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If anyone asked, Team couldn’t have answered how long he and Win had been dating. In all honesty, he wasn’t sure when whatever the thing between them had switched from something kind of nebulous into something more official. Was it when he started spending the night regularly? When they started kissing more often? When they started going on dates? When did the outings as friends become outings as boyfriends? Was it when Win told him not to run away from his feelings for Team?
Really, it could have been any of those times, but even if he could pick one to be the symbol of the shift in their relationship, he couldn’t remember the exact day anything happened. Some things were easier to remember, like the day they went to look at lights and kissed in public. If he tried, he could figure out what day that was. But that wasn’t the first instance he would consider a date.
All things considered, though, Team didn’t really care to figure it out. Not because he didn’t care about Win or what they shared, but because putting a stamp and date on what they had wasn’t the most important thing to him. What they had together was the important part. And in his heart, Team was just happy to have it, and to have Win. He wasn’t always the best at saying it or showing it, but he felt it.
They were going on a date today, or at least, what Team now considered a date. A trip to the mall to see a movie, do some shopping, and get lunch. They held hands in the theater, which Win started. He reached out and took Team’s hand in his and Team pulled away, glared at him, and made a face. Then Win leaned closer and whispered in his ear, “No one can see, and no one is paying attention anyway.”
So Team set his hand back on the armrest, palm up, as an offering. Win took his hand, laced their fingers together, and held both in his lap. He ran his thumb over the back of Team’s hand and, all in all, Team actually liked it. He smiled, looking down at their hands, until Win caught him smiling and grinned. Team retrained his eyes on the movie screen, pointedly ignoring his boyfriend. But not ignoring the warm feeling that Win gave him in his stomach and chest.
Later, they were walking through a store when Team ran into one of his old friends from high school, Dew.
“Ai’Team? Is that you?” Dew asked, leaning over to get a better look. A wide grin was clear across his face.
“Ai’Dew? Hey! Yes!” Team smiled brightly, giving his friend a hug. They both stepped back and looked at one another. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to visit my aunt, who is sick. Just buying some things she needs for the house. How are you?”
“Sorry your aunt is sick.” Team frowned. Then Win stepped forward and made his presence a little more noticable. He wasn’t trying to butt in, exactly. Team looked surprised for a moment, then gestured to Win, “Oh, this is Hia Win.”
Dew turned and smiled, lifting his hands to wai and greeted Win, and Win mirrored the action. Then he draped an arm over Team’s shoulders, as he always did. “Are you two old friends?”
Dew nodded, “Yes, we went to high school together. Do you two go to the same university?” He gestured between the two of them.
“Yes, we are on the swim team together,” Win answered.
Team could see that Dew was looking between them, trying to figure something out. Of course, Team had always been comfortable with hugging and touching his friends, that wasn’t really out of the ordinary for him. After the briefest moment of contemplation, Team decided to be brave.
“He’s my boyfriend,” Team tipped his head towards Win.
Win’s eyes went wide, his grin wider, and he turned to look at Team in surprise. Team pointedly ignored the expression and watched Dew, who just nodded, seeming unfazed.
“Ohhh, teammates and lovers,” Dew grinned. “You must get to spend lots of time together.”
“Yeah, but he’s in charge of training, and he’s too harsh.” Team made a face at Win, who laughed.
“Hey, if you want to get better, what else can I do? Won’t go soft on you just because you’re my boyfriend.” Win was having fun using the word now, Team could tell.
“Oh, but Team was always the best swimmer at our school,” Dew said, defending his friend.
“Yeah, hia.”
“And because of me, you’ll be the best at our school,” Win challenged.
“Oooh,” Dew pointed at Win, grinning. “He’s good.”
Not to be outdone, Team tapped his chin, looking playfully thoughtful, then pointed upward, “But doesn’t P’Dean always beat you?”
“Oy!” Win shoved Team away and scowled, though he wasn’t really angry. Team stumbled away and laughed.
“You should be nicer to your boyfriend,” Dew said, patting Team on the arm.
“Yeah, listen to your friend!” Win added.
Team was smiling brightly, having fun now. “So, next time you challenge P’Dean, you have to win.”
“Of course I will, what’s my name?” Win puffed up his chest and looked confident. Then he waggled his brows at Team. “If I do win, will you give me a reward?”
Team scowled, “Hia!”
Dew put his arm over Team’s shoulders and leaned in to whisper, but not so quietly that Win wouldn’t hear it. “You should give your boyfriend a reward if he wins.”
Team turned his glare on his old friend. “Whose side are you on?”
Dew shrugged, smiling easily. “The side of love.”
Team rolled his eyes, but Win was grinning broadly. “I like your friend, Team. You should listen to him.”
Team looked between the two of them, at a loss for words. He pulled away from Dew’s grasp, “I’m hungry. We should go eat.”
Both Dew and Win watched Team start to stalk off towards the cash registers, then looked at each other and laughed. “He’s always been like this?” Win asked.
“Always,” Dew nodded.
“You should join us for lunch.” Win smiled at Dew, “So you can tell me more about Team.”
Dew laughed and smiled right back. “Alright.”
Team could be more confident in the fact that Win was his boyfriend, he could admit it, even out loud, to an old friend. He wasn’t ashamed of being in a relationship with Win, not in the least. He was just shy about it. But he wanted to be brave. Team knew he wouldn’t see Dew regularly, so it was safer to admit it to his old friend. And even though, obviously, Pharm and Manaow would be fully accepting of him and his relationship with Win, there was no certainty that they wouldn’t tease him mercilessly. Manaow would probably scream her head off when she found out. It could wait.
But Team couldn’t deny that the way Win reacted when he said the word boyfriend in front of Dew - giving Win that moment of surprised happiness - it felt pretty good. A little bit at a time, Team would find his moments to open up about their relationship. Just like little bits at a time, the two of them shifted from friends to boyfriends. Team decided he wouldn’t run away from those little moments. Not anymore.