It was after school. Way after school. All the kids – with a couple of exceptions – had gone home, and majority of the staff had left – only the receptionist and Suho remained.

Speaking of Suho...

The teacher was in his classroom along with one of the two pupils that remained at the school at that time, Lay.

“This is stupid. Like really stupid” Lay pointed out as Suho had him pinned against the filing cabinet at the back of the room, away from the door, where they couldn’t be seen by any passersby, had there been any.

Suho chuckled and kissed Lay softly on the lips before pulling back to look at him. His hands were on Lay’s hips, whilst Lay’s were wrapped around his neck despite his words, “Nobody’s even here” Suho said, “It’s fine”

“You don’t know that” Lay pointed out, pulling Suho closer to him though, “Someone could catch us...”

Suho hummed, “You’re right” he said, leaning in against and letting his lips ghost across Lay’s, “but you’re hard to tear myself away from...”

“Jongdae’s still here, you know” Lay said, “He’s waiting for me...”

Suho hummed again, “Make him wait” he said before finally kissing Lay again, wholly and deeply. Not hearing the sound of the door open as he did. Nor the footsteps of someone walking in and pausing.

He did, however, hear the soft gasp that left that person’s lips.

Freezing against Lay, Suho’s eyes snapped open, before he and Lay quickly parted and turned to see an amused looking Chen staring at them with a raised brow.

“Jongdae...” Suho let out in a strained voice.

Chen smiled, “Sir” he nodded back, “did I interrupt something?” he asked, obviously trying not to smirk.

“No...” Suho shook his head, trying his best to ignore the swollen lipped Lay slightly behind him, “Not at all...”

Chen shot him an incredulous look, “I may be a lot of things, Sir, but stupid isn’t one of them” he paused as a look of sheer horror came across Suho’s face. “I’m not going to tell anyone,” he added, “If that’s what you’re worried about...”

“I, uh... it’s not... I mean....” Suho stuttered until Lay sighed and took a step forward, placing a hand on Suho’s lower back as he did, calming the elder instantly.

“It’s okay” Lay said softly, so that only Suho could hear, “I trust him. He won’t tell anyone.” He was now gently rubbing circles on Suho’s lower back, discreetly.

“You’re sure?” Suho asked, looking at Lay now.

Chen watched them converse from across the room with a small smile on his face. He hadn’t before realised, just how in love his friend was with a certain ICT teacher. And now that he saw them, really saw them as they were with each other, he could see, too, how much Suho loved Lay.

Hesitantly, Suho looked back over at Chen. His hand was now holding onto Lay’s for support, “You really won’t say anything?” he asked, his voice unsure.

“I really won’t tell. I mean, okay, it’s not conventional. But Xing’s an adult at the end of the day, so far be it from me to tell him who he can and can’t see... I mean, why would I ruin the one thing that’s made my best friend so beyond happy these past few months? Besides, I can tell you really care about him. If I wasn’t sure that you loved him as much as he loves you, then I might be inclined to say something, but I can tell that what you guys feel for each other is real and not just some random hook up... So no, I won’t say anything” Chen said, his voice soft and honest, “Besides, I think Xing would beat me into next Sunday if I did” he laughed.

Suho let out a nervous chuckle and looked back at Lay.

Lay smiled and gave Suho’s hand a reassuring squeeze, “Relax” he said, his eyes looking right into the older boys, “It’s okay. We’re okay. Nothing’s going to happen”

“Okay” Suho nodding, calming down at Lay’s sure tone and soft smile, “Okay. It’s okay” he nodded.

Lay smiled, “Also, would this be a bad time to say ‘I told you so’?” he asked, feigning innocence.

“It would be an extremely bad time” Suho glared playfully as Lay stepped closer to him.

Lay smirked, “Well, what you gonna do about it?” he raised a brow.

“My, oh my, Yixing... wouldn’t you like to know” Suho smirked back, his face close to Lay’s.

A deliberate cough brought them apart, “Uh, guys... I am still here you know...”

Suho looked up and had the decency to blush. Lay, however, shot Jongdae a rather annoyed look.

“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” he asked pointedly.

Chen nodded with a smirk, “Yes actually, I’m meant to be meeting you”

“Urgh, fine...” Lay sighed, “Fine, okay, I’m coming” he turned back to Suho and smiled sweetly up at him, “I’ll call you later, okay” he pressed a quick kiss to Suho’s lips then pulled away with a smile, walking over to Chen.

He grabbed Chen by the arm and pulled him out of the classroom.

“I am going to murder you and kill everything you love” Lay glared as they left the school.

Chen gasped, “What did I do?!”

“What did you do?! What did you do?!” Lay hissed, “You actual arse, Kim Jongdae!”

Chen sighed, “Sorry?”

“Sorry! Do you realise what you just did?! What if he’d have freaked out more? Huh? What if he’d have broken up with me? Or never so much as looked at me again? You could have ruined everything!!” Lay all but yelled at his best friend, “I just, you are so damn lucky right now... I can’t-” he cut himself off as his phone began to ring.

With a last glare at the now sheepish looking Chen, he pulled his phone to his ear and answered.

“Hello?” he sighed into the phone.

“Hey... It’s me” Suho’s voice came from the other end, sounding worrisome.

Lay frowned, “What’s wrong? Are you okay?” he asked.

“Not really. I just... I’m angry at myself. You were right before and because of me... Jongdae walked in and he... what if it’d been someone else? What if... What if we’d have had to b- you know...”

“Hey,” Lay said softly, “Hey, don’t think like that. It’s okay. He won’t say anything. He really won’t. And listen, there’s no need to think about ‘what if’s. It wasn’t anyone else that saw us. Nothing is going to make me leave you. Never. So, okay, we’ll need to be more careful until I graduate, but it’ll all be fine. Believe me”

He heard Suho let out a small sigh, “I just don’t want anything bad to happen to you because of me” the older boy admitted, “I love you so much, I really do, and thanks to me, it could have all gone down the pan...”

“What did I just tell you?” Lay said firmly, yet understandingly, “Listen to me, Junmyeon, we will be fine. We will be more than fine because nothing is going to happen. Not to me. Not to you. Do you really think that I’d let you go? God only knows I love you too much to do that. We’re going to be okay, Myeon. Really”

“I know... I know... I just, I hate it having to be like this for us. I hate that we have to hide and sneak around and I hate that you have to do that because of me. And I hate that it’s my fault it was almost messed up because I was reckless...” Suho sighed again, “You’re sure he isn’t going to say anything? Not even to your other friends?”

“He won’t say anything. I promise” Lay told Suho, “He wouldn’t dare, not after the stunt he pulled...”

“That’s a good point” Suho said, and Lay knew he was smiling now, “So I guess this means we’re safe?”

Lay laughed softly down the phone, “That it does”

“Alright then” Suho said, his voice sounding calmer now, “At least there’s one person we don’t have to hide from now”

“See, sliver lining” Lay smiled, “I have to go anyway, Jongdae looks like he’s going to cry...”

“What? Why?”

“I yelled at him” Lay laughed, “but it’s fine. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

“Okay, love you, bye”

“Love you too, bye bye” Lay said cutely before hanging up and putting his phone back in his pocket.

Chen looked at him with pursed lips.

“What?” Lay asked, raising a brow.

Chen’s eyes narrowed, “I do not look like I’m going to cry” he said, then his eyes softened again, “And I’m sorry... For causing drama...”

Lay sighed, but gave Chen a soft smile, “It’s fine” he said, “To be honest, I’m kind of glad he knows that you know...”

“So why did you get all mad at me?!” Chen asked incredulously.

Lay raised an eyebrow at him, “Uh, because it could have gone really, really badly and ended up breaking us up?”

“Oh, right.... That....” Chen nodded, grinning sheepishly at Lay, before his smile fell, “Wait... After the stunt I pulled? Oh my god! Does he know about... about the kiss thing?!”

Lay laughed, despite trying his hardest not to, “Well yeah” he said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world, “We don’t lie to each other, or keep secrets”

Chen blinked before flashing Lay a genuine smile, “Damn... You guys sure are something else”

“What do you mean?” Lay asked as he and Chen reached the latter’s house and climbed the stairs up to Chen’s room.

Chen smiled as he dumped his bag on his chair, “I just mean that what you two have is really special. It’s real and it’s not something you find everyday”

“Thanks, Dae” Lay smiled back.

--

Baekhyun and Kyungsoo were sat on Kyungsoo’s bed. There was a tub of ice-cream between them, along with cookies and cola.

The two of them were having a night in, gossiping, talking about their boyfriends and all in all just letting off some steam.

“Okay, so tell me, what is it like when you kiss him? Do you get all tingly?” Baekhyun asked around the cookie in his mouth.

Kyungsoo grinned, “I dunno” he chuckled, “I mean.... It’s not like when I’ve kissed people before... It’s like, when I kiss him, he leaves me wanting more. Like, I feel all warm and fuzzy, you know?” he blushed, “Do you feel like that with Chanyeol?”

“Yes, oh my god” Baekhyun nodded furiously fast, “It’s like... That’s how you know, right? How you know that they’re the one for you”

Kyungsoo grinned and scooped a spoonful of ice-cream into his mouth, “Yes!” he said after he swallowed it, “Exactly... Urgh, and have you see his ? Like damn, I just wanna bite that thing... Oh wait, I have...”

“You what?!” Baekhyun laughed, “Are you for real?” he asked.

Kyungsoo smirked as he spooned more ice-cream into his mouth, “Mm, I am” he said, “Like seriously, you have no idea... First time I saw it, I thought I was gonna ing swoon”

“Oh my god! Soo, you’re too much!” Baekhyun laughed, “So tell me... Like, now that you two are, you know, getting freaky with it, what’s your favourite way to get it on?”

“Baek!” Kyungsoo laughed, smacking the other lightly on the thigh, “I... Um, oh this is not happening, I like riding him. I mean, that way I get to look at him, but I’m in control...”

“Ohoho” Baekhyun wiggled his brows, “Get you, all dominating and ” he laughed, “Have you ever tried, you know, being the top?”

Kyungsoo shook his head, “Nah, not yet. I mean, I’m cool with how things are, I like it. How about you?”

“Nope, me either” he said, “Yeol’s said before he wouldn’t mind, but I honestly wouldn’t know what to do with myself” he laughed slightly.

“Where did you and Yeol have for the first time?” Kyungsoo asked, “Just out of curiosity”

Baekhyun blushed, “His kitchen...” he admitted, “His parents were out, and it was when we weren’t actually dating, well I suppose it was because of that we started dating. We were just talking and we admitted we like each other and well, it just kind of happened... Awkwardly... On the table...”

Kyungsoo paled, “Oh god. I’ve eaten on that table!”

“We cleaned it!” Baekhyun said quickly, “Really, really thoroughly!”

Kyungsoo shuddered, “I wish I hadn’t asked...” he said.

This made Baekhyun laugh, “Okay, I’ve got one, what’s the weirdest thing Kai’s said during ?”

“Oh god...” Kyungsoo laughed, “One time, for some reason that I will never figure out, as he came he shouted ‘I’m batman’ at the top of his voice... What about Yeol?”

Baekhyun laughed too, “Oh my god! That’s too good!” he let out through his chuckles, “The weirdest thing Yeol’s said.... Oh, like three weeks ago, we were getting at it and half way through he come out with ‘Damn, I really want some apple juice right now’, like who says that in the middle of shagging your boyfriend?”

“I’m in love with an idiot” Kyungsoo rolled his eyes, though he was grinning.

Baekhyun nodded, helping himself to another cookie, “You’re not the only one, brother”

The two of them continued on like that, chatting about stupid things and snorting over ice-cream and cookies.

It’s what they did when things got a bit too much, or if they just needed to blow off steam. They’d been best friends for as long as Kyungsoo could rememeber and although they got on each other’s a lot of the time, they wouldn’t trade the other in for anything.

The fact that they understood each other so well was a big factor to their friendship as well. Take for instance that Kyungsoo was talking openly about his life. Had it been anyone else asking him, he would have told them to of and shove their question where the sun don’t shine, but since it was Baekhyun, it was something he was okay talking about. They two shared almost everything with one another.

Kyungsoo had be the first one to find out about Chanyeol and Baekhyun finally going out. He’d also been the one that Baekhyun used to come to when he first realised he had feelings for the tall, talkative boy.

He could still remember the day Baekhyun came to him, all tears and stuttered words. Baekhyun had told him that he liked a boy, and that it was wrong and he couldn’t like boys because he was meant to like girls. But Kyungsoo had calmed him down and told him that it was all okay and liking boys didn’t mean you were any less of a person. It was just who he was. Then he confessed that he thought he liked boys too, and it all went from there. Kyungsoo would listen to Baekhyun rant about Chanyeol – there was one time that Chanyeol got a girlfriend and Baekhyun nearly killed her, but thankfully didn’t because Kyungsoo held him back.

Likewise, it was Baekhyun who first found out about Kyungsoo’s feelings for Kai. Granted he couldn’t exactly tell Kai, but he tried to hint at it, tried to get them together. It had always been like that between them. That mutual trust and understanding.

To the outside world, they might seem like they weren’t that close, what with the constant bickering and insulting each other, but really, they were as close as two friends could get.

“Oh, you remember that girl that was in the year above us, right?” Baekhyun said, he had his gossiping head on now.

“Which, the bull ring one or the quiet one?”

“The quiet one”

“Yeah?”

“She’s pregnant”

Kyungsoo gasped, “No way?”

“Mhmm” Baekyhun nodded, “I heard her parents kicked her out of the house. She’s living with her boyfriend and his mum and dad”

Kyungsoo’s eyes widened, “Where did you hear that?”

“I was down at the shop the other day” Baekhyun said, “Picking up some milk because my dad’s a lazy git and wouldn’t go himself, and I heard her friends ing about her in the next isle over”

Kyungsoo frowned, “That’s not nice... They’re meant to be her friends...”

“Obviously they aren’t very good friends,” Baekhyun sighed, “One went as far as calling her a no good little ”

“y!” Kyungsoo said, “Who needs enemies when you have friends like that, eh”

“I know” Baekhyun shook his head, shifting slightly so that he could lie down. The snacks were all finished now and the pop was placed on the bedside table so that he and Kyungsoo could stretch out.

“But at least his parents took her in right? That’s nice of them” Kyungsoo said, rolling onto his stomach to better look at his best friend.

Baekhyun nodded, looking over at Kyungsoo, “Yeah. I hear his parents are real nice. I mean, they’re helping her out with buying stuff for the kid and everything”

“God, you’re such a gossip” Kyungsoo rolled his eyes, a smile playing about his lips.

Baekhyun grinned at him, “Says the one that’s soaking it all up”

“ you”

“You wish”

“Ahaa, as if”

“You know you want me” Baekhyun winked.

Kyungsoo scoffed, “Maybe when hell freezes over” he said, “I’ve seen you , and it just doesn’t do it for me”

“Oh yeah, you like them younger than you, right?” Baekhyun smirked.

Kyungsoo shot him a look, “You know you sound like such a hypocrite, right?” he pointed out, “You’re older than Chanyeol, you know...”

“Ah , shut up and let me have this one, will you”

“Never”

“ing ”

“Vain bastard”

“Cockface”

“Harlot!”

The two of them looked at one another and broke into a fit of laughter.

After all, they weren’t best friends for nothing.

--

“If you had to put us all into Hogwarts Houses... Where would you put us all?” Kris asked as he and Chanyeol sat in Kris’s back garden, drinking the peach lemonade that his mother had made.

Chanyeol tilted his head to one side, “Oh, that’s a good question...” he nodded, umming and ahhing, “Okay, I think I’d do it like this; Baek – Gryffindor, Tao – Slytherin, Luhan – Slytherin, Sehun – Hufflepuff, Minseok – Ravenclaw, Yixing – Ravenclaw, Jongdae – Gryffindor, Kyungsoo – Ravenclaw, Jongin – Hufflepuff, and then you and me in Gryffindor. And before you ask, I put Yixing in Ravenclaw because he reminds me of Luna sometimes...”

“I’m Gryffindor?” Kris grinned, “Awesome! But why is Tao in Slytherin?”

Chanyeol shrugged, “It’s just what I feel, man”

Kris rolled his eyes but let out a laugh, “We should probably get back to work” he said, “My mum keeps looking out the window to make sure we’re working...”

“Right-o!” Chanyeol said, getting to his feet and pulling Kris up too, “Let’s get at it then”

The two of them put their gardening gloves back on. Kris grabbed the hoe, whilst Chanyeol picked up the pruning shears before the two of them walked back down to the end of the garden.

“Okay.”

“Right...”

“Yeah...”

“I, well, we should start...” Kris said determinedly.

Chanyeol nodded, then let out a sigh, “You know, I have absolutely no idea what the hell I’m doing right?”

“Me either,” Kris laughed, “So let’s just making look like we’re doing something...”

“How about we just water the plants?” Chanyeol suggested, throwing the shears out of the way.

Kris grinned and let the hoe fall down to lie on the grass, “Okay, I’ll go get the watering can, you get the hose and turn it on!”

Chanyeol nodded and the two of them went and did just that. They came back together again once they had what they went for. Chanyeol stuck the hose in the watering can and filled it up for Kris because taking it and watering one side of the garden, whilst Kris did the other side.

Before long, they met in the middle and grinned at each other. They were both sweating, thanks to the sun that had been beating down on them all day, and red faced, but happy nonetheless.

“Shall we head up to my room and chill then?” Kris asked as they packed the things they’d used away.

Chanyeol nodded and grabbed his and Kris’s glasses to take back inside, “Yeah, let’s go”

They made their way back inside – dropping the glasses off in the kitchen as they did – and up to Kris’s room. Since it was a blindingly hot day, despite being early in the year, the two of them changed into a pair of shorts each, not bothering with t-shirts.

Chanyeol flopped onto Kris’s bed, messing up the sheets, “Urgh, it’s too hot”

“I’ll put the A.C on, hang on” Kris said, before disappearing out of the room, only to come back a few minutes later with the Air Con blowing down into the room from the vents at the top of the wall, “Better?” he asked.

Chanyeol hummed, still lying on Kris’s bed, not bothering to look up, “Much” he said though.

Kris rolled his eyes at the other boy before walking calmly over to the bed and lying down beside him, throwing an arm across Chanyeol’s middle as he did.

“Kris,” Chanyeol whined, dragging out the other’s name, “It’s too warm for cuddles”

Kris grunted, “My room, my rules”

“Fine,” Chanyeol relented without a fight, “You’re an though”

Kris hummed in acknowledgement, burying his face into Chanyeol’s back as he did.

They were both a little sticky with sweat, but it didn’t seem that either of them cared. The heat having hit them properly now that they were inside.

The air-con was helping, but even so, the humidity was still thick and heavy about them.

“This probably looks really shady” Chanyeol pointed out in a tired voice.

Kris laughed slightly, moving his head back as Chanyeol twisted to face him, not bothering to move Kris’s hand from where it was draped across his middle, “Yeah,” Kris replied easily, “But my mum knows I like Tao, so, it’s fine”

“Bet Tao would flip if he saw us like this” Chanyeol chuckled, his eyes closed, but his face now on level with Kris’s, since the older boy had moved up to let his head rest on his pillow.

Kris laughed too, “He didn’t seemed to mind when I kissed Min last week...”

“But,” Chanyeol said, “You didn’t see his face when you and Minnie were actually kissing” he pointed out, “He looked like he was going stab someone”

Kris laughed, “Alright, but anyways, it’s not like either of us would try anything, even if we liked each other – which is just, ew, by the way – because you have Baek”

“And you have Tao.” Chanyeol said.

Kris sighed, “No” he said, “I don’t”

“What?” Chanyeol’s eyes snapped open so that he could look at Kris properly, “Even after you two were, you know, all over each other at Baek’s house?” he demanded.

Kris sighed, “I told you, it’s complicated!”

“Complicated my ” Chanyeol huffed, “You like him, he likes you! What’s the problem?!”

Kris let out an angry breath of air before pulling away from Chanyeol with more force than nessecary so that he was on his feet again, “What does it matter?!” he fumed, “And what business is it of yours anyway?!” Kris demanded, glaring at his best friend.

Chanyeol sat up on the on the bed and threw an equally menacing glare at Kris, “It matters because you’re being a ing idiot! For god’s sake, who are you helping by being a prick about it all? Kissing him one minute and then ing him off the next by saying you’re not ready, or you don’t want to mess up! Tell me, Kris, how the are you going to mess up a friendship that’s already on breaking point as it is, because you can’t ing man up and just admit you want to be with him!”

“Where the do you get off?!” Kris yelled back at him, “It’s nothing to with you what happens with me and Tao. If I don’t wanna ing go out with him, then I won’t! And don’t you dare tell me to man up. How dare you! Being a man isn’t ing relevant!”

“Well then at least stop stringing him along! Stop ing about with him and kissing him only to not doing anything about it!” Chanyeol yelled back, now on his feet too.

“I am not leading him on!” Kris sneered, “He knows how I feel about him! Why does it always fall on me to ask?! Why can’t people just leave me the alone with my choices and stop trying to dictate to me what I can and can’t do with my on love life!”

Chanyeol scoffed, rolling his eyes and folding his arms as he did, “Oh please” he said, “We both know Tao isn’t going to step up until you do. Kris, for god’s sake, this isn’t helping either of you! It’s just gonna cause a load of and in the end is going to make at least one of you bitter. Because what’s gonna happen when he can’t take being messed around anymore, huh? He’s just going to leave and then there’ll be no friendship for you to ing fret over!”

Kris stared at him for a long time, his eyes narrow and his breathing heavy. The air was muggy and wasn’t helping in the slightest as the two boys stared each other down.

Finally, after what seemed like forever Kris said in a low voice “I think you should leave”

“Gladly” Chanyeol said just as lowly before grabbing his t-shirt, his bag and his shoes then making his way out of the room, not bothering to look back at Kris as he did.

He stopped by the front door and shoved his feet into his shoes and shrugged on his top. He threw his bag over one shoulder and was about to open the door but Kris’s mum’s voice stopped him.

“Channie?” She called softly, “What’s wrong, where are you going?”

Chanyeol gave her a halfhearted smile, “Home” he said.

“Why?” Kris’s mum asked, her eyes widening a little, “I thought you were staying the night?”

Chanyeol sighed and ran a hand through his hair, “We got in a pretty bad fight” he answered, “So Kris asked me to leave...”

“What about?”

“Tao”

“Ah...” Kris’s mum nodded knowingly, “Don’t you worry, sweetie. I’ll talk to him”

Chanyeol gave her a small smile, “Thanks Ms Wu”

--

Lay sighed as he walked up the drive way to Suho’s front door. He didn’t bother knocking, since he knew the elder was expecting him. It had been a day since he and Suho had been caught by Chen, but he knew the teacher was still fretting about it.

He hadn’t gone over the previous night, since he wanted Suho to have some time to adjust, but even so, he was worried.

He knew that the elder wouldn’t break up with him or anything, their feelings for one another were too strong for that, but he knew that the elder would be addled with worry and he didn’t want that.

He set his bag down on the hallway table as usual, then took off his shoes and jacket before he walked into Suho’s living room. The elder wasn’t there, meaning he’d either be in the kitchen or the bathroom.

Lay checked the kitchen first, Suho wasn’t in there. He left the kitchen and made his way upstairs. He was planning on just waiting in the bedroom, but the bathroom door was ajar so he walked over to it and pushed it open to find Suho in the bathtub, and the room filled with steam.

Lay smiled and rolled his eyes before walking in and closing the door behind him.

“You didn’t turn on the fan again” he said.

Suho was obviously expecting him, seeing as he didn’t jump, but merely shrugged, “You know me” he said easily as he watched Lay pull the string to turn on the extracter fan.

“You’re still fretting” Lay said, reaching over and running a hand through Suho’s wet hair, gently.

Suho sighed, leaning into Lay’s touch as Lay’s hand moved down to his cheek, “No... Okay, yes” he admitted, “It isn’t that I don’t trust him... It’s just, what if I’d have gotten us-”

“Stop” Lay cut him off, “We’ve been through this, stop worrying about things that didn’t happen and focus on what is happening” he said softly, “Stop beating yourself up, because I hate seeing you like this” he brought his hand back, making Suho sigh at the loss.

“But-”

“No buts” Lay said firmly, taking off his t-shirt as he did, then he shrugged out of his jeans before taking off his socks and boxers.

Suho watched as Lay got rid of his clothes, not an ounce of embarrassment on the boy as he saddled over to the tub and climbed in, setting himself between Suho’s legs then leaning so that his back was pressed against the elder’s chest.

Suho’s hands came to wrap around Lay’s waist, holding him there as he rested his chin on Lay’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry, for upsetting you” Suho whispered.

Lay shook his head softly, “No, don’t be. It’s just... I don’t like seeing you beat yourself up over something that wasn’t your fault” he said, the warm water rippling around him as Suho’s hands caressed his torso gently, “I don’t want you to worry so much when we’re okay. We’re always going to be okay. We knew things would get complicated sometimes, but we make it work. So please, just stop blaming yourself”

“I’m sorry” Suho sighed, “I just... I really do love you, you know. And I don’t ever want anything to happen that could hurt you”

Lay turned his head to look Suho in the eye, “I know that” he said softly, “And I don’t ever want to see you hurt either, but you really do need to relax”

“I will,” Suho smiled, “Promise”

“Good” Lay smiled back, “And I love you, too, by the way”

Suho chuckled quietly as his hands moved down to Lay’s thighs. He let his hands move down over the top of them before moving back up on the insides, making Lay gasp slightly and let his head tilt back to lean on Suho’s shoulder.

It wasn’t ual. Not when they were like this, but it was intimate beyond belief. There was no touching of any ual nature, only gentle caresses and teasingly lingering hands, but that was all. There was a kiss, or two, or three, but it didn’t lead to anything more, it was only to remind them that they had each other.

They enjoyed the warmth of the water, the warmth of each other, and let their bodies touch and feel that the other was there, that they weren’t going away, that even after months and months, this was still real, this was still happening. This was still their own little heaven. It wasn’t as private anymore, not now Suho knew that Chen knew about them, but at the same time, it made it all the more private.

It was things like this, that Lay wouldn’t share with Chen. Not even if he knew how. This was the really intimate stuff, the stuff that had you at a loss for words, that made you feel so completely and irrevocably loved.

“Me and you, Myeon, we’re in this together” Lay whispered, letting his eyes find Suho’s again.