He likes it. But he feel exposed, but he knows that it looks good. He sighs.

"Stop it, you look good"

"This wasnt needed Chen"

"Pff...honeslty you are not al old as you looked an hour ago, so THIS was needed"

He turns to the mirror again, his past grey hair is gone and now theres a helmut of honey brownish all over his head. Its true he look his age now, maybe a little younger thanks to his dramatic weight loss.

"His gonna like it", Xiumin turns violently to glare at his friend. "What?"

"Tth...this is not for him...its ..ffor me", he feels shy. Chen thinks that he is cute like this and then he thinks of why has his hyung become so child like and he doesnt like it, he would rather have Minseok hyung back, who was sure of him self and a real man, not that Xiumin wasnt...its just he would rather any of this to happen to him. Now he sighs.

"What is it?"

"Nothing", Chen patts the others head as if he was his own son. "Did you take your medicines yet?", he nods like an obedient boy. "How cute", Chen thinks again.

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

At one point Zelo comes back home and prices his hyungs new look and then procees to the room where Chen scolds him.

"All of this was his fault and you invite him for dinner? What do have in your head?"

"Im trying to do something nice for hyung. Also, stop stressing, is not good for your baby"

"Dont bring my baby into this, only because you dont want to hear the truth..". The bell ringed.

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

"Hyung!! Wow looking good!", Zitao complimented.

"Thanks"

"Where is everybody?"

"Your kids are in my studio drawing and your husband is scolding Zelo in the room for inviting Luhan"

"Oh....seems that someone needs my help...", Tao chuckled and went to find Chen.

In the back Xiumin could hear the girls running and screaming for their father, he smiles, it feels like family. The bell rings again.

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

Zelo goes and opens the door and a very exited Sehan burst though it with out noticing him and goes straight for Xiumin, but as soon as he sees him he frozed.

"Hi, baby", he looks at the boy and then around, because all the adults are looking at them.

"You look....soo pretty", Xiumin blushes and the rest of the people just laughs at them while Sehan just lunches him self into Xiumins arms.

Luhan greets with an awkward hello and they sit at the table.

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

During dinner Luhan feels watch...by Chen, who is actually watching his every move. And Zelo and Zitao are the only ones acting "normal", Sehan has all is attention on Xiumin at all times and viceversa. After desert the host invites everyone to living room and the girls ask Sehan to go with them to the studio to draw and see all the wonderfull things that uncle Xiumin has done.

After like ten minutes Sehan comes screaming from the room. "Papa, papa, come here you have to see this!!!"

"Sehan, behave!"

"No papa, you have to come"

"Yes, yes uncle...you have to come", the oldest Huang sais.

Xiumin eyes go as big as they can and he want to stand, but his heart is beating to much. Luhan noticed something is wrong because he has his hand in his chest. "Are you ok?". Everyone turns to see him, Zitao stands up to give him a glass of water and Zelo turns around and pushes him to lean on the couch.

"What is it hyung?", Chen asks and Xiumin shakes his head as if saying that its all ok, but really he cant even speak and his heart doesnt stop, he is not breathing properly.

Luhan watches the scene in horror, the light redish color of Xiumins cheeks is leaving by the minute.

"Papa", Sehan whispers to his father.

"Its ok...", he doesnt believe him self.

"Should I get your pills?", Chen asks, Xiumin nods.

"Where are they? Ill get them", Luhan doesnt know why he just said that. But Chen tells him and he goes for the meds and more water. When he comes back, he kneels between Xiumins legs and looks straight into his eyes. "Open", he tells him as if he is talking to a little boy, Xiumin open his mouth, Luhan puts the pill under his tongue. Inconciously, he carreses the side of the others head. They never stop looking at each other, as if they were alone in the room. "Calm down", he sais in the most soothing voice, Xiumin nods and magically the air starts to come to his lungs.

Its like the breaking of a spell, as if he is been kissed by the prince that came to wake him up. They interrupt their eye contact and Luhan goes back awkawrdly to his sit. When he turns around everyone notices something that they havent seen until now: Sehan is crying. His face is river of tears. Luhan clutches once again and holds him. "Its ok now baby".

"Im sorry uncle, I didnt mean to scream", he cries as he is confesing a crime. Everyone is at lost for words.

"No, it wasnt that honey", Xiumin manages to say with a string of air. Sehan lets go of his father to go to his uncle, he climbs the couch and holds him by the neck.

"Please dont go with appa", he pleads and now every heart gets broken a little and Xiumin tightens his hold.

"I wont", he whispers. "Im fine now, see?", he smiles at the child and wipped his tears, the boy nods and places himself properly on his unlces lap, puts his head in his shoulder and sobs the tension away, while Xiumin rubs his small back for comfort.

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

When everyone decides its time to go home, Zitao offers Luhan a ride home, wich he accepts because Sehan is deeply aspleep on Xiumins lap. The little boy doesnt completely wakes up when he is pulled away by his father, but he holds onto Xiumin shirt stubbornly.

The ride is silent, but Luhan is thinking on one thing the whole time.

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

Once inside is house, after putting his son in bed and himself as well, he closes his eyes and admits to himself that Xiumin looked good tonight, that he likes this new persona of his, that he was scare less and that those cat eyes looked at him tonight in the same way they looked at him years of nights ago.

How soft his hair was....

How purple his lips turned....

How honest his look was...

How fair his skin was...

How perfect and out of the world he looked...

But most importanly: how fragile he was and what was it that he didnt want Luhan to see.