"If you guys don't come out from your room now, we would be late!" The manager shouted loudly as he barged into the living room. "What's taking you all so long?" His steps died when he saw Kris sitting on the couch, all set and ready as he always did. Their eyes met each other.

"Good morning, hyungnim," Kris greeted with his husky baritone voice. He noticed the frown on their manager's forehead. Kris instinctively raised his eyebrows.

"Morning, Kris." The manager sighed at his greeting and massaged his forehead. "Why can't the others learn from you?" He questioned.

Kris gave the manager a light shrug. He knew what the manager meant. But he could never blame s. They would always reach home by two or three o'clock in the morning and need to wake up as early as six. Three to four hours of sleep would not be sufficient to support the vigorous activities they would need to encounter every day.

One by one of the members came out from their room. Tao had a white shirt with dark blue jeans on. He rubbed his sleepy eyes and yawned. Lay came out, looking as attractive as usual. He noticed that Tao still had his bed hair. Smiling, he slightly shook his head before he came closer to Tao and combed his hair. Xiumin and Chen were coming from the kitchen. Chen was holding a carton of milk while Xiumin had a bun in his mouth and another two buns in both of his hands. The manager started to clap his hands, signaling that they need to go now. Kris grew restless when he noticed someone was missing. Luhan was never the last to come out. He would always be the second after Kris. He decided to find the older boy but immediately cancelled his plan as he saw a familiar figure stepped out from the room. Kris could not take his eyes off Luhan and this time it was neither because of his beauty nor his cuteness. Luhan looked terribly tired and weak that he could faint at any time soon. Kris knew Luhan was really unwell. And his heart ached at the view.

The other members strode out from the dorm one by one. Xiumin and Chen as usual were jokingly teasing each other. Chen purposely teased Xiumin about his chubby cheeks and he should diet to lose the fats on his face. Xiumin counterattacked Chen by telling him that he looked older than his age and bragged about his chubby cheeks made him looked much younger than Chen. Tao was at the front, doing some hand stretching. It was his biggest habit as he learnt martial arts before. Lay was right behind Tao and he was playing Tao's panda keychain that was hanging on the younger boy's bag, with a picture of Tao as the head. It was the typical morning for EXO-M. But Kris could not remove the worry expression on his face. His eyebrows furrowed even more than usual. He saw Luhan walked down the stair with heavy steps with his eyelids closed. Kris had the urge to hold Luhan to protect the older boy from tripping over the stair. But his hand stopped in the air and slowly it turned into a fist. In his eyes, Luhan was a delicate creature. Kris feared that if he touched Luhan too often, the fragilely delicate Luhan would break and shatter. Therefore, Kris took back his hand to his side but his eyes never left the older boy's figure.

Luhan felt as if winter had struck his inside. He could feel his limbs were going numb. His view was wavering since he woke up with a terrible headache and it made him feel like crap. His head was heavy as if someone had put a freaking dumbbell onto his head. The heaviness had forced him to close his eyes. That was the only way to endure the ache. He took it as a sign of a bad day for him. He would not be able to do his activities pleasantly later. But he would try to endure it as long as he could. Don't be a weakling! You can do this, Luhan, his brain shouted but he heard a tiny voice from his heart, telling him not to force himself, take a day off and rest until the pain subside. Eagerly shaking his head, he ignored the tiny voice and that just made him tripped over his own foot. His eyes opened wide. He was going to fall and he would not have enough time to avoid the ground now. But suddenly, he felt a firm grip on his wrist and his body was tugged backward as a shout of 'be careful' broke out. Timely, his body crashed into another body. The body was strong and warm.

"What the- " Kris blurted as he felt Luhan's burning skin on his. His eyes were wide and worries were reflected in them. Naturally, his hand found its way to Luhan's forehead to check the older boy's body temperature. This time his eyes were widened even more. His other hand slid around Luhan's waist and held him firmly in his arm. "Luhan, you're burning!" He said loudly this time.

Eyes turned to look at the two. The other four members who were far ahead obviously were shocked. Xiumin nearly dropped his precious buns and Lay was still hesitating whether he heard that right. Being as emotional as ever, Tao's eyes were already swelling with tears. And Chen was just standing there, all astounded. The manager ran back to the two behind and touched Luhan's forehead. His eyes dilated immediately at how warm Luhan's temperature was. Kris was not lying. Luhan was really burning. Kris could hear the manager cussed under his breaths. Luhan smiled weakly and mumbled some 'I'm okay' and 'I can do it'. And that just made Kris gritted his teeth hard.

"No, Luhan, you are not okay." Kris turned to look at the manager. "Hyungnim, let Luhan off today." He said with serious tone. He was not going to let Luhan continue today's activities. Not in the bad condition of his. The manager and the other members were taken aback. Luhan was surprised as well. Kris, he tried to call the leader but nothing escapes from his mouth. He was just too weak that even talking was so hard for him at the moment. Before the manager could even open his mouth to protest, Kris shot him with serious glare. "I said, let Luhan off today." His glare did not waver. The manager let out a long heavy sigh. He knew that it was useless to argue with the stubborn leader. "And let me a day off too." Now, that just made the situation even tense.

"Duizhang…" The four members almost whispered at the same time. They had seen that expression before and it was a long time ago. The time when they were in the middle of important meeting with the CEO of their entertainment company. The time when the CEO asked who was willing to be the leader of the group to the eldest three in their group. The time when Kris opened his mouth without hesitation, looking as serious as ever, saying 'I will'. And the members knew that Kris was being serious. Once he decided, he would never let it go.

Luhan could feel himself growing weaker and weaker as second passed. He was standing but his feet could not feel the ground anymore. It was as if he was floating. He did not even move from Kris' firm but comfortable embrace. He smiled weakly. Was it right for him to feel a bit of happiness at this tense moment? Luhan felt comforted in Kris' arms. Deep inside, he knew that he would not mind to stay in the arms. For a long time.

The manager had one of his hands on his hip and the other on his forehead, massaging his temples. The manager looked at Kris but averted his eyes right away because he felt as if Kris was shooting laser at him with his eyes. "But Kris, you kn-" The manager tried to say something but his word stopped in mid-air. His shoulders deflated and after a few seconds, he nodded. "Alright," he gave in.

Immediately, Kris' furious glare turned into a soft gaze. Using his free hand, he grabbed the older man's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. He curved a small smile as a sign that he appreciated the man's understanding. "Thank you, hyungnim," he said gratefully. He then lowered his eyes to look at the older boy in his arm, looking so tiring but still it did not wipe the angelic beauty from his face. Kris looked back at the manager. "I will take care of Luhan."

The manager gave Kris an understanding nod and patted his back a few times before he headed to the other members who were still stunned at their place. "Well, what are you all waiting for? Get in the van. We're already late!" The manager lightly gave Xiumin and Chen a push with his hands.

"But Luhan ge-" Tao said with a sad tone. The other three sadly look at the direction of their duizhang and the sick Luhan.

"Luhan would be just fine," Kris said loudly, almost shouting. "He would be fine the time you all come back. Don't worry. Now go." I promise you all that, his heart shout loudly. He gestured his hand, telling the members to leave now.

"Well, you heard the leader. Let's go now." The manager gave Xiumin and Chen a push forward again. "Luhan would say the same thing too. I believe in your leader. You all should too," he said to the four members. Hearing the words of their manager, the members felt a little ease at their heart. Yes. They should believe in both of the boys. They should believe that Kris would take a good care of Luhan and Luhan would be fine when they get back home. They believed in them. Smiling, the four members entered the van. Tao and Xiumin purposely sat at the back this time. As wheels of the van started to move, Tao and Xiumin waved at the two boys who were still standing on the road wholeheartedly.

Kris waved at the van until it vanished from his sight. He brought his eyes to look at the older boy. He noticed that Luhan's breathing became quicker and heavier each time. He knew he need to get Luhan back at home as fast as he could. But it was impossible for the sick Luhan to walk properly now. And Kris did not even dare to imagine walking up the stair. That was just scary. Carefully, Kris released Luhan from his arm. He held Luhan's wrist this time, pushing the older boy to face his back. Kris skillfully slid off his bag from his back and slid it on his abdomen. "Luhan, can you hear me?"

Luhan opened his eyes when he heard his name being mentioned. He liked it when Kris said his name. It sounded… perfect. "Ye- yes," he managed to utter weakly with his limited strength.

"Good." Kris bent on his knees. "Now, get on my back," he ordered the older boy. Kris did not know whether it was a good idea to give Luhan a piggyback ride. He was afraid that Luhan would hear his racing heartbeat. But there was no other way. But what if Luhan did not want to? What should he do then? Kris' eyes dilated as he felt arms wrapping around his neck and a warm body made contact with his clothed back. He smiled. He should believe in Luhan more.

Luhan felt Kris grabbed his legs with his strong hands and held them firmly against his hips. Luhan tightened his arms around the younger boy's neck but not too tight that it would choke the leader. And he felt Kris started to walk. Luhan had his head on Kris' left shoulder. He could smell the sweet scent of Kris' hair mixed with the scent of Kris' cologne. The mixed scent was surprisingly calming. He smells nice, Luhan thought.

Loyally, Kris took each of his steps. He was not walking too fast or too slow. Of course, he wanted to get Luhan inside their dorm as soon as possible. But spending a little time like this would not hurt, right? He liked Luhan's weight on his back. The older boy sure was light for a boy with the height of one hundred seventy-eight centimeters. Kris did not find any problem at all piggybacking Luhan and walking at the same time. He could hear and feel Luhan's warm breathing against his left ear. But the silence between them was not comfortable and Kris decided to break it. "I told you," he started, hoping for a reply.

Luhan shut his eyes to make the dizziness go away. Once again, he appreciated Kris' effort to make conversation between them. He liked it when Kris started it first. "Told me what?" He replied with another question.

"That you didn't look too good," Kris answered the older boy. He was glad that Luhan could still reply him. He did not want Luhan to faint on him. He needed Luhan to stay awake at least until Luhan take some aspirin. But Kris almost panicked when he heard Luhan's breaths hitched. They needed to reach the dorm as soon as possible now.

"Yeah, you did," Luhan replied ten seconds after Kris' sentence. He could feel sweats forming on his forehead but his body was cold. Immediately, his mind went to his warm and cozy blanket. How he wanted to snuggle in his blanket now.

"Hey." Kris was afraid that Luhan might have gone to slumber. His walking pace quickened. They finally reached the stair. He stopped walking.

Luhan was still awake but he nearly passed out, though. Kris' voice alarmed him just in time before he could actually drift into his sleep. "What?" He asked with a weak tone.

Kris was relieved that Luhan did not faint or sleep. His hands tightened on Luhan's legs. Kris stepped up the stair carefully. He could not be careless or else he would end up hurting both themselves, especially Luhan. He would not let anything bad happen to the ill boy. "Don't faint on me, okay?"

Luhan gave a sincere weak smile and nodded. "I won't."

Kris slid off the bag from Luhan's shoulder and put it on the table, joining his bag. Carefully, Kris laid Luhan on his back onto their couch in the living room. Reaching the nearest cushion, he slid it under Luhan's head to make his position comfortable. Luhan had his eyes closed in pain. His breathing became long and heavy. Kris softened at the view and his heart ached at the same time. Kris bent down to Luhan's level and he gazed at the older boy. His hand reached for Luhan's head and patted it. "I will take care of you. Don't worry," he said softly but it was full with determination. Kris got up and went inside the kitchen.

Luhan felt as if the coldness inside his body was going to swallow him alive. But sweats were soaking his body. The contrast made him shivered in pain. I will take care of you. Don't worry. Somehow those words warmed up his body. And he had no doubts that Kris will do as he said. Somehow the pain lessened, too.

Kris came out from the kitchen with a glass of plain water in one of his hands and tablets of aspirins in the other. Taking quick steps, he headed to the laying older boy on the couch. He put the glass and the aspirins on the table. He lightly shook Luhan's shoulder. "I brought the aspirins. Come on. Get up," he said.

Once again, Kris' voice prevented him from going into his deep slumber. Stop, his mind demanded him to stay in that position and just go to sleep. But his heart forced him to get up. You can do this. You are strong. And he did as his heart told him so. He used both of his hands to support the weight of his body. But then he felt a strong arm wrapped around his shoulder, giving him help to sit properly. He opened his eyes and he noticed how closed Kris' face to his was.

"Here." Kris took the two aspirin tablets on his free hand and put them on Luhan's palm. He could really feel Luhan was burning against him. The temperature might be forty degree Celsius. And it could be so bad if Luhan did not eat the aspirins.

Like a good child, Luhan popped the aspirins into his mouth. Bitter, he thought as the tablets touched his tongue. He never liked the taste of aspirins. But the bitterness would eventually give a positive effect, he knew that. The younger boy brought the glass of water in front of him. He stared at the glass filled with water for awhile before his head went forward to drink the water for the brim. The tablets on his tongue where no longer there as they were washed away by the water. Yet, the bitterness stayed.

Kris put the glass back on the table. He let out a relief sigh. He was a little glad that now Luhan had taken his aspirins, the pain would reduce in time. He carefully helped Luhan to lie back on the couch. Kris stood up and gazed at the older boy again. We made it, his heart said. Making his steps as light as he could, he headed to the kitchen again. Kris opened each of the drawers in the kitchen as he tried to search for cool pads but he could not find any. He just noticed it. They never had cool pads in the house. The members were never really had fever. From now on, we must have the cool pads. He gave a note to himself. He opened a drawer and found a small basin in it. He took it out and looked at it for awhile. Better than nothing, he thought. He went to the sink and rinsed the basin before filling half of it with water. After he put the basin on the dining table, he went outside the balcony and took one piece of clean towel. He came back into the kitchen and put the clean towel inside the basin. Holding the basin filled with water and a soaked towel, he went back to the living room.

Luhan could feel the pain became lesser and lesser but he was still freezing inside. Again, he thought of his blanket. He wanted to wrap himself with his blanket. Maybe he could ask Kris to get it for him. Luhan instinctively opened his eyes when he felt foreign coldness invading his forehead. And he saw Kris. Looking as cold as usual but he had his warm eyes this time. The younger boy was putting the towel on Luhan's forehead. We don't have cool pads? Oh yeah, we don't. He replied himself. He saw Kris was leaving after fixing the towel on his forehead. With his remaining strength, he grabbed onto Kris' wrist.

Kris froze at touch. Luhan's skin was still burning but Kris was frozen by it. His heart was being crazy again, racing so fast and thumping so loud again. Kris looked at the older boy and he softened. He really had soft spots for the older boy named Luhan. "Luhan?" He asked, no, he called the older boy's name.

Luhan's lips were lifted to a grateful smile. "Thank you."

Those two words were always used by people. Sometimes too much, too often. But never the words fail to make people feel better and happier. And there was no exception for Kris, too. Kris felt happiness bloomed from the deepest part of his heart. And that just took only two words to make him felt that way. "You're-" Kris felt the grip on his wrist loosened as Luhan slowly falling into his long awaited sleep. Kris smiled, contented. "Welcome."

Second shot.

Considering shooting myself.

...

With a water gun.

Hurm.