It'll be okay.
Everything will be okay.
Suho told himself as he sat down at the table in the nice restaurant Lay had booked for them.

"What kind of beverage takes your fancy?"
The kids will be okay.

"I suppose alcohol is out of the question."
Tao and Sehun won't destroy the place.

"Ah, I remember you having cola on several occasions."
Baekyeol won't cause a ruckus and get complaints.

"Or would you prefer simply water to begin with?"
Minseok hyung and ChenChen won't overdose on snacks and not have dinner.

"Still or sparkling?"
Kris won't try to kill Luhan for Tao and Kyungsoo won't try to kill Kai for himself.

"Junmyun."

"What?" Suho pulled himself out of his daze and glanced across the table at Lay.

"Don't worry." Lay smiled slightly, his deep dimple showing as he reached across and placed his hand on top of Suho's.

"I-I-I'm not worrying." Suho stated and looked away, face flushed.
It's true that he worries too much.
And that he's too easy to read, apparently.
Lay smirked, then leaned back in his chair as he rattled off.

"You're worried. You're worried that our younger friends would make a mess of our dormitories. You're worried that the rowdiest couple in our dormitories would produce so much noise that the warden would be involved in lowering their noise levels. You're worried that Jongin would, if I may use that horrible word, 'squish' Kyungsoo. You're worried that Yifan would attempt to do unpleasant things to Luhan for scaring and playing detestable pranks on his lover. And finally you're worried that Minseok and Jongdae would turn down dinner for sugary goods."
Wow.
Suho blinked in awe at the knowledgable man before him, trying hard not to gape.
Lay was one of those people of few words, but whenever there were words he'd make a huge impact with them.
Yes, he was old fashioned and proper, but there was no denying that he was wise too.

"H-How?" Suho only managed to wheezed out as his face reddened and he felt his heart beating hard against his chest.

"Ah. Junmyun, you are like a book. An interesting one, if I may add." Lay chuckled, eyes half way closed as he smiled.
Suho found himself relaxing and smiling back slightly as the man in front of him reached over again.

"Now. May I interest you in some freshly squeezed orange juice?"

Suho didn't like this date.
He loved it.
He had always been the one worrying about the others, including Lay himself, and he had to admit, it felt pretty good to be taken care of.
Lay had been so considerate and sweet, and somehow he just knew.
He knew when Suho wanted a little more vegetables, transferring his own to his plate.
He knew when Suho thought the food was too salty, asking for the waiter to refill his glass of water.
He knew what Suho would choose for his dessert, ordering for him and then giving him his proud derpy grin.
Am I really that easy to read?
Suho wondered as he stared down at his phone quietly, waiting for Kris to reply to his texts while Lay was in the bathroom.

Suho: Kris, is everything alright in the dorms? ~Suho~

Suho: Are the kids okay? ~Suho~

Suho: Kris? ~Suho~

Suho: Look, please call or text me back as soon as you see this and let me know if the kids are alright. ~Suho~

Suho: And no sugar after 9, especially for the maknae line, Baekyeol, Minseok and Jongdae. ~Suho~

What's taking him so long?
Suho frowned at his phone, silently cursing the other man in charge as he impatiently typed up another message.

"Junmyun, it's alright." A hand laid across Suho's and his phone, and Suho looked up to meet Lay's soft gaze.

"I just called Kyungsoo. The beagle line and maknae line are playing a game of silent 007 Bang. Luhan and Minseok are practicing soccer in the backyard. Kris is helping Kyungsoo decorate the house with his plants. All of them have had dinner, and Kyungsoo hid all confectionary in Jongin's undergarments drawer."
Oh wow.
Suho dumbly stared up at Lay.
He couldn't help it, but he was vastly impressed by his organization and skills.

"I believe desserts are meant for consumption?" Lay gave a small smile and pointed at Suho's molten chocolate cake.
Just how, Zhang Yixing?
Suho smiled after Lay's reassurance, despite being a little confused, and dug into his dessert.

"Let's walk slowly." Lay said as he got off the bus after Suho.
Suho nodded.
The date had been the nicest one he's ever had.
He discovered a side of Lay that he had never seen before, and he doubted that anyone else had either.
Lay had been such a gentleman, tending to Suho's exact needs without a flaw and he always reassured him whenever his worries surfaced, and Suho has never felt so laid back in his life.
It's good to let someone take care of him once in a while, he decided.

"May I?" Lay held out his palm and slightly bowed his head.
Suho squealed internally as he place his hand into Lay's, too aware of the extra heat radiating off his cheeks.
Lay chuckled softly, and they started on their leisurely stroll back to the dorms.

"I sincerely hope you have enjoyed our date."

"Yes, very much." Suho croaked as he broke into a wide smile, all kinds of inexplicable emotions rushing up to his chest and tightening his throat.

"I would take a very bold guess and say that you've wondered about how the way I treated you was so much to your liking, if I may say so myself." Lay had his usual aimless gaze in front of him, but Suho felt him tightening his grip around his hand a little.
Suho suppressed another croak as he felt his heart rate increase.
Yes, he wanted to know.
He wanted to know how Lay turned out to be so amazing.

"The truth is, there really is no secret. I do not posess the ability of mind-reading. I've just simply been there."
Been there?
Yes, yes he has.
Suho felt like someone gave him a good whack on the head when he came to the sudden realization.

"I've always been there, Junmyun. In meals and in the dorms. Shamefully I am not one to remember a lot of things, but I try to remember when it comes to you. I remember what makes you happy and what doesn't, I remember the worried looks on your face when certain people do certain things, and I also remember you falling into restless slumber on our sofa. You're so engaged with taking care of other people, that you denied your deepest wish which was for someone to take care of you. I may not look like I'm paying attention at the time, but I try to remember what happens."
Yixing...
Suho's blinked back hot tears that flooded his eyes as he listened to Lay.
Yes, Lay might not have said a lot in the past few weeks and he might look like he had his heads up in the clouds, but he was there.
He was silently trying to remember everything about Suho, so when the chance came he could look after his needs.
Suho had been so caught up with the duty of taking care of the others and Lay that he failed to see what a wonderful person he was inside.
I'm not easy to read.
Lay just took the time to understand me.
And I always thought that he was the oblivious one.
Turns out I'm the big idiot who didn't see just how amazing this guy is.

"Ah, look. Luhan and Minseok are approaching." Lay halted and pointed ahead of them, where Luhan and Minseok were bolting out of the gate of the backyard towards them.

"Hi guys! How was your date?" Xiumin panted, wiping his bangs away from his sweaty forehead.
Suho laced his fingers with Lay's, then beamed brightly at his friends.

"Perfect."