That night, Leo stayed up once again to wait for N to come home from filming. He was starting to become seriously worried

for him. The events in the bathroom that day had really shaken Leo and he was worried not only for N’s physical health but also

his mental health. He knew the two youngest in their group were part of the problem but he felt as if there was more to it that he

hadn’t noticed yet. Or maybe it was just the cumulation of all the stress of promotions and lack of rest that was the cause of the

problem…but it wasn’t like this was their first promotion period, they’d had multiple and yet this was the first time anything like this

had happened with N. Leo didn’t know what to think but he was determined to talk to N about it when he returned even if he tried

to brush it off or change the subject. At around two in the morning, N finally returned looking just as exhausted as he had the day

before. 

“N,” Leo greeted, standing up from the couch and approaching his leader, “We need to talk.”

N looked up from taking off his shoes and a slightly nervous look settled on his face as he gave a little nod, too tired to argue with

Leo. Leo turned and lead the way back to the couch, listening to N’s shuffling footsteps following behind him. A full minute of

silence passed as they sat on the couch, Leo staring at N and N staring at his hands.

“N…” Leo trailed off for a moment, noticing N stiffen at the sound of his name, “Is there something going on?”

“What do you mean?” N asked and Leo noticed him anxiously digging at his palms with his fingernails again.

“Well for one, you threw up and had a panic attack several hours ago,” Leo started and N gnawed at his lip nervously, “You barely

eat. You barely sleep even when you’re given the opportunity to. You’re so exhausted that you fainted several nights ago. You’re

avoiding the cameras like the plague and you barely talk when you’re finally caught by the PDs…”

N shifted uncomfortably as Leo trailed off, his unspoken question hanging in the air, ‘What’s wrong?’  Several minutes passed by

in silence, N refusing to look up from his hands. Leo sighed in frustration.

“Hakyeon,” N looked up as Leo leaned forward, firmly taking his hands and uncurling the fingers to stop him from doing further

damage to his already irritated palms, “Does this have something to do with Hongbin and Hyuk?”

Leo knew immediately from the look he received that he was right even as N shook his head.

“No…”

“Hakyeon, I’ve noticed it,” He felt N try to pull his hands away but kept his grip on them, clutching them harder as he continued,

“They’re hurting you and yet you do nothing about it. Why is that?”

“Why do you care? No one else seems to.” N murmured, staring down at their hands.

“Hakyeon, you know that’s not true,” Leo said taken aback by N’s statement, “All the members care about you, our managers care

about you.. Starlights care too.”

N only shook his head, refusing to say anything. After several minutes of waiting for an answer, Leo realized his leader wasn’t

going to tell him anything. He sighed in frustration and looked at the clock, it was almost two thirty now.

“Hakyeon, look at me,” Leo started, waiting until N made eye contact before continuing, “Whatever you’re going through right now,

I want you to know that you can come to me at any time. I care.”

He made sure to emphasize his last two words. N nodded, looking down again as Leo let go of his hands and stood up from the

couch. He felt N’s eyes follow him as he made his way into the bedroom. He suspected N wouldn’t be sleeping in the room tonight

and he was right. Some time before Leo fell asleep curled up next to Ken, he heard the shuffling footsteps of his leader and the

rustle of blankets as he took his bedding from the room to the couch, the door closing behind him with a soft click.