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The problem started when Team came to Manaow and Pharm, on the condition that neither of them told their respective boyfriends, about a problem he was having with a few of the older students. There had been a test coming up in Calculus, a subject that no one liked and Manaow wasn't sure why it was even taught here because it was so awful. Their boyfriend seniors had been stressed about their exam and the upcoming swimming competition, which happened right in the middle of the exam period. So Team had gone to some of his Faculty seniors to see if they could lend him some notes to help with the exam.
Unfortunately, the ones he had chosen to ask were awful people who didn't deserve having a junior like Team and, if Manaow hadn't promised, she would have gone straight to Pruk, Win and Dean and started planning revenge. One of them was even on the swimming team, which made everything ten times worse. People who couldn't even spare a few minutes to look for their old notes, but used that time to bully other people, shouldn't get to be on the same team as her dear Pruk.
So Pharm and Manaow helped Team with his revision (though it was rather like trying to dry up a swimming pool with a towel because Calculus was not their best subject) but that did nothing for the doubts they could almost see starting to gather in Team's head. Manaow had called Team stupid in the past, but she did it out of love, much like he insulted her looks out of love. Nothing about what the seniors did was good-natured in any way.
Then they were here, a week later, when Team dropped his head on his text book and groaned. Thankfully, they were in one of the study rooms in the library so they could talk without being eyeballed by several overworked and stressed out students.
"It's no good, I'm too stupid," Team had said. He had sounded frustrated and whiny, but there was an undercurrent of honesty that had Manaow looking around and Win's smile turning from teasing to loving. He stroked Team's back.
"It's okay, Team," Pharm had said as he patted Team's outstretched hand. "Those seniors didn't know what they were talking about. Just ignore them."
Manaow froze. Pharm continued to smile, obviously not realising exactly what he had given away, and Team kept his head down on the desk. Win's smile remained, but there was a sharper edge to it now. Dean was looking between Pharm and Team, while Pruk took a sip of his drink. Her boyfriend was more of an observation kind of guy, which worked out perfectly for her because she was an action kind of girl.
"What seniors?" Win asked. His tone was very casual but the question had Pharm's smile sliding off his face. Team lifted his head and stared with wide-eyed horror at Pharm. He glanced at Manaow, who shrugged her shoulders. She had been all in favour of telling the three seniors in the first place, she wasn't going to try and excuse this away.
"Um," Team said.
"Don't look at me, I think you should tell him," Manaow said and that got a response.
"Manaow!" Team glared at her.
"Team, what's going on?" Win carried on rubbing Team's back and when Team looked at him, his expression was all soft and warm. None of the sharpness that had been there a few seconds before.
"Hia, don't overreact. It was just some seniors being arseholes. Manaow is making it sound bigger than it was." Team had grabbed hold of Win's hand. It would be the cutest thing ever if Manaow hadn't seen Pruk right after he had woken up.
Win lifted a hand and ruffled Team's hair. "Of course, of course. But, out of curiosity, what did the seniors say?" Team looked mutinous and Win glanced at Pharm and her.
"It was pretty awful," Pharm said as he dropped his gaze. Dean put a hand on his back -- and wow, his hands were big on Pharm's back -- and exchanged glances with Win. Team's cheeks were burning red with the attention.
"I'm pretty sure Team didn't tell us everything they said either." Manaow looked down at her books as she lined up her pencils. "They made fun of him for asking for help," she said. Team didn't stop her and she was pretty sure it was because he wanted Win to know, and to make it better, but he couldn't get the words out themselves. He had only managed to tell Pharm and Manaow because she had pushed and Pharm had coaxed and Team had been feeling just miserable enough to tell them. "They said he was stupid and that it was a good thing he was a half-decent swimmer because it was the only thing going for him. They said they hoped he didn't get an injury because otherwise he would have nothing going for him and should just - kill himself." She glanced up at the last sentence and met Win's gaze, just in time to see the rising anger turn into flat rage.
He didn't shout or swear or do anything she would expect someone as furious as him to do. Instead he turned more fully towards Team and pulled him into a hug, making sure Team's head was on his outer shoulder, facing the wall. It was providing a place for Team to hide from the embarrassment and it enabled Win to keep listening.
"Who would say that?" Pruk seemed honestly confused. "Over a junior asking for help."
"I think they were jealous. One of them is on the team," Manaow said and braced herself. But there were no explosions, none of them were that kind of person. Win kept on holding Team, his hand stroking absently over Team's back but his face was set. Dean had stiffened so much that Manaow could see it, two seats down the other end of the table. Pharm rested his hand on top of Dean's fist and got a tight smile in return.
Pruk looked solemn. He was angry, yes, but more because he had ideas about what exactly seniors should be doing to help juniors. To refuse a request like Team's would be bizarre for him, but to make fun of the person for asking for help was despicable.
"N'Manaow, do you know the name? Of the one on the team," he said quietly. Manaow shook her head and pointed with her pencil to Team.
"I don't want to say," Team said, his voice muffled against Win's shoulder. "You can't take a guy off the team for making fun of someone so there's no point."
"But you'll be saving two other guys from my wrath," Win said, his voice light. Team pulled back a little and turned to look at Win. His face was clear, no signs of tears. Manaow was pretty certain he just wanted the excuse to hug Win in public.
"What do you mean, Hia?" Team asked.
"Well, I have three suspects about who said that to you. If you don't give me a name, I'll make all of them suffer. If you give me a name, then it'll only be one person. So really, you'll be helping two people." Win sounded very calm about everything. Manaow was frankly impressed, she had never imagined Win would have this kind of self-control.
"Don't be stu-silly, Hia." Team nudged Win with his elbow a little. Win smiled at him and slung his arm around Team's shoulders. Only Manaow was watching openly now, Pharm and Dean were cuddled up together, Pharm calming Dean down with sweetness and light, while Pruk was being far more discreet in his watching. She saw that Win had noticed Team avoided calling him stupid and the flash of fury he had quickly suppressed.
"I'm never silly," Win said. Manaow was a little impressed he could say that with a straight face. "Come on, Team. Just one little name. We won't even ask for the other names, just the one on the swimming team."
"Who are the three people?" Team asked.
"Ice, Beer and Boom," Win answered promptly. Team went still for half a second and Manaow was certain Win would have noticed. "Which one, Team?" he asked softly.
Team sighed. "P'Beer," he muttered. "But you shouldn't do anything awful to him. I don't want you to get in trouble. Just some extra laps, right?" He looked at Win's face.
"I won't get in trouble, Team. I'll just make sure he knows that isn't acceptable." Win kissed Team's cheek.
"Hia Win!" Team scrubbed at his cheek, now bright pink. While he was distracted, Manaow saw Win and Dean exchange another look. She realised that Win hadn't promised anything apart from not getting in trouble and making sure Beer knew what he had done.
Two weeks later, Manaow went to watch one of the swimming practices. Partly because she could ogle Pruk in his shorts to her heart's content, partly to watch her friends be all adorable with their boyfriends and partly to pick out Beer in the crowd.
"So which one is he?" Del asked. Manaow had filled her in on the basics and she too was curious about what Win and Dean had planned. Mostly Win, he seemed more like the evil genius type. Dean was the intimidating one, but he was also the President so he couldn't be seen making someone's life completely miserable.
"That one on the end," Manaow said. Win's expression had gone completely flat as soon as he caught sight of Beer and considering he had just been smiling at Team, it was extremely noticeable.
"He looks... jumpy," Del said.
"P'Pruk said P'Win knows how to draw out the anticipation. They can't kick P'Beer off the team, Team was right about that, but they can make him very aware that they're watching his every move. P'Dean and P'Pruk are dealing with the other ones, they got P'Beer to tell them their names." Manaow watched as Win, after Team went back into the changing room for something, came right up behind Beer. Beer jumped about three feet in the air when he turned around. Win said something and gestured to the pool, a shark's smile on his face.
Then Win took a step back and his body language language loosened up. Team had come out of the changing room and was greeted by a smiling boyfriend and what looked like an incredibly polite greeting from his senior. Beer looked relieved to see Team but still got out of Win's range as soon as he could.
"P'Win has made Team P'Beer's saviour." Del noticed the same things Manaow did. It was why she made a great partner-in-crime. "Every time Team is around, Win seems to ignore P'Beer. When he's not, Win talks to him."
"P'Pruk said P'Win is very polite to P'Beer," Manaow added. "He makes sure his tone of voice conveys everything. I want to try and do that in drama."
"I'll help you practice," Del said. Manaow agreed enthusiastically and then waved at Pruk. Her waving was so energetic, it almost sent her off the bench but Pruk looked shyly pleased to see her there and gave her a wave back. Team also noticed her and he waved up at her.
When Team's back was turned, Win gave a nasty glare to Beer, who was walking nearby. Beer immediately took a detour away from Team. Manaow could almost feel sorry for him, if he hadn't been part of the group who told Team he better kill himself when he could no longer swim competitively anymore. As it was, she thought he was getting just what he deserved. She trusted Dean and Pruk were doing the same with the rest of the seniors.
Later that night, she told Pharm everything that had happened at practice, while Team was getting snacks for everyone. When Team walked back in, she had just finished telling Pharm about when Beer had clapped Team on the back after a good lap and Win's glare was so ferocious, Beer had almost fallen back in the pool.
"What are you two talking about?" Team asked as he dumped the bag of snacks on his bed and immediately opened a bag of his crisps.
"How protective P'Win is of you," Manaow replied easily and watched in amusement as Team choked on one of the crisps. "I'm pretty sure he's got P'Beer so scared about going anywhere near you, that the guy would probably jump off a balcony rather than possibly inconvenience you."
Team looked confused. It was funny how he could be so perceptive at some things and so oblivious to others. "No, Hia Win has been really polite to P'Beer. He said he had found out the other names from P'Beer and made it clear what he did wasn't okay. P'Beer apologised to me and said he was just jealous because I was improving so fast on my lap times." Manaow didn't really think it was a good enough excuse for what P'Beer said (or allowed other people to say to Team) but Team looked really happy at the last part. Giving an apology wrapped up in a compliment probably went a long way in making Team happy and Win less likely to kill him.
"Oh, P'Win's polite." Manaow gave Team a look, which flew completely over his head. "Ugh, fine. P'Win loves you a lot and is very protective of you. I'm pretty sure if P'Beer was anything but nice to you, P'Win would find a way to kill him and leave no trace. And P'Beer knows it."
Team went bright red. "He does not!"
Pharm snorted and then covered his mouth. "Sorry, Team. But P'Win does look at you like P'Dean looks at me."
"And P'Pruk and I aren't there yet, but we are getting there. And if P'Pruk ever looks at me like P'Win looks at you, I would die a happy woman." Manaow clasped her hands to her chest and imagined it. Pruk already looked at her like he didn't believe he could get so lucky, and that did wonders for her self-esteem, but Win and Team were just a little further along. Win looked like everything Team did delighted him and he would happily sacrifice himself on an altar to make Team happy. If she were a different person, she would warn Team to be careful but she was pretty sure Team already knew that. Much like Win knew to be careful of Team without being told.
"You two are even more embarrassing than Hia," Team said, smothering his face in his hands.
"Well, we don't love you as much as P'Win does," Manaow said and Team groaned loudly, obviously trying to drown out her voice. Her phone beeped and she glanced at the message. "Speaking of loving boyfriends, my very own has said he'll be done in forty-five minutes. So more studying and then I can wrap myself in my boyfriend's strong arms without an ounce of guilt."
Pharm laughed and Team lifted his head. "When have you ever felt guilty about anything?" he asked and Manaow huffed.
"Just because I haven't done anything to feel guilty about," she retorted.
"What about the time you put chilies in my food?" Team asked.
"No regrets." Manaow gave Team a gloating smile and wasn't completely surprised by the pillow she took to the face afterwards.
They didn't get much studying done over the next forty-five minutes, but all the snacks got eaten.