a scene and add fuel to the fire.
“Are you dating Pond Naravit?” Satang simply asked.
“Who?” Phuwin’s voice was an octave higher than usual. Who the fuck was Pond Naravit?
“Pond? Number 24? Captain of the hockey team? The dude whose jacket you're wearing," Satang replied matter-of-factly, as if all of it was common knowledge.
“You’re wearing the athlete’s varsity jacket. Phuwin, no one wears that except athletes in our uni. Although that’s like an older version of it. For some of us, it’s kind of sacred,” Fourth said, finally sitting next to Satang once again.
Phuwin raised an eyebrow and stared Fourth down. He was not having it.
“Okay. Not like really sacred but… you know what. I’ll shut up.” Fourth did a zipping motion and bowed his head.
Then Satang’s eyes widened in realization. They left Phuwin at the party, he wouldn’t answer their calls and now he was wearing Pond’s varsity jacket.
“Phuwin! Did you sleep with him?” Satang whispered the last sentence.
“No?! Definitely not!” He tried racking his brain for more information from last night’s adventures, but nothing really came to mind. He doesn't recall if he even danced with anyone, let alone be swept away into some jock’s college dorm room. Besides, judging Pond’s bedroom, it was too neat. Nothing suggested that they might have crossed any boundaries. In fact, the room felt like Pond didn’t even sleep in the same room.
“Are you sure?”
“I am a hundred percent sure! I cannot even remember anything and you guys know me. I’ll remember if I have flirted with someone or let them drag me back to their home or in this case their dorm. I woke up alone. He only left a note and some painkillers. He told me to take clothes from his wardrobe and I chose this because, well—“ Phuwin was rambling now but Fourth and Satang were eating every single word he was saying. “This one looked old and I thought he wouldn’t miss it in case I failed to return it.”
Fourth started giggling, eyes sparkling and Phuwin could not help but wonder, was he finding his dilemma amusing?
“I thought they were joking when they said Pond was dating a pretty boy front man from one of the university's bands.” Satang massaged his temples and sank further onto his seat. "I just didn't realize it would be you."
“I'm not dating the guy. I don’t even know what he looks like." Phuwin crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. This was getting ridiculous. How the fuck is wearing someone's jacket and indication that they were dating? It was such a ridiculous idea. Furthermore, how on earth did the rumor spread so fast? It's only lunch time but it seems like half the campus believed that he and this Pond dude were a thing.
“Phuwin, they said it was the brown haired pretty boy who frequented The Rocks! Who is always performing at that bar? Our band!” Satang lifted his arms animatedly. Phuwin couldn't tell if he was excited from all of this or exasperated unlike Fourth who was still laughing hysterically.
"This is ridiculous. I don't even know him, what he looks like or what he sounds like. I don't even know hockey rules. Why is everyone suddenly up my ass and so interested in his love life?"
"Phuwin, you truly don't know Pond Naravit?" Satang asked.
Phuwin shook his head in defeat. Satang chuckled, probably amused by Phuwin's tendency to only care about his inner circle and not dabble in the arts of gossip.
"Well, he's the captain of the hockey team. He was the MVP last season and is incredibly hot." Fourth emphasized the last word by wiggling his eyebrows.
Phuwin simply raised his eyebrows in response. "So?"
"So? Phuwin! The whole campus is interested in the guy,” Fourth exclaimed.
If it was anyone between the three of them who knew who this Pond guy was, it definitely would be Fourth.
“For the past four years no one has ever seen him date anyone! He’s an athlete and has a body to die for. Of course the people are trying to get a piece of him."
Well Phuwin wasn’t interested in fighting with other people over a dude who he didn’t even know. He didn’t want rivals over something so stupid. This Pond was just some guy, he wasn’t the guy. The guy doesn’t exist.
"I need to return his jacket,” Phuwin instead said. He should probably take matters into his own hands. He did start all of this, though clueless about the whole thing. He just hoped Pond wasn’t annoyed by it all.
"Are you going back to his dorm? He's in the athlete's dorm, right? I can help you get in. Someone probably knows where his exact room is,” Fourth offered genuinely but Phuwin shook his head.
"No. I'd rather not add more fire to the rumors.” If they see him one more time loitering in front of the guy’s door, the dating rumors might give people more ammunition to either tease him or stare at him like he was some damn animal in a zoo enclosure.
“Is there a way where I can see him where people usually just see him? You know like at class or the park or--”
"You can go to one of his home games." Satang cut him off immediately.
"Huh?"
“Fourth can get our reserve seats at tomorrow’s home game, you know Coach Pete, right?”
Fourth nodded, “yeah his brother is the head coach of the football team.”
“Great! That’s settled then. I can get us access to the locker room, well not exactly the locker room itself but probably somewhere private so you can speak with Pond himself.”
“Are you crazy? You’re going to just drag me into their locker room--”
“I didn’t say the locker room itself.”
“And then leave me alone with some stranger?”
“Pond is not some stranger, I actually kinda know the guy. He’s chill.”
“He’s chill my ass, what if he hates me for stealing his bed?”
“I’m pretty sure he was only looking out for you.”
“Fine but how are we going to meet him?”
“Easy, I have a friend, he is the goalie for the Maroon Bears. I can ask him to let us in.”
“All right,” Phuwin reluctantly agreed.
Satang smirked and Phuwin was unsure if he liked the idea of not.
It was a bad idea. A very bad idea. Somehow, Fourth managed to snag him and Satang one of the best seats in the rink. It was dabsmacked in the middle and a few rows in front. They were seated closer to the players bench while they did their warmups for the game. Satang was explaining to Phuwin the mechanics of the game, how many players were allowed to be on ice, the players’ position, what the meaning of each painted line on the ice was and how long the game usually ran. But that all went through Phuwin’s left ears and flew out of the other.
As much as he would love to understand how the sport was played, Phuwin had other pressing issues to address.
“Why is it so cold?” Phuwin’s teeth clattered. He rubbed his arms while he observed the players skating. Satang paused, mouth hanging as if just realizing what Phuwin was wearing: a gray cotton shirt and a pair of baggy jeans. The jeans weren't so bad but the shirt? No wonder he was one step closer to turning blue.
“I just noticed but why are you only wearing a shirt?”
“It’s sweltering hot outside, man. I didn’t think it would be this cold.”
“And I thought you were supposed to be the smarter one here,” Satang sighed.
Phuwin glared at his best friend. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Phuwin, it's an ice rink. Of course it's going to be freezing cold. You think the ice is simply held together by duck tape and glue?”
Phuwin didn’t reply, he simply pouted and returned his attention towards the rink. Most of the players on their team, he assumed they were the ones who wore the university’s colors, were doing weird stretches and contorting their bodies in positions Phuwin never knew were possible.
“Why is he humping the air?” Phuwin pointed at one of the players, the guy had the number 14 on his back and the name William J.
This time, Satang rolled his eyes. “He’s stretching. You go to the gym almost weekly, you do stretches, right?”
Phuwin ignored the sarcasm dripping in Satang’s voice and simply nodded. “But not that kind. They look uncomfortable. But it seems to be a hit. No wonder people are crowding the glass. These boys are doing a show while giving away pucks like they're not school property.”
Both men observed the small crowd of people on the edge of the seating area, all of them sticking their faces against the boards, trying to get at least one of the players' attention.
Once again, Phuwin rubbed his arms, trying to cause enough friction to give him a taste of warmth. Satang merely clicked his tongue, a bit annoyed by Phuwin’s lack of self-awareness.
“Is his jacket with you?”
Phuwin grabbed the paper bag from under his seat and nodded.
“Then use it. You’re like a shaking leaf, it's getting annoying.”
“Are you insane?” Phuwin hissed. “I already have enough of his fans' eyes on me. Besides, I don't want to fuel the rumors further. Even Jaoying’s bothering me with it.”
Satang simply smiled, as if amused by Phuwin’s suffering. “You can simply tell her the truth.”
“I did and she’s still persistent. As if I’m notorious for lying. She thinks I’m hiding something.”
Before Satang could come up with a reply, his phone vibrated in his pocket.
“Joong just texted. Said we can go to the locker room now.”
Phuwin gulped. “Like right now? I thought we’re meeting them after the game?”
Satang raised an eyebrow, as if challenging Phuwin. “Do you want to get this over with or do you want to suffer further?”
“Ugh, fine. Lead the way.”
The way to the locker room didn’t give Phuwin any solace. In fact, the farther they were from the crowd, the cooler it got. Motherfucker. This better be worth all the trouble.
Satang was a step ahead of Phuwin, whistling, unbothered by the cold with his stupid cardigan. Phuwin’s grip on the paper bag tightened, maybe he should just suck it up and wear this varsity jacket again because at this point he might just die of frostbite and if he actually dies, his mother will definitely just drag his soul back into his body and simply kill him again.
At the side of the hallway, by the locker room door, two hockey players were conversing intensely; it wasn’t until Satang waved and caught one of the player’s attention did they stop.
The bigger and burlier player, which Phuwin guessed was the goaltender, judging by the thick paddings under his jersey and on his legs, and the caged mask tucked under his arm, waved back and gave Satang an enthusiastic smile.
Phuwin’s eyes snapped towards the other player, he was looking at Phuwin with an intense gaze, as if studying him. It sent a shiver down Phuwin’s spine, like honey dripping ever so slowly, almost making him ticklish. The guy was also broad even without his jersey and pads. He was as tall as his companion and had a very handsome face. He had a strong facial structure, calculating eyes, thick lips, tall nose and a beauty mark under his right eye and Phuwin, without any second thoughts immediately knew that this was the man himself, Pond Naravit.
Phuwin felt his cheeks heat up a bit and his heart racing, his fingers turning clammy and his thoughts going haywire. Oh, fuck me. Despite being taller than Satang, Phuwin slightly hid behind his friend. Unable to handle the attention he was getting from Pond, Phuwin avoided his gaze and tried to look at the floor. But he could still feel Pond’s eyes on him. They were heavy.
Seeing his face, Phuwin realized why he ended up in Pond’s dorm room. How could he be so stupid? Of course he followed Pond back to his room. The face card was simply insane.
Pond Naravit was exactly his type and Phuwin was absolutely fucked. There was no going back, he was absolutely doomed. A man should not look this good wearing a long-sleeved compression shirt. It was black and hugged his body so tightly, highlighting his big chest, his thick biceps and his toned abs that Phuwin could not help himself but take another peek.
He was so out of his league.
“Phuwin, this is Joong Archen the goaltender for the Maroon Bears,” Satang introduced, pulling Phuwin out of his crisis. Joong was good looking as well. Thick eyebrows, a wicked smile and beautiful tan skin. If he weren’t an athlete, Phuwin could have pegged him for an actor.
“Nice to meet you, I’m Phuwin.” Phuwin politely bowed and shook his hand. From his peripheral view, Phuwin could see that Pond was still watching. It was both unsettling and quite frankly, hot. It was confusing Phuwin.
The memories from the other night were slowly coming back to him in a hazy sequence but not entirely picture perfect. It was only fragments of different events, nothing concrete for him to make something out of it.
Is Pond Naravit mad at him? But he seemed sweet with his written note, then again, maybe he was just being polite towards Phuwin.
“And this is Pond Naravit, the team’s captain,” Joong said, moving to the side so Pond could come forward. With eyes still trained on Phuwin, the only thing Phuwin could do was meet his intense gaze. Pond offered his hand and Phuwin suddenly noticed the guy’s thick forearms and really, how could one man be so attractive. It was unfair, so unfair.
Phuwin reciprocated the offer, sending a silent prayer to whichever deity was listening before his cold hands met Pond’s warm hands. Phuwin could feel how firm the handshake was and wondered if Pond had a pamphlet on how to do a proper handshake.
“Hello, Phuwin.” Fuck. Phuwin almost melted on the spot but he managed to school his features and gave Pond a small smile. His voice was deep and rich, sending a tingle down Phuwin’s spine.
“Hey,” was all he could mutter. Cool, totally cool of you, Phuwin.
“Great! Now that everyone’s acquainted,” Satang said brightly. “Joong and I have to discuss something for our group project. Let's meet back at our spot once you're done.”
Satang patted Phuwin’s shoulder, almost shaking him back to reality. “Good luck,” he whispered before he and Joong went to another room.
Phuwin could feel the temperature drop the moment he and Pond were alone in the hallway. Outside, they could hear some pop music blaring, drowning the sound of pucks hitting the pipes and the chattering of the growing crowd.
The paper bag in his hand felt heavier, as if he was carrying a bag of cement instead of someone else’s jacket.
“S-sorry,” Phuwin broke the silence, avoiding Pond’s gaze once again.
“No, it's fine. I do hope you had a decent sleep that night?” Pond replied, his eyes softer now, a smile gracing his handsome face.
Phuwin could not help but blush. “I-- yeah. Probably one of the best sleep I have had in a while.”
“That’s nice. I’m glad.” Pond scratched the back of his short black hair, his ears slightly turning red. “I apologize too. I heard that we’re being rumored.”
He’s so sweet. Phuwin’s heart squeezed. A tiny bit of him wished Pond was this arrogant athlete who only thought highly of himself so that Phuwin wouldn’t have a hard time being snarky with him but instead, the universe handed him the sweetest and the most attractive man to grace the planet. No wonder he had a plethora of fans absolutely curious about his love life. He was as handsome as he was considerate. Who wouldn't want to date someone like that?
“Oh! Right here, I’m sorry again. Hopefully, the rumors die down a bit. I didn’t know borrowing your jacket would cause such a ruckus.” Phuwin held the bag in front of Pond, which he accepted willingly.
“No, it’s fine. It’s just a thing most athletes do. You know? Most of the time their partners wear their jersey number during a game, sometimes in public.”
“Yeah, recently got schooled about it by my friend, Fourth. He’s on the football team, which is very different from hockey. They play on the grass, you know? Outside, where it's warm and sunny and not freezing the audience to death.” And there he goes rambling. As much as Phuwin would like to believe that he was a chill guy, nonchalant at times, he still had a bit of a loose tongue whenever he was nervous.
Pond’s smile widened, as if he found Phuwin’s musings endearing. “It wouldn’t be ice hockey without the ice.”
Phuwin sighed, once again feeling the cool air of the rink hitting his skin. He shivered involuntarily.
“Are you feeling cold?”
“As much as I hate to admit it and pretend to be all manly, yes. I am freezing my ass off. I wasn’t warned how cold it would be.”
“It's not that bad,” Pond shrugged but he was eyeing Phuwin with concern.
“Easy for you to say, your shirt’s sleeves are long and you’re used to this. I am simply a sensitive man, with sensitive skin,” Phuwin lamented, once again, hugging his torso and rubbing his arm to keep himself warm.
Pond raised his hand and pointed a finger at Phuwin, “I’ll be right back.”
When Pond returned a minute later, the paper bag was gone, it was replaced by a hoodie instead.
“Here,” Pond handed it over to Phuwin. It was cream and seemed thick and Phuwin was so tempted just to grab it and wear it immediately, but he steeled himself. He cannot do this again. He just returned Pond’s varsity jacket and now he was going to borrow another one. What was the point of it all, honestly?
But it was cold, so cold that Phuwin could almost feel his fingers turning numb. Ugh, fine. At least he has another excuse to see him again, right?
“Are you sure?” he asked first and Pond nodded encouragingly, almost shoving the hoodie towards Phuwin’s chest.
“Alright.”
The moment Phuwin put it on he was immediately enveloped with a warm fuzzy feeling. The hoodie was still warm as if another human body wore it earlier. It smelled good too, like a woody musky scent perfect for winter. Phuwin felt a certain sense of comfort. It sounded stupid but it was as if it was here to keep him safe.
“You can keep it,” Pond said.
“What?!”
“It looks good on you.”
Phuwin, once again, blushed. He fisted his hands, unable to control the giddiness he has been feeling since he met Pond.
“Are you sure?” he asked, softly this time. The hoodie had the name of the team and university on it and it seemed pretty tame. No jersey number, not even Pond’s name on it. This is fine, right? Although this hoodie seemed new, maybe the university’s merchandise shop recently released it. Who knew, Phuwin wasn’t really that patriotic when it comes to their university.
“Yeah, I have another one. They give us two each year.”
“That’s nice and you’re so nice.” The compliment spilled out of Phuwin’s mouth before he could stop himself.
Pond was the one blushing this time. “I try my best.”
“Well, since you are a generous man and I am a man who does not want to owe anyone. Can I treat you to a meal?”
Pond’s eyes seemed to sparkle at the suggestion, his lips twitching, a smile gracing his face. “Really?”
“Yes, Pond.” It’s the first time Phuwin used his name and the roll of it against his tongue was a new experience.
“Would you mind if I ask for your number?” Phuwin smoothly added to the conversation, making Pond smile even more.
“Sure, does breakfast sound good?” Pond asked and Phuwin nodded. They exchanged numbers and agreed to hang out the day after Pond returned from an away game.
“It was nice meeting you,” Pond said after saving Phuwin’s number in his phone. “The game is about to start and I do hope you stay and watch.”
“It’s the least I could do, Pond. I’ll watch the game even though I am incredibly clueless about hockey.”
“Satang knows the game a bit, you can ask him stuff.”
“Yeah, but hearing it from a professional would be better.” Phuwin slapped himself mentally, really?
“Hmm… I see,” Pond’s mouth twitched, a smirk on his face. “Then, can I teach you some pointers when we meet up?”
“Okay.”
“Okay.”
“I really have to go. I need to put my gear on and warm-up as well. See you soon, Phuwin.” The way he said Phuwin’s name made his heart shook a little. Oh, man. He was so doomed.
“See you soon, Pond," he managed to reply before Pond waved back, as Phuwin watched him jog back to the locker room.
Phuwin’s walk back to his seat with Satang was quite uneventful, save for the excited murmuring of the crowd and pucks flying everywhere in the ice as both the home team and opposing team practiced with their goalies, everything else was tamed. However, some students were still looking at him. Eyes still curious, watching his every move, some were smiling, others were still giggling. He guessed it might take some time before anyone would let the gossip die and to be frank, being linked with Pond didn’t seem that bad. He was hot as fuck and the sweetest guy ever.
“H-Hey,” Satang, who was already sitting, greeted. His eyes widened as Phuwin approached closer.
“Hey, you okay?”
“Yeah, wow. Okay, Pond isn’t playing around, huh?”
“What do you mean?”
As if on cue, the crowd started cheering and both Satang and Phuwin heads snapped towards the rink, there he was Pond Naravit, fully decked in his hockey gear, stick in hand and gliding with ease on the ice. Even with his face obscured by his helmet and his body hidden under the paddings and baggy jersey, Phuwin still found him attractive.
Satang shook his head. “I think the guy is into you.”
“Huh? What gave you the idea?” Phuwin’s fighting so hard not to grin like a creepy maniac. Instead he faked a laugh and feigned innocence. But Satang seemed to have picked up his act.
“Oh boy, I wish Fourth was here to see this.”
“Satang,” Phuwin warned. But his friend didn't budge, in fact, he was enjoying this a little too much for Phuwin’s liking.
“The varsity jacket is old news, Phuwin. You’re wearing the team hoodie.”
“So? Pond said he has another one just like this. Oh, oh.”
Satang wiggled his eyebrows. “Phuwin, the other one is supposed to be given to the player’s significant other.”
After hearing those words Phuwin plopped himself beside Satang and his heart almost exploded.
Oh.