Joonmyun now knows Luhan is his secret treasure trove.

Joonmyun knows he should have better self-restraint than this but when he’s tired and sleepy and sore, he doesn’t really have much of a say in what he does anyway.

“I’m too old for this,” he complains quietly to Luhan backstage, minutes before they go on. The two are locked in Joonmyun’s dressing room because the leader needed something of a break and this was as good as it was going to get.

“You’re twenty-two,” points out Luhan but he continues to listen to the younger’s rant. In a sense, he knows where he’s coming from and decides it’s better to just let him get it all out, lest he yell it at one of the others another time. “And you hate being called old.”

“I can call myself old but no one else can,” Joonmyun says, making the elder sigh and roll his eyes when Joonmyun turns around.

“Whatever you say.”

Joonmyun has found Luhan to be a very good listener. Even though Joonmyun is the one supposed to be the shoulder to lean on and have an always-open listening ear, he’s found himself coming to Luhan more and more often, sometimes for even the most mundane things.

“Honestly, it’s like they like living in messes,” Joonmyun says in frustration, raking his hands through his hair. “We can’t go two steps without running into a pile of something.”

“They’re young,” Luhan says dismissively.

“They’re in their twenties,” Joonmyun points out. “I may act like their umma but I’m not and it seems every time I go to clean something, it ends up getting messy all over again. I can’t leave the room for ten minutes without-”

“Breathe Joonmyun-ah,” Luhan reminds him, seeing the elder’s face start to turn red. He knows Joonmyun isn’t that annoyed by it but by talking about something as trivial as this, it’s triggering his other irritations and he’s getting himself worked up over nothing.

The leader takes a deep breath, heeding Luhan’s words and he admits he feels slightly better. He just needed to blow off some steam and he can’t go to anyone else about it really. He can’t worry any of the others about it, since they have enough going on but Luhan almost coaxes him into telling him without any grievances in mind.

“They say that’s how they keep things organized and if it’s working out fine, I’d just leave it alone for now,” says Luhan casually. “It’s not hurting anyone, is it?”

Joonmyun shakes his head but then he stares hard at the elder. “You’re not just doing this because you’re the one who makes most of the piles, are you?”

Luhan grins and winks.

It seems Luhan’s become almost like a trove of words for Joonmyun. He complains and vents and tells all when he’s with Luhan, knowing the deer will never breathe a word of it to anyone else.

He merely listens in rapt attention, offering condolences and advice when he can. Other times, he just nods and murmurs in agreement when he can tell Joonmyun is almost beyond reason and just needs to talk.

Joonmyun is grateful for that. He knows Luhan has so many other things he’d rather be doing-like sleeping or relaxing or even breathing freely since they’re so stressed out-but he devotes that time to Joonmyun.

It doesn’t matter when or where but if Joonmyun needs to let out something, anything, Luhan will always set aside time for him.

He didn’t think the elder would have to ask for the same.

“Joonmyun-ah?”

He looks up from the sheet music, seeing Luhan hovering hesitantly in the doorway.

“What is it?”

“Can I talk to you?”

Surprised as he is, Joonmyun doesn’t comment and merely nods, gesturing the elder inside. Luhan sinks down on the bed, blinking rapidly. It’s a habit of nervousness; one that Joonmyun never thought would happen in his presence.

“What’s wrong?”

“I just…can I, like…talk for a while? And you listen? Just listen.”

Joonmyun blinks. “What?”

“It’s okay if not, I just thought…you know what, never mind.” Luhan stands up. “I’ll just go and-”

“Whoa hyung, what? You want to vent, is that it?” Joonmyun reaches for Luhan’s wrist, pulling him back to the bed. “Of course you can vent, you don’t have to ask permission. You can talk to me about anything.”

“I can?”

“Of course. Why not?” Joonmyun smiles at him. “After all the times you’ve listened to me, it’s only fair I return the favor.”

Luhan looks so confused, almost, that Joonmyun wants to laugh. “Really?”

“You should know you don’t have to ask, hyung.”

The elder grins and it’s so different from seconds before that Joonmyun doesn’t know what to expect anymore.

“You don’t know what you’re agreeing to, Joonmyun-ah.”

And suddenly Joonmyun doesn’t care about it anymore as he smirks at Luhan, lacing his fingers together under his chin.

He quotes from what Luhan’s told him many times before. “Breathe Luhan hyung.”

I'm back guys! It's been awhile, hasn't it? But don't worry, because now that it's summer I'll be updating a lot more frequently! Hopefully

Please give this story lots of love :)