Seunghyun was a five year old when he first met the, at the time, seven year old Jiyong. They met at the playground, like a lot of little kids would. Jiyong with big sunglasses from his mom in his hands and little Seunghyun had some cookies to share. It was the good old 'you have food, so let's be friends' in the beginning for Jiyong. But for Seunghyun, who never really fitted in even at that age because of how shy he was, Jiyong became his only friend. The only kid who wouldn't demand Seunghyun to talk just because he was talking too. They would sit in silence many times at the playground or at the park, their mothers, or occasionally their dads, watching over them while talking about ‘the adult life’ together. Jiyong didn’t mind the silence of the younger, sometimes even preferring it over how talkative other kids could be. They would play around together without using a lot of words. They would go on walks together with their parents, feeding ducks by the lakes and petting the animals together at the petting zoo. When it would rain, they would go to Jiyong his home. Seunghyun never really liked being at home and though Jiyong couldn’t understand at that age why that would be, he did respect that Seunghyun would be rather outside or at his house. They would watch cartoons and Disney movies together, eating the home baked cookies that Jiyong his sister Dami would make from time to time. Seunghyun only start to talk more when the two of them would be alone, telling the slightly older kid about his likings and how he thinks about certain things. His way of speaking was always really respectful, even when Jiyong had told him to be informal with him. They would sit in Jiyong his room, sharing his racecar bed, and just talk. It were things that every kid would discuss with their friends, things like ‘who is the best power ranger’ and ‘Spiderman is much better than that superman is.’   
            The two of them didn’t go to the same school, Seunghyun was homeschooled for many years, this while Jiyong went to a normal elementary school and  after that to a normal Junior High school. Though the two of them wouldn’t be able to see each other all the time like other kids could, they did find each other over and over again. Having play dates every week. Later resulting into hanging out together after Jiyong would finish his classes. It was when Jiyong was eleven when he started to call Seunghyun by his nickname Seungri, as he thought that it would fit him nicely. And it was when Jiyong was fourteen, just got into high school himself, the he started to notice things more and more. He started to understand why it was that Seungri was always so quiet, why he never wanted to meet up at his house and why he would try to cover up bruises.  Bruises of which he thought for many years that the younger got them because of his clumsiness. Even telling him that he had fallen out of a tree again.

At that time, Seungri was eleven himself, he still got homeschooled. Though he spend most of his free time with Jiyong, there were still plenty of moments in which he would sit inside his room, on his thin mattress. Trying to block out the screaming of his parents. He wished so many times that he would be able to stop everything; to stop his father from drinking, to stop his mother from being in danger by this habit, to stop the mental and physical abuse that his dad would put him through. Though, there wasn’t much that he could do as a eleven year old. His mom always told him that it was okay, that it would be better to keep this a secret from everyone. It had been like that for years and years on end. As long as Seungri could remember really. It’s part of why he doesn’t like to talk that much, being scared that people would tell him that his beliefs and his opinions were wrong just like his dad would do time after time. Seungri was mature for his age, always taking care of his mom after she took a beating or after she had to hear the harsh words of his father again and again. Cuddling up to her as she cried, his father long gone to either a bar or to one of his side women. Seungri didn’t know the whole story, he didn’t know why his father was like this, but he did know at that age that his mother deserved better. So he tried to be the best son that he could be for her. Always listening to her and never getting into any trouble.
            When Jiyong started to ask about his home-situation more and more, Seungri couldn’t help but to ignore the older for some time. Never showing up at their tree in the park, never coming by again when it would rain. He would hide himself away in his room, focusing on his studies as his mom had promised him that if he did well now that he could go to a public High School. Something that Seungri had dreamed of for a long time, as going to a public school meant that he didn’t have to hear his dad scream at his mom anymore, it would still happen he knew that. But at least he wouldn’t have to hear every heartbreaking word himself. However cruel that may sound, it was something that he wished for to happen.

Seungri his mother died in a car accident when he was fourteen. By that time, Jiyong had stopped asking questions as he thought that maybe he had been wrong. Maybe he just had really offended his younger friend by asking him over and over again if someone was hurting him at home. Seungri was sitting under their tree, Jiyong his head on his lap while the sixteen year old teenager was studying for his science test, when he learned about the bad news. His dad even called him to come home straight away. The abuse was still there, though it had became less after he became twelve  years old. He hadn’t know why but it seemed like his dad was drinking less and that his parents were fighting less in general. Jiyong was worried that his best friend started crying after that phone call. Seungri wasn’t someone to show his emotions, always hiding away by putting on a (fake)smile.  Though, Jiyong could see through that fake smile quite well by that time. As Seungri had opened up to him, talking more and more and speaking his mind whenever he would be around Jiyong. They were best friends even if it was hard for Seungri to show emotions and to talk about his feelings. So Jiyong kept himself quiet when the younger started to cry his heart out on that spring day. He just kept the younger close to him and would listen to his sobs, hugging the younger and letting him know that he was there for him even when he didn’t know what had happened. It was that same day that Seungri told Jiyong about his mother’s death,  while apologizing for how he cried. “Yah! Your mother just died Seungri, you don’t have to apologize for crying. Especially not when it comes to me.” Jiyong would have answered, giving the younger a assuring nudge before letting him go. “Do you want me to walk you home?” Jiyong would have asked, the younger looked very tired and he was. He was emotionally drained after he had gotten the news and without thinking he nodded. Letting Jiyong grab his hand, intertwining their fingers while they walked next to each other. It must have been a strange scene; a puffy faced and red eyed boy who was getting almost carried by a teenager with pink and black hair. But at that very moment Seungri couldn’t care less. It was at that moment that he threw out everything that he had build up, all the walls had come down. His mom had been everything for him, she took care of him when his dad would have done anything to him, she was the one that always smiled at him even when times were hard, telling him that everything would be better if he would fight himself through this harder time.
            After getting to his home, a small house at the end of a low end street it wasn’t much but it was enough for the three, now two, person family, Seungri opened the door. Walking inside with Jiyong’s hand still in his, leaning slightly onto the older as if he would collapse the moment the sixteen year old would let go of him. Jiyong knew how important Seungri’s mom to him was, even when he didn’t know much about the younger his family Seungri would always speak about his mom with so much love and respect in his voice, his eyes would even light up and he would smile his real smile which Jiyong didn’t see a lot. There was a faint smell of alcohol and smoke hanging in the air of the small house, white walls of the hallway almost being too bright on the eyes, only a few photo’s on the walls some of which were crooked or were even fallen down onto the floor with smashed glass around it. Jiyong could only look, not daring to ask Seungri if the house was in this state when he left. His dad didn’t seem to be at home, Jiyong concluded, as they walked by the empty kitchen and living room, taking the stairs up to Seungri his room after that. His room was different from the rest of the house, it was warm and filled with memories to the younger. Photos of him and his family and even of him and Jiyong were all around his room, neatly hung up or placed onto his closets. It smelled a lot nicer too, having that faint smell of Seungri himself over it. There wasn’t a bed in the room, just a thin mattress with blankets and pillows scattered up and around it. There was a bookshelf and a little table on which the younger could do his schoolwork, everything was put away neatly and Jiyong hadn’t really expected anything else from his younger best friend. Jiyong let the Seungri sit down on his mattress, he had a lot of questions; not simple ones to answer himself either. Things like; how did Seungri follow school at home when it seemed like his parents aren’t that rich, where is his dad, what happened to the rest of the house and so many more. But, Jiyong also knew that this was not the right time to ask, not only because he knew that he might offend the younger but also because he wouldn’t have his mind set on answering his many questions. “Do you need anything Seungri?” Seungri looked up, his eyes locked into Jiyong his dark brown orbs and the older of the two could see the pain he was feeling. “C-can you just hold me? I just need a hug right now.” His voice was almost at whisper tone and the only thing the Jiyong could do was nod as he would do anything to help his best friend and if holding the younger would help him even the slightest than he would do it all day long if it was needed.

It was around two hours later, Seungri had fallen asleep in Jiyong his arms after crying for a good hour and a half. Jiyong was sitting up against the wall, his legs were tangled with Seungri his legs and the younger his head was on his chest. He looked peaceful, though he knew that the younger was probably having a nightmare. He had seen it before, how the younger his eyebrows would knit into a slight frown and how his hand would fold around any type of fabric that would be near, keeping a strong hold on it. Jiyong realized now more than ever that he didn’t know as much about his best friend as he once thought he did, sure he knew that Seungri had many secrets to him and some of them he knew. But, everyone had their secrets and Seungri must have had a good reason to keep it all to himself. He didn’t feel betrayed or like Seungri didn’t trust him enough, because he also knew that Seungri did care about him a whole lot. There have been some times that Seungri would have thanked him for staying by his side, for always being there for him and helping him without asking too many questions. The younger might only be fourteen but he did have a great understanding of life and he knew how important family and friends could be.
            Jiyong had fallen into a light sleep himself when he was awoken by a smashing door, followed by smashing glass. Seungri, on the other hand, was still sleeping soundly, now being even closer to Jiyong than he was before. Hugging the older closely as if he was scared that the older would disappear when he would stop holding him. There were heavy steps on the stairs before the door to Seungri’s room opened. A man came in, someone who Jiyong could slightly remember as Seungri his dad, though he did age a lot  so much that Jiyong didn’t even recognize him at first.  The man looked like he hasn’t showered in ages, he had a light stopple beard and he had a part of a glass bottle in his hand, it seemed like the other part was broken off with force. Which, to Jiyong, could explain the noise of glass breaking just a few moments ago. “Who are you and why are you here?” It had been a long time ago since Seungri’s dad had seen Jiyong, he was still a kid the last time so he wasn’t surprised that he didn’t know who he was anymore. The teen did change a lot after all. “I’m Jiyong sir, Kwon Jiyong. I have been friends with Seunghyun for quite a long time now.” “That thing has friends?” The choice of words did surprise Jiyong, though the man was drunk, Jiyong could smell the alcohol, and he was going through a hard time with his wife dying and all. Even when knowing that, Jiyong couldn’t help but to get defensive. “Excuse me, that thing? This is your son you are talking about.” “Don’t you dare to call that piece of my son!” If Seungri hadn’t been clinging onto Jiyong, he would have gotten right up to punch the man in the face. Jiyong didn’t have any respect for people like that, even if they were drunk. “Could you please drop the piece of bottle? You might hurt someone with it.” Jiyong decided to go another way, just to make sure that the man didn’t have a weapon to either hurt Seungri, Jiyong or himself. “What I do and what I don’t do is none of your business you Brat. Now get out of my house, I have some talking to do with Seunghyun.” “I am not going to leave him alone right now. He asked me to stay and I don’t trust him alone with you when you are drunk.” “THIS IS MY HOUSE PUNK. YOU BETTER DO WHAT I SAY.”
            Seungri began to stir in his sleep when those words were spoken in that hard tone. His grip on Jiyong his shirt became stronger before he slowly opened his eyes. Parting from Jiyong as soon as he saw his dad. “Dad, it’s not what you think.” “It isn’t? So you weren’t just hugging this punk? And you weren’t just enjoying it? I thought you were a lot of things, but gay wasn’t one.” Seungri got up from his mattress, facing his dad and leaving a, very much angry, Jiyong behind on the thin mattress. “Dad, I swear that’s not it. You know me right? I would never do…” A stinging feeling went through Seungri his cheek, as the sound of skin on skin contact filled the room for just a moment. Which let Jiyong rose to his feet, pulling Seungri to stand behind his back. “Don’t you dare to talk back to me Lee Seunghyun! And you, get out of my house, now!” Jiyong shook his head, simply holding Seungri his hand behind his back so he couldn’t jump in front of him again. “I won’t let you abuse your son! I might not know why you are doing this but I know that it isn’t right.” “I told you this before punk, that thing is not my son.” The man swiped out with the broken bottle, hitting the teen on his cheek and creating a small, bleeding, wound on it. Jiyong lifted his free hand, softly touching the wound softly before looking up at the much taller drunk man. “Sir, please drop the glass before you hurt someone even more.” Jiyong tried to stay calm, he tried to reason with the man who, to Jiyong, obviously has been abusing his son. But he just couldn’t, he just couldn’t understand how someone could do this to their family. “You can’t tell me what to do punk!”

Seungri softly pulled Jiyong back a bit, just before his dad flung his bottle again. “Jiyong, please leave.” Seungri his voice was soft, really soft. It was the voice of someone who was about to break, only needing a little push before he would start to cry. “I’m not leaving you alone when your dad is like this.” “I-I’m used to it. Please Hyung.” And that was the breaking point, not only for Seungri who now was silently crying, but also for Jiyong, who pulled his hand out of Seungri his hold, before stepping up to the man, balling his fists. “Sir, you are way out of line. You can’t just do this, not to your own family.” “What I do with my ‘family’ is none of your business!” And that was when Jiyong threw the first punch, the first out of many. Jiyong wasn’t one to use his fighting skills, but this matter was a exception for all what he stands for. He couldn’t just watch as Seungri his father dared to do this to his son. Especially when his mom just died that same day, it was just all of the factors and to Jiyong, this was going way too far. The man, of course, fought back when Jiyong started attacking him. Though, due him being drunk he couldn’t really throw many effective punches at all, only hitting the teen harshly a few times. Jiyong obviously has the upper hand, to a point that Seungri had to pull him off of his father when his dad was almost collapsing. Seungri, who had been nailed to the floor for most of the time that Jiyong had been beating up his dad, he couldn’t speak up against it, it was like he had lost his voice. As if he didn’t even learn how to talk in the first place. “Hyung. That’s enough. He is almost out, he is bleeding. Please stop.” Jiyong stopped only when he felt the fourteen year old his arms around his body, knuckles covered in blood from Seungri’s dad. Who was bleeding from his nose, under lip, and the small wounds that Jiyong made with the rings he was wearing on his fingers. Jiyong himself came out of it with only a blue eye, the bleeding from the wound on his cheek and a small blue spot on his other cheek. Though, he already knew that he would be in a lot of trouble with his parents for it. It was worth it to him though, helping his friend, even if it was by beating up his own dad, was worth everything to Jiyong. Seungri was just that important to him. He balanced him out. Where Jiyong was bold, frank and not afraid to speak his mind, Seungri was calm. He knew when to shut up and when to shut up Jiyong, they have helped each other out more than they could ever count.  
            “Did he ever stop when you asked him to? Did he ever consider to stop when he saw you crying?” “What are you talking about? This is the first time he did this.” Seungri his voice was shaking, he looked away from Jiyong and he started to play with his fingers. Those were all little signs that the younger was lying. “You can’t tell me that this was the first time Seungri. All the times that you got bleu spots, every time that you were fake smiling, it was because of him. Wasn’t it?” Seungri didn’t answer, rather than that he dropped down on his knees next to his dad, pushing the man his hair out of his face and checking if he was still at least okay. “Please Seungri, let me help you. Let me take you out of here. You can stay with me. My parents wouldn’t mind and you know that Dami already sees you as a second little brother.” Seungri looked up to Jiyong, a lot of emotions were written on his face. “I can’t just leave him behind Hyung. He has nothing if I leave, mom just died. Who is going to take care of him? To add to that, how am I going to pay for school and all that stuff? I can’t just leave Hyung, I just really can’t.” Jiyong squad down next to the younger, laying his hand down on his shoulder. “Yes you can leave Seungri, we don’t even have to call the police on him if you don’t want to, but at least leave this place. You are not the one who is supposed to take care of your dad, it should be the other way around. And we will find a way to pay for your school stuff. Please, I want you to be safe and I know that you aren’t safe when you stay here.”

It had been years since Jiyong had saved Seungri that day. It was the first of many times, his dad ended up in jail after he kept stalking Seungri, trying to blame him on everything. On how he was the problem in his marriage, how he ruined everything, he even blamed the death of his mom on him. Not only that, but Jiyong had found Seungri many times with new wounds and blue spots on him. He would tell the younger to stop seeing his dad, to report to the police that he had been following him, Seungri only did that after months of getting followed and getting beatings for things he couldn’t control. It was the start of his depression, it was the start of him becoming mute to anyone but Jiyong. There have been months that he only trusted Jiyong to come close to him, to comfort him, just like there have been times that the younger actually pushed the older away. Not wanting anyone to be close to him. Those were the scariest times for Jiyong, knowing that Seungri was dealing with his own thoughts, with his own inner demons, on his own and Jiyong also knew that it would take a toll on the younger many times. There had been three times that the young Seungri had tried to kill himself.
            The first time was when he had just turned fifteen, Jiyong was seventeen. The death of his mom, the fact that his dad kept blaming him for everything and the change of schools became too much for Seungri. As he turned to cutting his own wrists, Jiyong had been just in time before he could cut too deep. Taking away the blade from the younger and pulling him close as the younger cried out once again on his shoulder. It had been clear that he didn’t really want to die that day, he just didn’t feel like he could talk to anyone about it, about everything that was happening. From that moment on, he started to talk to Jiyong more and he tried to tell the older teen what was wrong whenever he could, though Jiyong wasn’t always there to hold his hand and he knew that all too well.
            The second time was when he was seventeen, Jiyong with his nineteen year old of age had just enrolled college after taking a free year and to Seungri, who was in his senior year of high school, it all became too much once again. As Jiyong only was at home in the evening and Seungri was afraid to speak up to his many bullies on his own, about which he didn’t even dare to tell Jiyong about as he didn’t want to come over as weak to his best friend who could easily beat up anyone if it meant that Seungri would be safe. Seungri just snapped once again, leaving the house on a rainy night to end his life, his idea was to drown himself, he was all ready to jump too when Jiyong pulled him off of the bridge railing. Jiyong was obviously crying, Seungri could see it even when the rain was mixing in with his tears. The only thing that Jiyong could do that evening was hugging Seungri close to himself, calming himself with the thought of Seungri still being alive. He let the younger promise to go and see a therapist, as he knew that he couldn’t stop the younger every time and he couldn’t live with the knowledge that his best friend would kill himself under his watch.
            The last time was not long after his second try, it was the only time that Seungri almost succeeded as it was the only time the Jiyong wasn’t around when he did it. Jiyong had been on a trip for his studies, staying in a cheap hotel to do research on the local fashion of the city. The nineteen year old was basically living his dream, this while Seungri was still thinking of giving up. Seeing a therapist didn’t help all too much as the younger didn’t want to talk, he didn’t want to put down his life story to anyone he didn’t trust. Still in the midst of his depression, he took too many of his pills. Dami was the one who had found him, calling 911 as soon as she saw the younger and she had been just in time. Seungri woke up a few days later, Jiyong on the side of his bed in a chair. There was a small blanket on top of the nineteen year old and his eyes were closed, though Seungri could see that the older wasn’t sleeping. He was thinking, thinking about god knew what, Seungri could only guess that it had something to do with him and his third try of killing himself. It was only when he saw the effects that were showing on Jiyong when he snapped out of it. It still took a long time for him to recover, but he had his own motivation to overcome his depression now. He wanted to see his best friend as happy as he was before he had seen Seungri his dad his abusive side. He wanted to joke around again with Jiyong, without the older having to worry about his mental health. He had something to fight for after his time in the hospital, after seeing Jiyong with dark circles under his, once opened, tear filled eyes.

And to this day they were still best friends, both living their own lives while still being mixed up into each other’s lives a whole lot. Jiyong made his dreams come true and became a fashion designer, Seungri became the manger of many boy and girl groups, having a very personal bond with everyone he works with as he wants to help everyone out as much as he could manage. The artists under him could always call him up with any problem they had and Seungri was just happy that he could someone’s Jiyong, that he could be someone’s safe haven. It took Seungri years to really overcome his depression, but Jiyong was next to him every step of the way. Jiyong was a single dad with an adorable daughter from just over a year old, Seungri didn’t have kids just yet, but he was only twenty-five years old, he still had time to decide if he wanted kids or not.
             To any stranger, that would see the two of them together, their friendship would be like any other friendship. Just someone you can drink with and talk with. But Jiyong and Seungri knew better, they both knew that their friendship was more than just that. They saved each other a lot of times, Jiyong maybe a bit more literal than that Seungri has done, but Jiyong knew that he wouldn’t be where he was now without the younger. He wouldn’t be as happy, he wouldn’t feel as complete. He couldn’t have wished for a better best friend, even when the two of them had their downs, there were many ups that made their friendship matter, that made it worth having. They still balanced each other out, even when they are both grown adults, they still are each other’s other half. Maybe they were even soul mates, meant to meet one another but, not meant to fall in love with each other.

  And to think that it all started out with a cookie on the playground.

{A/N: Well, this turned out a lot more angsty than that I intended it to be. This is what happens when I just write and keep writing and writing. I am so sorry for anyone who wanted fluff, because I did plan for fluff rather than angst. Though I still hope that you enjoyed it! I haven’t proofread it, so I am so very sorry if there are any grammar mistakes. And lastly, this was written for the birthday of one of my best internet friends! So Bangtanmuch (Tumblr) happy birthday! I wrote this in the hopes that you would like it, using Gri as I know that it’s one of your ships. Happy Birthday Sweetie, I hope that you have great one ^.^}