One shots || Jake and Johnnie

I can hear your thoughts || Johnnie & Jake

Johnnie has been feeling really weird laitly. One night, he finally figures out what has been going on. And it's much weirder then he thought it was.

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It was late in the evening, the sound of the pouring rain echoing inside of the livingroom. Jake was sprawled across the couch, blasting a new music album while scrolling through his phone, while Johnnie sat cross-legged on the floor, sketchbook in hand. The room filled with the smell of wet things due to the rain coming through the cracked window.

As thunder rumbled outside, Johnnie took a deep breath, the storm echoing the turbulence inside his mind. Lately, he had felt a heaviness, a weight that seemed to sit on his chest regardless of what he did. He rarely spoke of it, fearing he would burden Jake, who had his own demons to wrestle.

"Hey, Johnnie," Jake called, tugging at Johnnie's sleeve. "You should check out this new band. Their sound is sick!"

Johnnie looked up, his thoughts a swirl of doubt and discontent. He nodded absently but was attuned to something else, an unfamiliar voice whispering faintly at the edge of his consciousness. It was as though someone had left a radio on in another room, tuned to an unknown frequency. He shook his head, convincing himself it only was his imagination, a result of looking too deeply into the darker sides of his art.

Later that night, as they settled down for the evening, the weird sensation seeped into his awareness once more. It felt like the faint vibration of a drum echoing through his mind, and he couldn't shake the feeling that it was related to the weird weight that had settled over him.

"I don't get it, man. You seem so lost lately," Jake said, with a genuine concerned tone. "Talk to me!"

"Just... too much on my mind," Johnnie replied, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

Jake nodded but continued to watch him closely, two friends pretending everything was alright when the world outside was relentless.

That night, as lightning sparked and illuminated the sky, Johnnie lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. The whispers returned, more real this time, woven into the steady rhythm of the rain. "I hate how I look," "Will anyone ever get me?" "I can't keep doing this." Fragments of thoughts floated past him like fallen leaves, each distorted voice painting a picture of conflict, confusion, and sorrow.

Suddenly, it hit him, he wasn't alone in his own mind. He was acually hearing thoughts. Panic surged through him. "Is this real?" he whispered into the quiet darkness. The storm raged on outside, but this new reality felt far more conserning, swirling with the energy of uncertainty.

He dashed into the living room, where Jake still lounged, headphones clamped over his ears. "Jake! Jake!" Johnnie panted, his voice shaky.

Jake looked up, removing his headphones. "What's wrong?"

"I can... I can hear people's thoughts!" Johnnie blurted, breaths coming in quick gasps.

Jake raised an eyebrow, half-amused. "Okay, Johnny, that's cool and all, but you're talking gibberish. If you want more pizza, let's order it. I'll grab my wallet."

"No, I'm serious!" Johnnie insisted, desperation creeping into his tone. "I can hear you."

Jake's laughter faded as he searched Johnnie's face for a hint of joking. "That's not funny."

"I'm not joking!" Johnnie exclaimed, his voice rising as thunder cracked outside. "All these thoughts—people's thoughts. They're echoing in my head!"

"Alright, alright. Let's say for a second that this is real. What are they saying?" Jake asked, his interest piqued amidst confusion.

"I hear everything!" Johnnie said, excitement bubbling beneath his fear. "Your thoughts, my thoughts...everyone's. It's chaotic. I can't shut it off!"

Jake slowly sat up, absorbing the weight of Johnnie's words. Uncertainty flickered in his brown eyes. "Okay. Let's experiment. What am I thinking right now?"

Johnnie concentrated, focusing on the murmur that intertwined with his own thoughts. "You're thinking that you should've bought pepperoni instead of plain. Oh, and... you wonder if I'm going to freak out at a band practice next week."

Jake's brow furrowed. "What the hell?! What else?"

A shiver ran through Johnnie as he delved deeper. "You're worried about your future—like, how you'll find your path. You're afraid I'll leave because I'm too caught up in everything else."

Jake's expression shifted, surprise melting into something softer. "Dude... this is insane. But why keep it from me?"

"I didn't want you to worry!" Johnnie cried, his voice breaking. "I thought I could handle it! But now..." His voice trailed off as he faced the true weight of what hearing thoughts entailed.

Over the following days, the phenomenon unraveled Johnnie's perception of himself and the world around him. He found himself acutely aware of the thoughts of strangers—hurt, dreams, regrets; an invisible tapestry of raw emotion woven through their faces. But with this awakening came shadows. The constant cacophony of voices weighed heavy on him, drowning out his peace and driving him deeper into chaos.

Jake stood by Johnnie, introducing him to moments of solace, laughter over shared pizza, late-night jam sessions that blurred their worries, and the honest conversations grounded in a friendship that defied expectation. Yet, Johnnie couldn't shake feeling as though he was losing himself—a vessel of voices that spoke what he could not control, a collector of secrets he had no right to own.

One evening, as they sat on the rooftop under a star-speckled sky, Johnnie leaned back, grappling with the realization that his gift was as much a curse. "I wish I could turn it off sometimes. It's overwhelming," he whispered, the weight of unspoken emotions sitting heavy in his heart.

Jake, glancing at the stars, let the moment linger. "What if we found a way? To let people in when it matters without losing ourselves?"

Johnnie looked at him, hope unwinding within uncertain walls. "And how do we do that?"

"By embracing our chaos together. Talk to me. Share these thoughts. You're not alone in navigating through this," Jake said softly, his voice carrying a gentle conviction.

"You don't really have to share with me, i can ledgit hear what you think" Johnnie said, looking up at Jake.

As the storm subsided in the distance, Jake smiled, the flickers of understanding beginning to illuminate the unknown ahead. He realized that sometimes, to hear others and understand oneself meant standing together through every rumble of thunder, every whisper of doubt.

.