The music is playing, bass thumping, and then Jiyong begins his part.  He and Big Seunghyun are doing some rap duet while the rest of them are sitting on the practice room floor, watching.  And Youngbae knows it’s not very good of him, but he can’t help but feel jealous.  Because that used to be Jiyong and him.  They were best friends, and they trained everyday together, and they were the ones who always did duets like this.

But then Seunghyun came along.  Youngbae had already known him a bit because Jiyong had introduced them, but he wasn’t jealous like this back then.  Because he and Jiyong were still a unit, and Seunghyun was this cool hyung who could hold his liquor and rapped in the underground, and they lived in completely separate worlds.

But now they live in the same world.  And even though the guy can’t dance to save his life, Jiyong still looks at him like he’s the greatest thing since Kanye.  Seunghyun knows all about hip hop and the difference between East Coast and West Coast styles, and Jiyong absolutely worships him.

The first time Youngbae saw Seunghyun rap was at this dank hole in the wall.  Jiyong had convinced him to tell his parents they were training late so they could sneak over there and watch the show.  Seunghyun had been welcomed to the small little stage with massive cheers, and his deep voice reverberated all throughout the room.

Jiyong just stared up at him with stars in his eyes.  “Doesn’t he sound so cool?  Where does that voice even come from?”

Sure, Youngbae was impressed.  The guy was good.  Really good.  And when they met up with him later, he turned out to be really nice, too.  But that doesn’t mean he’s okay with him taking his spot as the other half in Jiyong’s duo and stealing away his best friend.  He shouldn’t feel this petty.  Seunghyun is obviously the better rapper, and Youngbae wound up being way better at singing anyway, but still.  It never feels good when someone takes your place.

The music intensifies, and Jiyong steps aside so Seunghyun can step front and center.  His voice rolls across the room, thick and husky and deep, and Jiyong’s dancing beside him, rocking his shoulders to the beat.  Youngbae sighs and looks down.  He should probably just get used to it because this is how it’s going to be from now on.

And then someone’s approaching him.  Seunghyun reaches down and circles his hand around Youngbae’s wrist, pulls him up to his feet and out to the center of the floor.  “Come on.  We need someone to sing the hook.”

He looks up at Seunghyun and then over at Jiyong.  Jiyong smiles wide and angles to where he’s dancing beside Youngbae now, and Seunghyun does his best to shuffle along.

And Youngbae grins.  He grins and sings his heart out.

Soohyuk sees when Seungho gets that gleam in his eyes and knows they’re in for it.  He brandishes a thing of pocky and proclaims, “All right.  You guys know what to do.  Losers buy the next round.”

Soohyuk shakes his head ruefully.  Seungho has no shame.  But everyone around the table is grinning and catcalling, so whatever.  He’ll be a good sport.

“I’ll go first.”  Seungho pulls a pocky stick out of the pack and points it at various people around the table.  His lips curl up in a lascivious smirk.  “Whoever’s my partner can count on getting a free drink.”

Everyone is looking up at Seungho, waiting to see whom he’ll choose as his victim.  Everyone except for Jiyong whose eyes are resting firmly on the table, a move that says he’s trying not to call attention to himself.  Interesting.  And then Jiyong’s gaze darts to his left where Seunghyun is sitting beside him.  Interesting, indeed.

Seungho’s eyes fall on Jiyong, and Jiyong hunches down, trying to make himself appear smaller, and before Soohyuk knows what he’s doing, he’s standing up and strutting his way over to Seungho.  He takes the stick out of Seungho’s hand and starts raising it up to his lips.  “Come on.  Let’s see what you got.”

Seungho smirks and stretches his neck from side to side, and then he presses in, wraps his lips around the other end of the pocky stick and proceeds to devour it in the most obscene way possible.

Soohyuk chances a look at Jiyong while Seungho is coming at him.  He’s smiling now, in something akin to relief, still sitting in his chair, only now his body is leaning just a fraction closer toward Seunghyun.  Soohyuk wonders if Jiyong has any idea whatsoever just how obvious he is.

He doesn’t have much time to consider that because Seungho is still inching closer, and he needs to end this quickly or he’s going to have more than just pocky in his mouth.  He waits until the moment before their lips touch to pull away, and then he pulls the tiny segment of pocky from between his teeth and shows it to their audience.

“Really?” Seungho says, unimpressed.  “You couldn’t tough it out for just one more second?  If we lose, you can buy the next round yourself.”

Soohyuk grins and shrugs.  “Small price to pay for not having your tongue in my mouth.”

Seungho snorts, but there’s no edge to it.  “Whatever.  Who’s next?”  Seungho starts looking around again, only this time, Jiyong isn’t staring down at the table.  He meets Seungho’s gaze head on, eyes wide and eager.  Seungho hands over a pocky stick.  “All right, Jiyong,” he makes a sweeping gesture at the rest of the table’s occupants, “your harem awaits.”

Jiyong grins and blushes.  He turns toward Seunghyun and shrugs.  “Since you’re already sitting by me?”  Seunghyun shrugs, too, and smiles to show he doesn’t mind, and then Jiyong puts one end in his mouth while Seunghyun puts the other in his, and then they start working toward each other.

They’re both laughing and giggling and blushing like preteen girls, and it’s taking for ing ever because one of them keeps losing his grip on the stick.  Finally, they get to where there’s only a centimeter of space between them, but they’re never going to breach it at this rate.

Jiyong’s eyes are bright, and his cheeks are pink, and he’s so eager Soohyuk almost has to look away.  Jiyong’s been chasing after Seunghyun for ages now.  Someone should finally throw the poor kid a bone.

“Come on, Seunghyun,” Soohyuk says.  “Don’t you want a free drink?  Just lay one on him.”

And that’s enough to do it, enough validation to finally make them go through with it.  Seunghyun presses forward, and Jiyong cups his jaw and pulls him in, and then they’re making out right at the table.  It doesn’t last long, but Soohyuk mentally congratulates Jiyong when he sees him slip Seunghyun some tongue.

When they finally pull away, there’s more blushing and more giggling.  They’re like puppies, really, the way they keep dancing around one another, Jiyong worst of all.

Soohyuk shakes his head.  He just hopes one day Jiyong has better game than this.

It’s always fun when the moms can get together.  No one else really understands what it’s like to be the mother of a celebrity, to watch the toll it takes on their child, to see all those particular highs and lows.  So it’s nice when they can get together and share their burdens.

It’s also a good opportunity to make sure their children are eating right.

She and Jiyong’s mother are in the kitchen together cooking while the others are doing chores around the dorm.  It’s a little odd being paired off with her.  Their conversation has been pleasant so far, but it’s very much on the surface because they’re both too afraid of digging too deep and unearthing the secret they just don’t talk about.

She remembers the day Seunghyun came home, tense and ashen.  He’d sat down at her feet, put his head in her lap, and cried and told her how sorry he was for being such a disappointment.  She had been so bewildered then, clueless about what he was talking about.  But she’d ran soothing fingers through his hair and cajoled him into telling her what was bothering him.

He’d looked so ashamed, then.  About how he was having weird thoughts about his friend and how that friend was another boy, and no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t make it stop.  And she’d known exactly who that other boy was without even knowing why, just a sixth sense inside her that told her with absolute certainty that it was Jiyong.

“It’s okay,” she’d said because she had no idea what else to say.  “I still love you.”

And that’s the only opinion she really has on the matter.  Life has been so hard on her son, knocking him around, making him feel like he’s not good enough.  She decided a long time ago that she would never contribute to that, that she would love him wholeheartedly no matter what path he chooses.  Even if that path leads to Jiyong.

She does wonder, though, how supportive Jiyong’s mother is about it.  They both know.  She can feel that they both know.  But neither one of them has ever really said.

“Your son is so precious,” she finally says to Jiyong’s mother.  “He calls me mother-in-law.”

Jiyong’s mother goes still.  Slowly, she turns toward her and gives her a loaded look.  There’s fear there, and a question, so she holds her gaze and makes it as nonthreatening as possible.

The tension finally breaks.  They give each other soft, knowing smiles and get back to their cooking.

When Teddy enters the studio, he pauses for a moment at what he finds there.  Jiyong and Seunghyun are sitting on opposite ends of the couch, Jiyong focused on his notebook and Seunghyun staring straight down at the arm of the couch.  Neither one of them is saying anything, and the atmosphere feels awkward as .

At first, Teddy thinks they must’ve been arguing, but then he looks closer.  Jiyong’s lips are red and swollen, and Seunghyun’s hair and clothes are mussed.

Teddy sighs.  It’s a good thing he interrupted when he did.  He doesn’t want to be the one to explain to Hyunsuk why he needs someone to come in and sanitize his couch.

“Which one of the boys is your ideal type?” Chaerin asks.  She and the girls are all lounging around their living room, tired from a long day of practicing, and the only thing she wants to do now is unwind.  And maybe have a little girl talk.

“Not Youngbae,” Dara says.  “He’s too juvenile.”

“Top-oppa,” Minzy says, then blushes.

“I like Top, too,” Bom agrees.  “And GD.”

Somehow, the other three all wind up agreeing that Seunghyun and Jiyong are the dreamiest, and one day, when they’re allowed to date, they’re going to snatch them up for themselves.

Chaerin just smiles to herself.  “Good luck with that.”

They’re going to need it.

Seunghyun’s manager doesn’t care what they do.  He’s been in this industry long enough that there’s not a lot that shocks him anymore.  He’s seen it all at this point.  And they pay him way too well to incur any of his judgment.

He just wishes they’d stop sending him out for lube and condoms.

“So,” Dami begins, “you and Seunghyun seem to be getting serious.”  They’re both sitting on her bed at home, and she’s letting Jiyong paint her nails.  She gives him a smile full of mischief.  “Is he a good kisser?  I bet he is with those lips.”

Jiyong laughs.  “I’m not talking about this with you.”

Like that’s going to dissuade her.  “I bet that’s not the only thing he’s good at.  He has such nice hands.”

Jiyong’s eyebrows fly up.  “Shut up.  Don’t say things like that.”  But there’s a grin on his face, so she knows she hasn’t pushed too far, yet.

“Come on, spill.  It’s one of my perks as your sister.  I’m entitled to know these things.”

Jiyong shakes his head, eyes wide and just a little appalled.  “That’s just weird.  You’re my sister.”

Dami shrugs.  “Tell me, or I’m going to ask him myself.”  Jiyong’s phone is lying beside him on the mattress, and she’s quick to snatch it up, heedless of the mess it’s going to make of her nails.

Jiyong narrows his eyes at her.  “You wouldn’t dare.”

Dami smirks and pulls up Seunghyun’s contact information.  She holds her finger over the call button and pretends to press it and then brings the phone up to her ear.  She pauses just a moment before saying, “Hello?  Seunghyun?  This is Dami, Jiyong’s sister.  I was just wondering…are you a good kisser?  I’ve been trying to get Jiyong to tell me, but he’s not cooperating.”

Jiyong yelps and grabs for the phone, and when he finally fights it out of her hands, his face fills with relief when he sees the call was never connected.  “Ah, you’re making me crazy.”

“If you would just tell me, we wouldn’t have to go through this.”

Jiyong sighs, gives in.  “Fine.  I’ll answer three questions.  But that’s it.”

Dami feels the urge to cackle gleefully.  Three questions.  She better make them good.  “Have you guys had , yet?”

“Way to start with the big one.”

Dami just looks at him, shameless and unrepentant, so Jiyong chuckles and sighs in defeat.  “Yeah.”

“Who bottoms?”

An embarrassed laugh stutters out of his mouth.  “Oh god.  Why is this happening to me?”  He sighs again, then bites his lip and stares her down, maybe thinking he might be able to will her into backing down.  That’s never going happen, though.

Finally, he gives in to that, too.  “Me.”  Blush high on his cheeks, he explains, “It just seems to...work for us.”  His face scrunches up like he feels shy about saying that last part, like he wishes he would’ve just kept his mouth shut, so Dami tries to reassure him.  “No, I get it.  We all like what we like.”

Apparently, that’s not very reassuring because Jiyong hangs his head as his blush deepens.  “Can you just ask your last question and put me out of my misery?”

Yeah.  She can do that.  She’s messed with him enough.

As she tries to come up with one last question to ask, her sisterly protectiveness finally wins out over her curiosity.  “He’s not too rough with you, is he?”

Jiyong’s smile softens, and his voice grows warm when he answers, “No.  No, he’s really gentle.”

Dami can’t help smiling at how endearing he looks right now, but then Jiyong glances up and sees the way she’s looking at him, and he covers his face with his hands and falls over on the bed.  “Why are you like this?”

Dami giggles and pets his hair.  “That’s what sisters are for.”

It’s three in the morning, and the streets are nearly deserted.  Soobin wouldn’t be out here herself if it wasn’t for her powerful need for caffeine.  She has an important exam in just a few hours that could make or break her future, and there’s no way she’s going to be able to cram anymore information into her brain unless she gets some coffee in her system.

There are a couple guys walking several meters in front of her.  She doesn’t think much about them at first since they’re fairly nondescript.  It’s just a tall guy with a cap on and a short one with the hood of his hoodie pulled up.  They’re laughing as they walk, knocking into each other’s shoulders, poking one another in the ribs.

Soobin giggles quietly when they start play fighting, pushing each other around until the taller one grabs a fistful of sweatshirt and yanks the smaller one in close.  Guys are so juvenile.  It’s adorable, really.

And then the taller one turns his head just so, and Soobin would recognize that jawline anywhere.  That’s Top.  And once that piece is in place, it doesn’t take long to puzzle out the identity of the other.  G-dragon.

Soobin hurries and takes out her phone.  She’s going to need a picture of this if her friends are ever going to believe her.  She turns the camera on and raises the phone to fit the two idols in the frame. 

But then she stops.

Because she sees something else, now.

Top is still holding on to GD’s sweatshirt, still holding him close, but they’re not smiling anymore.  They’re staring at each other intently, a weird energy crackling in the air.  Soobin suddenly feels out of place.  Like a voyeur.  They’re not even doing anything suspicious; they’re just standing there, staring at each other, but Soobin still feels like she’s seeing something she’s not supposed to see.

And then Top’s eyes lower to GD’s mouth, and GD parts his lips and tilts his face up, and Soobin feels a strange ache in her chest when that’s as far as it goes.  Suddenly, Top releases him and pulls back, and GD slumps and tilts his face back down.  And then it’s like the moment never happened.  Without a word, they start walking down the street again.

Soobin doesn’t get her picture that night.

And she never tells anyone about what she saw.

Daesung makes his way into the YG building with lead feet and a heavy heart.  He’s supposed to record for their comeback album today, which is fine, but every time he gets into the booth, he can’t help thinking about how he’ll eventually have to perform these songs live.  He doesn’t know how he’s going to do it, doesn’t know how he’ll ever possibly have the strength to face his fans again.

Just yesterday, he was talking to the other members about this, about how he thinks he’ll be fine with fun up-tempo songs and probably even melancholy songs, because he won’t have to worry too much about making eye contact with anyone, but for anything else, it just seems impossible.

When he finally makes it to their studio, Jiyong’s already there.  His hair is disheveled, dark rings under his eyes, and it looks like he hasn’t slept a wink.  But he still smiles when he sees Daesung.  “Hey, you made it.  I’m so glad you’re here.  I’ve been working on something for you.”

Daesung steps further into the room and listens as Jiyong starts playing this instrumental for a power ballad.  Midway through the song, Jiyong says, “I did a lot of thinking about what you said yesterday so I talked to Hyunsuk-hyung, and we both thought it would be a good idea if we included a solo for you on the album.”

What?  A solo for him?

But Jiyong’s still talking.  “Yeah, so this is the track we came up with, and I thought, if you wanted to, we could work on the lyrics together.”

Daesung doesn’t even know what to say.  “You’ve been up all night working on this?”  Jiyong shrugs, smile still just as bright as it was when Daesung first entered the room.

Before Daesung can answer, the door opens again, and Seunghyun is standing in the entrance.  “Daesung,” he greets, then turns to Jiyong, “Are you hungry?  I’m about to head down for lunch.”

Jiyong smiles and shakes his head.  “No, thanks.  We’re going to work on his song.”

“Oh, right.”  Seunghyun clasps Daesung’s shoulder and gives it an affectionate squeeze.  “Make sure he eats, okay?”  And then he backs out of the room and pulls the door shut behind him.

Jiyong turns back to the notebook in front of him and starts scribbling something, and Daesung takes the seat beside him to see what he’s jotting down.

“That was really nice of him,” Daesung says, “to come check on you like that.”

Jiyong grins.  “Yeah, he’s all right.  I think I’ll keep him.”  Daesung lets out a soft laugh, but it quickly trails off when he sees Jiyong’s smile turn brittle.  “Sometimes, if I didn’t know better, I’d think he was your boyfriend instead of mine.”

Jiyong tries to pass it off as a joke, but Daesung can hear the jealousy in his voice.  Because Seunghyun’s attention used to mainly belong to Jiyong, but that’s not the case anymore.  Not when they’re in public.  Most all of his affection gets channeled toward Daesung now.  It’s not exactly a secret, how careful the two of them are, how they try to stay away from each other when the cameras are on.  And that must be so hard, always having to keep that distance between them.

Daesung remembers what Jiyong was like when he first met him, fire in his eyes and a dream in his teeth and no patience for anyone who might stand in his way.  But he knows him better now, and he’s seen more.  He knows how insecure he is, how fragile, how every one of his smiles rises and falls with Seunghyun.

It’s something that made him uncomfortable in the past, watching the way laughter turned to flirting, which turned to sneaking around and disappearing behind locked doors.  He remembers hearing giggles and muffled moans and being absolutely scandalized at what was undoubtedly going on between them.

Because Daesung was brought up to believe that that kind of relationship was wrong.  A sin.  Something to be condemned. 

And maybe he’s still bothered a little, maybe he still has some things he needs to work through, but right now, all he sees is Jiyong, weary and bone-tired, running on empty, going out of his way to work on an unplanned song to help Daesung get over his fear of looking his fans in the eye.

How could a person like that possibly deserve to be condemned?

Daesung wants to say something, to thank him, to show his gratitude, but what comes out is, “I think you guys make a really good couple.”

It sounds stupid and awkward, and it doesn’t nearly convey as much as Daesung wants to convey, but Jiyong grins and says, “Do you really think so?”

Daesung sees the pink in Jiyong’s cheeks, the way he’s biting his lower lip to temper how pleased he looks.  “Yeah,” he says.  “I really do.”

John Lee hands Seunghyun a glass of wine and then pours one for himself.  He’s backstage with him after his show, and he’s brought along a nice vintage to celebrate, one he knows Seunghyun will be partial to.

Everyone else is loud and rowdy, music pumping, high on adrenaline from the show.  Jiyong and Youngbae are right in the thick of it, dancing with the other backup dancers.  Daesung is getting teased by Bom, and Seungri is busy hitting on one of the stylists.  But he and Seunghyun are over in their own corner away from the action.

Seunghyun swirls the liquid in his glass before taking a sip, lets the wine sit on his tongue to soak in the flavor before swallowing it down.  “That’s delicious.”

“I thought you’d like it.”  Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Jiyong glaring daggers at him.  From what he can tell, Jiyong and Seunghyun break up and make up so often that no one really knows where they stand at any given moment.  But Seunghyun said earlier that they were on a break, so he guesses that’s their status right now.

Seunghyun hums and takes another sip.

“You’re almost done with filming.  Are you looking for your next project, yet?” John asks.

Seunghyun shakes his head.  “I think I might take a break after this.”

John watches him raise the goblet back to his lips, watches him drink deep from the glass.  Seunghyun is beautiful.  Breathtaking, really.  With his enviable proportions and perfectly sculpted face.  And his hands.  John is especially fond of his hands.  He’d like the opportunity to be under those hands someday.

John rests his own hand on Seunghyun’s forearm.  “You definitely deserve a break.  But after that, you should think about doing something fun.  Show everyone how charming you can be.”

Seunghyun opens his mouth to respond to that but then sees Jiyong dancing his way over and rapping along with whatever song they have playing now.  Jiyong doesn’t even turn John’s way.  All his attention is focused solely on Seunghyun.

“Turn it up now, hear me get buckwu-wu-wild.  I’m about to blow, light me up.  Upside, downside, inside and outside.  Hittin’ you from every angle, there’s no doubt.”

And the change in Seunghyun is instantaneous.  His smile widens, his eyes light up, and he takes over for the next line.  “I am the one only Method Man.  The master of the plan, wrappin’ like Saran.  Wrap, with some of this and some of that.  Hold up, I tawt I taw a putty tat.”

Jiyong beams, rapping the next line, taking his turn, leading Seunghyun out to the middle of the floor, and Seunghyun follows, like he’s under his thrall, like Jiyong’s some weird hip hop siren Seunghyun is powerless against.

When Seunghyun starts rapping again, Jiyong takes the wineglass out of his hand and downs the rest of it himself.  He blindly hands the glass to some random person standing next to him, never pausing a moment in his dance.

Well, that didn’t go as planned, John thinks.

“You should try living with them.”  Seungri steps into the space Seunghyun just vacated.  “They used to keep us up all night playing songs like this.  At least Top hasn’t started beatboxing, yet.”

All the sudden, Seunghyun has a hand covering his mouth, and all these weird sounds are coming out of it, and Jiyong looks like he’s having the time of his life, dancing and rapping to Seunghyun’s beat.

John takes another sip of his wine.  “I thought they were broken up.”

Seungri shrugs.  “They always get back together.”  Seungri turns and gives him a pointed look then.  “Always.”  And then he walks off.

John smiles to himself.  Sounds like he just got warded off.

Seungri has just finished working out, and now he’s heading back down to the studio to see if they’re ready for him to start recording his part, yet.  Top was in there the last he checked, and it never takes him long to get his part right.

Long before he reaches the studio, he starts hearing loud voices coming from a different room.  Two people are shouting at each other from the sounds of it, and Seungri’s curious nature draws him toward the voices.  As he gets closer, he can finally make out who the voices belong to, but he can’t hear well enough to tell what they’re arguing about.

The door finally slams open, and Seunghyun storms out, and Jiyong yells angrily after him.  “ you!  I didn’t want you to stick around anyway!”

Seunghyun brushes by him without even acknowledging him, and Seungri thinks it’s probably in his best interest not to try and follow him.  Besides, he can hear Jiyong crying softly in the room, and that seems a little more pressing.

It’s not the first time Seungri’s seen them fight like this, not by a long shot.  But it still always takes him by surprise because they always seem just so damn happy together right before all hell breaks loose.

Seungri enters the room and walks over to where Jiyong is sitting with his back against the wall and knees pulled up to his chest.  Seungri slides down the wall and takes a seat beside him.

“Are you okay?”

Jiyong wipes at his eyes.  “I’m fine.”

“What were you guys fighting about?”

Jiyong shrugs his shoulders.  “Everything.  Nothing.  I don’t even know anymore.”

Seungri nods like he understands, but he really doesn’t.  “Why do you stay with him if he always makes you cry?”

Jiyong’s quiet at that.  Then he takes in a deep breath and slowly lets it out.  “Because he’s the only one who can make me cry.”

Seungri doesn't have anything to say to that so he just sits there until Jiyong's ready to get back up.

Days later, they still haven’t made up, and Seungri gets a call from Seunghyun asking if he wants to go out drinking with him.  And though Jiyong has always been Seungri’s favorite, he’s still always admired Seunghyun, so he agrees to the invitation without much thought because Seunghyun is a loud, funny drunk, and drinking with him is guaranteed to be a good time.

But Seungri forgot just how talkative Seunghyun can be when he’s drunk.  Once the night is nearly over, Seungri is shouldering Seunghyun’s arm, supporting half his weight, trying his best to lead him to his bed, and Seunghyun is just stumbling along, giggling like mad and babbling nonsense.

“What’s the word?  In English?” Seunghyun slurs.  “Not Mr. but for a wife?”

“Mrs.?”

“Yeah, that’s it.  Mrs.” Seunghyun sounds so proud to have figured that out.  “I’m going to make Jiyong Mrs. Top.”  And then he starts giggling to himself like that’s the funniest thing he’s ever said.

“That’s great, Top-hyung.  I’m sure he’ll love that.”

“Yeah, he’ll love that,” Seunghyun repeats.  “I should probably make sure, though.”  And then he starts digging around in his pocket for his phone, and when he finally manages to fish it out, Seungri is quick to take it away from him.  “Drunk proposals are never a good idea.” 

Seungri thinks Seunghyun will whine or fight him over it, but he doesn’t.  Instead, his face scrunches up with a different thought.  “Do you think he’ll wear a tux or a dress to the wedding?”

Seungri snorts, but then he stumbles under Seunghyun’s weight.  He doesn’t remember his hyung being this heavy.  All that added muscle makes a big difference.  “Um,” he says, “I don’t know that that should be your biggest concern right now.  Let’s just focus on getting you to your bed.”

“I think he’ll wear a tux,” Seunghyun continues as if Seungri never said anything.  “With a veil.  A big white one.”

Seungri lets out a longsuffering sigh and keeps urging him down the hall.  “I’m sure that’ll be lovely.”

But then Seunghyun comes to a sudden stop, and Seungri nearly groans in frustration.  “Will you MC?” Seunghyun asks.  “You’re really good at it.”

Despite himself, Seungri is touched.  That Seunghyun’s drunk, lovesick brain wants Seungri to be part of his wedding.  But Seunghyun totally ruins it with his next words.  “You can’t sing ‘Strong Baby’ at ours, though.  That’s just ing weird.”

Finally, Seungri pours Seunghyun into bed.  He gets him halfway under the covers and calls it good.  He sets Seunghyun’s phone down on the nightstand and figures it’s probably okay if he takes off.  Seunghyun is used to falling asleep with a ton of alcohol in his system.

But then he looks back down at his hyung’s face and sees that all the levity from earlier has disappeared.  Where before there were dimples and laugh lines, now Seunghyun’s eyes are sad and the corners of his mouth are pulled down into a frown.  “He’s never going to marry me, is he?”

And that one sentence is enough to break Seungri’s heart. 

“Sure, he will,” Seungri lies.  “And I’ll MC for you, and Jiyong-hyung will finally become Mrs. Top.”

“Yeah.” Seunghyun cuddles into his pillow.  “Mrs. Top.”  And then his eyes flutter shut, and his breathing evens out, and Seungri knows he’s fallen asleep.

Seungri hates this for them.  He hates it so much.  Because as much as Jiyong and Seunghyun fight, as much as they tear into one another, it’s always outside forces that cause it.  They fight because they have to keep things a secret, because they can’t be together as much as they’d like, because they have to spend more time with other people then they can spend with each other.

When all that’s taken away, when they’re able to relax and not worry about outside eyes, they’re the happiest couple Seungri’s ever seen.

He wishes there was something he could do, some way for him to fix this, but he knows that there isn’t.  He can’t change the laws or make people more accepting.  And he can’t mitigate the damage it would do to their careers.

It’s just not fair.  It’s not fair that two people who love each other can’t be together the way they want to be.  Love should be enough.  It’s not fair that everything else keeps getting in the way of that.

Though he knows there’s no way for him to fix this, he wants to at least help in some small way.  He fishes around for Seunghyun’s phone, and scrolls through his contacts until he lands on Jiyong’s name.  He thinks hard about what message to send.  Finally, he settles on something simple and direct.  Something he knows to be true.

I love you.

Even if it can’t win all their battles, maybe it can at least end this one.

After a couple seconds, Jiyong’s reply comes through.

I love you, too.

Seungri leaves the message open on the screen so it’ll be the first thing Seunghyun sees when he wakes up.