Friendly Favours

Chapter 1

"Have I mentioned how great you are?" Jungkook's sudden compliment interrupts Jimin's studying, prompting him to look up from his textbook. "Did you do something different with your hair?" He gestures vaguely, "looks really good today. Whatever you're doing, you should keep doing it," and Jungkook says it all while smiling a smile that Jimin knows all too well.

Narrowing his eyes, Jimin pushes his hand through his hair as if Jungkook's comment had reminded him that he hadn't done so in a while. Jimin hadn't done anything different with his hair, and he certainly isn't going to take Jungkook's out of the blue compliment as a simple act of kindness. They'd already been in the library for a good couple of hours at this point, meaning that Jungkook probably just recently worked up the nerve to ask whatever it was that he was about to ask.

Jungkook only ever really compliments him if he has a reason to.

"Are you trying to butter me up?" Jimin asks, a hint of a smile showing through.

"I have no idea what you're talking about – hey, did you switch up your skincare routine, you're just glowing."

While Jimin would love to sit there and listen to all the random, bullshit compliments that Jungkook seemed so intent on throwing his way today, he'd much rather just get to the bottom of it so that he can resume his studying. "What do you need, Jungkook?"

"What, I can't compliment my friend out of the goodness of my heart?" Jungkook places a hand over his chest, pretends as if he had just been deeply offended by Jimin's words. "Do you really think that little of me?" He keeps up his melodramatic act, shaking his head. "I am hurt, Jimin. I can't believe you think –"

"Last time you said something nice about me, you followed it up with: by the way, can I borrow some cash?" Jimin crosses his arms over his chest, amused.

"Okay, fair." Jungkook concedes. "You got me there. But I paid you back, and I bought the popcorn the next time we went to see a movie." He shrugs nonchalantly.  "So really, when you do favours for me, you're doing yourself a favour, too."

Even though Jimin rolls his eyes, a smile still finds its way to his face. He'd known Jungkook for a few years now, and one thing that had never changed about him was his tendency to be a bit of a brat. It's not like Jimin ever minded helping Jungkook out here and there, and it's not like Jimin is always the one giving and Jungkook is always the one taking.

Jimin and Jungkook do favours for each other all the time, because that's what friends do. Whether it's something as simple as buying a coffee for the other, loaning some money, proofreading a paper, or volunteering to be the sober friend while everyone else is having fun getting absolutely shitfaced, they help each other out all the time.

From the little things to the big things, Jimin and Jungkook have a balanced friendship.

But this time, Jungkook is acting a little different. This time, he's skirting around the topic of what it is that he needs, and Jimin can't help but wonder why that is. Usually he would throw a half-hearted compliment his way, and then just dive right in, asking for whatever favour he needed, and then Jimin would sigh and pretend like saying yes is a bigger burden than it really is.

But this time, Jungkook is hesitating.

Curiosity getting the best of him, Jimin props his elbows up on the table, resting his head in his hands, showing Jungkook that he has his undivided attention. "So...are you gonna tell me what you want?" He raises his eyebrows, voice lilting playfully. "Or do I have to guess? And if I have to guess, do I get a prize for guessing it right?"

"Jimin..." Jungkook gets a funny look on his face – something caught between amusement and embarrassment, his playfulness quickly subsidising. "Believe me when I tell you, there is no possible way you're ever going to guess this."