Zhoumi wiped his eyes gently, with a soft sleeve that was now too wet to serve as a tissue, sniffing as he tried once again to stop his tears. They had done it, they had finally done it.
The petition had gone viral that morning, bringing Henry to tears over breakfast before sending him running to his room. He had yet to come out, and Zhoumi was the only one allowed in to comfort him. 
Lying under the soft blankets with the younger boy, he his hair as he listened to the tiny sobs. Pressing warm kisses to his hair, he gently reassured him of the love that the group shared, and that he was still a valuable member.

Henry just lay under the blankets, crying desperately, his cheeks flushed with tears whilst his eyes were red and sore.
"We should just give up.." he whispered in chinese, not wanting the other members to overhear. Zhoumi's heart skipped a beat.

"Henry, you shouldn't say that. You've worked too hard to just give up, too hard to accept defeat and quit. You deserve a spot in the group Henry, you deserve to have happiness and fans and love. And you have all those things. Please don't feel defeated."
Just as Henry was about to answer, there was another knock on the door.

Zhoumi stood up to answer it, tucking the blankets around Henry.
"Please can I come in Zhoumi? It's almost dinnertime and neither of you have eaten anything all day.."
Smiling gently at Ryeowook, Mi walked to the bed and touched Henry's shoulder. "Why don't you try and eat something? It might make you feel better.."
After a little coaxing, Henry slowly stood up to leave the room, still wearing the soft pajamas. As they walked to the kitchen, the younger boy reached for Zhoumi's hand like a child, feeling the damp sleeve full of tears.

At the table, Sungmin pulled them in for a tight hug, rubbing their backs comfortingly. 
"Do you want some soup Henry?"
The boy nodded politely, whispering a thank you in a voice choked with tears. Zhoumi patted his thigh under the table.
As they ate, Leeteuk chattering about parties, and Heechul having a rant about his game to an uncaring Shindong, Eunhyuk reached across and touched Zhoumi's arm.
"I-I was told I have to say about the petition at the Singapore concert.. They told me what to say.. I'm so sorry, it sounds so terrible.."

There was nothing Zhoumi wanted to do more after he read the script than take Henry and leave. But seeing the pain and despair on Eunhyuk's face, knowing that the boy had no other choice and would happily accept the boys into the group if he could, he reached across and gave his hand a squeeze. An understanding smile spread across his face, but his heart had shattered into a million pieces.

After thanking Ryeowook for dinner, Zhoumi pulled Henry in for a hug.
"We're going out for some fresh air" he said brightly, not wanting Henry to worry about the speech while he was still upset over the petition. Taking the boy's hand, he saw the anxious faces of the members.
Sungmin ran up to them, the panic clear on his face. "Are you going to come back?" His voice cracked as he finished his question, and the tears were welling up in his eyes.
Zhoumi just sighed. "I don't know.."

Stepping out of the door, the boys headed for the cars, Zhoumi holding the keys tightly, and Henry holding onto Zhoumi. Sitting in the car, Henry looked at Zhoumi with big wide eyes.
"Are we really not going to come back?" His voice was small and scared, and Zhoumi rushed to comfort him. 
"If you want to come back Henry, then we'll come back."
"They're our family Mi.. I don't want to lose them.. I want to be safe with Leeteuk and play games with Kyu.. Please can we come back?"
"You can do whatever you want Henry."

The younger boy gulped, and clung onto Zhoumi's hand.
"Please come back with me Mi! I can't do it by myself..."
Zhoumi held Henry close, before explaining about the speech. Henry's eyes widened, and he looked as though he would cry forever. Zhoumi took him into his arms, and his hair.
"Did he really mean it Mi? Do the group feel that way?"
Zhoumi pressed a kiss to his cheek, his hair. "He was told to say those things, I know that the group don't want us to feel excluded. I just feel a little helpless. What's the point in trying if we're always going to be hated for it? If they're getting the members to say these things, then they must be serious about them.."

Henry just settled into his seat, thinking quietly whilst Zhoumi started the engine. Driving around the quiet streets, both boys sat lost in their thoughts, tears staining their cheeks.
"Mi, I love you.."
"I love you too Henry. Please don't cry... We'll go back to the group and talk this through. Then you'll feel better."

Slowly pulling up to the dorm building, they found all of the cars gone. Knocking on the door, they were met with a tearful Ryeowook who grabbed them in a tight embrace. Pulling them into the dorm, he immediately started to talk, voice choked with tears.
"-And you said you might not come back, and you were gone so long.. Sungmin is crying, everyone's crying.. People are out looking for you.. Please don't leave, please don't.. I can't cope with that.. We love you so much.."
Hearing the boy's voice, Sungmin peeked his head out of his room, before launching himself onto Zhoumi and pulling him onto the sofa for a hug. Henry was weeping gently, feeling Ryeowook's arms around him, when he saw Eunhyuk's face appear. 

The boy's eyes were red and painful, his cheeks raw with tears. As Henry watched, the boy looked at him for a second, before running to the bathroom to choke into the toilet. Sobs and wails were heard from the bathroom, and Donghae appeared to comfort him.
Henry pulled away from Ryeowook, causing the gentle boy to panic, before moving towards the bathroom.

Eunhyuk was kneeling over the toilet, choking up thin streams of vomit. Henry moved past Donghae to place a comforting hand on the shuddering back.
"Hyuk? Please don't cry.."
The boy turned around, and grabbed Henry into a cuddle. Squeezing tighter, he sobbed into the boy's shirt.
"I don't want to say those things Henry.. I'm so sorry..."
"It's okay hyung.. Don't worry about it."

As Ryeowook phoned the members to tell them that the boys had returned, Henry and Eunhyuk walked slowly to join Zhoumi and Sungmin on the sofa. The boys cuddled together in a group, comforting each other.
"I'm so sorry.. I'm so sorry.."
Zhoumi pressed a kiss to Hyuk's hair, the strands. "Don't worry about it, it's fine. It's not your fault."

As the rest of the members began to appear, Zhoumi and Henry relaxed in the warm embraces. The tears fell, and were wiped away, as the boys clung to each other like a family.
"You're part of the group. You will always be part of the group."

Leeteuk's soft words make Henry cry even harder, and Eunhyuk weep in despair. Zhoumi reached out, pulling the small boy into his arms.
"It's alright Hyuk. No one's blaming you. No one's angry at you."

Cuddled together, Leeteuk knew that no one was going to want to sleep alone. Setting mattresses onto the floor, he watched the boys settle down to hug each other close.
As Ryeowook fell asleep with his head on Yesung's shoulder, and Henry lay curled up in Sungmin's arms, he knew that they were a close group.

No matter what petitions were brought out, or how many protests there were, these were his brothers. 
Super Junior would always be a family of fifteen. No one should be left out.