Minhyuk awakens easily on this most auspicious morning. He jumps out of bed, tripping dangerously over his blankets for a second before sprinting from his room. He’s unfazed, though, as he has one goal and one goal only in mind.

Today’s his birthday, and he knows exactly what he’s to get just for getting born.

He comes to the kitchen, where his father is already preparing breakfast. He slides across the tiled floor on sock-clad feet, wrapping his arms around a very surprised man and nuzzling into the small of his back.

“Eomma! Eomma!” Minhyuk cries, heightening his voice how it used to sound before puberty had begun to take its toll. Or, at least, he tries to. He willfully ignores how it cracks about fifty times just in those two words. Kihyun glances down, leaning back as he chuckles breathily at his son.

“Minhyukkie~” Kihyun greets sweetly. He pauses in his work and kneels down to take the boy into his arms. “Happy birthday, my moongie~!” He squeezes the boy despite his protests, cooing at how he squirms to try and get free.

“Eommmmmaaaaaaa,” Minhyuk whines, though he smiles and returns the embrace anyway. Kihyun pulls back only to press a loud kiss to his son’s forehead.

“Aigoooo,” a deeper voice suddenly sounds from the entryway to the room, and both turn to see Hoseok, Kihyun’s husband and Minhyuk’s other father, smiling at them from across the room. Minhyuk succeeds this time in squirming from Kihyun only to propel himself into Hoseok’s awaiting arms.

“Appa~!” he greets, beaming up at the man. “Do you know what today is~?” Hoseok chuckles, and pretends to think about it for a moment.

“Well… It’s Friday,” he muses aloud, humming in his throat. Minhyuk pouts, and playfully punches Hoseok’s stomach.

“Appa…” he complains, pulling away fully to pout up at the man. Hoseok chuckles knowingly, and bends down to pluck up the boy from the floor. Minhyuk squirms in his strong hold, protesting quite loudly that he’s too old to be babied like this… Though, his words don’t quite match the delighted smile reaching to his ears.

“Yah!” Kihyun shouts, causing both to turn to him. He waves around a wooden spoon threateningly as he adds, “If you’re gonna rough-house, don’t do it in my kitchen.” Minhyuk and Hoseok share a chuckle, and they leave the man behind to his work. Minhyuk plops himself down on the couch, while Hoseok leaves him for a moment to awaken his little brother. The boy sighs noisily and turns on the TV, and starts to flip through channels aimlessly.

“Hyung! Hyung!”

Minhyuk turns to see his little brother, Changkyun, stumbling into the room over his own blanket. Despite being nine years old, the boy still carries around his favorite safety blanket around the house on occasion. Minhyuk isn’t entirely too sure as to why this is, but he doesn’t dare make fun of him for it. For one, their eomma would chew him out like no tomorrow. Besides, if he were to tease the boy, it’d make him stop, and Minhyuk doesn’t want that at all. Not when the habit makes him about fifty times more adorable than he already is.

Changkyun trips over to the couch in his haste to reach his brother, and he crawls over the side of it to get to him quicker. He practically curls himself around the older, nuzzling his chest with his cheek.

“Happy birthday, hyung~!” he tells him sweetly, earning an affectionate coo from Minhyuk. He wraps his arms around the boy, and practically smooshes his head as he hugs him delightedly.

“Thank you, Kkungie!!” Minhyuk says, pulling away with a wicked glint to his eye. “What’d you get me~?” He quirks up a brow, smirking at the younger boy’s sudden look of panic.

“Um… I…” He chews on his bottom lip, staring up at their father helplessly. “Appa, what’d I get for Minhyuk’s birthday?” Hoseok chuckles loudly at this, his shoulders shaking with his wholehearted guffaw echoing around the quiet house.

“Why don’t you two go see?” he suggests, waving towards the garage. “All your presents are in the garage, Moongie.” Minhyuk gasps sharply in surprise, and releases his little brother only to bolt away from the couch. Changkyun scrambles after him, falling with an ‘oof’ onto the floor before he throws the blanket to the side and chases after him.

It’s a puppy it’s a puppy! Minhyuk thinks, his heart racing excitedly as he pictures his most perfect gift waiting for him: a fluffy, tiny, white dog that likes to cuddle and play and be too adorable for this world. He reaches the door to the garage, and opens it, breathing heavily…

His heart falls in disappointment at sighting the bike with the big red bow on the handlebars. Changkyun ‘oohs’ beside him, and moves closer to inspect the gift. Minhyuk follows his brother, albeit a bit slower, pressing his lips together. His face is frozen in a look of shock.

He’d been so sure he’d get a dog like he’d asked. He’d been certain that he’d proved himself responsible enough these past couple months, and had explained how a dog wouldn’t be good for just him, but for the whole family.

“This is awesome, hyung!” Changkyun declares, beaming from ear to ear. Minhyuk hums in response, forcing himself to smile a bit wider. He hears a pair of footsteps come towards them, and he turns about to see his parents smiling down at him proudly.

“Do you like it, Minhyukkie?” Kihyun asks, kneeling down to get eyelevel with his son. Minhyuk nods, though his expression is obviously a bit strained.

“It’s great Eomma, Appa!” he tells them, doing his best to sound as grateful as humanly possible. “Really, I love it.”

“We thought you’d like something to get you to and from your vocal lessons a bit quicker,” Hoseok explains, ruffling Minhyuk’s hair affectionately. He reaches towards the wall with his other hand, and flips the switch to make the garage door lift. “Other than for you to spend more time with us, we figured you’d want more time to enjoy the gift Jooheonney got you…”

Minhyuk frowns confusedly at the mention of the boy next door, and turns simultaneously with his brother to watch as the garage door raises to reveal the sight that’s awaiting on the other side.

Jooheon, his dearest friend, and his fathers Hyunwoo and Hyungwon, beaming at them… with a fluffy white gift in Jooheon’s arms.

Minhyuk outright screams, and bolts over to Jooheon. He nearly cries out in joy at seeing how the dog in the younger’s arms is real, and is wagging its tail with its tongue lolled out of its mouth as it smiles up at him.

“Jooheonney!!!” Minhyuk coos, taking the canine from his arms. It immediately begins lapping at his cheeks, and the boy giggles at the warm, wet sensation.

“I knew how much you wanted a dog, hyung,” Jooheon explains, smiling so wide his dimples show. “I spent weeks picking her out… I hope she’s okay.”

“She’s perfect, Heonney,” Minhyuk assures him, a tear eeking out of his eye. He leans forward, and presses a grateful kiss against the boy’s cheek, causing the tips of his ears to blaze a bright red.

“Alright, kids, come on,” Kihyun announces, clapping at them to get their attention. “Breakfast is ready, so come on in and eat.” Minhyuk nods, and readjusts his hold on his new dog to grab onto Jooheon’s hand and pull him into the house. Changkyun follows close behind, giggling lowly at the blush now creeping across their neighbor’s cheeks.

Hyunwoo and Hyungwon come in, as well, smiling warmly at their close friends. Hyungwon wraps an arm around Hoseok’s shoulders as they go into the house, commenting on how cheesy the whole show was. Hoseok stutters out a reply, and Hyunwoo and Kihyun share a knowing glance. They chuckle whilst shaking their heads, following their families into the house with a warmness spreading through their hearts like none other.