| Returning The Favour || Yoonmin |

Ch3 ~ Taboo...

Yoongi and Jin entered the Kwon household to find Jihoon sprawled out on the sofa. His face planted in a pillow with his back pack still sat idly on his back. He was both shattered from the day and excruciatingly hungry. "Hyung?" He called out, hoping it was his brother so he could get rid of the ache in his stomach.

"Yeah dude," Yoongi walked into the living room, Jin following after him. "I brought Jin along, he's making us dinner." Jihoon perked up on the sofa, suddenly feeling his stomach turn with excitement.

"Really?!" He ran up to them, stomach still making a pained hungry noise. "You're gonna cook for us Jin hyung?" He said hopefully, his mouth watering at the thought of consuming Jin's exquisite food. Jin nodded and ruffled Jihoon's mint blond hair. "Oh my God, I can feel my mouth watering." He licked his lips.

"What the hell?!" Yoongi abruptly cut in. "You don't ever get this excited for my cooking!"

"Sorry hyung," Jihoon said in a mocking tone, turning to his older brother who wasn't much taller than he was. "You can cook? I've only ever witnessed you boil a pan of instant noodles!" Jihoon's voice got louder as he said each word, especially when he reached 'noodles'.

"Why you little-" Jihoon scurried up the stairs and dashed into his room, making sure he blocked the door with his computer chair. Luckily for him, Yoongi didn't have the energy to run after him, so his life was spared for yet another day.

"Hmm," Jin scoffed and made his way over to the kitchen. "I'll get cooking then."

"I'll help you." Yoongi followed him. Jin raised an eyebrow at his friend, cutting off his steps to the cooking area. He was baffled at the thought of Yoongi in the kitchen making anything but an unhealthy bowl of instant ramen.

"You?" Jin questioned. "You will help me?" Jin put his hands on his hips, amused Yoongi would propose such a thing. He remembered the last time Yoongi tried to help around the cooking area, he barely did anything and Jin was left to do most the things he'd ordered Yoongi to do. So naturally, Jin was furious.

"Or..." Yoongi started, sensing that Jin was determined to avoid another culinary disaster. "...I could go into the kitchen, and talk to you while you cook?" It was more of a question than it was a statement. Jin approved and they proceeded their way to the kitchen. "How's Namjoon?" Yoongi asked for what seemed like the thousandth time that day.

"Why is that always the first question you ask me?" Jin asked, laughing slightly, half nervous and half entertained Yoongi was so interested in his love life. But why wouldn't he be? Jin was his best friend. Naturally, he was curious to hear the juicy details of his blossoming romance with the Kim Namjoon.

"Because you never talk about him?" Yoongi explained while Jin opened up a plastic bag full of ingredients. "He's the captain of the basketball team! And I feel like he's a year younger than we are?"

"It's almost two years for me Yoongi." Jin peeled an onion and cut the top off. "He's born in September and I was born in December so that's pretty much two years."

"Jin, it's like one and a half." Yoongi corrected. "What's he like? Have you had sex with him yet? Is he big?" Yoongi's questions were shot out like wildfire, he wanted the hot details. It wasn't often that the Jin had been sexual with anyone, let alone another guy. There was a time where Jin had fancied himself a straight man, but it all changed when that son of a bitch Namjoon entered first year.

"He's a player." Jin said, straightforward. "He's always out with girls and he never has time for me. Like today," Jin stopped chopping the peeled onion and pointed the knife to Yoongi. He felt his blood freeze and flinched away from his best friend momentarily. "today I was supposed to go to his house and he cancelled on me last minute cuz he had some girl he needed to take care of." He frowned, suddenly reminded of how his boyfriend acted to keep his reputation up in school. Gay people were looked down upon, and considering Namjoon was in such an elite position in their student body, it was seen as a valid excuse to turn Jin down at the last minute. He didn't want to put himself in danger. Even more so, Jin. Attacks directed on gays were quite frequent in their high school, and Namjoon wanted no part in that.

"Yeah, but..." Yoongi hesitated, leaning on the counter and putting his hand below his chin for support. "...doesn't he have good reason to do that?" Jin halted his chopping once again, his angry facade disappearing.

"I know he does..." he fumbled for a garlic clove in the plastic bag and flitted over to the drawer, full of knives and cooking utensils. "But I just wish our country would accept people who are... different?" He went for the butcher knife as it gleamed in the kitchen light. "So... who's that kid you were staring at for like five minutes on our way over here?" He changed the subject, hoping it would lead to more positive chit chat and not Jin's depressing relationship with Namjoon.

"What kid?" Yoongi reached for an apple in the fruit basket next to him, his mind devoid of any thoughts to do with the angel-faced, homeless boy who sat near the river bank.

"Oh do not play this game with me," Jin grinned. "I think we both know you're shitting us both by playing coy."

"I actually don't know who you're talking about." Yoongi shrugged and jumped back on the counter.

"That one sitting by the river." Yoongi's mind flashed with the image of him. The person who'd smiled so gratefully. "The one you stopped in the middle of the road for?" He crushed the garlic clove under the butcher knife he fished out of the utensil drawer.

"What about him?" Yoongi bit on the apple.

"Why were you staring at him?" Jin asked curiously. "It's not often you're attracted to guys who have ripped clothing and grubby faces. So why?" Jin found a batch of tomatoes in the plastic bag and happily cut them up to a desirable size.

"Why do you want to know?" Yoongi scoffed, slightly delighted by Jin's abrupt interest in the angel-faced homeless guy. He was quite the cutie, but Yoongi wouldn't admit that outside the confines of mind.

"Cuz it's interesting! Usually with you it's just meaningless sex, one night stands and walks of shame or-" Jin felt himself cringe. "Walks of victory" Yoongi feigned offense.

"Don't say it like that, walks of victory are my bread and butter." He took another bite of his apple. "not that I'm getting paid for it but it's impressive how many people are attracted to me don't you think?" He looked smug. Jin didn't seem as impressed. "What's more, how many more will-"

"Uh-uh," Jin interrupted. "I'm not going to listen to you show off your 'sexcapades' and how much sex you've had. I'm far too sensitive about my own relationship right now." Jin waved him off with a knife. "I'm asking about the kid at the river bank."

"There isn't much to tell," Yoongi admitted, taking another bite. "He looked cold one rainy day on my way to school so I just, gave him my umbrella."

"And?" Jin prodded.

"And nothing," Yoongi shrugged, he swallowed the apple in his mouth. "I just see him near the river bank everyday before and after school. Nothing special."

"There's gotta be more than that." Jin stopped cutting vegetables. "I mean think about it, you see him everyday. It doesn't go much further than you staring at him longingly?"

"I do not stare at him longingly." Yoongi remarked.

"Oh and those long glances are...?" He pressed.

"They aren't anything," he scoffed. "What makes you think there's anything there to begin with?"

"The way you looked at him. You haven't even looked at anyone like that since-" Jin cut himself off, bit his tongue at they who should not be named. It held all sorts of taboo. It was the cause of all Yoongi's discomfort during the night. He wasn't exhausted and lazy all the time just for the sake of it, he was haunted by it. So much so, he was afraid to sleep. It was as though he was cursed with sleepless nights and blaring headaches that forewarned none of the pain. It was her fault.

"Yeah... since her..." Yoongi uttered shortly after Jin had stopped himself, gulping down bits of the apple. Suddenly his appetite had gone cold. "She's... she's probably happy right now don't you think?" Yoongi sighed and looked up at the ceiling, trying to forget about his past...