{crumbs: nct one-shots}

{back home: dotae}

concept: taeyong makes a promise to doyoung.

"you said you weren't going to cry. now look at you." doyoung put his hands gently on either side of taeyong's face, wiping the tears from his cheeks. he gave the older a gentle smile, leaning forward to kiss his forehead. though his heart was breaking inside, he'd never let the other know that. he was too important to him.

taeyong suddenly threw his arms around doyoung's middle. he stumbled backward a step, surprised. doyoung laid his chin on top of the older's head, reaching it up a bit to do so. he closed his eyes, drinking in the feeling and knowing it would be gone in a minute.

"i have to tell you something before i go," taeyong said, pulling his face away from doyoung's shoulder.

"you know you can tell me anything," doyoung said.

taeyong seemed hesitant, then nodded. he stepped back, letting go of the younger. he took a breath and met doyoung's eyes, which made his heart flutter. "doyoung, i—"

"ten hyung, stop sucking on johnny's face! we have to go!" mark's voice called, making both of them look over in the direction of it. the younger hurried toward them, grabbing taeyong's shoulder. "come on, let's go."

taeyong looked apologetically at doyoung as mark walked away. doyoung lightly grabbed his wrist, stopping him. "you said you had something to tell me," doyoung said.

taeyong's eyes darted toward where the canadian male was rushing toward. "i'm sorry, doyoung, i have to go," taeyong said. "i-i'll tell you when i get back, i promise." he gently grabbed doyoung's hand and squeezed it.

"taeyong—"

"i'll see you in a few weeks." taeyong let out a teary laugh, hurrying away to retrieve ten and walk them toward their plane.

doyoung stood watching the two of them walk away. he felt an ache in his chest as he watched them leave. he didn't even get to say a proper goodbye.

some tall figure appeared behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "you okay?" johnny's voice asked.

"honestly?" doyoung asked, leaning into the older. johnny nodded. "i don't know." all he knew was that he would miss taeyong. and wonder what the older would have said if they'd had more time.

~~~~~~~~

doyoung was pacing around the 127 dorm. jaehyun and taeil were following him with their eyes, while donghyuck scrolled through his phone and jungwoo laid on jaehyun's shoulder and played with the older's hands.

winwin sat beside donghyuck, looking up at doyoung and sighing. "would you just sit down a second? they'll be back soon. it'll be fine," he said, trying to urge the older to sit beside him.

doyoung thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. "i just can't. taeyong's coming back, and—"

"and you're finally going to tell him you're in love with him?" donghyuck asked with a smirk, glancing up from his screen.

the older felt his face heat up. "hyuck, don't," taeil whispered.

"what? we're all going to pretend like we don't know?" donghyuck asked, looking around the room. "hyung, you should just tell him." the maknae's eyes were surprisingly soft. doyoung expected him to tease him about it, but the youngest was sincere.

"he's right," jaehyun put in.

"he said he had something to tell me before he left and that he would tell me when he got back," doyoung explained.