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"A-a-and.. and I'll c-come one h-hour early-y for t-the m-mass on sunday.. a-and I'll w-write a new carol-l even i-if it's Joonie's t-turn and... and.." he hooked the thumbs of joint hands under the front teeth looking around the desolate room that his whiny voice resonated in.
"...and I-I don't h-have a-anything e-else. Just p-please-"

"TAEHYUNG-AH HURRY UP! MOM ASKED TO GET BACK BEFORE DINNER!" the voice from outside the church called again making him roll his eyes, a sour twitch of lips etched grave.

"G-gotta go! R-remember t-the n-name it's T-A-E- ae-H- Y-U-Nnn- jj-G. !"
He smiled and started walking backwards winking and making finger guns at the colossal cross extended across the width of the church.

Hearing his brother's call for the third time he jogged out to where he was leaning on his bike and indignantly tapped his foot on the pavement with a scowl so prominent it seemed someone rigged it with a shovel.

"S-sorry. We w-were having some n-n-n-n-" he felt a little nudge-y slap on the back of his head "negotiations. T-thanks."

Nodding wordlessly Namjoon picked up his bike and waited for Taehyung to do the same before paddling parallel down the street to their house. "You know, I don't wanna be a Debby downer and all, but I think this power from your star for a day is a baseless concept. When I become a scientist, I'm going to find a way to finish it off."

Taehyung snickered elevating himself to paddle with more force trying to catch with his sulky brother who in a sudden bout of rage had started barreling the poor bicycle fast enough to start flying.

"Y-you're j-just bitter b-because o-on y-your 17th you b-became invisible."

"Can you blame me? I was marked 'absent' for the test I pulled an all-nighter for and was present in! Not to mention how I'm not in the pictures of my own birthday dinner!"

Taehyung burst out laughing so jerkily that he almost collided with a lamp post, while Namjoon is squaring his shoulders and shaking head to wiggle off the horrid memory.

***********
"Tae, baby get up." A hand groomed through his hair gently before a little kiss on his head. "Happy Birthday, my sunshine."

"Mm.. f-five m-more minutes a-as a g-gift p-please." Burying his face back in the fluffy bedding he turned his back to his mother who pivoted him right back with a strength unmatched with her pliable voice.

"No you'll be late for school. Moreover, aren't you excited to find the gift from your star?" And the question mark of that sentence was followed by a striking exclamation from Taehyung who shot up from his bed in a second and stood affront his mother's startled face in half a moment.

"A-am I s-still  s-s-stuttering?"  The wide bug-eyed face fell like the dusking sun in a second when an obvious realisation came through. "Y-yes I a-am."

There was a prickle beneath his eyelids, something he didn't expect himself to be having first thing on the  day he had most looked forward to all his life. With heart crushed to shatters and a sullen face he looks up at the piteous face of his mother, the one she gives every time Taehyung has one of the meltdowns about his debilitation.

"It's okay baby. Think about what other power you must have right-"

"I D-DON'T CARE ABOUT ANY O-OTHER P-POWER!!" He looks up at the blatantly mundane ceiling in despair, a habit he developed with too much time in hand and too little (no) friends to spend it with. "EX-EXPECT M-ME LATE F-FOR THE S-SUNDAY MASS!!"

The woman chuckles and pats his head tenderly "Don't worry. Nobody cares about a stutter if you're a good human."

But Taehyung's ears stop to focus when his eyes catch the most baffling thing.

He blankly looks at her... over her head, where a bizarre meter-like thing is. What?

"And my son is so handsome that a stupid stammer is unnoticeable."
Right after she finishes her sentence the arrow the meter thingy starts to sway side to side before abruptly stopping at the extreme left.

And in sheer hysteria and stimulus he plunges his hand towards her head to which she ducks in time and the arms passes right through the meter before it reappears. Taehyung rubs his eyes violently.

"Just a bug." He speaks with mouth still agape in disbelief. "I'll go get ready."

It's with the toothbrush stuffed into his mouth with disconcerted movements from a lost hand reflex, Taehyung is scowling at his reflection in the mirror.

He just couldn't perceive why the stars hated him this much. Both of the Kim brothers, now that he thinks about it.

"Happy Birthday kiddo!" Namjoon smiles from the bathroom door already dressed for college, the nerd brothers they are- embarrassment for each other. He is braced in a side hug "You're the best brother I could ask for."

The arrow on the meter above Namjoon's head instantly yanks to the right. A smile creeps to his face for the first time.

*True.*

"Whats yo power?"

"I c-can see e-everyone n-naked!" He mumbles with a dripping toothpaste on his chin and lifts up to see the priceless mortified face of his brother who covers up his hoo-haa with both his hands and sprints out of the room.

~
"Do you really not want to bring any friends over for dinner?" His mothers question is answered with a glare, retorted by her hands raised in surrender.

Sure he'd bring friends over... if he had any.

"STOP LOOKING AT MOM!" Namjoon yells placing his hands crossed over his own chest receiving an odd look from mother and an eye roll from the brother.

"Happy Birthday, son." His father's nonchalant voice breaks his stare. While he grabs his juice his father is already making his way towards the television. "I hope you have a good day."

*False.*

He hated this day already.

********

The first thing in his routine is always checking his locker. It is for almost everyone, but the reason beheld underneath is what differs.

Every morning he smiles sniffing in the fragrance of a beautiful garden flower that he finds on the crevice of his locker. Over months he has had no idea who does that, so meticulously not forgetting a single day.

It would be a lie if he said it didn't pique his interest initially as to who in the world would take the time and effort for him. However with a little thinking through, he came to a conclusion that he didn't want to know.

This person, whoever they are, obviously do not know about the speed bumps in Taehyung's speech, why else would they stick around for so long? And he reckons it's better this way than him stuttering a conversation out. No thanks.

Talking about the wonderful day, there's no flower today. Taehyung can practically feel his entire viscera turn to goo in melancholy.

But it's only momentarily so because next minute as soon as he opens the locker door a plethora of flowers fall on him and the ground from how stuffed they were in the small compartment. "O-oh!"

With an ear-splitting grin he collects each flower and fists them into a bouquet, jabbing them into the side pocket of his bag for the petals to peek out to the world. Almost about to move forth, his eyes suddenly land on a little folded note on the locker base.

As soon as the paper unfolds, the meter appears on top of it.

𝓗𝓪𝓹𝓹𝔂 𝓑𝓲𝓻𝓽𝓱𝓭𝓪𝔂 𝓐𝓷𝓰𝓮𝓵 . 𝓗𝓸𝓹𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓵𝓲𝓯𝓮 𝓪𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓭 𝓲𝓼 𝓪𝓼 𝓫𝓻𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓪𝓼 𝓶𝔂 𝓭𝓪𝔂 𝓪𝓯𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓼𝓮𝓮𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻 s𝓶𝓲𝓵𝓮.
- 𝓐𝓭𝓸𝓻𝓮𝓻

*True.*

Maybe the day isn't that bad.

********
Okay he takes it back! It was a horrible horrible day. There's a good reason why you don't and can't find out if someone is lying to you or not- that's because you don't need to find out. Now he is out here getting his heart broken by the handful of people he used to like.

Jung Hoseok for example- "Oh Taehyung! Sorry I didn't reply to your text, I was really busy!"
*False.*

Like Kim Seokjin- "Sorry man, I really wanted to be paired in the drama with you but someone asked me already."
*False.*

Like Min Yoongi- "Ae look! Kim got partnered with Jeon at Chemistry lab again. Looks like Mrs. Song dislikes him just as much as we do!"
*True.*

"W-why a-are w-we paired a-again!" He grumbled under his breath only for his own ears to sympathise with him. But of course the earth hates him and would go and snoop on him to the only person he cannot bare to have an interaction with, on this ghastly loathsome day.

"That's because she wants each pair to have one cool hunk and one looser." The faint knock of his timberlands on the floor overshadowed by the stern but mocking tone. Nothing he hasn't heard before.

*False.*
Pfft of course she doesn't pair for that reason, she just hates Taehyung and also the fact that Jeon asks her to do it just so he can get on his nerves.

"J-jeon." Taehyung paid half a glance before getting back to drying his washed test tubes (the ones he always also washes for whoever his partner would be just so he can have a good start to a friendship for once but turns out Mrs. Song isn't going to let that happen anytime soon.)
"Not today-y, p-please."

"Why? What's special today for me to not pester you?"

"I-it's m-m' birthday-y."

"Oh, I didn't know that."
*False*
Taehyung rolls his eyes separating his and Jungkook's test tubes in the stand. "What power you got?"

"T-to n-not l-listen t-to your i-insults."

"Ah bullshit, church boy. Not even the stars would like you to miss my charms."
*True.*
What the hell is this earth's problem?

Taehyung doesn't reply. Honestly, although Jeon is persistent and unremitting in the teases (settling to stare at him from far if he cannot reach and spit out verbally), all his insults are kind of bogus and childish.

Having taken much horrid bullying all through middle school- he is fine that he now has only one incompetent bully, since for some reason everyone else decided to leave him alone- not that he was complaining.

At least Jeon keeps his stammer out of the insults. While his infamous name is stutter-butter, Jeon goes for church-boy.

He grabs his bag to take out his supplies when one of the flowers poking out is suddenly snatched. "J-jeon! G-give it b-back!"

"Oooh! Look at that!" He stretches his hand with the flower far above his head causing the boy to jump up to grab it and snatch it away. "Does the church boy have a loverrrr??"

"Right. L-like I c-can ever h-h-have one."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He secures back the flower on his bag after leaving a small peck on a petal and moves back to the table. "S-someone w-who d-d-doesn't know about m-my problem l-leaves t-these at m-m-m-m" he slaps the back of his head lightly "-my locker."

"Why.. why are you so sure they don't know ?"

"W-why?" Taehyung looks back sharply before taking out a piece of paper from his pocket "b-because t-this happens w-when they k-know!"

"Happy Birthday stammer-boy. Contact me if you need a slap on the head, friend. Or anywhere Lmaooo"

Taehyung can see the other's jaw clenching, fist enclosing around the paper hard enough to tear it while eyes fixated on the hand writing. Why did he look angry?

"Can I keep this?"

"W-why?"

"Just.. it's a good insult. May contact the writer for more." *False*
Whatever, Taehyung thought. He shrugged and continued arranging his stuff waiting for the teacher who is always a good fifteen minutes late.

"Do you have someone in mind who must be leaving these?" Jungkook pointed to the bag before placing his own stuff on the counter. Are they going to have a proper conversation for once?

"I t-t-tthink it's P-park J-jimin f-from m-maths. H-he a-and have n-never t-talked and h-he looks at m-me f-funny."

Taehyung maybe pushing his luck with the assumptions but he was about 80% sure he saw Jungkook pout.

"It's not Jimin."
*True.*

"W-wait, do y-you know w-who it is?"

Jungkook thwarts in his movements before continuing again with a straight face. "Your shirt is ugly." He spits back.
*False.*

Taehyung can't help but crack a smile at that. "N-no it's n-not."

"Yes it is. I hate it."
*False.*

Taehyung is now grinning at the boy who looks back at him with a raised brow. "What?" He continues to stare with gleam in his eyes making Jungkook check his front camera if there was something on his face.
"Seriously what? Stop staring. You're being weird.. weirder than you already are."
*True.*

Taehyung's smile drops like a hot potato, he looks back at the textbook meanwhile the teacher enters.
It's a good five minutes later that Jungkook leans to his side. "I only asked to stop staring not to stop smiling."

"T-that c-came o-out romantic i-instead o-of insulting. T-t-try a-again Jeon."

"Romantic? Me? With you? Puh-leez not even in my dreams."
*False.*
Taehyung's eyes widen beyond belief. Okay this meter is broken now.
It's a boggle in his head how this just turned out and he might as well test the waters because even if it is an equivalent of a curse, he doesn't want to walk around with a broken meter.

"S-so y-you n-never t-thought of m-me rom-romantically."

"Absolutely not!" The pitch of his voice has raised now, also a noticeable heave of the chest.
*False*

Heat radiates up Taehyung's cheeks and he is assertive they must be the colour of his strawberry milkshake he had in the morning.

"Why are you smiling like that! I really don't!" His voice is squeaky and borderlining a panic at this point.
*False.*
"I.. I don't even find you p-pretty." Oh look who is stuttering now. Taehyung's smile widens more than he knew it had the capacity to when glances at the meter above.
*False.*

"I should shut up." He sighs and gets back to his texbook. *True.*

But Taehyung isn't concentrating anymore. All he ends up is with a chewed up pencil that he gnaws on thinking if he should dip a small toenail into the water? What does he have to loose? Self-respect? He has none.

"Psst J-j-jeon." Jungkook warily looks back at the boy who smiles at him with pink cheeks and burning red ears. "D-do you know w-who g-gives m-me the f-flowers?"

"No."
*False.*

"Is it Y-Youngjae?"
"No." *True.*

"J-j-Jinyoung?"
"No." *True.*

"Ja-jackson?"
"Ew, no." *True.* "Stop asking me! I don't know!" *False.*

From the counter where they both stood behind the chemical vials, Taehyung completely turns to face the jock who suddenly seems to find the bottle of bicarbonate too interesting.

Taehyungs puts his hands behind his back and crosses his fingers. Here goes nothing...
"J-jeon?"

"What- what now! C-church boy you're annoying me!" He speaks while about to add potassium into a test filled with water. Taehyung in sheer dread holds his hand back, while shortly glancing at the meter above, his horror breaks into a smile.

"S-silly i-it will e-explode!" The other nods as if he didn't even know what he was doing in the first place only staring back at the hand that held his before it's gone.

"J-jeon is i-it you? D-do you l-leave t-the flowers?"

"Wha-WHAT! Kim are you crazy- why- I - I don't! Haha what wishful thinking! Craze- crazy- pfft! Silly! Thinks I would-"

Taehyung isn't even listening anymore. His eyes only zeroing at the meter whose arrow has gone berserk before it snaps to left at the speed of white waters.

*False.*

An echoing blushy giggle escapes his lips causing Jungkook to come to an abrupt stop with a confounded face while both of them get yelled at by the teacher.

******
Usually by now Taehyung is speeding on his bike to his house in anticipation of his evening bible read; but here he is standing in the parking lot watching Jungkook having a heated argument with Min Yoongi looking enraged but taut at the same time.

He wonders if he should wait until their altercation is over or will he be punched if he interferes. But he really needs to leave so.. guess it's the punch option.

Jungkook is almost about grab Yoongi's collar when Taehyung approaches from behind and softly tugs on the hem of his sweatshirt.

Jungkook snaps his head back making the other shut his eyes ready to be punched black and blue but since it never comes, he opens his eyes again. Phew.
"Tae- uh, church boy? Why are you here?"

All previous animosity gone, his voice is soft edging the tone it usually does. Taehyung finds the bullying chit he showed in Jungkook's hand and it takes less than a minute to guess what he was doing.

"M-m-my mom m-makes amazing t-turkey."

"Ookayy?" He prefers to ignore the weird looks and only gives a small smile.

"I-i was w-wondering i-if you w-would like t-to j-join us f-for my b-birthday d-dinner?"

Jungkook looks like he was splashed with ice cold water the way his facial muscles froze solid right then there. Taehyung however doesn't falter and brings out his best puppy eyes that he has only ever used over his brother and mother, and considering the conspicuous softening of Jungkook's eyes, he can claim that Namjoon isn't wrong when he says that it is a weapon of mass destruction.

It was Yoongi's laugh that breaks their little exchange. "You see Jeon? This is what happens when you side with the wimps, they always get the wrong ideas!"
*True.*

Everything in Taehyung's chest drops low into his shoes. What the hell was he thinking? Where the hell did the courage even come from? Even if Jungkook does like him, there's a reason he kept it to himself. It's a downgrade for the famous jock!

Did he just prepare the recipe for his own bullying to increase tenfold. Ah kill me somebody.

Before he presents them with a supreme chance of bonding over insulting Taehyung, he thinks it's better to quietly escape away and go hide in his den and not come out for 365 business days.

But as soon he turns in the direction pf the bike stand, he wrist is gently grabbed raising butterflies in their wake in his turkey-less tummy. Jungkook comes to his front, jogs literally, with a big grin.

"I would- I would love to join you!" He speaks through the grin and Taehyung finds himself mirroring it and more so now that he knows that and he quote 'his smile brightens the other's day'.

He quickly grabs the insulting chit from Jungkook's hand and writes down his address on the back of it, and it over trying to cover up the shaking that pulsates under his digits. "S-see y-you at e-eight."

"See you at eight." His voice has fallen below a whisper and Taehyung finds his heart beating faster than it ever should. Jungkook takes a step back with a blinding smile and pauses "Happy Birthday, church boy."

He says with the small smile walking backwards and in that moment Taehyung understands why Jungkook is fantasised by half the school. Another shockwave runs through him wondering if it's a dream how smitten Jungkook looks with him.. the stuttery church boy?

"J-jeon! W-who s-should I tell my m-mother I've i-invited?"

Even though Jungkook is mustering the best laid back hunk look that he is, the red of his ears is easily giving his fluster away.

"I...I would love it if you tell her you're bringing a date!"

And Taehyung's entire persona turns a shade pinker when he glances up at his truth-o-meter above.

===================================

Just a good ol' fluffy taekook drabble. :)