Work Text:
The unforgiving summer heat licks at his back. The jersey sticks to his body like a second skin that makes Win want to uncomfortably claw at the sweat-streaked fabric. Sitting on the bench is Bright, he’s trying to catch his breath after the last one of his friends leaves for the locker room and it’s just the two of them in the field.
The sparring has long ended but they still have time for a little practice session. Win has been wanting to improve his dribbling skills. Despite the soaked jersey and Bright’s pleading gaze, he makes his way to the ball sitting in the middle of the field, completely ignoring his best friend’s silent protest. Win makes an attempt to do a juggling then starts propelling the ball towards whichever goalpost is closer which he noticed was the opposing team’s. He’s all fired up now.
Before he can kick the ball to score a goal, though, the ball slips right between his legs, leaving him to trip on his own legs before stumbling forward. He rolls around before he falls face flat to the ground--grass and dirt in your mouth are hardly ever appreciated, then his back meets the soft, wet grass. Win lets his head rest, the grass tickling his face as he does so. Looks like it needs trimming soon.
There’s a shadow that looms right after he hears the footsteps stop. “Oh,” Win opens his eyes then smiles up at his best friend. He almost sighs in relief. “Nice, I can make use of you.” he says teasingly.
“Am I your shades now?” Bright squints his eyes down at him before offering a hand.
Win takes the hand and pulls himself up from the ground. He notices that Bright has the ball at his feet now. There’s a chance that it’s not going to be over soon as Win sneaks a glance at the smirk on his best friend’s face. They’re not the most competitive people among their friends but they can if need be and for Win, it’s always when he sees Bright’s remarkable control of the ball.
“I thought you didn't want to do it?” Win says, pretty much surprised that his breathing is still steady.
Bright steals him a glance before focusing his eyes back to his feet dribbling the ball towards the goalpost on the other end of the field. “You know that-” he pauses to inhale. “You need someone to practice dribbling with, right?” Bright slides to the side and Win tries to catch up. “Especially-” Win raises an eyebrow but still listens. It’s when Bright looks like he’s struggling to continue in between his heavy breathing that Win sees an opening.
He goes in for a tackle but Bright moves away before Win can touch the ball and he ends up accidentally kicking Bright’s ankle, causing his best friend to lose his balance and fall down to the ground. What happens next is definitely not one Win has expected as a step back lands on the ball. It happens in a blur, one second Win is screwing his eyes shut to embrace another one of his many falls today and the next he feels like the wind is knocked out of him when he lands--Win opens his eyes--on Bright.
“Oops.” Win says with a little guilty smile. “Did that hurt?”
“No.” Bright replies quietly. He’s staring straight into Win’s eyes.
“I meant your ankle.” Win holds Bright’s gaze.
“I know.” Bright blinks slowly and softly, one of the things about his best friend that Win has come to notice and be fond of. Bright does anything softly, including when he asks him, “Did that hurt?”
Win shakes his head, he’s feeling self-conscious all of the sudden with Bright staring right into his soul with his deep, warm eyes. “Don’t worry.” he tells Bright, who visibly looks relieved after hearing that. Win can’t help but let a smile stretch on his face. “I should get up now.”
A hand sneaks around his waist before Win can propel himself off the ground with his arms and he stops to turn his head back to Bright. The arm on his waist is not the kind of presence that is demanding, it still easily grants him the access to move and escape if he ever feels uncomfortable but as expected, he doesn’t, so Win stays in place.
“You don’t possibly want to sleep here and make me your human bolster, right?” he asks with a teasing grin. Bright has a tendency to be clingy, especially when he is not in a good mood, making Win wonders if his best friend is going through a mood swing right now.
Bright still has that soft look on his face that makes the blood suddenly rush to Win’s face now when he looks at it for more than a few seconds. “What?” he prompts when his best friend stays silent.
“What are you?”
It’s not that Win isn’t aware that his pretence is going to come back and bite him--hopefully not literally as he sees a glint in Bright’s eyes that suggests him the idea. Win is not quite ready yet, he thinks.
“Your best friend?”
“Oh, come on,” Bright groans, looking entirely too tired to play his games. “Best friends don’t kiss.”
“Yes, they do?” Win says with a frown.
“Of course you think they do.” Bright says before rolling them around so now he’s on top of him. Win is secretly grateful for it because he thinks his arms could give out any moment from holding up the weights of his body. “But I don’t think so at all.” Bright adds, eyes dark.
Win takes time to stretch his hands and rest them against the grass before looking up at his best friend who seemingly still has more patience than Win gives him credits for to wait for his reply. “What do you want me to be, then?” he asks--like genuinely asking because he doesn’t want to assume and partly because he wants to hear the answer from Bright even though he already know what it is, from the very first day he saw Bright's gaze on him changed.
“Are you expecting me to say ‘mine’?” Bright tilts his head, the look on his face is teasing. The growing smirk clearly shows that he knows he has the upper hand and he probably has noticed how red Win flushes to the tip of his ears.
“Who said that?” Win uselessly tries to deny.
“Me. Just now.”
Win rolls his eyes then he hears Bright’s hearty laughter. “I was actually going to say ‘my lover’.”
Then there’s the soft gaze again that makes Win unconsciously squirms. Now that he thinks about it, Bright stares at him like that a lot but it never made him this overwhelmed with feelings. “Were you going to say that out loud? Seriously? Because I’m telling you it’s lame and I think you shouldmfh-”
Win really wants to yank Bright’s jersey or push him off, partly for the sudden kiss but mostly for cutting him off mid-sentence while he was trying to tell his opinion on the word ‘lover’ but Win has spent too much of his energy to actually do that and thinks it’s nicer to let Bright kiss him. His best friend clearly doesn’t care if his friends or anyone can walk in on them kissing right now and Win probably enjoys it a little bit too much to care either.
Win brings his hands up to slide along the sides of Bright’s toned torso. He can’t help but smile as there’s more heat and a sense of urgency in the kiss. It’s the adrenaline of making-out in a public place but Bright is showing no sign that he will stop any time soon, so Win pushes forward and parts his lips to take Bright’s tongue into his mouth.
It’s hot and wet and the sun setting in the sky and the sweat-streaked jersey quickly becomes forgotten. Win’s hands move up to circle around Bright’s neck, pulling him unbelievably closer as if there was a distance between them in the first place. Bright is a good kisser, probably the best one Win’s ever known in his life. He’s kissed many but none of them kisses quite like Bright.
Their mouths slide together and fit perfectly like a piece of puzzle, like they were meant for each other. Win lets out a whimper when he feels Bright’s grip on his waist tightens as he gives Win’s bottom lip a lick before pulling away a little to catch his breath. Win uses this chance to inhale as much as oxygen that his lungs can take, watching Bright’s searching eyes. It’s not like they haven’t kissed before but the one they just shared took Win’s breath away more than usual. It was so full of emotions that even after Bright pulled away, Win can still feel the tenderness of it.
“Do we really have to label it?” Win asks hesitantly, afraid of how Bright will respond.
“You know about my feelings,” Bright replies with a soft tone of voice like the soft-spoken person that he is. “And I know about yours, Win.” Those eyes are glimmering with tears when Win looks and he regrets doing it for the guilt that follows.
“I’m sorry if I’ve ever made you wait,” Win chews his bottom lip. “And yet that’s what I always do,” he pauses to take a deep breath, trying to sort out his thoughts. “I don’t know what I was so afraid of but I want to let you know that I want this as much as you do.” he says, feeling the non-existent weights lifted off his chest.
“I really, really like you.” Bright says and leans into the touch when Win’s hand comes up to cup the side of his face.
“I know that. I really like you too.” Win smiles, his heart feels warm and all he thinks about is sleeping snuggled close to Bright under their shared blanket tonight. It may be just like any other night but something has changed, something that brings their relationship towards certainty. All doubts gone.
He’s no longer afraid, no matter what hardships the future may bring for them because he has Bright with him in this journey.