NCT 127 Stories : One-Shot

Innocent Love

You lay on your brother's bed, head hanging back, looking at the world upside down, letting blood rush to your head, get your face puffy and vision blur because it doesn't matter.

You were upset, not sad but upset. Your brother and his friend were supposed to be here an hour ago but he called to say that he's stuck in a long billing line. It was his sleepover and even though you were not to interfere or make trouble for them, you were more eager than your brother for this sleepover to start.

You look at your phone again.

Bro
Don't wait up. We're stuck in the billing line.
Seen

You stared at the text as if she could see them through it. Finally, when your eyes blurred fully, you sit up straight. Wiping tears from your eyes that weren't really sad tears and rubbed your face to release some of the puffiness, you shook your head to get rid of the dizziness. If they were here on time, you would have had plenty of time to get your brother's friend's attention while you got your dinner. Now, you'll have to have dinner alone and later when they will be enjoying themselves, you'll have no excuse to be around your crush.

An idea struck her, you whisked your phone, went to the kitchen, heat up your food, opened a notes apps and started writing.

Excuses to be around Mark

Order Food/Pickup Food
Need cleaning supplies from the kitchen
Doing dishes (questionable)

Take the couch pillow to your room

Borrow something

Can't sleep

Finding something to drink

Once you are done with what you got from the top of your head, you bring out your dinner and start slowly, placing the phone parallel to your plate. You deliberate while eating as slowly as possible hoping your brother and his friend would be back. In between, you focus on the list and add new things.

Getting water

Trying to annoy brother (don't need an excuse for that)

Knowing that they were not going to be here, you take your plate to the sink. You were to turn the tap when the door opens with a bag and you let go of the plate in surprise. The tap turns to full, plashing you fully before you can close it.

"Hey. What happened?" your brother called from the front door.

"Nothing," you yelled back and looked down at your condition, embarrassed to be seen like this, you rush to your room to change. You find a particularly cute shirt that can be worn at home without looking out of place and suddenly a new idea, a new excuse comes to mind. But your phone is still outside.

"Oh No." You rush out, not bothering to tuck in the large shirt. Your face pales further seeing that Markis standing at the table with bags on the table while your brother is rummaging in the refrigerator. Your phone couldn't be seen but Mark is standing exactly where your phone should be and he is looking down. Your heart jumps to your mouth as you run and skid by Mark. He looks up, surprised and reached out to steady you as you skid. There are butterflies in your stomach but your phone is a much bigger priority.

You look at the table and your body tenses because Mark seems to be looking at your phone earlier. You snatch it away and look up, trying to find something in his face that says he saw that list. You are cursing yourself.

Why did I have to write his name at the top of the list. How stupid?

Mark is looking everywhere but at you and you realise only when he lets go of your elbow that he was still holding on. You curse yourself for not enjoying the moment because of the stupid list.

"What happened?" your brother calls your attention and Mark steps further back. He seems to be pointing at the water on the floor.

"The tap opened at full. Got splashed everywhere." your brother wasn't even listening anymore, he was back to the fridge, stocking their drinks. You roll your eye but find the tissues and start cleaning all the splashed water.

"I'll help." that small voice makes your heart skip but you are tongue-tied and can only nod. He reached for the roll in your hand and you freeze before your brain starts working again. Mark had already pulled a few sheets and is wiping the other side of the sink.

"There is another one there." You point at another tissue roll to his side, a little further away.

"Why would I go there if there is one right here?" since she has no answer to his question and her stomach is in more of a knot than before she quietly does her work alongside him. Once they are done, her brother leaves no time to shoo you away.

He is done with putting cake and beer in the fridge and opening some of the snacks they bought, "Let's us start with a movie marathon. You leave her alone."

You slap his hand, motioning for you to leave, annoyed. Another excuse is right before you, a bag of candies.

"Anything for me?" you tries to prolong your stay.

"Yeah." Mark comes up right beside you. There is some distance between you two but you can still feel the warmth to your right. He looks in the small bag and pulls out a packet

"Your favourite." he hands them to you but you don't quite have the courage to meet his eye. The fact that he remembers your favourite candy is enough to make your face heat up. You thank him without looking and rush away.

You flop on your own bed and bury your face in your pillow, screaming to relieve some of the tension. More excuses flood your head and sit up to look at your phone again. Dread fills you up as you unlock it.

Much to your surprise, it's on the home screen while you remember it being on the notes app. You open the notes app again and your eyes are drawn to the last thing on the screen.

Eyes wide, heart-thumping, facing coloring bright red, you bury your face and scream louder this time. Once again you sit up, a smile plastered on your face, breathing heavily as you look at the last sentence.

You don't need excuses to be around me.