A/N:  I wanted to just jump into things so I randomly picked a request and went at it! I hope I did your idea justice... I tried my best to follow your idea anyways. This was requested by NikePineapple (Kyungsoo is comforted by everyone after a rough awards show ft. special cameo by yixing) Enjoy! <3

“It goes down, down, baby!” Jongdae, Baekhyun, and Chanyeol sang joyfully together as they walked clustered next to each other ahead of the rest of the group. A shiny trophy was waved around dangerously in the hands of a certain Byun Baekhyun, who seemed to be almost in a delirious mood. 

The Mnet Awards ceremony had just ended, evident with the members still pulling out pieces of colorful confetti that littered their hair like decorative accessories. Despite a somewhat disappointing end to the night, the group still found comfort in each other and the members were more than happy to change out of their stuffy suits and relax with jokes, good food, and the company of each other. 

 That is, all of them but one member. 

Kyungsoo was lingering more toward the back of the group as they weaved their way backstage, just slightly behind Minseok, but close enough that he could reach out with one hand and grab at the older member’s suit jacket.  

At the touch, Minseok looked over his shoulder with curious eyes staring at the top of Kyungsoo’s head, seeing as it was hanging dejectedly with his eyes cast down toward the floor. 

“Huh? What’s wrong, Soo?” Minseok immediately asked quietly, gently prying Kyungsoo’s hand from his jacket and bringing his other arm around his shoulders. Minseok and Kyungsoo were alike in the fact that neither really enjoyed drawing attention to themselves when it wasn’t necessary. Concerned, Minseok tried to keep his voice down, but loud enough that Kyungsoo could still hear him.

“I-” Kyungsoo starts, and just barely raises his head, but it’s enough for Minseok to see that he’s holding back tears, and they’re pooling in his eyes, with his lower lashes just barely holding on to keep them in. 

“Hey, it’s ok. Tell me later, don’t worry about it,” Minseok assures him, when it’s clear that Kyungsoo won’t be able to carry a conversation. A million thoughts are going through his head trying to figure out the cause of his fellow group member’s pain, everything from an injury to family problems. But it doesn’t seem like Kyungsoo’s hurt anywhere, and he hadn’t checked his phone all night, so there would’ve been no way to receive news about anything. Kyungsoo was one of the strongest members of EXO, always ready to put on a brave face and never crying about anything, so to see him so on the verge of breaking down put an unsettling shiver down Minseok’s back. 

They made their way to the dressing room like that, with Minseok protectively steering Kyungsoo with his arm. The rest of the members are already letting out groans of exasperation, so glad to loosen their ties and wipe away the glitter around their eyes and take out their colored contacts. There’s so much going on with the other five members and their staff that no one really notices Minseok and Kyungsoo just hanging out in a corner of the room, Minseok rubbing circles around Kyungsoo’s back as the latter just sniffles sadly. 

 Minseok’s been holding his breath since they had gotten away from the commotion in order to give Kyungsoo some space, but he’s still worried about him and wants to know what’s up. 

“Hey, what’s wrong? You can tell me, you know that?” Minseok assures while handing Kyungsoo a tissue. 

The vocalist gently takes the paper and stares at it sitting limply in his hand for a bit when, suddenly, he lets his floodgates down and completely breaks, sobbing his heart out into his hands while Minseok stares in shock with wide eyes. 

The heartbreaking noise of Kyungsoo crying that isn’t from a movie scene is what calls the attention of the other members, and they immediately all gather around like worried mother hens. 

“Kyungsoo? What’s wrong?”

“Hey, it’s ok! Don’t cry, it’s ok! What’s wrong?”

“Hey, hey, someone get some water!”

“Guys! Give him some room, okay?” Minseok raises his voice suddenly, stunning the others into a stupor. Minseok is never one to lose his temper or even yell, so for him to do so shuts the others right up. He wraps Kyungsoo in his arms and lets the other wet the shoulder of his designer suit with tears that just won’t stop. 

Sehun does, however, leave momentarily to come back with a bottle of water that he silently places next to Kyungsoo. 

At this point, they’re all sitting in a circle on the floor like some haphazard pow wow circle. The members are all half- dressed and still in the process of changing, so Junmyeon’s got a hoodie and Gucci slacks on, Baekhyun has black makeup smeared across his eyes like some poor attempt at bringing back 2007 makeup looks, and Jongin’s wearing his expensive suit jacket over his pajamas, although no one’s quite sure why he changed into them instead of normal clothes.  

It takes about ten minutes for Kyungsoo to start crying and calm down enough that Minseok feels it’s safe to let him sit up by himself and not hunched over his shoulder. At some point during the whole process, Kyungsoo had moved and situated himself right into Minseok’s lap, but neither seem to mind. Kyungsoo’s still sniffling and there’s about twenty tissues littering the floor around him, but Minseok thinks it’s okay to ask him what’s wrong without having to break out another tissue box. 

“Feeling better?” He asks tentatively and the other man nods slowly. 

“Sorry guys,” he says quietly, and although the other members are already furrowing their eyebrows and shaking their heads no, he adds, “I just feel like. Like I’ve really disappointed you guys.” 

Every single one of them has on a confused face and are silently looking around the circle at each other to see if anyone has any clue what Kyungsoo’s talking about, but the only things exchanged are blank stares. 

“Disappointed us? How?” Baekhyun asks. Kyungsoo bites his lips and stares at his hands folded in his lap, suddenly looking nervous and fidgety. Minseok notices him suddenly tensing and envelopes him in a hug, encouraging him to keep talking. 

“I know you guys are disappointed. I could tell during the awards,” he explains and there’s a slightly bitter look on some of the members’ faces, although they all smile back at Kyungsoo. 

“Kyungsoo- ah, of course we’re a little disappointed, right?” Chanyeol says, looking around, “But it doesn’t really matter. It’s one awards show, one time, one title. It’s not like we’re going home empty- handed!” He’s seated right next to Kyungsoo and Minseok so he reaches out and pats Kyungsoo’s arm. “Why would you ever think you’re to blame for anything? 

“Because I am!” Kyungsoo yells and his voice breaks at the end, silencing everyone again. Suddenly breathing heavy again in an attempt to control his already falling tears, Minseok tightens his hug and rests his cheek on Kyungsoo’s shoulder, rocking them both gently. 

Kyungsoo takes a few deep breaths to control his breathing and he places a wad of tissue right against his eyes to soak up the tears before he musters up the strength to speak again. 

 “I am,” he says sadly. “I was so busy this year trying to balance our Korean and Japanese albums and with the three movies I was involved in and it just… it seems like I could’ve made it work if I had tried a little harder.” 

“Tried harder?” This time it’s Jongdae’s incredulous voice that speaks up as he give a little laugh and smiles at Kyungsoo. “Kyungsoo, you probably worked the hardest out of all of us here! There’s no reason for you to be sorry about things you can’t control. 

“He’s right, Soo,” Minseok says and gives a small smile when Kyungsoo turns to look at him with furrowed eyebrows.

“Hyung, I’ve never once blamed you, or any of the members, for that matter. For anything,” Jongin chimes in and several of them nod in agreeance. 

Finally, for what seems like the first time in an eon, Kyungsoo breaks out into the tiniest smile. 

“Thanks. It’s just hard when it feels like you’re the one screwing up the schedules and dragging everyone behind,” Kyungsoo says softly. 

Minseok scoffs and hugs Kyungsoo again. “Of course not. Never.” 

Kyungsoo smiles again and relaxes in Minseok’s hold. “I just wish Lay hyung could’ve been here too. I wish all of us could be together.” 

Baekhyun and Junmyeon exchange a look and Baekhyun’s already smiling mischievously as he pulls out his phone, no doubt to bombard their Chinese member with texts and phone calls. 

It takes only a few minutes before Baekhyun’s scooting up to Kyungsoo with his phone, the screen blurry before it focuses on a certain Chinese member. 

“Lay hyung? Yixing?” Kyungsoo says incredulously and he’s suddenly sitting back up, taking Baekhyun’s phone in shock. The Chinese member seems to have a lighter color hair than he remembers last seeing, but apart from that, everything seems to be the same.  

“Congratulations, you guys! I already heard the news. Didn’t have any doubt you guys would be bringing back more hardware. I miss you all a lot,” Yixing says and smiles widely, a grin so infectious that Kyungsoo can’t help but smile back. He’s missed Yixing. 

“What are you doing, hyung?” Kyungsoo asks, and the members all crowd around to see what their friend’s been up to in China. 

“Just trying out some new stuff. I’ve been busy in the studio, making new things. With you guys in mind, of course,” Yixing says and he props his phone up somewhere so they can see him as he messes around on a panel and plays a few beats back to them. 

“Sounds good. As expected of our Yixing hyung,” Baekhyun teases, and the aforementioned rolls his eyes, although he does so as he’s bopping his head and jamming out to his own tunes. 

Yixing says something back, and then the other members are chiming in to give their own two cents about everything, and before Kyungsoo notices, his eyes are sliding shut and he sags in Minseok’s arms. 

Smiling fondly, Minseok carefully adjusts Kyungsoo in his arms, scooping him off the floor like a baby. With the members still chatting with Yixing on the phone, they head off to the company car so they can finally head home after an exhausting day. 

"Shut up, you'll wake him up!"

"You're an idiot."

"Take that back!"

"Ow!"

Kyungsoo blearily opened his eyes at the familiar sound of what was bound to be his group members (i.e: Baekhyun and Chanyeol) squabbling over something trivial. By the looks of the members all wearing casual clothes as they lounged around the room with the long table filled with foods in the middle, he had just fallen asleep for a little bit, maybe a few hours at most, and someone had carried him back into their hotel suite. However, what he didn't expect to see was not seven, but eight members gathered around. 

One who he could have sworn he had just talked to prior to falling asleep. 

"Yi-?"

"It was a surprise! Call it an emergency to celebrate our success together," Yixing laughed and Minseok rubbed Kyungsoo's shoulders as he continued staring in shock, happy tears filling his eyes this time as he took his place at the table with his family.