Someone to Watch Over Me

A One-Shot featuring Lay of EXO

As the door slowly glided open, light from the hallway lit up the darkness in the bedroom.

Someone entered and nudged the door up behind him. His movements were so gentle, fluid, and relaxed that even his footsteps were soundless on the bare floor.

The others in this room were asleep. When you've practiced the same dance routine over and over again all night until three o'clock in the morning, you either fall into slumber quickly or you can't sleep at all.

He knew which of the three in the room was the one he'd come for -- because he'd visited this room on previous nights. When he was needed, he always came around.

Hoping to not wake anyone up -- including the guy he was here for, he carefully coaxed the blanket off of the one who needed healing.
However, as usual, the brunette-gone-blonde stirred in his sleep. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."

Oh, just stop. Be quiet, Lay. You're the only one who apologizes all the time, even in your sleep -- the healer whispered to the dancer.
From the small amount of light struggling through the doorway, he saw Lay open his tired eyes.

"It's you. You're here again," Lay said, still sounding very apologetic. "What are you? Are you a guardian angel?"

It was quite evident from those words that Lay had more than one foot still in the dreamworld -- half-asleep.

Ah, really? Guardian angel? That's what Suho calls himself -- do I look like Suho? Do I look like an angel? I think about girls too much to be angelic -- the one who'd come for Lay laughed.

Then they both smelled it. A very strong scent that harrassed their nostrils.

"I prayed for you to come again," Lay said groggily, sitting up slightly and rubbing one of his eyes. Then he saw what the visitor was doing. He held up his hand. "No...I don't want that."

But the mysterious one still pushed the contents of a tube into his own palm, and persisted to rub it on Lay's injured knee.
Stop talking crazy! Ah, really! Just because you ignore the pain -- that doesn't make it go away -- he responded, making sure to massage the ointment with its not-too-pleasant smell onto the front and back of his band mate's knee.

"I didn't dance well last night," Lay stated, closing his eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry to everyone. I'll apologize next time, just tell Suho to give me the microphone. I'll do better."

You were good, don't worry about it. -- the unknown "nurse" said softly, adding a knee wrap to Lay's leg. Really, you try to please too many people all at the same time. Do like I do -- please some now, then more later, five more people the next day, two here and there, Yixing.

"I can't heal myself. I tried, I really did. I wish I could," Lay said suddenly, returning his head to the pillow. "But you always come and you make me feel better. Someone always comes, and that's you."

Yeah, yeah, I know, I know -- I'm fantastic. No need to get all dramatic and compliment me, unless you tell me I'm handsome. Then I can try to bear it -- and the unknown one laughed again, rising from the floor.

In his sleepy state of mind, Lay was aware that someone exited the bedroom moments later. He heard the door close with a gentle clicking sound.

As good as the muscle rub actually felt on his knee, he couldn't drift back into a deeper sleep. In fact, second by second, he became even more awake.

Who was that? -- he wondered, his naturally relaxed eyes wide open now -- When my waist was hurting me...and now, my knee again, this person comes around and tries to make it better -- but I don't even know who he is...

Lay sat up, and pushed the blanket away. Tonight, he needed to find out the identity of his guardian angel.

Going easy on his leg, he walked to the bedroom door, opened it, and went out of the room.

In the common area of the dorm, Xiumin sat on a stool beside a counter.

Minseok? Was it Xiumin who nurtures me when I break? -- Lay wondered, just staring at the redhaired guy on the stool.

Xiumin smiled a bit shyly at Lay. He pointed at the egg and meat sandwich on the plate in front of him. "It's the middle of the night, but he's making me eat something. He was annoyed at me for skipping dinner again," he said with that quiet voice of his.

"I don't understand..." Lay shook his head, trying to process what was going on.

They both turned their heads at the sound of someone singing. It was coming from one of the other bedrooms.

"You know how Luhan wakes up in the middle of the night," Xiumin said, happily returning his attention to his sandwich. He usually had a love/hate relationship with food, but it seemed to taste especially good since it had been made for him. "Oh, I think he's singing Luhan back to sleep. I do that, too -- sometimes."

"Who is singing to Luhan?" Lay asked, his voice hoarse from sleep.

"You know who...same person that always does," Xiumin said simply.

With the next notes of the lullaby for Lulu, Lay did know. He knew immediately.

He walked quickly across the living room, and past Xiumin to the correct door. Lay pushed the door open further, and the singing stopped.

Kneeling on the floor in the shadows, barely able to be seen by anyone, there he was holding Luhan's hand -- comforting him so he'd fall asleep again.

There was Lay's guardian angel, doing what he did most nights. There was the one who'd treated him like a brother.

"I didn't know it was you taking care of me," Lay said slowly, searching for the right words that could convey what he felt, but all he could think to do was bow as low as possible. "My knee feels better. Thank you."

A pause as the handsome healer tossed Yixing a bright smile -- then he waved his free hand to indicate that it was no big deal.

"You're welcome," Chen finally said to Lay, then turned his head, and resumed his song to Luhan, who'd drifted back into a suddenly more peaceful dream.