I think we are like stars. Something happens to burst us open; but when we burst open and we think we are dying; we are actually turning into a supernova. And then we look at ourselves again, we see that we're suddenly more beautiful than we ever were before. 

-C.Joybell.C 

Light. 

As Luhan opened his eyes and escaped from the darkness which had clouded his mind, he almost wished that he could go back. The light blinded his vision and turned everything blurry. He closed his eyes again, wanting nothing but to fall back into the comforting darkness again. 

Trying once again, he opened his eyes and tried to focus his vision. As his vision finally decided to work together with him, he was greeted by a sight he really hadn't expected.  

Xiumins face was above him, not looking at him but staring straight ahead. And only now did Luhan feel the soft touch of fingers slowly treading through his hair. 

And all he could do was stare, because the way that the light from the window behind them illuminated Xiumins' skin was truly breathtaking. It was like his whole being was glowing. 

"Like a star..."  

Luhan didn't realize that he had whispered his thought aloud before it was too late.  

Xiumin turned his head to look down at him, shocked, before giving Luhan a sofy smile. 

"You awake now? I thought we were going to have to sleep at school tonight". 

Luhan turned his head, and indeed, they were still at school. But they were not in the nurse's office as he had first thought, but in the music-room.  

"Why....?" 

"Aaah you're wondering why we're here? After I...found you in the bathroom I realized that you probably didn't want the nurse to find out so..." 

"Why? Why didn't you tell anyone?" 

"Because I didn't want to do anything against your will. I want you to be able to trust me, not having to fear that I'll spread your secret to everyone". 

Luhan almost felt like crying, because what had he ever done to deserve someone like Xiumin? Sweet, oh so lovely, Xiumin, who had done nothing but being nice and friendly to him since day one. 

And what had he done himself? He had lied to his friend. Straight up lied to his face, instead of putting his trust in him like he should've. 

"Luhan... I-I don't want to pressure you into telling me anything, but I'd be lying if I told you that I didn't want to know. When I saw you back there... I didn't want to believe my eyes..." 

-Flashback- 

Xiumin waited patiently for Luhan to come back from the bathroom, feeling excited about being able to treat Luhan to something outside of school for the first time.  

"What's with that goofy smile of yours? Waiting for your lover-boy again?" 

Looking up, he was met by D.O's dark eyes, looking at him with amusement clearly showing in the black orbs.  

"And what's it to you if I am? Where is that boyfriend of yours anyway? Shouldn't you be kissing in a corner far away from the teachers by now?" 

D.O just scoffed at him, but smirked at him none the less. 

"At least I have someone to kiss and be lovey-dovey with. When are you going to confess to your little angel anyway? I'm tired of hearing you swoon about him every day". 

Xiumin blushed scarlet at D.O's words, but managed to reply anyway. 

"And you think I'd swoon any less about him if he were my boyfriend? Please, you and Kei are evidence enough that things like that just doesn't happen". 

"Hey we aren't that bad. And his name is Kai, KAI! K-A-I!" 

"Yes, yes you already told me how to spell his name like a hundred times already. I don't think his name is going to appear in a spelling-bee anytime soon". 

Face-palming himself and wondering how he ended up with this boy as a best friend, D.O then told his goodbye and scurried off to find his (tall) boyfriend. 

Xiumin watched him run of in amusement, before deciding that he'd better take a trip to the bathroom as well. Heading for the same bathroom Luhan went to a couple of minutes ago, he entered and stopped in front of the mirror to fix his hair for a moment. 

That's when he heard an extremely unpleasant sound. It was the sound of someone choking and wheezing for air, and Xiumin's immediate first reaction was that someone was having some sort of medical-attack in one of the stalls. Finding the stall where the sound was coming from, he swung up the door, only to be greeted by the most horrible sight he could've ever imagined. 

In front of him was no one else but Luhan, bending over the toilet-bowl, two fingers down his own throat, emptying his own stomach like there was no tomorrow. Xiumin was almost sure he could see some blood leaving Luhan's mouth as well.  

At that moment Luhan turned ariund to look at him, eyes wide and filled with som many emotions that Xiumin had no chance in counting all of them.  

"L-luhan?" 

He felt like choking, just like Luhan had on his own fingers seconds ago. 

"Why? Were you...?" 

He felt stupid for asking, but maybe there was a small part of him hoping that Luhan would laugh at him and tell him that he as faking, that it was all just a sick joke. And Xiumin would cry and hit his small fists at Luhan's chest and cry and laugh and tell him that he hated him, even though he really didn't.  

But this wasn't a joke. Luhan was really there in front of him, and this was reality. 

And just as he was about to ask Luhan about it once again, the boy in front of him fell to the floor. 

"LUHAN!" 

He knelt down and brought Luhan's petite head into his lap, screaming at him and begging for him to wake up and look at him with those beautiful eyes he had loved since the moment they first met. He  Luhans' hair, hysteric tears falling down his face onto the younger boy benteath him , who looked so fragile that it hurt. 

Understanding that they couldn't stay here, he gently lifted Luhan into his arms, making sure his head was supported securely in the crook of his neck.  

As he made his way down the hallways, which luckily were empty since school had ended for most of the students and the ones who were still there were already in class, he suddenly realized something.  

Taking Luhan to the nurse's office didn't seem like a very good idea. Luhan had already lied to him about this, so surely he wouldn't want anyone else to find out.  

Thinking hard about his options, he decided that it was probably for the best if he took Luhan to an empty classroom while waiting for him to wake up.  

He was in luck. Music classes were over for today, so he didn't have to worry about anybody finding them there. Going inside, he closed the door with his foot before sitting sown by the far wall, Luhan's head in his lap.  

He began to  Luhans' hair ever so gently, treading his fingers through the blonde locks.  

Looking down at the angelic boy in his lap he wondered why he hadn't noticed sooner. How could he have been so blind? Luhan had already shown signs since day one when he didn't want to eat lunch. And someone with diabetes who didn't take care of there blood-sugar at all but were still fine and going to school? No way. 

Silently, he let his own tears fall. He cried for Luhan, who must have dealt with so many tough things in his still short life to become like this. And he cried for his own ignorance, and how he hadn't even been there to help the person he had come to love more than himself. 

-End of flashback- 

"Y-you have no idea how scared I was. How much I wanted you to just laugh at me and tell me that you were faking and just joking with me. I begged for you to wake up. I told you that if you'd just wake up and look at me I wouldn't be mad at you even if your joke was cruel. I... I..." 

By now Xiumin was sobbing, tears rapidly falling onto Luhan's face. And Luhan just looked up at Xiumin in shock, because never in a million years had he expected the boy to react like this. He had expected Xiumin to be disgusted, shout at him and tell Luhan to get out of his sight and never talk to him again. But here Xiumin was, crying, and it made him feel even worse knowing he was the cause of it. 

Sitting up, he leaned against the wall next to Xiumin and brought the boy in for a hug. The other latched on to him desperately, as if to make sure that Luhan was still there with him. 

And Luhan whispered apologies into Xiumin's ear, millions of them , hoping that it'd be enough for Xiumin to forgive him for his own selfishness.  

When Xiumin was finally done crying, and his sobs turned into small sniffles, he detached himself from Luhan and just looked at the other boy, millions of questions swimming in his eyes. 

"How long Luhan? How long have you been doing that?" 

Luhan stayed quiet, looking down at his own hands. 

But Xiumin was having none of it, grabbing Luhan's chin and forcing him to look at him. 

"Just tell me damn it! Why Luhan, why?! Why would you do something like that?!" 

"Because I wanted to be enough!" 

"Enough for what?!" 

"I don't know! Enough for my parents to finally see that their only son isn't a good-for-nothing as they've always believed? Enough for people not to call me names and hit me every time I walk passed them? Enough for someone to love me...?" 

Now it was Luhan's turn to cry, big fat tears rolling sown his cheeks. 

"I always wondered why people hated me so much. Then I saw a fat kid being bullied, jut like me. And it was then that I realized, that I must be like that too. People didn't like me because I weighed so much, so maybe they'd like me if I wasn't fat anymore. And maybe my parents would like me too, and stop hitting me every day... And stop swearing at me as soon as I came home from school..." 

Xiumin sat there in shock, and could only stare at the crying boy in front of him. He had no idea that Luhan's life had been so bad. Oh how he wanted to find the people who bullied Luhan and beat them into pulps, before finding Luhan's parents and tell them how much of a wonderful person Luhan was, and how much love he deserved. 

"But they'll always hate me no matter what I do... They probably still hate me in death". 

"What did you say Luhan?" 

"My-my parents are dead. My dad died from an overdose of drugs and alcohol about three months ago and my mum took her own life a couple of days later. She hit me so bad, yelling at me, saying that it was my fault my dad had been so stressed lately. That it was my fault for being such a pathetic son... So after they died, I had to move out from our old house and live with relatives. But they hate me just as much as my parents. And they're going to kick me out next month". 

"B-but they can't do that? They're your relatives and you're a minor!"  

"They don't care about that... They just want to get rid of me. They think I'm some sort of a curse or something. They're afraid that if I live with the, they'll die too. The beat me up for two hours after my cousin fell down the stairs, saying it was my fault it happened". 

"How dare they...? But Luhan, where are you going to move when they kick you out?!" 

"I-I don't know. I'll have to drop out of school and work to pay rent for a small apartment I guess... Until then I'll just sleep where there is shelter". 

It only took a quarter of a second for Xiumin to make a decision. 

"No". 

"No?" 

"There is now you're going to live on the streets, or drop out of school. Not if I can help it. You're going to move in with me, and then we're going to ask for a study-loan so that you can continue with your studies. And we're going to inform the police  about those relatives of yours alright?" 

Never had Xiumin felt so determined in his entire life. There was no way that he'd let Luhan live a life like that just because of his family. Not as long as he was here to help. 

"B-but I can't just move in with you. What about your parents? I'm sure they'll hate having me there. And I don't have the money to lose a case if the court decides so..." 

"There is no way that any law would allow the way your relatives treat you, I can assure you that. And I live alone. Me and my parents are on very good terms, don't worry about that, but I've always wanted to live on my own so I moved out before this semester begun. That's why it's me, and me alone, who can decide who moves in with me. And that person is going to be you. Tomorrow". 

"T-tomorrow?! B-but I don't even have the money to pay you with yet!" 

"Money? Pay me? Who said anything about you paying me? At the moment, my parents are paying for my apartment and all there is to it, and in the future I plan on paying it with the money I've saved up from part-time jobs. And by then I'll probably be working and earning my own money. So you'll never have to worry about payment. If you do feel like it, maybe I'll allow you to pay me when you get a full-time job." 

"B-but it'll take years before I have a full time job, in case I finish school that is. I can't live with you for that long." 

"Of course you can silly! You're my friend, and I won't let you move out until I'm absolutely sure you'll be able to handle yourself. and even after that I'll continue to check up on you no matter what. Call me overprotective, but this is me. Take it, or leave it." 

By now Luhan was sniffling silently, expressing his gratitude through his tears.  

Xiumin just gave him a soft smile, embracing the boy as he understood that nobody had ever done something like this for Luhan before. It was all too much for him to take in, coming from a background with bullying and abuse where nobody had ever cared about him. 

"But you got to promise me one thing Luhan." 

"W-what is it?" 

"That you'll let me help you get better. No more doing that to yourself okay?" 

"Xiumin I-I can't. I have to do it. It's the only piece of control I have left in my life. Only by doing that I can become good enough, or else you'll leave me when you realize how worthless I am." 

"No Luhan. You can have control in your life without doing that and I'm here to help you. You won't become worthless, you'll become healthy. If you continue like this I'm afraid I'll find you dead in a corner somewhere one day, and I don't want either of us to live in the fear of that happening." 

Luhan remained quiet and continued to cry silently, rubbing his hands at his own eyes in order to try and stop the stubborn tears. 

"Please Luhan, please. Move in with me. We'll get through this together. I promise you that evrything will be alright. Just... please." 

XIumin knew how desperate he sounded, but it had to be done if it helped making Luha understand how serious he was about this. 

"Y-you promise me I won't become worthless? You won't leave me?" 

Xiumin's heart ached at how broken and small Luhan sounded. 

"I promise you Luhan. I'll never leave you even if you want me to. We'll get through this. You can get a whole new view of life this way. Just let me help you okay?" 

The silence that followed seemed to stretch on forever, until Luhan spoke. 

"Okay." 

A/N: Another chapter finally done!  

I've been writing most of this at school when I had nothing else to do, but school is actually where I write most of my stories. I just forget to do it at home... 

Hope you enjoyed, and I'll write again soon!