{crumbs: nct one-shots}

{diary: johnten}

concept: ten wraps the wrong gift.

ten threw open the drawers of his nightstand, panicked. "no, no, no," he muttered, digging through the contents and moving on to the next drawer. "where is it?" he scoured over his bookshelf next, tossing books onto his bed.

"gege?" yangyang asked, narrowly getting missed with the book of poetry ten threw next. "what are you looking for?"

"my diary. i can't find it," he said, still tossing books aside. "where is it?" he whined.

"i haven't seen it, but have you asked hendery? he's usually good at finding stuff," yangyang said, dodging the novel tossed aimlessly toward him.

ten nodded, pausing his book-throwing. "thanks, yangyang." he headed toward the living room, where hendery was sitting in a chair, scrolling through his phone. "hendery."

the younger jumped, throwing his phone. he caught it before it landed on the floor. "do you have to scare me like that?" he asked.

"yes. i'm looking for my diary. have you seen it?" ten asked.

"hmm, not today, no." the younger shook his head. "where'd you leave it?"

"i don't remember, i thought i put it back under my pillow like i always do," ten explained, now more anxious than before.

"did you check—"

"hey, ten-ge?" lucas asked, coming out of his room with a small black book in his hand. "xiaojun and i were helping yangyang clean up and we found this poetry book on your bed. would it be okay if i borrowed it?"

ten's heart stopped. "p-poetry book?" he asked. "what's it called?"

"uh..." lucas turned the book over. "'the princess saves herself in this one'," he read.

ten's face went red as he realized what he had done. "i know exactly where my diary is now." he rushed into the kitchen where kun was making dinner. "kun-ge, i need a ride," he said, his heart racing.

"can it wait until after dinner?" he asked, stirring something that smelled delicious in a pot. ten's stomach was in too many knots to even think of eating at the moment.

he saw the package being transferred to taeyong's hands as he handed the nct leader his best friend's birthday present. "not really," ten said, his eyes darting toward the door. "i need to get my diary back."

kun stopped to look over at him after that statement. "your diary? but you always keep that under your pillow," he said.

"i know, but i had it on my desk while i was wrapping johnny's birthday present and i wrapped the wrong book by mistake, so i have to get it back before he opens it," ten explained, his heart climbing into his throat. he'd written too many words about johnny in that book. and he would have to read it to find out what it was since there was no external identification. if johnny read any of that...

"yeah, okay, i'll give you a ride," kun said, breaking ten from his thoughts. "grab his real present and let's go." he looked over to lucas standing in the hallway, looking very confused. "lucas, you're in charge while we're gone. dinner is already ready, just be careful when serving it."

lucas nodded, letting ten take the book from his hands. both of them slipped on their shoes, kun grabbing his keys before they headed out to the car.

~~~~~~~~

jaehyun nudged the final gift toward him. it was a small rectangular gift with gold wrapping and a blue ribbon. "this is the last one," the younger said.