Genre: Slight-angst

Rate: G

Summary: Remember in EXO Showtime when everyone said Xiumin was the least likely to cry? Well here's me spewing nonsense about that.

"Who is the least likely to cry in EXO?"

"Xiumin Hyung of course!"

Why didn't anyone ever see Kim Minseok cry? At least not for something personal. He isn't a cold hearted guy, not at all, he has feelings. But he also has courage, courage given to him by a certain someone.

9:00 pm, SM practice room, the members have filed out after an exhausting day of practice. They've been going at it for nearly 12 hours but to no avail, these were the days when some of them lost hope, where they wanted to give up on their dream,  were they wanted this nonsense to end. Minseok was one of them.

He stayed back, he knew no one would come back because why go back to a place you hated so much? The members bickered more, argued more, talked less and focused on themselves more.

Minseok lay against the wall of the room and pondered on his life just as he has always done.

It's hard, it always has been. But here, right now, he wouldn't mind quitting. Forget the fans, forget his dreams, he was at his breaking point.

That day Kim Minseok cried, he cried for himself, for his group, for his future and he prayed that one day all of this would be worth it. With his face contorted into a cry of agony, he didn't notice the eyes across the room peeking through the door.

Nor did he hear the soft "Minseok." that called out for him. He leaned his head against the wall and fought off the tears, blurred sight, he frantically wiped them away. It wasn't until he felt a hand on his shoulder did he realized someone entered the room.

Through the tears, he could make out Luhan, but through the tears, he didn't give a care. So when Luhan wrapped his arms around him and cradled him between his legs, he didn't mind being babied for once.

"It's hard isn't it."

And Minseok nodded as tears streamed down his face.

"It's always going to be hard, there are going to be times worse than this where you'll want to quit and die."

Minseok continued to listen, cries lowered to an occasional sniffle as he rest his head against Luhan's broad chest.

"But I'm always here for you. We are all always here for each other. Right now, it may not seem like we're a family, but even families fight."

Minseok barely noticed how his hands grasped at Luhan's shirt in a desperate plea, he closed his eyes and willed for Luhan to continue.

"I love you Minseok, and I'll always be here, so don't cry alone ok? Don't cry without someone to comfort you, don't cry without me to comfort you."

A kiss to his temple, a simple gesture, not meant to be romantic but in that moment it meant the world to Minseok. They sat there, listening to the aircondition wir and the echoing footsteps down the hall once in a while. But other than that, the silent steady breathing of Minseok and Luhan filled the room.

"You won't ever leave right?"

Minseok looked up, dried tears covered his face and his eyes were puffy from the cry. Luhan smiled, eyes crinkling, and gave another kiss to his temple.

"Never, I promise."

That night Minseok fell asleep against Luhan in the practice room. Luhan carried him back to the dorm and tucked him in, sitting against the foot of the bed. He sat there in silence, listening to the soft sounds of Minseok's breathing. He wanted to cry too. He was also at his limit. But, he had to be strong, strong for the group, for himself and for Minseok.

He had to be strong is what he told himself when he left. When he clenched his fist in anger and cursed himself for being weak.

"You promised, Luhan."

Luhan wanted to cry and die, Minseok didn't deserve this, but so didn't he right? He was strong enough for too long. He was strong enough for too many.

How long has it been since he saw Kim Minseok cry? Was it during their trainee days? Was it during a filming? When? Little did he know, or remember the promise made on that fateful day, passed the anger, the hatred, he didn't remember, and he never will.

"I don't know what you're talking about Minseok, just, just stop crying ok? That's not going to make me stay. Goodbye."

When warms arms wrapped around Luhan from behind and tears stained his back, he paused and closed his eyes, engraving the memory into his mind.

"Please. Don't go. You said you'd never leave."

And it hurt hearing those words from him. Did he promise? It's been so long, so much has happened that he couldn't recall.

"I'm sorry Minseok."

A kiss to his temple, that familiar simple gesture that meant the entire galaxy to him. Then he was gone. And Minseok cried once more, confidence diminished with a mere goodbye.

"Hyung. Don't cry, I'm here."

And once again, Minseok was way in too deep to notice Jongdae in Luhan's exact position from many years back.

9:00 pm, SM practice room, after a very long day, a very long year that deserved a cry.

"I'm here."

And Minseok prayed that those words were genuine, he prayed that Jongdae meant it, he prayed and hoped and most of all he cried.

"I'm here."