Chapter Text
Team’s problem with Win started all the way back on that first day of swim tryouts.
He was getting ready in the locker room, trying to psyche himself up when Dean, Win, and Pruk walked in. They didn’t spare Team a glance amidst all the other freshy hopefuls as they continued whatever conversation they were in the middle of.
Win laughed at something Pruk said when he got to his locker and took off his shirt. They were in a locker room getting ready to swim, of course he took his shirt off. It was the most normal thing in the world. Everyone had their shirts off. Team had his own shirt off.
And yet, Team still felt something hot and dark zip through him at the sight of the angel wing tattoos on Win’s back. Then he realized that wasn’t his only tattoo. Win’s arms and chest were decorated as well.
Team was so busy...well. He didn’t realize he’d been staring until he heard Win clear his throat. Team’s head jerked up and he met Win’s amused expression.
“Uh…” Team choked out. It felt like his vocal chords had seized up in embarrassment.
“Hi,” Win responded back and then gave him a cheeky wave. “I’m Win.”
“I know,” Team said and then wondered if he could stuff himself into his locker to wait to die when Win’s smile widened. “I mean, my friend Manaow knows, and she told me. So that I could be prepared for today.” He hastily pointed a finger at the other two seniors. “P’Pruk and P’Dean.”
“Manaow knows my name?” Pruk asked.
“Yes?” Team answered. “How do you know her?”
Pruk’s eyes widened behind his thick black-framed glasses. “Friend in the drama club,” he replied after a moment.
Team nodded, grateful for the distraction, and grabbed his bag. “I’m gonna go. To the pool. Now.” He was no runner, but at that moment, he probably could have beaten Usain Bolt as he charged out of the locker room.
Stupid tattoos. Stupid piercings. Stupid smile.
From that day on, Win seemed to make it his life’s mission to drive Team crazy.
The team’s first swim meet of the season took place at a university three hours away. That Friday after classes, he and all his teammates trek onto a bus with their overnight bags and snacks.
Team found a seat next to Mew. He did not -- totally did not -- pay any attention to Win sitting beside Dean in the pair of seats across the aisle. He paid no attention to the smirk and raised eyebrow that Win sent his way. The back of his neck didn’t start to burn at all.
Team may have figured out a while ago that he liked boys more than girls, but it wasn’t like he had any actual experience with either gender --
Not that that had anything to do with Win. He was practically a flirting machine. He never kept his hands to himself, and he knew how obnoxiously handsome he was. He just happened to target Team the most because of one dumb lapse in control.
With an annoyed huff, Team put his earbuds in and tried to focus on his music. The meet was tomorrow, and Team was in three events. He’d been swimming competitively for years, so he shouldn’t have been so anxious. But it was his first time competing for the university, and the team was so good. He wanted to prove that he deserved his scholarship.
The sun began to set as they passed the second hour on the bus. Team had his eyes closed and tried to ignore the way his legs were jittering. If he was this wired up already, then trying to sleep in the hotel that was night was going to be miserable.
There was a nudge against his knee. Team opened his eyes and turned to see Win looking at him, his leg stretched across the aisle to kick Team. Team rolled his eyes and pulled his earbuds out.
“What?” he asked.
“Aiya,” Win said, nodding at Team’s lap.
Team looked down and saw his unopened bag of chips. “So?” he asked.
“This is the longest I’ve ever seen you go without eating,” Win said.
“Not hungry,” Team answered. The thought of even eating his favorite chips made his stomach churn.
“Nervous?” Win asked.
Team scoffed. “Pshh...who’s nervous? Not me. I’ve done a hundred of these.” He stuffed the earbuds back in and turned away from Win.
Fifteen minutes from their destination, Dean stood up in his seat and got everyone’s attention.
“Ok, so we’re meeting in the lobby tomorrow morning at 7am. No drinking tonight. No leaving the hotel. Try to get to bed at midnight at the latest. Make sure you bring all your stuff with you, because we’re not coming back. We’ve reserved rooms 350-359. Listen up for who your roommate is.”
Team didn’t have to listen. The way Win was staring at him told him all he needed to know.
“Team and Win, you’re in room 355,” Dean said.
Team rolled his eyes. “Why did I get stuck with you?” he hissed.
“Because I’m your senior, and you have to do what I say,” Win replied.
“Fuck off,” Team grumbled and folded his arms across his chest.
“Stop moving.”
Team laid on his back as still as he could. He closed his eyes and once again willed himself to fall asleep. After a few minutes he sighed and turned over onto his stomach.
“I’m going to suffocate you with my pillow,” Win called from the other side of the room.
“I’m sorry,” Team said for the third time that night. “I’m not trying to bother you.”
“We have to be up in five hours,” Win said.
“You think I don’t know that?” Team responded back. The worst part about his insomnia was knowing he needed to sleep and watching the time slip away as he shifted around restlessly. He had pills he took when it got bad, but they made him groggy and he didn’t want to risk oversleeping.
“What’s the problem?” Win asked. “Are you afraid of the dark?”
Team groaned and turned onto his side. “I have trouble sleeping,” he admitted. “Especially when I’m nervous.”
“Who’s nervous?” Win replied in a terrible impression of him.
“Yes, fine, you were right. It’s my first meet, and I’m really nervous, okay? Excuse me for not wanting to admit it on a bus full of my seniors,” Team grumbled. He fluffed the pillow under his head to try and make it more comfortable. When that didn’t work, he declared defeat and resigned himself to a night of messing around with his phone on the couch downstairs in the lobby. “Forget it,” he said. “I’m just going to…”
“Hold on,” Win said, and suddenly his silhouette had moved off the other bed and in two steps, he was standing at the edge of Team’s.
“What are you doing?” Team asked. He started to sit up and Win put a hand to his chest and pressed him back down.
“Stay there,” he said and then lifted up the blanket and crawled into Team’s bed.
“Whoa!” Team shouted. His heart slammed against his chest. Any chance of him getting to sleep now was gone. “What the fuck, P’Win?”
“Do you want to do well tomorrow?” Win asked, throwing one of his legs over both of Team’s.
“Yes,” Team said as he did his best to put some space between them on the tiny mattress.
“Then you need to get some sleep. I’m helping.”
“How is this helping?” Team demanded.
“Would you stop…” Win said, shifting closer every time Team pulled away. “Five minutes, Team. Just be still for five minutes, okay?”
“Five minutes isn’t going to do anything,” Team argued.
“Look.” Win reached his hand back to the night stand and grabbed Team’s phone. He pressed the home screen and then showed him the time. “1:07,” he said. “Give me until 1:12. What could it hurt?”
His dignity? His sanity? Team thought about fighting again, but then forced himself to freeze in place on his back. “Fine,” he ground out. “Five minutes and then I’m going downstairs.”
“Finally,” Win muttered. “Did anyone ever tell you that you’re hard work?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Team asked.
Win laughed softly and he was close enough Team felt the warm breath against his cheek. “Nothing. Close your eyes.”
Team turned his head and looked at him suspiciously. “Why?” he asked.
“Do you sleep with your eyes open?” Win responded. “You have a dirty mind, you know. I’m not going to take advantage of you.”
Team tightly laced his fingers together on top of his stomach and squeezed his eyes shut. “Happy?” he asked. “How much time is left?”
“Four minutes,” Win said. “Now shhh…”
Nothing happened for a second, and then Team felt gentle fingertips sweep across the apple of his cheek. Team startled at the sensation before settling again.
“My mom used to do this to me when I was little,” Win whispered. “I would have nightmares about clowns.”
“Clowns?” Team replied in a voice soft enough to match. He took a deep breath and felt his eyes relax and his fingers begin to unclench.
“I know. There was never a reason why. I just hated them,” Win said. His thumb smoothed over first one of Team’s eyebrows and then the other. He traced the thin skin under each of Team’s eyes and down the bridge of his nose.
“I was scared of sharks,” Team confessed. “My dad said that’s why I learned to swim so fast.”
“Very smart of Nong Team,” Win replied. A gentle fingertip outlined Team’s lips and went up to his temple. When it brushed against his ear, he shivered, feeling goosebumps break out on his arms. “Sorry,” Win breathed, and Team could hear the smile in his voice.
“Mmm…” Team said. His arms and legs felt heavy and for the first time since he’d laid down in bed, his mind was starting to slow.
Win curled his fingers along the slope of Team’s jaw, over his chin, and down the other side. His touch was gone for a moment and then returned at the top of Team’s head.
Win pushed his fingers through Team’s hair and scratched softly, the sensation spreading like warm honey from his head all the way down to his toes. Team was too relaxed, too pleasantly tired to stop the small sigh of contentment that escaped him. Not letting himself think about it, he shifted on his side to give Win better access.
His eyes fluttered open and he saw Win watching him, their noses nearly brushing, a peculiar, soft expression on his face barely visible in the dark room.
“You like this?” Win asked, running his fingers in a careful glide from Team’s hair line to the back of his neck.
Team gave a tiny nod.
“Good,” Win answered. “Close your eyes.”
This time, Team agreed almost against his will, his eyes on their way to closing before Win finished speaking. They stayed like that, with Win’s fingers ruffling Team’s hair and his short, blunt nails scratching at Team’s scalp, in silence until Win spoke again.
“It’s been five minutes,” he whispered. “Should I go?”
In response, Team grabbed the material of Win’s shirt and held on.
“Bossy,” Win said, rubbing his thumb behind Team’s ear. “I’ll stay then.”
“Okay,” Team said and tipped his forehead to rest on Win’s shoulder.
“I’m gonna put my hand under your shirt, but don’t freak out. Your virtue is safe with me,” Win said.
That was all the warning Team got before the hand in his hair moved to the hem of his shirt. Win’s warm palm settled in the dip of Team’s spine and ran up it, lifting the back of Team’s shirt as he went. Team gave another full body shiver and Win paused.
“Sorry again,” he said.
This time, Team shook his head and moved closer. “Don’t stop. It’s...good. It’s…”
“Team. Team.”
Team groaned and tightened his arms around his pillow. He was warm and comfortable and didn’t want to move.
“Team, we need to get up and get ready or Dean is going to kick our asses.”
“Huh?” Team blinked his eyes open and all at once the events from the night before came rushing back to him. “Shit!”
He leaned back and looked right at Win.
“Shit!” he said again, feeling his whole face heat.
Win smirked down at him. “Your cheeks are even cuter when they’re red.”
“Shit!” Team couldn’t think of anything else to say. He was still frozen in place, and now that his brain was waking up, he noticed that one of his legs was between Win’s, his arms were wrapped tightly around Win’s waist and his head had been resting on Win’s chest. “I...I…”
“Did you sleep well?” Win asked.
“...yes,” Team answered honestly, surprising himself when he realized it was true. “I...yes.”
“Then hopefully you’re ready to compete,” Win said. And, oh, there was something that Team hadn’t noticed. Win’s hand was still pressed against the bare skin on the small of Team’s back. He suddenly became very aware of that fact when Win used his nails to scratch from Team’s waist to between his shoulder blades.
His whole body became aware of it, as a matter of fact, and responded with another humiliating involuntary shiver.
Win’s quiet laughter was deeper than usual and scratchy from sleep. “Your skin is so sensitive,” he said.
Wow, okay, Team had to get untangled from Win and out of the bed now. He scrambled away, nearly tumbling off of the side of the bed in his haste.
“Shower! I’ll go first,” he said.
“Mmm,” Win agreed as he gave a full body stretch, his arms reaching above his head and his hips coming off the mattress. Even his toes flexed.
“Shower!” Team repeated and slammed closed the bathroom door. Safely alone, Team stared down in betrayal at his dick tenting the front of his boxers. “We’ve talked about this!” he hissed at it.
“Hurry up! We need to be downstairs in twenty minutes!” Win shouted from the other side of the door.
Team’s dick pulsed at the sound of Win’s voice, and Team had to stifle the sound he made in the crook of his elbow.
He resigned himself to once again jerking off while thinking about Win. It should have been harder with him only a few feet away, but there was only one thing that was made harder by that, and Team had a hand wrapped around it as he stepped into the shower.