#taekookau where on his 25th birthday, Jungkook wakes up with the most peculiar ‘gift’. He can hear other people’s thoughts. While trying to survive the day with this new ‘power’, he’s surprised to find out that the office’s most desired bachelor has impure thoughts about him.

>> it’s almost my birthday so I felt like writing something short-ish and sweet :) >> jk is confused and tae is hot — that’s the more accurate summary lol >> pls enjoy and let me know if you like

————— Jungkook cautiously exits the taxi and looks carefully at the street in front of him. People are walking around on their way to work, some are looking down at their phones, some are carrying coffee cups, but they’re all minding their own business.

It’s a typical Monday morning. Well, typical for everyone /but/ Jungkook.

Firstly, it’s his birthday. A special day, a /meaningful/ day, a day for celebration — or so his friends tell him. If it was up to Jungkook, he would’ve celebrated the day by ordering pizza after work and playing video games.

His friends, though, think differently, and won’t allow him to stay home and do such /normal/ things on his birthday. So the plans for tonight are drinking and dancing. Where? Jungkook has no idea, but Seokjin is on it so he hopes the night won’t be a total disaster.

But his birthday is not the only ‘special’ thing happening today, another unexpected thing occurred. A thing that makes Jungkook wonder if he’s going slightly mad.

Everything was normal at first after he woke up. He dragged himself out of bed, chose his clothes for the day and took a quick shower — his usual routine, nothing special there.

However, while he was brushing his teeth, his roommate, Hoseok, burst into the room, still in his underwear — which was pretty normal of him, Hoseok isn’t familiar with the concept of personal space — but what happened afterwards was…/surprising/.

While Jungkook was minding his own business and staring at his own reflection, his roommate opened the cabinet next to him to look for something, and then, Jungkook heard him speaking. Only that it sounded…weird.

Hoseok wasn’t speaking to him, it was almost like he was talking to himself. /Where is my moisturizer? I know I bought another one. Maybe Jungkook used it? — no way, his skincare routine is a mess—/

Jungkook turned his head to protest that statement, but stayed quiet when Hoseok just kept on talking aimlessly. /Ohhh there it is. Oh wow the strawberry-flavored lube is here too, I wondered where it went. I need to tell Yoongi I found it—/

Jungkook spit the toothpaste out of his mouth and was about to tell his roommate to shut the hell up because /dude/, TMI. But when Hoseok closed the cabinet door and Jungkook was able to see his face for the first time, he went into a state of minor shock.

Because even though he could /hear/ Hoseok speaking, the man’s lips weren’t moving. They were sealed shut.

/Jungkookie looks nice today, but maybe I should tell him not to wear such a boring shirt on his birthday? I mean, a white button down? Come on man—/ “Excuse me?” Hoseok raised his eyebrows in confusion. “Um, you’re excused?”

Jungkook was about to say that he didn’t mean that, but then realized that Hoseok didn’t understand his meaning because his roommate didn’t actually /say/ anything. It was like he was just — thinking it? And somehow… Jungkook heard it?

So he stared at his friend in shock while Hoseok became even more confused. /Why is he staring at me like that? Do I have something on my face? No, it doesn't seem like it. Maybe he suddenly realized how handsome I am? Oh Jungkookie, my heart already belongs to Yoongi—/

“Oh /ew/ SHUT up!” Feeling the need to distance himself from the situation, Jungkook pushed past Hoseok and escaped the bathroom. “But I didn’t say anything!” Hoseok shouted after him. “And I didn’t give you your happy birthday hug yet!”

The rest of the morning felt like an episode of black mirror. And somehow, he was the star of the show.

Hoseok insisted on cooking him a birthday breakfast so Jungkook had to listen to his friend's erratic thoughts(?) while the only thing he could do was sit there in a state of a never ending shock.

Hoseok’s thoughts were all over the place. He wondered what he should get for lunch, what should he wear to Jungkook’s birthday bash, and whether it was acceptable to dip your kimchi in your coffee (what the fuck?). Oh and Yoongi, he thought about Yoongi a lot.

When Jungkook finally left his apartment to head to work, he had the slight hope that maybe it was just a Hoseok thing, that maybe he could hear only his friend’s thoughts for some inexplicable reason.

But all the remaining hope he had vanished when he entered the elevator and was immediately assaulted by the thoughts of his neighbors. It was…overwhelming to say the least.

He managed to learn about an affair between the lady on the fifth floor and the man on the eighth floor (who is already married, mind you), and was slightly fascinated to hear the thoughts of a first grader, who seemed to be very interested in dinosaurs.

It was overall a surreal experience and when he exited the building, he finally had a moment of quiet. Which was again ruined when he tried to use the bus to go to work and faced an onslaught of thoughts that made him want to jump off the vehicle from the nearest window.

He somehow managed to hold back and get off on the first stop instead, but the damage had been done. He was traumatized. That was how he found himself taking a taxi to work.

And now he’s here, in front of the office where he works, and he’s a little terrified. How is he supposed to go through the rest of the day like this? Maybe he should just head back home and hide under his blanket? Maybe it’ll just go away in a few hours? Maybe—

“Jungkook-ah! Happy birthday!” The cheery voice of Hyein startles him out of his thoughts and he hugs his bag to his chest as he turns to face his colleague. “T-Thank you.” “Are you alright?”

/He looks a little ill, is he okay? Why is he just standing here? Man, I hope Junwoo didn’t forget to buy him those flowers, he’ll be so happy to see them on his desk. Receiving flowers on your birthday is the best—/

Jungkook makes a mental note to act surprised later when he sees those flowers.

“Y-Yes, just a little headache.” He isn’t even lying, hearing people’s thoughts can cause a migraine. “Oh no, I might have some painkillers on my desk if you want some.”

Jungkook agrees because it feels like the polite thing to do, and then he forces himself to follow her into the building. He barely hears a word she says while they talk along the way because there are too many people around with too many thoughts he can’t seem to shut off.

He tries to focus on the conversation but it’s hard to do when the person next to you is currently having very /detailed/ thoughts of his one night stand from last night.

“Are you sure you’re okay? Your face is kinda red.” Hyein says in concern as they walk into their office and Jungkook shakes his head and tries to give her a reassuring smile. It probably looks more like a grimace.

“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday Jungkook! Happy birthday to you~!” Some of his colleagues start singing when they see him approach and Jungkook makes sure to look surprised as hell to see the bouquet resting on his desk.

The employees share one big work space and each one has his or her own cubicle, so everyone can see the colorful flowers on his desk, along with the happy birthday sign hanging on the side.

It’s a nice gesture, and Jungkook would’ve appreciated it more if he wasn’t so busy trying to turn off the constant chatter of /thoughts/ that doesn’t seem to end.

When the small celebration is over and everyone scatters back to their cubicles, Jungkook carefully sits down on his seat and stares at the computer screen in front of him.

Next to him, Jingoo wonders where to take his girlfriend for dinner, while Yuna, who’s sitting on his other side, is quietly gossiping with Soyeon from Human Resources.

It’s like constant noise that just doesn’t stop so Jungkook closes his eyes for a bit to try and fight off those intrusive thoughts. There must be a way to make it stop, why is it even happening to him? Did someone curse him? What if— /Oh my god he’s SO HOT/

That particular thought almost makes Jungkook jump up from his seat because of how loud it is and he automatically turns to glare at the source — Yuna, who seems to be staring at someone across the room.

/Oh my GOD he’s coming over here! I haven't put on my lipstick yet! Shit what do I do?/ While Yuna is busy freaking out, Soyeon’s thoughts are a little more calm — but as thirsty.

/He’s honestly the best looking man I’ve ever seen. It’s almost unfair. I wish we were on the same floor and I could stare at him the whole day. And this shirt on him? Dayum—/

Jungkook is almost certain he knows who they’re talking about, so he’s not that surprised to see Kim Taehyung walking towards them looking like he just got out of a fashion commercial.

The office’s newest heartthrob had started working here almost two months ago and since then managed to steal most of the women's (and some of the men’s) hearts.

Jungkook can’t say for sure how many times he’d heard his colleagues whispering about the man during their breaks but it happens almost daily. To be honest, he can’t exactly blame them.

Jungkook is neither blind nor deaf so he’s definitely not immune to man’s charms. Kim Taehyung has it all - the looks, the brain, the voice (it’s sexy as hell, sue him), and most importantly - he’s single (according to rumors).

Since he figured he didn’t stand a chance very early on, Jungkook never tried to approach the man. Yes, he told him good morning and they had a small talk every now and then, but that was it.

He isn’t bitter about it. For him, Taehyung is like a piece of art to be admired from afar — and he never minded it.

The thing about Taehyung is that he’s also really nice. He always smiles whenever their eyes meet, and he even carried his bag for him once when he saw him struggling to carry a bunch of things out of the office — like a true gentleman.

So when he sees him walking towards him with that endearing smile, Jungkook already knows what’s about to happen.

“Jungkook-ssi, happy birthday.” Says that deep ass voice and Jungkook thinks he hears Soyeon and Yuna sigh wishfully. In order to be polite, Jungkook stands up to thank him with a smile. “Thank you.”

The interaction is very normal up until that point, and that’s when shit gets weird. Because it’s the same as it is with everyone else — he can hear Taehyung’s thoughts. And he soon learns that they are quite different from what he would’ve expected.

/Maybe I should’ve gotten him flowers? No, that might have been too much. He deserves flowers, though, or maybe chocolate? Or a piece of jewelry? A necklace to put around that beautiful neck. Man, I wish.../

Jungkook finds himself staring at Taehyung in disbelief because — the man wants to buy him gifts? They barely know each other. And he thinks his neck is beautiful? What the—

/He looks so pretty today in his white shirt, like the angel that he is — pure and sweet. His cheeks are flushed too, so cute./ Uncontrollably, Jungkook looks down at his shirt. It looks good on him? (Ha! Take that, Hoseok) But wait. Taehyung thinks he looks like an angel?

If shit wasn’t weird enough, it gets even weirder after that. /Pretty angel. Kind of makes me wanna mess him up — open up those buttons and ruffle his shiny hair. He’ll look so pretty lying on white sheets covered by nothing but—/

“…What?” Jungkook barely says. Obviously, Taehyung doesn’t get his meaning. “I’m sorry?” Jungkook has to clear his throat before he can speak again.

“T-Thanks for coming over to congratulate me.” “It’s nothing, my pleasure.” /Everything for you, angel./ Jungkook almost chokes on his own spit.

There is a moment of awkward silence before Taehyung finally walks away. “I hope you have a great day, Jungkook-ssi.”

Jungkook barely manages to thank him again, and then takes a moment to collect himself when there’s enough distance between them. Were those thoughts real? Did Kim Taehyung just— Unbelievable. This is officially the weirdest day of his life ————-

/Maybe I should ask for a promotion? I think it’s my time. I’ve been working so hard lately, Namjoon-ssi must’ve noticed my efforts, my work is literally flawless and—/

Jungkook barely holds back a groan while he listens to Yuna’s inner monologue. He tries not to, he /really/ is, but it’s practically impossible to block it out.

He feels kind of bad for listening to other people’s most personal thoughts, but from what he’s learned so far (it’s only been a few hours), the only way to stop listening is to create a distance between them. And since his desk is next to Yuna’s, it’s basically impossible.

And she should probably /not/ ask for promotion. She’s been working there for less than a year and Namjoon, their boss, doesn’t like it when people get ahead of themselves.

He doesn’t actually know Namjoon that well, but he’s observant and they’ve been working together for almost three years.

When Yuna’s inner conflict goes on and on Jungkook decides he could use a break. He saves the latest spreadsheet he’s been working on and heads over to the break room for a much needed coffee break.

Luckily, he doesn’t meet anyone else along the way and discovers that their small break room is currently empty. With a deep sigh he lets himself literally fall down on one of the chairs. Silence, /blissful/ silence.

There’s nothing better than complete silence, he decides, and then wonders if maybe he should join a convent if this nightmare won’t stop in the near future. God he hopes it will.

He has no idea why this happened to him but he /really/ wants it to end. Superpowers are so overrated, Jungkook doesn’t fit being a superhero anyway — Seriously, giving him secret powers must be the most stupid mistake anyone has ever made—

“Oh Jungkook-ssi, you’re here.” A familiar deep voice says and pulls him out of his inner angst. When he sees who that is, though, he wishes the earth would open up and swallow him whole.

Kim Taehyung is the last person he wants to see right now. Jungkook feels like he could use 3-4 business days to recover from hearing the man’s thoughts this morning. But, alas, there’s no escape for him.

“Taehyung-ssi, hey.” “Hey, um, I was looking for you actually.” “You were? “Yes, I— I got you this.”

For the first time Jungkook notices the small box in Taehyung’s hands, and when the other man hands it over to him, he has no choice but to accept it. /I hope he likes it I hope he likes it I hope he likes it I hope he likes it—/ Well shit, he can’t /not/ like it now.

Slightly scared, Jungkook opens the box to discover— Cupcakes? When it takes him a few seconds to respond, Taehyung’s thoughts become a little panicked. /He doesn’t like it! Maybe he doesn’t like sweet things? Shit, I should’ve asked him before—/

“Thank you, Taehyung-ssi, I really like, um— chocolate?” “Yes. Two of them are made of chocolate and the third one is vanilla.” Oh wow, did Kim Taehyung actually made him cupcakes?

Curious, Jungkook raises his eyes to study the other man, who seems to be a little flustrated. With rosy cheeks and a kind-of-shy smile, Taehyung looks completely different from the man he used to admire from afar. But not in a bad way.

“Did you make these yourself?” “Of course.” He replies, but his thoughts reveal a different truth. /Definitely not, they would’ve turned out disgusting if I made them myself and I CAN’T allow my angel to eat anything other than utter perfection—/ Oh.

Jungkook struggles not to show any reaction on his face while Taehyung keeps on looking at him like everything is chill. Everything is /not/ chill.

“So…you knew it was my birthday today?” Jungkook asks in order to make it all less awkward. /Of course. I marked it on my calendar weeks ago./ “Oh, I just heard about it yesterday and had a few cupcakes to spare. I made them this weekend. For /myself/, of course.“ Riiiight.

“I see, thank you for thinking of me.” /I’m always thinking of you./ When Jungkook literally chokes on thin air, Taehyung immediately becomes concerned. “Are you alright?”

“Y-Yes, just—“ He coughs before he manages to say, “Just something in my throat. I’m fine, Taehyung.” After a second, he quickly adds, “I-I mean, Taehyung-ssi.”

“No! It’s fine, you don’t have to be so formal with me.” “I… don’t?” “Definitely not.” “Oh, what should I call you then?”

Taehyung is a few years older than him, probably 27-28? So the only thing he can call him is— “Hyung? Is that alright?” Taehyung’s next thought catches him off guard because of how loud it is and Jungkook barely stops himself from flinching.

/YES PLEASE CALL ME HYUNG!/ “Yes, hyung is fine.” Well… alright then.

“Sure, hyung.” /Oh my GOD please call me hyung forever, it sounds perfect coming out of your mouth, so sweet and melodic and just— UGH, why are you so cute and sexy at the same time? It’s ridiculous—/

“H-Hyung, I should probably head back to work.” Jungkook says just to stop Taehyung’s thoughts from spiraling any further. It’s also difficult keeping a straight face. His face feels warm and it’s becoming harder and harder to maintain eye contact with Taehyung.

“Oh, of course. Sorry for taking so much of your time.” “N-No, it’s fine. I will enjoy these,” he raises the cupcakes’ box, “thank you again.” “It’s really nothing—“

“Oh Taehyung-ssi, Namjoon is looking for you.” Soojin, Namjoon’s secretary, interrupts them just then when she opens the door and sees Taehyung standing there. Jungkook says a quiet hallelujah and vows to be the best employee Namjoon could ever ask.

“Thank you, I’ll be right there.” When Taehyung gives him an apologetic look, Jungkook simply smiles and encourages him to go. As soon as possible would be best, you /can’t/ keep the boss waiting after all.

After Taehyung leaves the room, Jungkook falls down on the nearest chair (again) and tries to collect himself (again).

Usually, he sees Taehyung once in a few days because he has a higher position and uses his own office. So seeing him twice on the same day is…nerve wracking, especially since the man seems to be somewhat infatuated with him.

Jungkook really doesn’t know what to do with that information. When he lowers his eyes to look at the cupcakes, he sighs in defeat. They have heart shaped sprinkles spread all over them. ————

Jungkook’s main goal for the rest of the day is survival. As simple as that. He does his best to mind his own business— which is kind of hard to do when it’s your birthday and everyone wants to congratulate you.

But he tries his best by coming up with different excuses to escape. Using the restroom being the main one. His colleagues probably think he has diarrhea by this point. But never mind that. Survival— he needs to focus on that.

When it’s time for lunch break, Jungkook realizes he has no choice but to be more social for a little while. His coworkers insist on taking him out to lunch in order to celebrate and Jungkook just can’t refuse. They offer him free food, after all.

So he ends up agreeing but tells them he’ll join them later because he has to finish something first. It’s clearly an excuse but he could really use a few minutes of quiet in order to prepare himself for what is coming next.

Luck, however, is definitely not on his side today, because when he finally gathers the courage to leave the office and join them, he meets none other than Kim Taehyung in the elevator. Which is— great. Just great.

“Jungkook-ssi, going for lunch?” Taehyung asks when he enters the elevator after him. “Yes, and you?” “Same. But I need to stop on the first floor first to collect some documents.”

Jungkook hums in understanding and they both grow quiet for a bit. At least on the outside, because on the /inside/, Taehyung is loud as hell. /He smells so nice, what is this perfume? Is it too rude to ask? Probably. But god I want to spray in all over my apartment and just—/

Thankfully, the elevator stops on the fifth floor and cuts off Taehyung’s train of thought. Not so thankfully, a group of people enters and Jungkook is immediately attacked by a string of unending thoughts.

He stays very still while he tries to think happy thoughts in order to block the unwanted ones, but it becomes harder to do when the elevator stops on the fourth floor as well and even more people enter.

By that point, Jungkook feels like he’s on the verge of a panic attack and barely notices when the woman next to him moves even closer to him in order to give the other people more space.

Only when she accidentally pushes him and he nearly stumbles, he becomes more aware of his surroundings.

Luckily, Taehyung is there to hold his wrist and stop him from falling. His hold feels strong and assuring and Jungkook allows himself a moment to lean on him before he— Hold on a damn minute.

Jungkook literally freezes when he realizes that everything became quieter all of the sudden. It’s not a complete silence, but it almost feels like the other thoughts became more— muted. As if someone turned down the volume. It’s… amazing.

“Are you alright, Jungkook-ssi?” Taehyung asks when he sees him frozen in shock and Jungkook barely manages to nod before it all becomes loud again. But why?! He barely had a minute to enjoy it. What changed? What— No way.

Jungkook looks down at his own wrist and realizes that Taehyung is no longer holding it. Just when he let it go— the thoughts came back in full force. Without thinking much about it, Jungkook grabs Taehyung’s hand.

And it all becomes quiet again. The thoughts are still there in the background, but it’s not as bad. Only when he focuses on them he can hear them more clearly. How is it possible?

Jungkook turns to look at Taehyung, his gaze full of wonder and dismay, and finds the other man already looking back at him with similar wide eyes.

Taehyung seems stunned. Which is probably not that surprising since Jungkook is basically holding his hand like it’s his only saving grace. It’s not that far from the truth.

And then Jungkook realizes something else. While the other thoughts are muted, Taehyung’s thoughts are still loud and clear.

/Is he holding my hand? He is holding my hand. Why is holding my hand, though? Does it even matter? Nope, definitely not. He can hold my hand for eternity—/

Taehyung’s thoughts are interrupted when the elevator stops on the first floor and his shock finally starts to wear off. “T-That’s my floor, I need to—“

When Taehyung makes a move to leave, Jungkook’s reaction is almost uncontrollable. He grabs Taehyung’s hand with both of his own and looks up at him with his best puppy eyes. “Please don’t leave me.” Taehyung is once again stunned. “W-What— You— I mean w-why—“

While Taehyung tries to find the words to describe his disbelief Jungkook realizes he needs to find an excuse to keep him there. Taehyung can’t leave, he /must/ stay with him and hold his goddamn hand. “Have lunch with me.” “S-Seriously?”

“Yes, please,” Jungkook decides to use the magic word, “/hyung/.” Taehyung melts almost immediately and they both barely notice it when the elevator reaches the ground floor and the crowd of people suddenly disappears.

“Lunch.” Taehyung says, his voice sounding a little hoarse, “L-Let’s have lunch.” Oh thank you god. ————-

His coworkers are pretty surprised to see Jungkook walk into the cafe with Taehyung by his side — to say the least. Minji literally almost chokes on her water.

There are five of them - his cubicle neighbor Jingoo, Minji, Jaehyun, Yujin and Jihoon. His closest colleagues, who are probably going to drill him for information when this lunch is over.

Jungkook honestly doesn’t care, though, because he’d been holding Taehyung’s hand for the 10 minutes it took them to get there and the world had been blissfully quiet.

Only when they arrived did he let go of his hand, just before they entered the cafe. Jungkook isn’t happy about it in the slightest, but he still has some common sense left and letting his workers see him holding Taehyung’s hand will only spark unnecessary rumors.

Jungkook doesn't care about that all that much either because he’s basically willing to attach himself to Taehyung’s side from this moment forward, but Taehyung might not feel the same.

The other man has been exceptionally nice since they left the office. He just let him hold his hand without making a fuss and barely said a thing on the way.

Surprisingly enough, he was also quiet on the /inside/. Jungkook barely heard any of his thoughts, which probably means he didn’t have many. Maybe he’s in shock.

The downside of not being able to touch Taehyung anymore is the rain of thoughts that hit him as soon as they arrive. And since he’s standing close to his friends, their thoughts are very loud and very clear.

/KIM TAEHYUNG?!?/ /They came here together? On his birthday? What kind of romcom is this—/ /Taehyung is so hot I’m seriously going to die if he sits next to me—/ /They look kinda cute together. I support this./ /Jungkook got a date? Cool. Can we eat now? I’m starving—/

“Hyung, I’m gonna sit there, come sit next to me.” Jungkook is quick to say before he leans down to sit next to Yujin — who apparently will /die/ if Taehyung sits next to her.

“Sure.” Taehyung says — still with that slightly stunned expression — and gives everyone a small bow before he sits down. /Oh my god he's also polite! He’s literally perfect, how—/

“T-Taehyung hyung is joining us, sorry for not telling you beforehand.” /He calls him HYUNG??/ Screams Minji’s inner voice, /How close are they? Shit we’re going to have a serious talk after this—/

“It’s fine, man. You want a menu?” Jingoo asks, the most chill guy of them all. Taehyung nods and takes the menu from his hands. “I haven’t been here before, what do you recommend?” He asks no one in particular, but his gaze falls on Minji, who sits right across from him.

/Oh wow he’s so pretty, his eyes are so big, how come I never noticed that? What was the question again? Damn, I don’t remember—/ Jungkook decides to save her.

“Here,” He says to Taehyung and leans closer to point at the pasta he likes. “This one is good. The salmon is also nice if you like fish.” Taehyung hums in understanding while his thoughts run in a different direction.

/He has such long eyelashes, so pretty. And the way he smells…god, and his skin is so soft, I wish I could hold his hand again—/

Jungkook clears his throat and moves away a little to create more space between them. He’s also aware of the fact that he’s currently blushing. Can you blame him? A guy can take only so many compliments. “I’ll take the pasta, then.” “Good choice.”

“Taehyung-ssi, we haven’t really talked before.” Says Jaehyun. “I guess not. Sorry for interrupting your lunch but Jungkook—“

“It’s fine, I didn’t mean that. It’s just that I didn’t know you and Jungkook were close.” He says while raising an eyebrow at Jungkook, who tries to think of a quick answer.

“Well, um, we’re not that—“ “It’s a recent thing.” Jungkook cuts off Taehyung’s reply. “Taehyung hyung is so nice and, um, /reliable/ so we kinda started talking. He even got me cupcakes for my birthday!”

The girls gasp in surprise while Jingoo just asks, “Dude, you can bake?” Taehyung is quick to wave him off with a smile, promising that he’s really not that good in the kitchen.

/He thinks I’m reliable? Is that a good thing? I suppose it is but— I would’ve preferred it a lot if he considered me sexy, charming. Or maybe he’s just attracted to reliable men? Oh god, I hope he is—/

Jungkook tries to stop himself from listening to Taehyung’s inner angst and instead turns to look at Yujin, who is already staring at him unashamedly. “Jungkook-ah, you should’ve told us you were friends!”

/How could you NOT tell us you were friends? Or maybe you’re more than friends? Oh my—“ “We became friendlier recently.” Like, half an hour ago.

The waiter comes over to take their orders just then so it provides Jungkook some distraction from his friends’ personal thoughts. But afterwards, he is again reminded of how difficult it is to function when you hear the most random things just when you start to relax.

For example: /Shit, I forgot to buy more cheerios, my girlfriend is gonna kill me—/ /I told them NOT to put tomatoes in the salad! Why is it so hard—/ /I really like her jacket, wonder where she bought it…her shoes, though? Such a shame./

And in the middle of all that, a familiar deep voice catches his attention. /I wonder if Jungkook is not feeling well, he looks distracted—/ Jungkook turns his head to see Taehyung watching him with unmasked concern. He immediately forces on a smile.

“I’m sorry for dragging you out here.” “N-No, I’m happy to be here. Actually— I wanted to ask you to lunch sometime.” /But I’m a coward, and you’re an angel./

Jungkook bites his lip to stop himself from chuckling like an idiot. Taehyung is so dramatic, who would’ve thought?

“We can always do this again sometime, maybe just the two of us?” /YES PLEASE!/ “Yeah, that sounds fine.” Such a contrast.

When the waiter comes back and serves them their dishes, they all grow quiet again and Jungkook actually has a few minutes of peace because, apparently, people think less while they eat.

After a while, though, Jungkook frowns to himself in annoyance because he didn't receive his drink yet for some reason — even though he reminded the waiter. But Jungkook is a polite boy, so instead of making a scene, he waits patiently. Someone else notices his plight.

“Excuse me! He’s been waiting for his drink for a while now.” Taehyung says loudly when the waiter walks by their table. He immediately apologizes. “I’m sorry. You wanted a coke, right?” “Yes.” “Coming right up!”

When the young man rushes to get him his drink, Jungkook takes a moment to look at Taehyung, who’s currently busy talking to Jingoo. He’s so… considerate, and /observant/. How did he even notice that? Jungkook didn’t say a thing.

Next to him, Yujin sighs. /He’s so kind! Argh, he’s just dreamy./ Jungkook can’t exactly disagree with that statement.

“Yo, Jungkook. What are the plans for tonight?” Jihoon asks him. “Oh, just going out with a few friends.” “Nice, to a club?” “Ummm, I don’t think so, probably a bar or something like that—“ Shit, hold on a minute.

Now that he thinks about it, going to a bar means being in the company of a lot of people, who have a /lot/ of thoughts. Fuck.

“Don’t drink too much, though,” Jaehyun says, “we have another long day tomorrow.” He’s right, tomorrow is a regular work day and he has to get up early. “I’m not much of a drinker anyway.”

“Oh me too!” Taehyung perks up. “Usually it’s too bitter for me.” “You like sweet things.” Jungkook assumes. “Yes!” Taehyung says with a big smile that’s shaped like a box.

For the first time Jungkook finds himself thinking that he’s kind of… cute? He always thought of him as this handsome and cool guy, but in the last few hours he got a different impression. He’s still (very) handsome but there’s also this sweetness to him.

They all chat for a while until their lunch break comes to an end, and they all insist on paying for Jungkook, not even allowing him to take out his wallet.

Jungkook finds that it’s a bit easier to ignore other thoughts when he’s very concentrated on something else (like a conversation), so when they all get up to leave, he’s again reminded of his new ‘gift’.

Immediately his eyes wander to Taehyung’s very large and very /free/ hand, but he can’t just hold it in front of the others, it would be too awkward—

Taehyung gives him the solution he’s searching for when he says he needs to use the restroom. Jungkook doesn’t hesitate to say that he’ll wait for him. An excuse for more alone time? Check.

He chooses to wait outside since being in an open space is much better than a closed room when it comes to mind reading (he’s a quick learner).

And yet, he still frowns to himself when a girl passes by and thinks way too loudly of her little dog that she’s getting tired of, going as far as calling it annoying. When Taehyung steps outside to join him, he sees him doing just that.

“Are you alright? Did someone upset you?” Before Jungkook even manages to blink, Taehyung is already thinking ahead. /Did someone bother him? Who’s the fucker? Just say the word and I’ll go and—/

Jungkook can’t help but chuckle because Taehyung is still so dramatic — but he’s kind of getting used to it. “I’m fine, don’t worry. Just, um, a girl passing by was thinking— er, I mean /talking/ about abandoning her dog and it made me feel kinda sad.”

“That bitch.” Jungkook lets out a surprised laugh and Taehyung immediately becomes sheepish. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound so aggressive—“ “It’s all good, I also hate these types of people.”

“You like animals?” “I love them.” “Me too!” Taehyung says in excitement. “I’m dying to adopt a dog but I’m too busy and don’t want it to be by itself all the time.” “I see your point, but maybe one day?” “Definitely.”

There are a few seconds of silence while they both wonder what to do next, and Taehyung is eventually the one who suggests they should head back.

“Right.” Jungkook quickly agrees, but when they start walking, his eyes are drawn again to the other man’s hand, resting so innocently by his side.

It’s a pretty hand, he decides, long and slender fingers— Wait, when did he start noticing such things? He blames it all on his ‘gift’.

It takes a few seconds of courage to finally ask, “Can I hold your hand?” Taehyung freezes for a moment while his mind screams— /WHAT?/

“I-I’m sorry?” Jungkook bites his lip nervously before he continues. “Look, I know it sounds strange, believe me I /do/. But if I tell you why I’m asking this you’ll think I’m mad so—“

“Jungkook…” “— it’ll just make me feel better and I’m having such a shit day—“ “You are?!” “— I don’t feel so well and it started this morning and I just—“

Jungkook finally shuts up when Taehyung raises his hand to offer it to me. He tries to appear calm but the redness on his cheeks is pretty telling. So are his thoughts. /Whatever you want, angel, just tell me what you need and I’ll make it all better—/

Jungkook ends up blushing too before he reaches out and takes the other man’s hand. “I’ll let go before we arrive.” “Don’t worry about it.”

Taehyung is so sweet, and everything is so /quiet/, so for a moment, all is right in the world again, everything is back to normal. Well, as normal as it is to have a hot guy holding your hand.

They walk for a few minutes and talk very little because they are too nervous to speak too much, but Jungkook has a front row seat to Taehyung’s mind so he’s definitely not bored.

He’s kind of grown used to having Taehyung think about him a /lot/ and now that he’s feeling more calm, he allows himself to think that it’s actually a little flattering.

When they arrive back at the office’s building, Jungkook immediately lets go of Taehyung’s hand. “Thank you and, um, sorry for—“ “There’s no need for apologies, really.”

When they approach the elevator, Taehyung tells him he needs to stop at the first door to pick those documents he didn’t pick up before (because of Jungkook), and tells him to have fun tonight.

His nice words have the opposite effect though, because thinking of tonight makes Jungkook panic all over again.

How could he survive being around so many people again without… Without Taehyung. Well, shit.

While they wait for the elevator to arrive, Jungkook blurts out— “You wanna come with us tonight?”

Taehyung looks very surprised and very confused when he turns his head to look at him, and Jungkook can’t blame him. Honestly, it’s a miracle he isn’t running away in the opposite direction by now. “Are you serious?”

“Y-Yeah, it can be fun. You can bring your friends if you want.” Taehyung simply looks at him for a bit, his mind trying to understand the situation.

/Is he inviting me to his birthday party? Why? Should I agree? — Who am I kidding? Jimin will kill me if I miss an opportunity like this—/

Jungkook has a second to wonder who Jimin is before Taehyung opens up his mouth and gives him the answer he’s hoping for. “Sure, sounds fun.” —————

“So you're telling me you invited this /boy/ to our exclusive outing tonight.” Seokjin says to him over the phone. “He’s hardly a boy and I didn’t know it was supposed to be exclusive. He’s going to bring a friend too.”

Jungkook puts the phone on speaker so he can dry his hair better. He just got out of a much-needed shower and he feels pretty good. He feels even better because Hoseok is still not back from work and the apartment is quiet and peaceful.

Don’t get him wrong, Jungkook loves Hoseok, it’s just that— not hearing anyone else's voice in his mind is amazing.

“If you want him to come because you secretly hope for birthday sex then /hey, I’m not judging you—“ “Oh my god, hyung! It’s not that! He’s just— a nice guy.” A moment of silence. “Right.”

Jungkook sighs while he towels his hair dry. He knows it sounds weird and totally out of character for him to invite someone else to his birthday celebrations. But he can’t tell Seokjin /why/ he needs Taehyung there.

He can’t tell him he wants the man to be close to him in case he needs some time off from hearing everyone’s thoughts

“Anyway, we said 8:30, right?” “Exactly, dress to impress.” Jungkook rolls his eyes. “Of course.” They end the call and Jungkook allows himself to fall on his bed for just a few minutes.

It’s 6pm so he has enough time for a short rest before he’ll need to start getting ready.

His mother called him on the way back from work (yes, he took a taxi again) and after she wished him a happy birthday and that good stuff, he tried to subtly dig for information regarding weird phenomenons in the family. Like, mind reading.

Unfortunately, aside from being very confused by his questions, his mother didn’t provide a lot of help. It seems like everyone in Jungkook's family is just normal. Jungkook was normal too until this morning.

So while he relaxes at home, his mind wanders to other possible explanations. The only special thing about today is that it's his birthday, so Jungkook figures it has to have something to do with it. What, though?

He never asked for any special abilities, never even secretly wished for them. No sir, he was fine being a regular guy with a regular life. So what happened?

Just when he feels his eyes getting heavy, there’s the sound of the front door closing, followed by a shout— “Honey I’m home!~” It seems like his time off is over.

“Hey, hyung.” Jungkook mutters as he steps into the living room. “My Jungkookie!” Hoseok beams and literally throws himself at him. “How was your birthday so far?”

/He looks tired, why does he look tired? Did he have a bad day at work? Oh no! Maybe I should give him his gift now? But then Yoongi will kill me and—/ Jungkook grunts and tries to escape Hoseok’s hold, all while trying to calm him down.

“It was good, I got flowers… and cupcakes.” “Cupcakes?! Oh wow, your coworkers are so nice.” /Did he bring them home? I could use something sweet—/ “I put them in the fridge if you want some.”

/Wow did he read my mind? Also yay! Maybe I should make coffee too—/ “I did.” Hoseok’s internal excitement stops and is replaced by confusion. He pulls away from Jungkook and frowns. “You did what?” “Read your mind.”

There’s a moment of silence where Hoseok keeps on frowning at him while Jungkook just stares back, waiting. Finally, Hoseok lets out a laugh. “Ha! Very funny.”

/He almost got me there. He looks so serious, though, is he not feeling well?/ “I’m feeling fine. Well, my head hurts a little but—“ Hoseok gasps and takes a few steps away from him.

/Is this real? Is someone filming this? Is this a prank—/ “Be serious, hyung, how can I possibly read your mind just to prank you?” “S-Stop doing that!” “Doing what?” “Read my mind!— Shit, I can’t believe I’m actually saying this.”

“Oh hyung,” Jungkook says with a tired sigh, “if there’s a way to stop this then /please/ let me know.“ /Is this a dream? Am I dreaming right now—/ “You’re not dreaming.” “Ya! I said stop!”

With a somewhat terrified look, Hoseok literally runs away to his bedroom. When the door closes after him with a loud bang, Jungkook sighs again before he follows him.

He’s not sure why he chose Hoseok to confide in, but his roommate is his closest friend so it just felt right. Unfortunately, he didn’t consider how dramatic he can be. When he stops just outside of Hoseok’s bedroom, he hears him panicking internally.

/What the FUCK is going on? Shit, I’m way too sober for this, how is this even possible? When did it start? Maybe he’s been reading my mind for a while now…OH NO! So fucking embarrassing—/

“Hyung,” Jungkook calls out from behind the closed door, “it only started this morning so don’t worry so much—“ “I told you to STOP!”

“I’m sorry, Hobi, but I really can’t. And I could really use your help right now so can you just come out and talk to me…please?” Hoseok stays quiet for a few seconds.

“I will make you some coffee, alright? And you can pick any cupcake you like.” Another few seconds of silence. “Fine, just— just give me a few minutes.” “Sure.” That went well. ————

Hoseok looks at him with unhidden suspicion while they both sit on the living room’s couch drinking coffee. Hoseok is also eating a cupcake, as promised.

/Don’t think about anything don’t think about anything don’t think about anything—/ “It’s impossible not to think about anything—“ Hoseok splutters as he points at him. “You! I told you /not/ to do that.”

“I promise that I really can’t help it, hyung, does it sound like fun to you?” /Well…/ “It’s really not, especially when there's a lot of people around.” “Well shit, I didn’t think about it like that. Is it… loud?” “/So/ loud, you have no idea.”

Hoseok's expression becomes more sympathetic. “How did this even happen? Like, were you bitten by a radioactive spider or cursed by a witch or something?” Jungkook snorts. “I don’t think so, no. Actually, I have no clue.” “Weird.” “You don’t say.”

“So like, did you hear all of your coworkers’ darkest secrets?” Jungkook grimaces. “Unfortunately. I tried to keep myself busy in order to ignore it but it’s harder than it sounds.” “Well, that sucks.” That’s a pretty good way to summarize this.

“And something even weirder happened.” “Is that even possible?” Hoseok asks before he takes a big bite off the cupcake. He seems to be feeling a little more relaxed. Jungkook gives him a grave nod.

“There’s this guy at work who’s like, very well known because he’s hot and kind and nice and super friendly—“ “I got it, he’s pretty great.”

“—right. And we aren’t even friends, okay? I mean, we became friendlier today but— never mind. Anyway, when he touches me, everything becomes quiet.” “…Quiet like?” “The thoughts, it’s like they become muted and it’s… amazing. But I have no idea why it is him of all people.”

“Did you, um, try to /touch/ other people to make sure that—“ “I did, nothing happened.”

Jungkook did try to test it out after their lunch break, which was super embarrassing but whatever, his coworkers can suck it up. It didn’t work, though, no one else’s touch had the same effect.

Hoseok considers this for a second. “What in the soulmates-strangers-to-lovers au is this?” “What?” Hoseok waves him off. “Nothing, it’s just that… isn’t it suspicious that he’s the only one who can do that? Like, what’s the connection between you two?”

“I… have no clue?” “That’s what you need to think about. The universe didn’t make it happen for no reason.” Hoseok is a strong believer in fate, no wonder he finds logic in this.

“He’s coming with us tonight.” Hoseok almost chokes on his coffee. “He’s what now?” Jungkook shrugs. “I just thought it would be better to have him around in case it all becomes too much. Like, I could just grab his hand, or something.”

Hoseok studies his face for a few seconds. /Wait, can it be that…could it possibly be that…/ Hoseok’s lips curl up into a small smirk. “Does Jungkookie have a crush?

“What?! N-No, of course not! W-what are you talking about? Actually, /he’s/ the one who has a crush on me—“ “Does he now?” “—yes! He might be cute and handsome and charming and he likes animals—“ “Sounds pretty perfect to me.”

“— but I /don’t/ have a crush.” He says decisively. Hoseok looks like he’s barely holding back a laugh. /Jungkookie has a crush Jungkookie has a crush Jungkookie has a crush~/

“I told you I don’t!” “You— I told you to stop doing that!” “Then stop thinking weird things!” “Get out of my fucking mind—“

They keep on arguing for a few minutes before they grow tired of it and Hoseok realizes he has to live with it for now. He’s happy to discover, though, that Jungkook can hear his thoughts only when they are in close proximity.

/Thank god for that because Yoongi is planning on sleeping over tonight and—/ Jungkook pouts in sadness. Well, that’s just great. ————

The rest of the evening passes by peacefully. Jungkook spends the majority of it googling ‘mind reading’ which… is probably not the best decision he’s ever made.

It’s all very hypothetical and strange and just not helpful at all. So after almost an hour of reading meaningless things, Jungkook gives up and figures it’s time to get ready.

He’s putting on an effort tonight (in fear of Seokjin’s wrath), so he hopes his checkered pants and black silk shirt are good enough. Personally, he thinks he looks pretty great - if he can say so himself.

Now if he could only ignore the fear of what’s waiting for him outside— everything would be great. It’s not easy to do, though.

“You look great, Kookie!” Hoseok compliments him before they leave. /When did he buy those pants? I don’t remember seeing them in his closet—/ “…You were looking through my closet?” “W-What— just— I— j-just- shut up and let's go!” Alright, then.

Luckily, Hoseok has a car so they don’t need to use public transportation. Hearing Hoseok thinking ‘don’t think about anything’ on repeat is still much better than dealing with all the random thoughts on the bus.

They soon reach Seokjin’s favorite bar — Cypher — and park nearby before they get out to meet their friends. “So I suppose the others don’t know about this new superpower?” Hoseok asks discreetly. “They obviously don’t. And you’re /not/ allowed to say a thing.”

Hoseok pouts. “Not even to Yoongi?” “No.” Jungkook ignores Hoseok’s puppy eyes because if he’s going to tell their friends about it, it’s not going to be right now in the middle of a bar. And not when Taehyung is there.

Seokjin is already waiting at the entrance, leaning against his longtime boyfriend, Seojoon, aka Jungkook’s favorite hyung (but don’t tell Hoseok). “Jungkook-ah! Happy birthday!” Seokjin squeals before he throws himself at him. He and Hoseok are too similar sometimes.

/Good job, baby, you look fiiine tonight. I knew you could do it—/ Jungkook barely stops himself from thanking him out loud when Seojoon steps forward to congratulate him as well.

“25, huh? Not such a baby anymore.” Seojoon says with a smile before he pulls him into a half-hug. Jungkook can’t help but smile back at him. “Thank you, hyung.”

Seokjin huffs, “you’re always so polite with him when /I/ am the one who raised you.” “My eomma raised me well enough thank you very much.” Seokjin pretends to be insulted while Seojoon pinches his cheek.

“Hey guys, Yoongi says he’s gonna be late, do you wanna go inside in the meantime?” Hoseok asks after he receives a text from Yoongi. Seokjin nods. “Yeah, let’s—“ “Wait, we have to wait for Taehyung-hyung.”

“Oh right, your new boy toy.” Jungkook glares at Seokjin. “He’s not /my/ anything.” /Pfft, you’re not fooling anyone. This is the first time you’ve ever invited anyone to join us, and on your birthday too! Man, this guy must be something—/

Before Jungkook can put Seokjin in a choke-hold, Seojoon intervenes. “Is he going to be here soon? Did he text you?”

Jungkook checks his phone to make sure, but there are no new messages since the last one Taehyung sent him. Jungkook texted him earlier to tell him the time and place and Taehyung’s response was— ‘I’ll be there! ’

It seems like Taehyung is one of those people who use a lot of emojis. He’s not going to admit that it’s kind of cute. “Let’s wait for a few minutes, it’s just that he doesn’t know the place and—“

“It’s cool, Kook, we will wait.” Seojoon says with a kind smile. There’s a reason he’s his favorite hyung. While they are waiting there, Jungkook realizes that he can’t run away from hearing his friends’ thoughts.

/Don’t think about anything don’t think about anything don’t think about anything—/ /Is that Taehyung fella hotter than me? I doubt it. But he better treat my Kookie right. I need to make sure that he’s good enough for him, I need to stay focused—/

/Jinny looks so pretty tonight, I can’t wait until we get home and I can take off his—/ Jungkook literally starts singing in his mind just to stop himself from hearing his favorite hyung thinking dirty thoughts. Seojoon must stay pure, Seojoon is /innocent/—

“Hey, Jungkook-ssi?” Jungkook is pulled back to reality when he hears Taehyung’s very distinctive voice. The older man stands there looking as fine as ever and Jungkook literally has to stop himself from staring at his /very/ exposed collarbones.

“Oh hyung, you made it.” /Ahh hearing him calling me ‘hyung’ will never get old. And of course I made it, I would have canceled any other plans I had to be able to see him. God damn he looks gorgeous, even more than usual, like a dark angel—/ It seems like nothing has changed.

Just then Jungkook notices someone else standing next to Taehyung. It’s another man, slightly shorter than him, but almost as stunning with his blonde hair and pretty features. When the other man clears his throat, it seems to remind Taehyung of his presence.

“R-Right, this is Park Jimin, one of my closest friends. Jimin, meet Jeon Jungkook.” /His BEST friend, actually./ Jungkook bites his lip to stop himself from smiling. “Nice meeting you, Jimin-ssi.”

“Likewise. And happy birthday.” Jimin says with a pleasant smile, but in the meantime, his eyes study him from head to toe.

/So this is Jeon Jungkook, huh? He’s hot, I won’t lie. A bit too cute for my tastes, but he fits Taehyung perfectly./ Jungkook isn’t sure if he should be offended or not.

When he notices his friends’ very obvious looks, Jungkook quickly makes the proper introductions. Seokjin seems very eager to drill Taehyung with questions so Jungkook tries to delay it by offering to go inside. “Let’s continue inside? It’s getting kind of cold.”

/He’s cold? Should I offer him my jacket? I really want to offer him my jacket—/ /My baby is cold? We should get inside immediately!/ /It’s not that cold, maybe it’s a side effect of being able to read other people’s minds—/

Jungkook barely holds back a sigh. It’s going to be a long night. ————

*this twt will be deleted* Hashtag save hobi and on a serious note — thank u so much for reading and reacting to this little au there’ll prob be 3-4 more updates before it’s done :) curiouscat.live/Lili_tsg