Counting on Stars // NCT Ten

Eye to Eye

Byeol groaned as she stirred into consciousness. She blinked and frowned as she looked around. This blanket wasn't hers... and the house-

Her eyes landed on all the boys sleeping on the floor and she sighed of relief, finally remembering last night's events. She relaxed and smiled to herself, turning on her side to look at them. Ten was snoring pretty loudly, and Xiaojun sleepily put his pillow over his ears. Byeol stiffled her laughter. She glanced at the other side and found Chenle and Jisung tangled in each other's arms, the smaller resting his head on Jisung's shoulder as they slept peacefully. Finally, her gaze stopped on Taeyong. He was hugging Ten's arm, his chest moving slightly with each breath, his tranquil face looking heavenly in the morning light. The room was filled with really, really bright light for some reason.

Byeol glanced at the clock. 7 am. She knew the boys wouldn't wake up soon, but she couldn't go back to sleep. She sat up as quietly as she could and rubbed her eyes, staring out the huge windows.

Her eyes widened and she gasped with a grin.

Byeol (silently) jumped off the sofa and tiptoed to the windows, admiring the beauty that laid beyond. The entire world was white. Snow covered bare trees and bushes. The roads, sidewalks, and driveways were untouched and it looked so, so beautiful. Byeol pulled out her phone and started taking pictures, her heart filled with joy at these little things.

After a while, she finally pulled herself away from the window to go brush her teeth. Well, she didn't have a toothbrush, but she was starving... she decided to go to the downstairs bathroom and luckily found mouthwash! That'll have to do for today. She washed her face and changed out of her pajamas (it was really hot in the house for some reason) into shorts and a white sweater.

Byeol walked out of the bathroom and passed by the living room to see everyone still sleeping. She smiled to herself and took a picture of the cute boys, then made sure to take some more of Ten for future blackmail purposes. Her feet led her to the kitchen and she faltered again at the view. Past the refrigerator, stove, and marble countertops was the dining table and then the patio with huge glass doors. Everything outside, from the fence to the trampoline to the gazebo, was covered in a thick layer of snow. The sky was clear and the sun was shining, meaning the clouds of snow must have blown away already.

Byeol took another picture, then turned to look around the kitchen. She was really, really hungry. Chenle mentioned the hot chocolate was somewhere here, she recalled as she opened a few cabinet doors. She spotted the huge box of hot chocolate mix and grinned. Ah-ha! Byeol took some milk from the refrigerator and heated it up in the microwave (not very surprised that the boys didn't wake up from its humming) and added in a few spoonfuls of the hot chocolate mix. She checked her messages as she stirred the drink with a spoon. Lots of birthday wishes from both her parents, some relatives, a few friends... the usual.

Byeol washed the spoon and put it back where she found it. Then she turned off her phone and sat on the countertop, the marble feeling a little chilly against her legs. She slowly sipped the warm drink, savoring the deliciousness, when she suddenly heard footsteps to her left.

Bright sunlight reflecting off the snow hit Taeyong as he walked into the kitchen, and he held up a hand to shield his eyes. Once they adjusted, he lowered his hand slowly, and found Byeol fondly looking at him. Her silky, brown hair flowed through the star clip over her shoulders, one of which was exposed from the looseness of her shirt. She smiled lightly and held a cup of what Taeyong guessed was coffee. The morning light shone through the windows behind her, making her look ethereal.

"Wow... I thought angels only existed in heaven." Taeyong mumbled in Korean as he walked over to her. Byeol blushed, having understood, and took a sip before she said anything.