"Shush, shush. Don't cry, little one." Jiyong hushed as he carefully picked the baby out of its bed, gently starting to rock back and forth in hopes to still the cries. "Hm, that's right. Everything is okay." he continued to talk aimlessly while the child slowly fell back into a slumber, adoring the peaceful face of the young boy as the latter drifted into dreams.

"You look so much like your daddy." Jiyong whispered to the child while he placed it back into bed, remaining by the bedside for a while just to admire this new life. He couldn't help wondering what would come on the boy's path, a feeling of closeness to the child that was not his own leaving him almost in trance. "I wonder how much your personality will turn out to be like his."

"Don't be too troublesome, okay? You're going to be a handsome boy, so it may be easy for you to become confident. I'm not saying that's bad, it's attractive, really, but keep it moderate. Be happy, but never forget to respect other people. Be good to the ladies."

"Or to the gentlemen. I’m not sure if uality is something you inherit. Don't think so, actually. You're way too young for that talk, aren't you?" Jiyong laughed at himself, talking about such things to a sleeping baby. The little boy was eight months old, for God's sake. He didn't know what got into him either, thoughts just flooded his head as he looked at the beautiful child. Such a healthy boy with such a happy face. The resemblance to the father was truly unmistakable and it made Jiyong wonder about a lot of things.

"Hey, I have a son, too. You should be friends when you grow up. His second birthday will be soon..." Jiyong drifted off, noting how fast time was passing by and how much of an adult man he had become. The birth of his child will already be two years ago on the upcoming 15th. The boy was such a blessing, and his mother was a gift from the Angels. Jiyong had married her after they discovered she was pregnant. The little boy before him made a noise in his sleep, as if willing Jiyong's attention back to him, and curled all of his small fingers around one of Jiyong's as the father gently fixed his blankets. Both smiled.

"Who knows, maybe my son can have something I never could, what do you think? Don't tell your dad I said that. He'll know what I'm talking about." Jiyong chattered on, his mind not completely there as he played tug-o-war with the little fingers. "It's too late for me now. I'm married and I have a little finger-squeezer just like you waiting for me at home. Therefore, my advice to you is never to hesitate. I'm sure you'll grow up in an open-minded environment though, so you'll be alright. I think your dad has always known." Jiyong finished his rant, sighing, and just then the sound of the front door opening pulled him back to the present. "Speaking of the devil." he grinned with a sad edge, picking up the child that had started crying again at the disturbance and taking it downstairs.

"Ooh, my little noisebox." the younger father joked upon the sight of his baby boy crying in Jiyong's arms, taking the child in his own arms as soon as he had placed his belongings aside. "I hope he wasn't too difficult on you?" he smiled sweetly, but something inside Jiyong broke to pieces upon the sight of the other man happily cradling a baby.

"He wasn’t difficult at all. Compared to my own son, I can easily handle your angel genes for a few hours." Jiyong joked back, hoping the false smile covered the scowl that threatened to grow on his face as the shards of his unrequited love were stinging in his soul. "I can't believe how much you've grown every time I see you."

"Stop telling me that. The one growing like crazy is my son. I don't think I've grown anything in the last ten years, only aged."

"It's the same thing. You've grown to be a good father now, while it seems to me you were our baby only yesterday." Jiyong recalled, watching the other pout like he hadn’t even aged at all.

"That's because you were the leader, I was the youngest and you treated me like a kid from the very first to the very last day."

"He looks so much like you." Jiyong changed the subject, looking back and forth between the two of his wish-I-could-call-you-mine babies. "It's like I'm looking at a second Seungri."

"I know." Seungri smiled full of fondness, holding his baby a little closer out of affection. "Whenever someone sees him, first thing they say is that he's definitely my son."

"The mother made such a big mistake. You're an amazing daddy and she could have had a wonderful family with you."

"Thanks. I’m fine, though. It’s all fine like this. Can I call you again when I need a babysitter?"

"Whenever you need me." Jiyong's smile became painful now, this selfless feeling where he'd sacrifice his every free minute to help Seungri out didn't suit him at all. He kept on showing the younger a happy expression, but his gut was heavy with sorrow as he turned around and headed for the door. Seungri's thankful smile that he received in return didn't make anything better at all, it only urged him to get out of the house faster because he couldn't stand knowing how their lives had turned out to be so separated. "I'll be going to see my own kid now."

"Wait! Ji!" Seungri called after him, but Jiyong didn't look back as he walked under the pouring rain without a care. "Jiyong!" Seungri called again, but to no avail. The young father muttered to himself, complaining about impulsive and irresponsible men catching colds. He temporarily put his young son in his stroller and grabbed an umbrella, giving the baby a soft kiss of his forehead and telling him daddy will be back in a moment. He quickly put his raincoat back on before running out of the house.

Suddenly, Jiyong didn't feel any raindrops landing on him anymore. He thought it was strange since the weather wouldn't usually change so abruptly, so he looked up to check the sky, but all he saw was a marine green screen. He realized someone was holding an umbrella over his head and he quickly spun around in shock.

"Ugh, Seungri." Jiyong sighed in relief as he got a clear view of the man he'd just left behind, relieved that it was someone he knew yet it wasn't exactly the person he wanted to be around right now. "You scared me there. Say something."

"Sorry." the younger smirked stupidly, taking a hold of Jiyong's wrist without hesitation and placing the umbrella in his hand instead. "Take it. I don't want to see you falling sick."

"It's not far to my house. I'm already wet now either way." Jiyong reasoned, but he couldn't refuse the offer as Seungri pushed the umbrella to him. He took it just to make the other remove his hands from his own. Seungri smiled contently when he did, so Jiyong looked away before he could start staring. “You shouldn’t leave your kid alone, he’s too young. Go, I’ll see you around.”

“Jiyong!” Seungri called his attention back, grabbing the other by his shoulder to stop him from turning around and walking out on him again. “Is something the matter?” he asked pressingly, worried and a little irritated and wanting an explanation of the elder’s restless behaviour. “Troubles with your wife?”

“No. No, not mine. More like yours. Why did she have to leave you as soon as the baby was born?”

“Jiyong, she wasn’t ready to be a mom. I wasn’t married to her either, I just got my girlfriend pregnant. She got scared and started talking about adoption during the last weeks of her pregnancy, but I wanted to keep it. Everything’s solved this way. Don’t stress over it more than necessary.”  

“It’s not easy to raise a child, Ri. I just wish you wouldn’t have to do it alone.”

“I don’t. I’ve got you, the other members, my parents and sister, everyone who is supporting me. I’m fine, really. I can raise this child.”

“I believe you can.” Jiyong confirmed with a heavy tone, not able to continue this conversation without blurting something about how he wished they had had their children together. After all this time it was still so hard for him to know the younger didn’t need him anymore and the worst part of it all was that it made him realise how little it would take for him to divorce his wife. One single confession from Seungri would do. He had hoped the wedding and the parenthood would change his feelings, but it seemed to be impossible to get his heart to stop yearning for the one before him. It only hurt more. He wondered how Seungri was able to keep talking to him as if he never noticed anything at all. “I should go. You should go. Take care of yourself and the kid.”

“Of course. Same to you.” Seungri smiled gently, giving a nod and a little wave before turning back in the direction of his house, the hood of his raincoat pulled well over his head. Jiyong didn’t mind that it was raining. At least it gave him an excuse for the wet face without having to tell his wife he was crying over another love.