Seungri spent a few minutes evaluating himself in front of the mirror of the dorm's bathroom. He tilted his head this way and that way, looking to see if his body provided any evidence that Jiyong's hands had been there. He had just gotten out of the shower, setting the water to an almost scalding temperature. His tan skin was flushed a light pink due to this, but he didn't care. After getting dressed, he decided he looked the same as always. He just felt a little different.

As soon as the maknae had stepped out of the bathroom, the smell of chinese take-out filled his nostrils. He quickly discarded his dirty clothes in his laundry basket and headed for the dorm's kitchen. His hyungs kindly greeted him at the dining table.

Together, they ate and talked and joked around. Stomachs were filled and plates were emptied. Seungri was on dish-cleaning duty and Jiyong decided to help out. The other members retreated to their rooms for the night, having already done their chores.

"So how was work with Teddy, hyung?"

"Ah, very productive. I've already started working on some lyrics."

Seungri smiled and nodded. "What's the song about?"

The elder shook his head and looked at the cabinets above the sink. Time to be sly.

"Its about a man who's afraid to approach the girl he likes and tell her how he truly feels."

Seungri dropped the sponge he was using into the soapy dish water. Jiyong noticed.

"Hyung, do you like someone right now?"

"Not all the songs I write are from personal experience, Seungriyah." The elder smirked.

The maknae went back to scrubbing away at dirty plates.

"But I am writing it for a friend," the leader mused.

"Why is your friend so afraid to confess?"

Jiyong smiled, helping Seungri move clean plates to the drying rack.

"I wonder that myself."

Seungri eyed his hyung with suspicion. His thoughts seemed louder than the sound of the water draining down the sink. It felt like the blood had drained from the maknae's face as well. He turned pale.

"Hyung, who are you talking about?"

Jiyong smiled.

"Just a dumb friend."

--------------------------

Why was Seungri so afraid of rejection? What was the worst that could happen, after all? Either way, they'd still have to work together. BIGBANG was a five member group. Seungri couldn't just run away if he was rejected. He still had a contract with YG. He still had his pride as an artist, as Seungri.

Maybe it was more like the maknae was afraid that he'd actually be accepted. If he confessed to his hyung, and his hyung liked him back...then what would happen? Jiyong might get more physical or he might make it known to others.

No, Seungri. You know Jiyong better than that. You know how private he is with his relationships...

So then what?

The maknae rolled around in his bed, unable to clear his mind. It was too quiet. He was tired of listening to his thoughts, so he took his pillow and left his room. It was almost midnight, but he knew Jiyong would be awake. His light was on, after all. He knocked on the door, and surely enough Jiyong let him enter his room.

"Hyung, can I stay in here tonight?"

Jiyong was at his desk, hovering over scraps of paper with scribbled words and doodles. He turned his attention to Seungri for only a moment.

"Sure, go ahead. You know I won't be quiet for you though."

"I know. Continue working, I'm tired of the quiet."

Jiyong simply nodded and went right back to devoting all his attention to his work. He scribbled madly into a journal.

Seungri lay his head down on his brought-in pillow and wrapped himself in his hyung's blankets. He wondered how Jiyong's mattress could be so much more comforting than his own bed. For awhile, he just stared at Jiyong's back facing him. The elder started humming softly while continuing to scribble and erase at his work, and these soft, familiar sounds started to lull Seungri into the sleep he needed.

An hour or two later, Jiyong finally closed his journal and cleared his desk. He looked over at his bed to discover the maknae sound asleep. The elder smiled, turning off his lights and climbing into his bed, careful not to wake the younger. He pulled up his blankets, covering himself, and then wrapped his arms around the sleeping figure. Seungri twitched a little, then relaxed.

"Goodnight, my dumb friend," Jiyong teased in a whisper.

Don't be afraid, Seungriyah...