Another week had passed since Jeonghan's had made the decision to finally tell Seungcheol all that had been happening within Pledis Entertainment. And over the course of that week, he was proved time and time again that he was doing the right thing, regardless of what everyone else had told him.

Over that week, even more of the members were feeling the physical effects of being overworked and their exhaustion was the proof of that. Seungkwan had strained his voice, notes that he used to be able to reach with ease were cracking due to the constant strain. The Performance unit all had been on IV drips at least once over the past few days. Joshua, Wonwoo and Vernon were scolded for petty things. Mingyu was forced into doing even more broadcasts. Woozi had gone into a writing slump which angered their CEO and even their VP. And even poor Dokyeom had lost his bright smile due to the constant harsh commentary that he received about his singing ability. And not to mention, Jeonghan himself was still dealing with his own broken spirit and the added stress and exhaustion only made it all worse.

The Seventeen members were at their lowest and it broke Jeonghan's heart just thinking about it. And that was why he knew he was doing the right thing as he got inside one of the company vans to drive to Daegu at 6:30 on a Sunday morning (the only day they ever got as a resting day thanks to Seungcheol). 

During the entire ride there, Jeonghan had so many thoughts running through his mind. How would he tell Seungcheol? How would the other react? What advice would he give that could possibly help them? Would he be mad at him for keeping this from him? That last question seemed to be his biggest worry. Seungcheol and Jeonghan were considered the as the parents of Seventeen and there was an unspoken agreement between them that whatever happened, they would work together to take care of the kids. And Jeonghan had realized that with Seungcheol's injury, he had forgotten that promise and unconsciously started treating Seungcheol like he would one of the others rather than his equal. It was that mistake that made him think that he had to do everything himself. From taking care of the kids to helping Seungcheol recover, Jeonghan tried to do it all on his own and he knew now that that was the wrong thing to do.

What was even more stupid was that he let his feelings for Seungcheol also misguide his judgment. He had foolishly thought that if he cared about Seungcheol then he shouldn't be bothering the older with their problems. But that's not how relationships worked. And that's not how Seventeen worked. They were a family and they were supposed to share everything. Seungcheol clearly had no problem with that. Always opening up to Jeonghan and letting the other know of his worries, already treating him like you would treat a partner...treating him like they were already together. So why was Jeonghan having such a hard time with doing the same thing? Just because he was now aware of his own feelings didn't mean that he had to start treating the other differently but that was exactly what he had been doing. He had been stupid but now he was going to fix things.

He had arrived at the Choi's house around noon and he as soon as he knocked on the door, Mrs. Choi new something was wrong with just one look at the singer's face. She immediately pulled Jeonghan into a hug but all that served to do was remind him why he was there in the first place and he had to take a moment to will his tears away. Now was not the time for tears...at least not in front of her.

"My dear angel son, what's wrong honey?" She asked in a tone that was much too comforting and Jeonghan had to force himself to put on a smile just so that she wouldn't worry too much.

"I'm fine Mrs. Choi." 

"What have I told you about calling me Mrs. Choi? I told you to call me Umma." She said in a fake stern voice which managed to bring a smile to Jeonghan's face. Pleased that she had gotten the boy to smile, she led him inside the house and told him that she would make him some tea. 

"There's no need for that...I'll just go up to see Seungcheol, if that's okay with you." Jeonghan said.

"Of course!" The woman said but before he could turn around the leave, she pulled him in for one last hug. "Jeonghan, you know you can always come to me if something is bothering you okay? I want you to think of this house as another home and I want you to think of us as another family for yourself. My arms are always open for you so please don't ever hesitate to come to me." She said while rubbing his back.

Jeonghan squeezed the tiny woman back in appreciation. "I know that. Thank you umma." He said and gave her a real smile this time which she happily returned before finally letting him go up the stairs.

Jeonghan took slow and deliberate steps towards Seungcheol's bedroom, still going over the conversation he had planned in his head one last time before he knocked on the door. When Seungcheol told him to come in, Jeonghan took his time, still trying to delay what he knew would be a serious conversation, filled with emotions and maybe even a few tears that he had been keeping in for the past couple of weeks.

However, when Jeonghan was fully inside the room, he felt all his previous plans crumble as he saw Ara sitting on the bed next to Seungcheol. He had been so caught up in his troubles with Seventeen and Pledis that he had completely forgotten about his own issues with the girl and the fact that she was still a relevant problem.

"Jeonghan!" Seungcheol greeted cheerfully. "I wasn't expecting to see you today."

"Umm yeah...I just thought I'd drop by." Jeonghan said as he caught sight of Ara glaring at him. "You know what...I think I'll head back down stairs. I can come back another time." Jeonghan muttered, feeling all of his courage to talk with Seungcheol suddenly vanish. But as usual, Seungcheol saw past his dismissive words and could tell something was wrong.

"Ara, can you leave us alone for a second." Seungcheol said loud enough for both of them to hear.

"But Cheollie!" Ara whined.

"No, Cheol, it's fine. Seriously." Jeonghan tried but Seungcheol was having none of it.

"No. You came all the way over here for a reason. Now you're going to stay right here and Ara is going to leave." Seungcheol said in a firm voice while standing up to further emphasize his point.

"Seungcheol!" Ara said but Seungcheol almost glared at her.

"Ara...please just leave. I'll talk to you later." Seungcheol said and then opened the door for her, motioning with his head for her to leave the room. When she had finally left, stomping her feet along the way, Seungcheol closed and locked the door before walking up to Jeonghan's side and lightly grabbing hold of his arm.

"What's wrong, angel?" Seungcheol asked in a soft tone and Jeonghan felt his heart melt at the care in the older boy's voice. The look Seungcheol gave Jeonghan in that moment also served to break down Jeonghan's wall that he had built over the last few weeks and he let his head fall on Seungcheol's shoulder as the leader wrapped his arms around him to hold him in place, making him feel safe and secure.

"Cheol," Jeonghan began, "Cheol, I don't know what to do." Jeonghan said, sounding defeated.

"You don't know what to do about what?" Seungcheol asked, rubbing comforting circles on Jeonghan's back. "Talk to me angel." And then Seungcheol led them to sit on the bed, only Jeonghan didn't want to sit...he didn't want to face Seungcheol when he spoke, so he pushed Seungcheol back until the other was sitting half up on the bed, leaning against his headboard and then Jeonghan curled up on his side, hiding his face in Seungcheol's chest while he hugged the other's side. Seungcheol was shocked by the new position but immediately wrapped his arm around Jeonghan and waited for the other to speak.

Jeonghan took his time, partly because he was still figuring out how to start the conversation and also because he wanted to take a moment to enjoy Seungcheol's warmth before he was too consumed in his own troubles to fully appreciate it. And all the while, Seungcheol waited patiently, holding Jeonghan and giving him the time that he needed.

"Seungcheol...how do you do it?"

"Do what?" Seungcheol asked. "Angel, you're starting to scare me. What's going on?"

"How do you lead us so well? You always know what to do when things get bad and you're always the first to act, to make things right. You're such an amazing leader, did you know that? You take care of the youngers and you take care of me...."

"Jeonghan, what is this about? Did something happen? Are the others okay?"

"And even when you're recovering, you're still worried about us more than yourself." Jeonghan said with a stale laugh.

"Jeonghan. Did something happen?" Seungcheol asked again, trying to push Jeonghan away far enough so that he could look at the other's face, but Jeonghan didn't move from his spot. He just stayed in that position, staring at nothing as he rested his head on Seungcheol's chest.

And then it came. "Yes." Jeonghan said. It was barely a whisper but Seungcheol heard it. The older didn't press and continued to wait, knowing that now Jeonghan would finally talk.

"For the past couple of months...since you've been gone, the company has been treating us like ." Jeonghan said. "They won't let us do anything Cheol, and when we try to please them all we get is more insults and activities slapped onto our schedules. They overwork us to the point of exhaustion and I'm really getting scared for the kids."

"What exactly are they doing?" Seungcheol asked in a deadly serious tone, one Jeonghan had only heard when the other was truly getting angry.

"They...they force us to spend longer hours in practice studios and recording rooms, they put all these schedules on us, make us do all of these VLives during odd hours of the day, they barely let us rest, they've forced a few of the members onto this really strict diet and they watch us during everything, picking at anything we do and criticizing us every step of the way. I know they're just angry that we all decided to wait for this comeback and I guess this is Pledis's way of punishing us. But I'm afraid that their treatment will break their spirits....god you should see them Cheol, the kids...they look awful, and I can't do anything to help." Jeonghan said, the last part really bringing tears to his eyes.

That same feeling of uselessness washing over him and it all become too much as he finally let the tears spill, falling down his cheeks and onto Seungcheol's shirt. Jeonghan tried his best to wipe them, not wanting to ruin the other's shirt, but he knew Seungcheol didn't mind since there was already a damp patch forming and all Seungcheol did in response was rub Jeonghan's shoulder and pull him a little closer.

"You're not useless Jeonghan." Seungcheol said, as if he had read the other's mind. "You do so much for us too. You take care of the kids just as well as I do, maybe even better. You provide that mother figure that they need with your nurturing personality. You tend to their needs. You're always watching out for the others when you think they're not looking, always asking them about their days and giving them an ear to talk to. You always know what's on their minds and you never let anyone go to sleep with a bad thought in their head. You take care of me...you give me someone I can depend on. And you're always going out of the way to try and make things better."

"But-" Jeonghan tried but Seungcheol didn't let him.

"I'm serious Jeonghan. If I'm a great leader then it's only because I have you behind me. So please don't ever think so low of yourself again."

"No, you don't understand Seungcheol!" Jeonghan said, suddenly pushing away from Seungcheol. "I'm none of those things you just said because all I do is make things worse."

"Angel, what are you talking about?" Seungcheol asked, genuinely confused.

"You said I always try to make things better...well I did try and all I did was make things worse for us!" Jeonghan said, his face becoming more red as he spoke, getting more and more frustrated with his screw up from a week ago. And when Seungcheol gave Jeonghan an even more perplexed look, Jeonghan saw that as his cue to go on. "I tried to talk to our CEO about the mistreatment we've been receiving lately and all of that completely blew up in my face. All I did was make things worse for us!"

"You talked to our boss?" Seungcheol asked with wide eyes.

"Yes! I don't know what I was thinking! I know you've done it lots of times before and I thought I could be just like you and fix things myself but all I did was screw up big time and all I got in return was the worst conversation with the man that I've ever had in my life!"

"Jeonghan...what did you say? No, actually, I can guess exactly what you said...What did Mr. Han say to you?" Seungcheol asked in a tone so firm that Jeonghan nearly backed away, but he was stopped by Seungcheol's grip on his arm. "Jeonghan, I need to know what he said to you. I can't help you if I don't know what he did."

"He said...he said that because of my disrespectfulness, he'll be even tougher on us. He called me ungrateful for not appreciating the company's efforts to support us and that we were all lucky to have even made it this far....and that we still have a long way to go." Jeonghan said. "But that wasn't even the worst part. Then he started to threaten me by saying that if he didn't like our progress then he'd make us do those missions again....or even sign some of us up for Produce 101. He even threatened putting my baby Dino up on there. I'm not sure how true his words are but just the thought of him separating us as a group hurts so much!  Cheol, I really messed up..." Jeonghan finished, more tears falling from his eyes and he the arm that Seungcheol wasn't holding to cover his face with his hand, not wanting Seungcheol to see how broken and pathetic he looked in that moment.

Seungcheol didn't say anything and for a moment, Jeonghan thought the other was pissed at him as well for what he had done, but Jeonghan was quickly proven wrong when Seungcheol maneuvered them so that they were now lying down on the bed with Jeonghan resting on top of the older as Seungcheol held him close. Jeonghan was about to get up from the new position but Seungcheol held him in place.

"But Cheol...you're...I don't want to hurt you." Jeonghan tried, making sure to not put any pressure or weight onto any part of Seungcheol's body.

"I've told you before, I've healed a lot over the last 6 months. I'm not some fragile doll Jeonghan. You won't break me just by laying down with me. Just relax." Seungcheol replied and Jeonghan could only listen to his leader as he fully rested his head on Seungcheol's chest and brought one of his arms to lay on top of Seungcheol's body. Seungcheol's other arm that wasn't wrapped around Jeonghan's frame came up to meet Jeonghan's hand on his chest and he held the younger boys hand in his, occasionally using his thumb to brush against the singer's fingers.

They stayed like that for a few minutes before Seungcheol broke the silence again. "Did he say anything else...about you?"

The question caught Jeonghan of guard and suddenly his mind brought him back to when he was in that office, Mr. Hans harsh words playing over and over again in his head. "He said that I was just a pretty face, that my singing wasn't even that good and that I'm lucky to even be there." Jeonghan said with a small voice. It hurt hearing them the first time, but saying them himself was like reopening a still healing wound. Those words were exactly what he had feared since his debut days and now it felt like they were all true. Jeonghan was so deep in his thought when he was suddenly brought back to the present by Seungcheol's scoff.

"Well that's a load of bull. I mean, sure you're good looking and all...but that's not what I like about you. In fact, I think you're one of my favorite voices to listen to in all of Seventeen. And I'm pretty sure there are about a million Carats that would agree with me." Seungcheol said, lightly squeezing Jeonghan's hand as he spoke.

"Seungcheol...I don't even know if we have that many fans." Jeonghan tried to joke while pretending to pull away from Seungcheol's hold, but Seungcheol still held him close, not allowing Jeonghan to move from his spot next to him.

"I check social media. We're pretty popular these days. And the fans love you." Seungcheol said matter of factly. Jeonghan knew that Seungcheol was just trying to make him feel better and it was working if the smile that had formed on his face was anything to go by. Thinking about Seventeen and their wonderful fans always managed to bring about a smile on Jeonghan's face, no matter what.

Seeing that Jeonghan was in a slightly better mood, Seungcheol smiled as well but it quickly faded when he saw the dark bags under his angel's face, evidence of not getting enough rest for a long period of time. It was upsetting and he wanted to change that.

"Hey angel," Seungcheol said, "We should take a nap."

"What, now?" Jeonghan asked. 

"Yeah. You could use the rest and I'm feeling pretty drowsy myself, must be one of the longer lasting side effects from the accident." Seungcheol explained.

"Well, if you're tired then I guess I could leave." Jeonghan said, making an attempt to leave again, but just like the last time, Seungcheol wouldn't let him go.

"Nope, you're staying right here."

"Yah" Jeonghan complained.

"Angel, I haven't had a good nap in such a long time! And you know I sleep the best when I'm next to you."

"Is that why you always used to crawl into my bed in the middle of the night?" Jeonghan teased.

"Duh." Was all Seungcheol said before he changed their position once again and they were now facing each other, bodies still close and Seungcheol's arms still wrapped around Jeonghan. "Now shush and let's get some sleep. I think we both could use it."

Never one to say no to extra sleep, Jeonghan made himself comfy in their new position and closed his eyes, whispering a "thank you" to Seungcheol before letting himself drift off. Seungcheol just watched him, holding a chuckle in when he realized that it had only taken seconds for the younger to fall asleep, but so very glad that he had. And after a few minutes of just watching his angel sleep, when he was sure that he wouldn't be easily awoken, Seungcheol leaned in a placed a soft kiss on Jeonghan's forehead, letting his lips linger for a second too long before pulling back and admiring the cute face before him.

Seungcheol couldn't help but to notice how stress free and angelic Jeonghan looked when he slept and Seungcheol thought to himself that this was how the younger should always look. The dark bags and look of agony that he wore when he entered Seungcheol's room was unacceptable and Seungcheol promised himself that he would never let the younger look like that again, at least not if he could help it.

"I'm so sorry angel," Seungcheol whispered, knowing that Jeonghan wouldn't hear him. "I've been taking things easy, enjoying the simple life away from the company and all the while you guys were suffering because of my absence. I promise that I'll make things right again...just give me some time."

Seungcheol gave the younger boy one last squeeze before willing himself to sleep as well, a smile on his face because he finally got to sleep next to Jeonghan again, and that alone promised a decent amount of rest.

When Jeonghan woke up, the room was significantly darker than he remembered, which surprised him. But what was more alarming was the fact that he had woken up in bed alone. He clearly remembered falling asleep next to the giant teddy bear that was Choi Seungcheol so where was he now?

His question was answered less than a minute later when Seungcheol came through the door holding a tray carrying two bowls in his hands. 

"Oh good, you're awake." The older said.

"How long was I out?" Jeonghan asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Not long, I would say a couple of hours."

"And when did you wake up?"

"Not much earlier than you. Maybe about 20 minutes ago? I thought you might be hungry after your nap so I brought us some soup." Seungcheol said before setting the tray down on his side table before getting back onto the bed. 

Jeonghan scooted up until he was in a sitting position and then Seungcheol did the same so that they were sitting next to each other, and once they were comfortable, Seungcheol handed the younger a bowl before taking one himself. The two boys ate in silence, enjoying the warmth from the soup and the comfort from each other and they stayed that way for a while. It was only when Jeonghan was mostly done with his meal that he decided to break the silence.

"Seungcheol."

"Hmm?" The older sounded, still finishing his soup.

"What are we going to do? How do we fix this stupid thing with the company?"

Seungcheol set his bowl down on his side table and then rested his head against his headboard, staring up at his ceiling, as if the answer was written up there or something. Jeonghan let the older think and nervously played with the spoon in his bowl until the older responded.

"From what it sounds like, Mr. Han is giving you empty threats. They're harsh but they have no real bite to them...He's just trying to scare you guys into having that comeback sooner."

"Which we won't." Jeonghan said with a determined look. They had promised to wait for their leader and that's exactly what they were going to do, and no one, not even their CEO could make them change their minds. "So what should we do to at least get them off of our backs?"

"Right" Seungcheol chuckled. "I guess just prove to them that you're more than worth the wait. It's gonna be tough, maybe even tougher than our predebut days, but just do your best and don't let them push you all around. Don't give them a reason to call you out and be on top of everything. On my end, I'll talk to my doctor and see how soon I can get back to work. If I have to switch to a more rigorous routine then I will."

"Are you sure?" Jeonghan asked, suddenly worried for Seungcheol's health all over again.

"Yes angel, I'm sure. I'm almost ready to come back anyway...I was actually planning to look for a personal trainer to ease me back into performing again so speeding up the process shouldn't be too much on me."

"I don't know about this Cheol..." Jeonghan said, still not convinced.

"Hey, you'll be doing your part to make things better and you need to let me do mine. We'll both work hard and eventually we'll get out of this slump, make it to that comeback, and then everyone will be happy and there will be nothing else to worry about." Seungcheol said, as if he could already see it all coming together in his head.

"You make it sound so easy." Jeonghan said with a small smile.

"Because it is. Don't you trust your leader?"

"With my life." Jeonghan answered honestly.

"Then believe me when I say that we'll pass through this and that everything will be okay."

"Okay." Jeonghan replied and Seungcheol just smiled.

"Great! Now fill me in on what progress has been made on the upcoming album!" Seungcheol said, with a new excitement that Jeonghan had no idea where it come from. 

And the two boys continued to talk about their work, from practices to possible stages and then they started talking about their dreams for future concerts. Where they'd like to go and what types of performances they'd like to do. It was a good way to forget about their earlier worries and apparently a great way to pass time, because before they knew it, it was time for Jeonghan to leave.

Seungcheol walked Jeonghan to the front door and they both stood at the doorway for a while, staring at each other while Seungcheol loosely held onto Jeonghan's hand.

"Drive safely." Seungcheol said.

"I will."

"Did you text the others? Let them know that you're on your way back?"

"Yup, I even got permission to see you this time!" Jeonghan said with a bright smile.

"This time? Are you saying that you've snuck out to see me before?" Seungcheol asked, looking shocked as he placed both of his hands on his hips, looking much like a father ready to scold a child. 

Jeonghan just laughed and pecked the older boy's cheek before saying a quick goodbye and then he ran off to the company van that he had borrowed. He cheekily waved at Seungcheol while in the car and before Seungcheol could walk up to the vehicle to lecture him, Jeonghan had started the car and backed out of the driveway.

Seungcheol just laughed to himself as he watched the other leave, giving one last wave goodbye before shutting the door and making his way back to his room. But as he made it through the hallway, he saw that his brother's bedroom light was on. An idea suddenly popped up in his head and so he walked over to the door and knocked before walking inside.

"What's up little bro?" Seunggil greeted.

"Hey, hyung...when is your next day off?"

"Should be next Thursday. Why?"

"I need you to drive me down the Seoul."

"Seoul? What for?" Seunggil asked, taken aback by the sudden request. 

"Gotta talk to CEO Han about something." Was all Seungcheol said before he returned to his room and mentally prepared himself for a meeting with his boss.

A/N: Chapter 18!!! Oh wow I feel so much better about this chapter than the last LOL I really hope you guys liked this one! Let me know what your thoughts are! Jeonghan finally told Cheol and now leader is gonna fix things! I'm so excited to write the next update (fun fact: this was actually what I had in mind when I first started this fic so finally getting to write about it is so much fun lol) 

And yeah, as always, thank you so much for reading! And be sure to leave a comment!!