"I expect you to stay right here, Oh Sehun!"

Suho shut the doori firmly with a stern look at him.

Sehun just looked away angrily, tears prickling at his eyes. He hated Suho. He hated his Hyungs. He hated everything. He swiped his arm hastily over his glistening eyes, reminding himself that he wouldn't cry. Grown ups didn't cry, especially boys. He scowled at the door.

He had 'borrowed' Luhan's soccer ball, and had lied to Baekhyun that Luhan had let him take it and go to the park, alone. The younger ones were never allowed to go outside alone. Sehun hated that rule. They weren't five! Apparently, Lay had reported that he had seen Sehun go out alone to Suho, and Suho had questioned every member. Of course, Baekhyun and Luhan were confused. Luhan claimed that he had never let Sehun take his precious soccer ball, and Baekhyun had just said that Sehun had told him that Luhan had let him.

So, Suho had found out that he had lied, stormed over to the park, grabbed Sehun and had dragged him back home. Suho had scolded Sehun something fierce for over twenty minutes about how dangerous the world was, especially since because he was a celebrity - and had a chance of being mobbed by fangirls.

FLASHBACK

"Do you know how dangerous that was, Oh Sehun?" Suho shouted angrily.

"There was no one around me! I was alone!" Sehun yelled back.

"And that's exactly the point! You-"

"Oh, so it would have been better if I had been surrounded by a mob of fangirls-"

"Don't you get smart with me, young man!" Suho hissed, eyes flashing. Sehun just scowled. "The next time you do something like that, you'll be grounded for a two months!"

"Uh huh?" Sehun sneered. "And what about now? Two weeks? Three?"

"What a nice suggestion, maknae," Suho snapped back silkily. "Let's settle for three weeks this time."

Sehun huffed and glared at Suho. "You can't stop me. We have schedules."

"And after the schedules, you'll come down for dinner, then go straight back to your room. In the mornings, you will be only allowed out of the room - don't you dare even step on the balcony. You'll come down for breakfast, eat, wash up and go to schedules if there are any. The moment we come back home, you'll be grounded again!" Suho crossed his arms.

Sehun gaped. "You can't be serious."

"Oh, really?" Suho raised an eyebrow. "Try me."

Sehun gulped. "You can't a-actually g-g-ground ..."

"Oh, yes, I can! Watch me!" Suho stormed over to the door, said, "I expect you to stay right here, Oh Sehun!"

Then he had shut the door.

End of Flashback

And that was what had happened. Sehun put his head in his hands, feeling the tears come. Suho probably hated him. He had never seen the leader so angry. No matter how fuming Suho had been, he had always calmed himself down before scolding them. He had never yelled like this before.

To his dismay, he felt tears begin to trickle down. They turned into quiet sobs, his body racking with his heartbreaking sobs. He heard the door open, but he didn't look up. It was Suho, he knew it. He could tell by the quiet breathing. It seemed he had calmed a bit.

Sehun hoped, just a little bit, that maybe Suho had come to apologize for being so harsh. Maybe he would hug him, gently scold him a bit more, talk, then get this over with. But all he heard was a cold voice, saying, "Get yourself together. We're having dinner in ten minutes."

Then the door closed again.

**********

All Kris heard was the sound of quiet sobbing resume. He sighed, got up and quietly headed over to the maknae's bedroom. He opened the doori quietly, and stared silently at the sobbing form of Sehun. He sighed again, shut the door and walked over to Sehun to put his arm around his shoulder comfortingly.

Sehun accepted the warmth, leaning into the comfortable embrace. Kris just the maknae's ruffled, windswept hair thoughtfully.

"Does he hate me?"

It was in such a quiet and low, whispery voice that Kris almost didn't catch it. "What? Who?"

"S-Suho Hyung," Sehun hiccuped.

"Of course not," Kris said. He patted Sehun's back and lifted the tall teen onto his lap. Sehun just buried his face into Kris' chest, seeking comfort.

"He was so mad at m-me," Sehun murmured sadly. "Did I really do something that bad?"

"He cares for you," was all Kris said.

"He hates me," Sehun sniffled.

Kris just wiped away the youngest member's tears and patted his head again thoughtfully. Sehun was not quite at the stage where he had reached adulthood, but he was not quite a child either. He was at the stage of awkwardness, the stage where they got rebellious, thinking that everything that they said was correct.

Kris understood Sehun's feelings. After all, he had experienced it as well.

"Can you say sorry to him for me?" Sehun sniffled.

Kris looked down, surprised. "Why don't you say it yourself?"

"Because he d-doesn't want to talk to me," Sehun whispered. "I told you, he's mad at me. He doesn't like me anymore." He leaned against Kris. "I'm a failure, aren't I, Hyung? I messed up a perfectly good day."

"Hey, hey, no talking like that," Kris scolded quietly. "You're not a failure, you're perfectly fine."

"Come down for dinner!" D.O's voice trailed all the way upstairs.

"All right!" Kris called back. He stood Sehun up. "Let's go, maknae." He ruffled Sehun's hair.

Sehun just plopped down on his bed and murmured, "I'll be there in a moment."

"Very well," Kris concluded reluctantly. "Hurry."

Kris came downstairs, ignoring Suho's questioning glare and sat down at the table. Lay, Luhan, Tao, Baekhyun and Chanyeol were already at the table, waiting for the others.

"Where's Jonginnie?" Kris asked, tapping his fingers on the table.

"Recording some show," D.O. said as he came downstairs. "He'll come home in about an hour or so."

Kris gave a nod. He narrowed his eyes when Sehun didn't come down, glancing at the clock that ticked steadily on. Even Kai came home, saying that recording had finished early. "Joonmyun-ah," Kris said.

Suho looked up, tense.

"Go and give Sehunnie his dinner. It's getting cold. I suppose he doesn't want to come and eat with us." Kris met Suho's eyes.

Suho just scowled and took Sehun's plate and went upstairs.

"Is it smart sending Suho Hyung?" Chen asked hesitantly.

"Did something happen?" Kai asked with a frown. D.O. began to explain quietly while Kris waited, tapping his fingers once more and listening carefully.

Kris jumped up from his seat and rushed upstairs when he heard yelling. He opened the door and shut it behind him.

Suho was standing, red-faced with anger while Sehun sat on his bed, biting his lip and looking upset. "Joonmyun-ah!" Kris scolded. "Enough!" He pulled Suho back, who was breathing heavily. "You go to my room and calm down!"

Suho just turned and stormed away.

Kris walked over to the sobbing Sehun, and patted his back with a sigh. "Shhh." He put a hand comfortingly on Sehun's head and patted his hair. "Shhh, maknae. You'll be fine. You won't die."

"I t-told you he doesn't l-like me!"

"No, he likes you," Kris said with a sigh. "Suho is just ... confused and stressed right now." He knelt down and said, "I'm going to go deal with him."

"Don't leave me," Sehun sniffed. "Please?"

Kris bit his lip thoughtfully. He doubted that Suho would stay quietly in the room if he didn't deal with him quickly. "How about I call Luhan and you can eat dinner with him here? How does that sound?"

"Good," Sehun smiled.

Soon, Luhan was on Sehun's bed with him, eating dinner. Sehun looked far more relaxed. Kris left the room and headed toward his own, where Suho was waiting. His stomach growled he ruefully thought, I have to finish this quickly so we can all end this peacefully and eat.

Suho was on Kris' bed, scowling down at his hands, but he looked a little bit more regretful than he had before. Suho looked up when Kris entered. "Kris," he began, but Kris interrupted him.

"It's Hyung to you at the moment."

Suho gasped. His cheeks flushed and he stammered, "Kris ... Kris H-Hyung, you said you wouldn't ... you said we wouldn't ... last time ..."

"I said we'll see," Kris corrected. "And I see now that we have to do it again." He crossed his arms and shut the door behind him. "Right now, the only authority here is mine. You obey me, understood?"

Suho just stared, pale.

"Well?" Kris raised an eyebrow.

"N-Ne Hyung," Suho whispered.

**********

Suho couldn't believe it. Not again. Kris couldn't. He flinched when Kris pulled up an armless chair. Oh, no. Please. No, no, no, no. Suho gulped.

"Go get the paddle," was all Kris said.

Suho flinched and paled even more. "H-Hyung, the most you u-used was a ruler until now ..." he whispered uncertainly.

"I know." Kris kept eye-contact. "Go and get it. It's in the top left drawer."

Suho hesitated before slowly and quietly stepping toward the drawer. He pulled out a wooden, firm paddle and held it, staring down at it. It was going to hurt. It would hurt. "Hyung, p-please ..." He trailed off at the look on Kris' face.

"Bend over."

"Bare?" Suho whispered.

Kris just frowned thoughtfully for a moment. Suho gulped. "I suppose I'll let you keep your boxers on this time," Kris said slowly. "But trousers down."

Suho took a shaky breath in before slowly and carefully putting himself over Kris' lap. It was rare he got smacked like one of the younger ones. And it was only done by Kris. Normally, the two leaders would have equality amongst each other, but in cases like this ... only Kris' authority counted. And Suho hated it. But he had to admit, he knew how the younger ones felt - safe. No matter how much they hated the process of their backsides getting tanned, they liked the results afterward. The hugs, the apologies, the forgiveness. The safeness they felt.

Suho often longed for it too, but he had to remind himself that he was the leader. He was the leader, he couldn't show weakness in front of everyone. He was the leader, everyone looked up to him, he-

"Ow!" Suho hissed, jerking violently when Kris cracked down the paddle. It stung. A lot. Suho gulped down his cries and buried his face in his arms, quivering. Kris showed no mercy. He smacked down. And down. And down.

Suho felt himself begin to break, but he quickly held himself together again. He couldn't cry. He was the leader.

"Are you thinking about what you did wrong?"

"Yes," Suho lied quickly.

SWAT!

"No lying," was all Kris said.

Kris knew him too well. Suho just inhaled shakily, trying to calm himself down. He felt himself begin to break again. He clenched his teeth together and his hands in a fist.

"You're lucky I'm not using my belt on you! It's what my father would have done!" Kris said sternly. He whapped Suho's backside again with the paddle. Suho gasped, flinching.

"Ow," he whimpered.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" Kris said firmly, swatting him again. "Are you sorry?"

Suho just bent down lower. He felt Kris put a hand on his head, pausing in the paddling. "What was that?"

"I'm not sorry," Suho growled out, kicking the ground.

"You're not?" Kris whapped him again.

"OW!" Suho hissed again. "I ... I'm not sorry!" he spat out. To his dismay, he felt a tear drop. With a sharp gasp, he hid his face and wiped away the tears that began to flow.

"You can cry, you know," Kris said softly, pausing once more. He patted Suho's quivering back. "I won't judge."

"I ... I can't c-cry," Suho said through gritted teeth. "I'm the leader."

"Everyone needs help sometimes, Joonmyun-ah," was all Kris said. "Even you."

Suho just shuddered.

**********

"This is from stress, isn't it?" Kris prompted. "You were stressed out because of the busy schedules and your duties as a leader, weren't you? It's tiring, isn't it?"

"M-Maybe," Suho said uncertainly, still crying.

"It is tiring, I know," Kris said sympathetically. "You saw the maknae getting himself in trouble. You thought, 'this is the perfect time for me to get rid of my stress. By yelling'. And then you took it out on Sehunnie."

Suho just cried.

Kris shook his head sympathetically. He put down the paddle. Suho had had enough. Kris just helped pull up his pants, patting his back. Poor Suho, always having to deal with everything. He just embraced Suho, and to his surprise, the prideful leader let him.

"You're going to apologize to Sehunnie," Kris said quietly.

"All right," Suho sniffled. "Ne, Hyung."

"It's Kris," Kris corrected. He smiled.

Suho smiled back and headed to the washroom to erase all trace of crying.

Kris just shook his head wearily. He sighed, hearing the water splash as Suho washed his face. Everyone needed help sometimes. Even Suho. And Kris would always be there to help him.

**********

What does he think of me now? Suho thought sadly. He had messed up everything. Sehunnie probably hated him now.

"He doesn't hate you," Kris said quietly, reading Suho's thoughts. "In fact, he's worried that you hate him."

Suho raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Go and apologize," Kris whispered, and Suho knocked on the door.

"Come in," came Sehun's flat, sad voice.

Suho winced before opening the door. Sehun looked up in surprise. Then he saw Kris behind Suho. "Do you need something, Hyunng?" he asked, not meeting Suho's eyes.

Suho took a deep breath. "I'm here to apologize."

Sehun frowned. "To who?"

"You." Suho met the maknae's soft gaze.

"Me?" Sehun whispered.

Suho nodded.

"Do you ..." Sehun looked at the leader tearfully. "Do you not like me?"

Suho just said, "I don't like you."

Sehun began to tear up, when Suho said, "I love you, Sehun-ah. You're precious to me."

Sehun turned and sobbed in Suho's shoulder. Kris watchd with satisfaction. He gave a nod to Suho, who gave a small nod back. They were equals again. And everything was settled. Hopefully.

**********

Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who read this! Please comment, subscribe, etc. Thanks to those who called me by the title 'authornim'. Its an honour to be called by that name. Please comment this time too! And requests/ideas/feedback are welcome! I hope Kris wasn't too harsh on Suho :) Thanks!