Lay was suddenly pulled from his dreams by the sound of a loud crash. The first thing he noticed was his unfamiliar surrounds as he sat bolt upright. Why am I laying on a couch, he wondered to himself for a second before a familiar person came into his line of sight.

“I’m sorry that I woke you up” Suho’s voice was warm and soothing after the slight shock that pulled him into alertness.

“That’s okay” Lay assured as he stood up from the couch. “It didn’t sound so good, are you okay” Lay asks looking over Suho’s form before him and feeling a deep pang of guilt as he sees the discoloration on Suho’s normally perfect face. That’s a stupid question, he scolds himself internally, he is obviously not okay and it is all because you had to call him out like that in front of the entire school.

“Yeah I’m fine” Suho says giving a small smile. Lay pulls the boy into a gentle hug as he sees the pain the small smile causes him due to the fact that it pulls open his barely healed split lip.

“I’m sorry” Lay whispers as he inhales the sweet smell of the other boy’s hair.

“It’s not your fault” Suho replies in a stern voice and Lay feels Suho’s arms wrap around him as well.

“What are you doing up anyways” Lay wonders aloud when he spots the microwave clock reading 2:36 am.

“I was getting another ice pack but something fell out and that’s what woke you up” Suho said. “I actually still need one” Suho admits.

“I’ll get it for you babe, take a seat I’ll be right back” Lay instructed as he lead Suho over to the couch before heading into the small kitchen and opening the freezer. He pulled out a bag of frozen peas and then looked around the kitchen for some paper towels or the towel from earlier to wrap it in. Not finding one Lay walked over to the small entry way of Suho’s apartment and grabbed his sweater out of the small closet. “Where does it hurt” he asks Suho as he takes a seat next to Suho on the couch.

“Everywhere” Suho says honestly making Lay feel even worse.

“Where does it hurt the worst” he rephrases his question because anyone could have guessed that Suho was in pain all over just by looking at him.

“Here” he mutters pointing to his cheek bone right under his left eye. Lay leaned forward and dusted his lips over the area Suho had indicated before gently raising the sweater incased package of frozen peas to the area. Suho lifted his hand and grabbed ahold of the icepack. Lay watched as he repositioned it just slightly before letting out a content sigh.

“Do you want me to get you more Tylenol” Lay offers once again getting to his feet.

“I took two more before I woke you up” Suho admits before getting to his feet. “I should let you get back to sleep, school in the morning and all” he says indicating to the couch he had just vacated.

“I’m not going to school tomorrow” Lay says taking a seat back on Suho’s couch and patting the spot Suho had just risen from.

“Why not” Suho asks as he tilts his head slightly to the side.

“I was going to stay here and take care of you” Lay admits suddenly feeling silly for assuming that Suho would even want him to stay with him.

“I’m not staying home tomorrow” Suho says pointing a finger at his chest with the hand not holding the icepack.

“You’re not” Lay asks, totally bewildered.

“I can’t miss school, especially not for something stupid” Suho says.

“You’re hurt babe” Lay says again, getting to his feet and giving Suho a hug, “Staying home for your own health is not a stupid reason” he adds in a whisper.

“I…” Suho starts. Lay feels Suho’s body shudder a little before Suho speaks again. “I don’t want those losers to think that they won. I don’t want them to think that they can keep doing this to me” Suho whispers.

“They will never do this to you again, Suho” Lay says with not a sliver of doubt in his tone, “I will be by your side every second of the day whenever you decide that you are ready to go back to school, if it be tomorrow or next week, I’ll support you” he says ending his little rant with a deep kiss on the top of Suho’s head, where he can’t hurt the other by pressing on one of those terrible bruises.

“Thank you” Suho whispered before pulling out of the hug and pressing his lips to Lay’s cheek. “I’ll make breakfast for us before school tomorrow” he says before turning back to his bedroom.

“Sweet dreams babe” Lay called to Suho’s retreating figure as he sat back down on the couch.

“Are you sure that you are okay out here on the couch” Suho asks and Lay looks up to see Suho’s head poking out of his doorway. “I don’t mind if you want to come in here with me” Suho offered.

“I’m okay right here” Lay says with a smile as he pats the pillow Suho had given him on the couch.

“Are you sure” Suho asks again.

“Of course, do you need anything else before you go back to sleep” Lay asks changing the subject.

“No, I’m good thank you” Suho says quickly. “Good night Lay” he calls before closing his door with a light click.

“Night” Lay whispers in the darkness as he lays back on the less then comfortable couch. I can’t believe that he wants to go back tomorrow, well I guess later today, Lay thinks to himself as he pulls the thick blanket Suho had given him earlier up over his body. I thought I would have longer to think out a plan on how to protect him, he admits internally. Maybe I’ll have to take Kai up on his offer to help, he thinks as he thinks back to the events leading up and following finding out about what happened to Suho.

~Flashback~

“Let’s take it from the top” the dance instructor called from his place in the front row of the auditorium. “This time watch your foot coming out of the second turn Kai” he called as he waved his hand signaling that Kai and Lay should take their starting positions.

“Take one hundred and seven” Kai says jokingly to Lay as they both take their poses. Lay lets out a soft chuckle, hoping the instructor won’t hear.

“Get it right this time Kai” Lay says in a playful whisper. Just as the beginning tempo of the song comes on ,the main door of the audito