[Nyongtory] [GRI]Reunion

Chapter 25: Invitation

Jiyong didn't write Seungri in the thank you section of his album booklet. He wrote everyone else but Seungri.

I don't have to, he told himself.

After all, every song in it is about Seungri and that's a whole lot more than just thank you.

They're Jiyong's words of I love you and he felt fool for wishing Seungri would decipher them someday.

He sings nobody else but Seungri.

***

"Hi," Seungri grins. "I hope you don't mind ramen."

Jiyong feels a smile tug on his lips like water, threatening to break the fucking dam of four years on hiding. "I was wishing for Chinese take-out something."

Seungri rolls his eyes. "I'll sign contract with the best one soon."

"So it's business? I thought it's dinner," Jiyong lets Seungri in and there are butterflies he can't shut down in his chest.

"It's marketing strategy, Mr. Kwon," Seungri's shoes are casual and his sweater has holes. His scent is night air and Jiyong's lungs breathe until its hurt.

"I won't let you take a picture of me with your business emblem stuff and upload it to the internet."

Seungri laughs, the sound is crystal clear against Jiyong's mind, powerful enough to tear all the awkwardness he thought would be there when they speak again; when they meet again. Seungri, in his own self, holds the hammer to every wall Jiyong has built and it scares Jiyong sometimes because his wants are supposed to be buried deep down inside.

***

Seungri's silence was unusual but not unpleasant. Jiyong's favorite was when the weight of his head pressed against his side and soft breaths hit his skin, when Seungri was quiet in his sleep and he's so near that Jiyong could wrap his arm around Seungri and had him so close that nobody could tell him Seungri wasn't belong to Jiyong; not even Seungri himself.

***

"How was work?"

Seungri shrugs. I couldn't, his mind says but his answer to the question is, "Fine."

"So you actually have a headquarter office something?"

"Not really," he picks the noodles with his chopsticks, buying time with actually chewing on his food. Jiyong waits for more, blatantly hopeful and Seungri can't look at him in the eyes although he doesn't know what Jiyong wants as answer; or if that matters at all for him to answer.

Jiyong blinks.

"Not one fancy office like yours," Seungri doesn't know what's the bitter in his mouth. Maybe his lies about his seven-floor building or the truth he's about to decide for them both. "It's not important."

"It is," Jiyong states stubbornly. "You're important."

But Seungri's mind is somewhere else between dreams and hopes that crash against the shore he barely hears himself breathing.

***

He came to Youngbae's wedding a little too early and hidden.

"Jiyong," Youngbae chuckled. "You look even more nervous than me."

Jiyong swore that his bestfriend's smile were up to reach his ears and the way happiness radiated from him was contagious that it tickled his cheeks. "Well, I've never been to your weddng before."