Simply You

"Seungri ah?" Jiyong whispered as he crept into Seungri's house. As the leader of BIGBANG, he had spare keys to everyone's houses and would occasionally go over to Seungri's or Youngbae's when he couldn't sleep or was too lazy to go back to his own house which was considerably far from the office. No one replied, which was weird considering how loud Seungri usually was. He took off his coat and draped it over the couch. He checked his phone. 2:15 am. That late already? He must have lost track of time while working on his comeback album. "Maybe he's asleep already." Jiyong muttered as he walked to the maknae's room. Light was peeking out from under the door and soft music could be heard from the room. Jiyong was about to open the door when he heard something that broke his heart.

Sniffles. Sobbing. The crunching of paper and a pen being thrown on the table. Seungri was crying, and Jiyong hated it. He hated it so much when Seungri's usual smiling, happy face was damp with tears, mouth pulled into a frown, eyes swollen and puffy. Seungri would cry often during their trainee days. Especially after Hyunseung had been kicked out of the team and Seungri had replaced him. Jiyong and Seungri weren't that close then. But every night, when Jiyong stayed up late to write songs, he would hear soft sobs and cries coming from the room right next to his. The paper-thin walls did little to hide the maknae's crying and weirdly, Jiyong's heart would hurt when he heard them. One night, the crying was very bad. It went on for hours and it was already early in the morning. Jiyong had gotten up from his usual spot at his table and walked over to the maknae's room. It was exactly like now. And then Jiyong recalled why Seungri had been crying so much. He hoped it wasn't the same reason he was crying now.

"Seungri ah. Are you okay? Why are you crying?" Jiyong asked, wrapping an arm around Seungri's shaking form. "Jiyong hyung. D-do you th-think, I'm a-a burden? Tha-that I don't belong he-here?" Seungri asked in between sniffles. "No. You were selected for a reason. Don't ever, ever doubt yourself." Jiyong stated, looking Seungri in the eye. And the sadness he saw in them broke his heart. "Shh, don't cry maknae. Come on, let's go to bed okay? It's late already." Jiyong murmured as he lay Seungri on his bed before pulling the covers over him. Seungri simply complied and lay comfortably before wiping his tears away with his hands. "Thanks hyung. I'm sorry for waking you up." Seungri apologised. "It's okay, you didn't wake me up. Now go to bed, we have to work tomorrow. Goodnight, Seungri." Jiyong whispered as he pet Seungri's head before he got up. However, a hand grabbed his wrist. "Jiyong hyung, can you stay with me for tonight? I can't sleep." Seungri asked shyly. And of course Jiyong agreed. They lay side by side, Seungri curling into Jiyong's arms as they held him. Even though it was cold in the dorm, Jiyong felt warmth blooming in his heart for the first time since he became a trainee. And that was when he unknowingly fell in love with the maknae.

Jiyong fell hard for Seungri. Ever since the incident, he had become protective of the little maknae. Whenever they had to pick partners, he would immediately choose Seungri so he wouldn't feel left out. And maybe he picked him so he could "accidentally" brush their hands against each other. Or he could be just a little closer to him. He unknowingly fell for his cute ways, amazing singing voice and even better attitude. He even liked it when Seungri got mad, because it was simply adorable to see him get angry when the rest bullied him. Then when Seungri got embarrassed because he cried, Jiyong would think he still looked beautiful. One day he finally realised how badly he had fell in love with Seungri. It was when they were doing their usual fan service on stage. When Jiyong walked up to Seungri, it felt like there were only the two of them. No fans, not Youngbae or Daesung nearby cheering, just the two of them. And maybe Seungri felt it too. He had whispered, "Hyung? What's happening to us?" As Jiyong stared into those almond eyes, he felt his heart skip a beat. "I don't know maknae. But I like it this way." He had whispered before he moved into the fake kiss position. Seungri looked at him as if he wanted to say something, but then the cheering of the fans had brought them back to reality and the moment was gone. Jiyong knew he was screwed when he felt his heart skip, because he knew he loved Seungri. And he had loved him ever since. And someway through, Seungri had loved him back.

Seungri had always thought Jiyong was perfect. The perfect idol, loved by everyone - G Dragon.  He had told Jiyong this before. Just how much he looked up to him. How much he wanted to be like him next time. Jiyong had simply smiled and said, "Then you needa move faster Seungri. I'm moving too, so you gotta run to catch up with me." And that was what Seungri did. He ran with all his might, chasing Jiyong and following him. He observed how he worked, how he wrote his songs and produced his beats. There was always a feeling of admiration for his leader. However, there was also something else that he couldn't identify. Until one day, when Jiyong came home to their shared apartment when they lived together, drunk and depressed. He had whined to Seungri in his drunken state, about the troubles he faced and pain he felt. "You always say I'm perfect. But I'm not maknae ah. I'm really not." Jiyong stuttered before he let out a laugh and passed out on the couch. And then Seungri knew what that feeling was, because he was carrying Jiyong into his room and laying him on his bed before tucking him in. He took a minute to stare at Jiyong, really examine his features for awhile. He had facial hair slightly visible now, hair messy and covering his eyes. "But you really are perfect hyung. In every, single, god damn way." The next day when Jiyong woke up, he was hugging a sleeping Seungri close to his chest. He looked around the room, it was his own. His head hurt from his hangover and his throat felt dry, but he snuggled closer to Seungri, breathing in his comforting scent. It reminded Jiyong of home. "Hyung?" Seungri muttered, voice hoarse and low. "Let's go back to sleep. I'm tired." Jiyong said, hugging Seungri tighter. And then Seungri knew he loved Jiyong back, because he was leaning against the warm body behind him and drifting back to sleep, not a worry in his mind.

It never was said between the two of them, but they knew. They understood the hidden affection they had for each other wordlessly. The others knew it too. They would leave the room when it was their "couple" time and always make sure the two were sitting next to each other in interviews or shows. Unless Youngbae had accidentally interfered and he would get a chiding by Seunghyun. It was obvious really. How much they liked each other. Those fan service acts weren't all for show. Jiyong felt complete when he met Seungri. They let themselves fall in love, and it was okay that they did.

Right now, when he was on the other side of the door with his beloved crying on the other side, it hurt so bad. Like he himself was the one crying. He pushed the door open and saw Seungri on the floor, papers and tissues scattered everywhere. His room was a mess, he was a mess. Without saying anything, Jiyong pulled Seungri into a tight back hug on the floor. Seungri leaned his weight against Jiyong, sobs turning into soft sniffles. They stayed like that for awhile, a comfortable silence forming.

"Hyung, I'm sorry." Seungri suddenly said. "For what?" Jiyong muttered, afraid that if he spoke too loud, everything would shatter. "For being so stupid. For being useless. For being who I am." Seungri whispered back. And then Jiyong's heart was shattering into a million pieces as he heard how sad, how hurt, how fucking broken Seungri was. Jiyong nuzzled his nose into Seungri's back. "No no, maknae. You're great the way you are. You aren't stupid or useless. You're a valuable member of the group. You have so many good qualities, don't ever tell yourself otherwise." Jiyong said. "And don't ever, ever, change the way you are. You are the happiest, sweetest, cutest panda I know. I love the way you laugh, smile, even when you cry I think you're amazing. So please, don't call yourself that anymore. It hurts me to see you crying. I'm afraid to see that pretty smile turn into tears." Jiyong continued, wiping Seungri's tears away with his nimble fingers. Finally he said those three precious words to the person who was his whole world. "Hyung, I love you." Seungri mumbled as he let Jiyong pull him into bed. "Me too, Seungri ah. Me too." Jiyong replied, a soft smile on his lips. Jiyong picked up the papers and put them on the table before disposing the tissues.

He climbed under the covers with Seungri then. And it was like their trainee days again, when Jiyong would comfort Seungri if he cried and when Jiyong would sneak into his room when he couldn't sleep.
Jiyong smiled at Seungri and wrapped his arms around him, just like he used to do. And Seungri smiled back then. Because he knew he was loved by someone. Someone who appreciated his entertaining antics and aegyo. Appreciated him for who he truly was. Simply, Lee Seunghyun. Simply him. And that was enough for them to be happy.