Chanyeol  expected to come home to what he usually did on Friday nights: Baekhyun standing in their bathroom and getting ready for their weekly dates. He would usually be standing in some pastel shirt and matching socks but no pants in front of their mirror. Maybe he’d be touching up his cotton candy blue and pink nails. Maybe he’d be finishing up his makeup. Chanyeol  was not expecting Baekhyun to be sitting on the floor of their living room, surrounded by pictures of puppies that he had probably printed off from the laptop Chanyeol  allowed him to use. He wasn’t even dressed for their date. He was still in what he woke up in that morning: Chanyeol ’s black hoodie and a pair of peach colored underwear.

    It wasn’t until Chanyeol ’s briefcase dropped on the tile that Baekhyun looked up. He shrieked and tossed up the papers in his hands and Chanyeol  frowned. Although it was cute to see Baekhyun so happy to see him, he didn’t like the mess. Besides, why wasn’t Baekhyun ready for their date?  Baekhyun scrambled to his feet and shot forward like an excited puppy into Chanyeol ’s arms. Despite his confusion and slight annoyance, Chanyeol  wrapped his arms around Baekhyun’s tiny waist, pressing a kiss into his dyed, honey blonde hair.

     “Why aren’t you ready, baby? And what’s all these pictures?” said Chanyeol .

    “Well, uh, I was thinking that maybe we could get a puppy? Go to the shelter instead of to dinner? Maybe? I just- I get lonely while you’re at work! If we had a puppy, I could play with it until you get home!” Baekhyun looked up to the taller male with pink dusting his cheeks and a pleading look in his coffee eyes. Chanyeol  was tempted to say no. He was hungry and puppies were loud. Baekhyun was energetic enough and quite loud on his own. He squealed all the time and he loved to run around and dance. So having a puppy on top of what he already had? No, thank you. He wasn’t sure he could say no to the boy he adored more than life itself.

    And that’s how Chanyeol  ended up at a shelter with dogs barking at him from every direction and Baekhyun clinging onto his arm and letting out shrill shrieks of excitement. Every five seconds he would point out a dog and ask if Chanyeol  thought it was cute. In all honesty, Chanyeol  thought Baekhyun was the cutest thing there in his baby blue sweater decorated with 8bit planets, a pair of black joggers, and baby blue flats. But that wouldn’t work. Baekhyun wanted actual answers and Chanyeol ’s opinion on their new ‘baby.’ Chanyeol  sighed and pointed to a white French bulldog puppy. “That’s cute,” he mumbled when Baekhyun tucked himself into his side. And Baekhyun was off as soon as he had come over.

    Chanyeol  thought watching Baekhyun cuddle a puppy was the cutest thing in the world (after Baekhyun himself, of course). And yet, Chanyeol  was still hesitant about having the yapping puppy with his yapping boyfriend but it was too late to back out. Baekhyun was already in love with the puppy he held.

     Chanyeol  sat down with a clipboard full of adoption papers, crossing his long legs.  “We have to write down the name we plan to give him. Do you have one yet?” He watched Baekhyun shrug and gaze down at the puppy.

    “We need a room for him.”

Chanyeol ’s eyes narrowed. “A room for the puppy? Its own room? He doesn’t need a room. We don’t have a room for him. It’s a one bedroom apartment.”

“That’s why we need a house!” Baekhyun cried out, giggling when Chanyeol  choked on his own saliva.

“No. A puppy is enough.”

“Chanyeol !”

“Can we talk about this later? Please?”

    Baekhyun began to sulk, hiding his pout in the puppy’s fur. Chanyeol  shook his head, ignoring Baekhyun’s pity party. He scribbled down a name for the puppy, assuming Baekhyun would like it. Baekhyun was still sulking when Chanyeol  stumbled to his feet and took the papers to the desk. Then he turned and held out a hand for Baekhyun who had shuffled after him miserably. Of course Baekhyun ignored him and pushed past him without a word. And he continued to ignore him as he headed outside to the car.

Chanyeol  didn’t know how much more of this sulking he could take, he thought as he glanced over to Baekhyun with his face still buried in their new puppy’s fur. It was pulling at his heartstrings to see Baekhyun sad.

     “You know… maybe we should stop at the store and pick up things for his room,” Chanyeol  mumbled reluctantly. He opened the door to a smug grin on Baekhyun’s face and climbed into the car.