Lee was scared of physical contact. Well she used to be. It started with Chanyeol getting close to her, in some ways he seemed to remind her of herself, so Lee naturally took to tending to him when she saw his vulnerable side, she was slow to notice when Xiumin got comfortable with being near her. Baekhyun was a touchy person that had scared her many times, but with Chen being cuddly in his sleep, she had learned not to fear it. Because they weren't hurting her with their contact. They weren't trying to harm her.

It was as if they appreciated having another shoulder to lean on, another pair of arms to hold them up, something she had never experienced before. Something else Lee had never experienced before was having to comfort another person, she knew tears, she had cried many times in her life, but she hadn't experienced a situation like the one that she was in now, looking at Chanyeol with worry in her eyes, scared to touch him in case she scared him.

"Chanyeol" She kept her voice soft, not getting loud so that she wouldn't frighten him, he just looked too delicate at that moment. His lips quivered and when he blinked, more tears made themselves present to the world. He sobbed, stuck in some daydream that Lee couldn't see with him.

"Chanyeol what's wrong?" The crying boy flinched, jolting back on the sofa, gaping at Lee with wide horrified eyes.

"I-I didn't mean it! I'm sorry!" He was in a panic and Lee blinked as he looked around, suddenly realizing where he was.

"Chanyeol" Lee called for his attention to turn to her and Chanyeol's tear glazed eyes searched for her, finding her on the couch next to him.

"What happened?" Chanyeol dropped into her body, collapsing into loud sobs that were muffled by Lee's shirt. It made her stiffen, stunned by the sudden action and she looked down at the way Chanyeol hugged her waist, crying into her.

"Come on Chanyeol, talk to me" But Chanyeol was shaking, his entire body vibrating a little violently. So Lee ran her fingers through his hair, letting out a breath as she realized he wasn't going to talk.

"It's ok Chanyeol, just take your time" Instead she reassured him, letting Chanyeol hug her until his tears had stopped and he wasn't shaking anymore. It might have taken a couple of hours for him to calm down, but when Chanyeol looked up, Lee was still there, her arms resting over him in a hug of comfort. Chanyeol's lip quivered and Lee panicked that the panic would take over him again. Though he pushed towards her again, digging both his body and hers into the couch by collapsing onto her, his arms wrapping around her and his nose nuzzling her neck, his voice muffled when he spoke tiredly.

"Thank you Lee" Lee rubbed a soothing hand on Chanyeol's back, still stunned by his demand for another hug. She couldn't let him know how heavy he was when he was lying on her, especially not when he whimpered, gripping her tighter as he refused to open his eyes again.

"Please keep them away"

------------

"What's happened here?" Suho was the first to discover the pair on the couch and Lee looked up, blinking her own heavy eyes back at Suho.

"He fell asleep" She stated and Suho crouched down in front of them, trying to get a good look at Chanyeol.

"Did he not sleep last night?" Suho poked Chanyeol, he didn't budge and his even breathing pattern didn't change, the poking taking no effect.

"I don't know" Lee told him honestly, making Suho's eyes shift back to her.

"I came in and he was having some sort of emotional breakdown, it must have made him tired" She spoke in a soft voice that matched the way Suho's eyes softened, looking back at the normally firey male who now looked at peace with his dreams.

"I see" Suho stood up, his hands rubbing the side of his legs, he bit down on his lip, his eyes concerned and his brows threatening to touch as he kept his eyes trained and the unconscious Chanyeol.

"Chanyeol gets plagued by his memories sometimes" Suho finally opened his mouth, allowing himself to speak after a long pause of hesitant silence.

"He didn't have a very good past, so the memories come back and send him into shock sometimes" That was all he was willing to say before he left the room, leaving Lee to look down at the giant clinging onto her in his sleep. Lee let her eyes fall shut, her arms securing themselves around Chanyeol by linked fingers and she let out a breath. She would just wait until Chanyeol woke up from getting the rest that he needed, she had the patience for it.

"Are you falling asleep on the couch again?" In came one voice.

"I thought I was your couch buddy?" And of course another followed. Lee opened her eyes, coming face to face with twiddle dee and twiddle dumb, peering at her with their hands supporting their chins.

"I'm not falling asleep on the couch again" Lee shook her head and the pair rose an eyebrow in sync.

"Well, what do you call this situation here?" Baekhyun's head tilted, but it couldn't be considered cute, not with the wicked gleam that he had in his eyes.

"Why are you pulling that face?" Lee instead went to accusing, not answering Baekhyun's questions. Baekhyun smirked, wiggling his fingers mockingly. Lee instinctively gripped onto Chanyeol, her leg on the outside of the couch raising in defense and Chanyeol groaned at the sudden movement that jostled him.

"Think of it as payback" Baekhyun's eyebrows rose in anticipation.

"And training for the big day" Chen concluded and Baekhyun gave Chanyeol a shove to stir him awake.

"Leave him alone! He needs his rest" Lee pushed Baekhyun but he pushed back.

"Oh Chanyeol, we've got a surprise" Baekhyun sung and Lee kicked at him, just in time for Baekhyun to let out a squeak and his hand full of overbearing light to be aimed at the roof as he fell back and Chanyeol blinked his eyes open in confusion.

"I don't want a surprise" He buried his nose into Lee's hair at her neck, hiding from the pair.

"Get lost" Lee shoved at the two, trying to get rid of them with her hands and her feet and Chen's lips turned up in a cat like arrogance as he caught Lee's leg.

"In all seriousness though, Xiumin wants us to do more training" He informed her and Lee groaned passively, her hand on Chanyeol's head.

"Baekhyun! Chen!" Xiumin's voice of authority belted through the house and the pair gleamed at each other, rushing out of the room.

"You haven't even gotten much sleep yet" Chanyeol whined in agreement, not wanting to move from Lee or the couch.

"And now we have to prepare for some war"

------------

"I want this kitchen cleaned and you out of sight before my guests arrive"

"I understand mother" The young boy nodded, with his growth spurts at a young age, he was the perfect height to stand at the sink and reach for the dishes. He received a blank look that was then replaced with a scowl, lips turning up in a threatening manner that had him backtracking his words.

"I mean I understand madam" He fixed his mistake and the one who was previously scowling, scoffed, turning away when she should have been ruffling his hair, doting over the one she