Archive of Our Own

It wasn't an uncommon occurrence for Minho to walk to the family's music company from school after he was done. The middle school was about 10 minutes away from his fathers workplace so he didn't mind walking there when the weather was nice like it was that day of December with the sun piercing through the few clouds despite the bite of the winter breeze hitting him.

He texted his Dad with the brand new phone he'd gotten as a late birthday present for his 13th birthday, 2 weeks before. He made sure his Dad answered him before he started walking just in case the man had already sent a car to bring him back to the company.

He quickly said goodbye to his friends and parted ways with them, listening to some music.

Chan didn't know what he was expecting when they gave a new phone to Minho but he could feel that Minho was happy to have a bit more freedom from it, at least the kid seemed to use it more than he used his old phone. So of course he agreed when Minho told him he'd be walking his way from school. It wasn’t such a long walk and it wasn’t raining or snowing today.

"Be careful.", he'd just warned.

But he knew it wouldn't be a problem, he trusted his oldest son. 

He expected the boy to be there in about 15 minutes so he focused on his laptop screen and got back to working on the sound he was producing.

Minho walked past a Bungeoppang (fish shaped cake with red bean filling) stall and stopped to get one for him and one for his Dad with his pocket money. The hot treat would be perfect for the cold winter day.

He then continued his way to the company but as he kept on walking he heard high pitched meowing coming from the bush. And as a cat lover he couldn't just pass by and go without finding the cat.

He got closer to the bushes and started to search through them. The meowing intensified. The pitch got even higher as if the cat was just a few feet away yet Minho couldn't find it.

"Kitty kitty.", he called and the meowing cat kept answering him.

But as he didn't see anything he crouched to look at the bottom of the trees.

"Pspsps." 

Seeing that Minho wasn't there even after 20 minutes, Chan started to panic, as any other parent would, right? 

He tried to call Minho 3 times but didn't get an answer. So he put on his coat and searched for Minho's on his phone location app. Being a former idol, now CEO, he knew his kids could be targeted by anyone even though paparazzi would usually leave them alone for the most part. Thankfully Minho still seemed on his way, or rather stopped on his way to the company so Chan went out to search for his oldest son.

Chan walked for about 2 minutes before his phone indicated that they were at about the same spot.

"Lee Minho-ah!" He called in the middle of the street.

A man looked at him but it definitely wasn't the Minho he was searching for.

"Sorry, I'm searching for my son.", he quickly said to the man who looked at him quizzically.

Minho found the meowing cat after about 10 minutes. It wasn't even the cat that he'd found but a closed Happy Meal box tipped on its side by the bin. The box had definitely been left behind by someone with bad intentions. 

As he opened the box, Minho found an orange ball of fluff, meowing to the world that it was here, squished against the side of the box.

The kitten was no bigger than a kid sized cheeseburger but it was meowing to its heart's content, calling whoever would come to save it.

Minho put his hand on the shivering kitten, to be able to check his little face. The poor baby's eyes were somewhat open yet stuck together with a gooey yellow stuff that pooled around its eyes. Minho didn't have to look any further to know that the little thing had fleas covering his orange and white body.

"Lee Minho!", he heard and automatically he turned around. 

He quickly checked his phone to know what time it was already as he was unable to read the time on the analog watch he was mandatory as part of his school uniform. He had been more than 30 minutes outside, alone and his father was probably worried by now.

He closed the paper bag and put back his backpack over his shoulder before running to his Dad, the red box pressed against his chest.

"Lee Minho!"

"I'm here Dad."

"Why didn't you tell me that you were stopping by McDonalds?"

"I …"

The box meowed before he could answer.

"I didn't buy McDonalds, I just found it next to the trash can.", he said opening his treasure box.

"Oh god, Minho."

"Can we keep it?"

"Well we're, hum, let's bring that poor thing to the vet. Wait, put it in my beanie.", the man said. "I'll just wash it when we get home or buy another, but don't put the cat on your clothes, he might be even more sick than he seems and you need that jacket."

Minho grabbed the piece of clothing his father gave him and cupped the small cat in it. The trembling kitten meowed as they started to walk toward the company building.

"There's a vet nearby.", Chan said. "Let's take a car. It's not even 10 minutes away."

"Alright."

They arrived at the clinic and registered as Minho explained what happened to whoever would listen to him and as soon as the vet assistant saw the poor creature under the black wool of the beanie she took the kitten away and brought it behind.

"Bang Chan-ssi!", a vet called after some waiting time.

Minho was already on his feet following the doctor.

"They told me your story, young hero.", the woman said to Minho. "You brought that poor thing in at the right time. That little boy is way too little to create enough heat to stay outside in those temperatures."

They entered the room where the kitten was in a sort of small warming chamber.

"I gave him an antibiotic shot for his eye infection, you'll have to clean it with a bit of saline on a cotton pad twice a day. He also has fleas so I'll prescribe an anti flea shampoo for now and then meds to put directly on his furr next week."

"Well, it's not our cat though.", Chan started.

"It's mine. For now until it's big enough, please please please Dad."

Chan hesitated as he looked over his shoulder to see Minho's pleading eyes. They had reasons not to let pets into their houses to start with, the main one being that both Hyunjin and Changbin were allergic to cat hair and that his husband was simply and purely scared of cats. Yet he had a very hard time resisting. What could such a small creature do anyway?

"What about feeding him? Isn't he too small for kibbles?", Chan asked as he watched his son's face lit up.

"It'll be bottle feeding for now and for the next 2 or 3 weeks then you can start giving him some wet food to start then kibbles. I'll make him a bottle now to show you.", she said to the teenager.

The woman went to get a fresh pack of powdered milk. She then proceeded to make a bottle for the kitten, pouring some warm water in the tiny bottle and adding a scoop of powder before shaking it and putting it to the cat's face.

Minho thought that the starving kitten would jump onto it yet it didn't seem as easy as he thought it would be. The kitten was reluctant at first. The vet gently pushed the tip of the bottle in the orange cat's mouth and after a minute or so it was as if a lightbulb appeared on top of the kitten's head and it started to suckle on the bottle, quickly downing more than half of it. 

"Dad, look how cute he is."

"Alright alright. Don't you start trying to make me fall in love with him. Do you promise that you'll take care of him, Lee Minho?!"

"I promise, Dad."

"Good thing. I'll deal with your Appa when we get home but you have to take full responsibility until the baby is big enough to be given to someone, alright?"

"We could just keep …"

"Minho, we can't make those plans yet, for now we'll just take care of him, you and me, try not to involve your brothers too much because it's your responsibility not theirs and then we'll see."

Minho nodded, a little sad but at the same time glad to have a cat even for just over a month or so.

"Do you know how to get rid of the fleas?"

"Is it any harder to get out than lice?", Chan asked, ruffling Minho's hair, knowingly.

"It isn't that different actually, though you might be surprised with how much fleas he has, I can already tell it's gonna be a hardship.", she said, taking a small comb with her free hand.

As she made the comb go through the cat's orange coat he didn't expect so many moving black dots to appear on it. To say he was disgusted was an understatement.

Chan saw the disgust in his son's eyes immediately as the vet wiped the comb on a wet cotton pad.

"Your responsibility.", he said to Minho. "I'll help you don't worry.", he then added.

When they came back home later that day, Changbin was unhappy not to see them come and he made Chan know that the second they passed the door.

"Weren't you supposed to come home early to help me make dinner?"

"First of all, hello my love."Chan said, pecking the younger man's lips. "Second, let's order take out. How about some fried chicken?"

"Hanbin hyung said he'd pass by with his boyfriend.", Changbin said.

"Well then let's take pizza or just tell hyung to pass by the mall and to choose whatever food he'd like to make, I'll give him the money back. You know how much he likes to come and cook for the kids."

"Chan, really?"

"Well you're the one always inviting him over when I work overnight so he can make food for you and the kids. The man basically lives here anyway. He can at least pay rent by cooking, right?"

Changbin snickered, his brother sure spent a lot of time here, so much that the spare room was deemed as his.

Minho had by now disappeared to his room with his little cat and the bag of things they'd bought for him at the vet and the pet shop.

"Yeobo, I have something to show you, well Minho has."

"Hum?"

"But you have to promise me not to freak out."

"Well what could it be to freak me out?"

"You'll see. I go get Minho."

Chan started to go before Changbin grabbed him by the shoulder, holding him back.

"No Chan, tell me."

"Alright, well, Minho found a kitten outside in need of immediate medical care. So we brought it to the vet."

"Please tell me you left it at the vet?!"

Chan shook his head, he knew Changbin would be reluctant.

"I allowed Minho to bring it back home until it's big enough for us to find him a forever family. I thought maybe your parents would take him in."

Changbin breathed in calmly but there was a sort of disappointment showing on his face.

"You know why we agreed not to have pets.", he said dryly.

"But Minho …"

"He is 13, for God's sake, you could have said no."

Chan sighed. He knew his husband was mad right now but not only, he could feel the younger man boil yet break at the same time.

"Chan, Minho is a foster child, he is not our son …", the man started.

Yet he didn't see that Minho was right in the corner of the room, coming back with the small cat to show his Appa. Minho gasped and started to run back upstairs to his bedroom, unbeknownst to his parents.

"What happens if they decide to take him away from us? What happens if suddenly his mother gets out of her facility and wants him back with her? What do you think will happen if they try to take him without his pet? It's not a plush toy he can bring with him. Minho is still a foster, Chan, we can't just … we can't just …"

"Changbin.", Chan called. "Look at me."

Chan went to hold his husband that now had tears in his eyes. 

"Binnie, baby, I know you're worried that they'll take him away, I am too. But we won't let it happen my love, we know Minho's mom won't be out of her facility anytime soon, we see her when we bring him to visit. Plus, he said he didn't want to go back to see her anymore after what happened last time."

"As foster parents our mission is to reunite families not to break them.", Changbin said.

"But as parents we just make sure the kids are happy in the family they have, that's why we build a good environment for them. I personally think that this cat is going to make our teenage son happy. How about we let him take care of the cat and think about keeping it another day?"

Changbin nodded, wiping the single tear that had dropped from his eye.

"I let you text Hanbin hyung and I’ll go get Minho, he has to show you the kitten after all."

When Chan came to get him Minho was holding the little cat, still wrapped in the beanie against him. He had tears rolling down his cheeks and he didn't want to have anything to do with his parents. So when Chan knocked on his door he just yelled.

"Go away!"

Chan was surprised because he just didn't know what happened for his son to be mad at him.

"Minho-ah. Appa said you could keep the cat for now. How about we give him a bath before your uncle Hanbin comes?"

"Go back with Appa. Leave me alone!"

"Too bad I'm not gonna do that Minho. Just a little reminder, we have to wash your … the cat before it's too late in the evening, your uncle Hanbin comes and he'll probably let you cook with him if you want but we have to do that first."

Chan didn't push, not understanding what was happening. He just waited by the door for a couple of minutes before going to the closest bathroom and preparing a little bucket, towels and their blow dryer.

"Minho, I got everything ready in the bathroom,  come get me when you're ready."

He didn't want to get out but the little cat in his hands started meowing again so he dried his tears and got out of the room.

"Let's do it.", he dryly said to his father.

"Sure but before that, do you want to tell me what happened to you so we can find a solution to make you feel better?"

Minho shook his head no and Chan knew better than pushing so he didn't want to try that for the time being.

Together they proceeded to start and wash the poor creature, because really it was what he looked like soaked in the sink.

With the flea comb the vet gave them and tweezers they spent a whole hour and a half taking fleas off of the 200 gram kitten until they didn't find any. They dried him with towels and the blow dryer on the lowest setting. All of that almost in complete silence.

When they were done Chan took the kitten to Minho's room as the teen went to get a shower and he started to set a kitten room in a large-ish cardboard box.

He put the small litter box in a corner, a little pillow wrapped with an old baby shirt of Jeongin on another side and he went to make a bottle the way the vet showed them. He also greeted Hanbin and his boyfriend and grabbed a bag of crisps for his son.

When he got back to the room, Minho was sitting on the floor next to the box and petting the head of the screaming kitten.

"He must be hungry. And you must be too.", the man said, handing both items to the teenager, sitting next to him on the floor. "Don't you want to tell me what's wrong?"

Minho started to shake his head slowly so Chan told him that he wouldn't bother him any more and started to get up when Minho decided to speak up.

"Dad, am I your son?"

"You are. As much as any other of your brothers, Minho."

"As much as Yongbok?"

"As much as any of you, Minho, there isn't one of you that is more our son than the others."

"Then am I, am I Appa's son?"

"For sure you are, why do you ask me all that, hum?"

"I … I heard Appa.", the teen confessed.

Chan sighed as his heart shattered as he saw the teen bringing the bottle to the cat's mouth.

"What exactly did you hear?"

" He is a foster, he isn't our son. ", the boy said.

"Well to be fully honest with you, yes, your Appa said that but you didn't hear everything."

"Well he said it.", the boy sniffled.

And Chan knew it was right, yet the boy didn't have all the context behind those words.

"You know how your Appa and I sometimes get mad at each other?"

"Hum."

"Well ever since your birthday your Appa has been on edge. I told you that since you're now officially a teenager you can tell the CPS educator if you don't want to meet your parents, remember?"

"Yeah."

"Well your Appa got mad at me because I told you that you could stop visiting your mom."

"But …"

"As much as you're our son, for the Child Services you still have your biological parents and you still meet up with your mom pretty often so we can't fill up the papers to adopt you yet."

"I told you I don't want to see her anymore, last time she didn't even recognize me!", the kid said.

Minho softly tipped to his side to put his head onto Chan's shoulder and the man gently patted his head.

"I know, I know, but since I told you a bit about that right of yours, your Appa is scared of CPS taking you back. Since they just want to push kids back to their bio families, they have a hard time letting the kids choose and they blame the foster families for not enforcing the protocol and stop bringing the kids to visits."

"But I'm your son right? No matter what?"

"You are. No matter what. And you'll always be even if we can't adopt you, Minho."

"Good because I don't want other parents."

Chan smiled softly, he didn't want anyone else to call Minho their son.

"I'm sorry we aren't perfect parents. Sometimes we're just scared. But it wasn't right for your Appa to say what he said, I'll make sure he knows and apologizes."

Minho nodded softly against Chan's shoulder. He felt a tiny little bit better yet the words of his Appa still stuck to his mind and it hurt to hear that from his father.

Chan stayed by his side as he took care of his kitten until his uncle Hanbin came to ask him if he would like to help in the kitchen and since it was something he absolutely loved to do, he agreed. Only to find his brothers piling in the kitchen, absolutely excited about the cat they heard but didn't get to see yet.

"I'm not gonna show him to you right now. He's sleeping.", he told his brothers. 

"Does he have a name?", Felix asked.

"No naming for now, we don't get attached.", Changbin said and Minho winced, unable not to take those words more personally than he should.

"Don't worry Minho, soon enough you'll get to choose a name.", uncle Hanbin said. "You'll see, Changbinnie is gonna surrender."

"Soon enough …", he mumbled.

They prepared the meal and ate together but Minho was more than ready to go back to his room. This time Chan didn't follow him but Felix.

"Hyung.", he called from the bottom of the stairs as he saw Minho get upstairs.

"What?

"Can I come with you?"

"Sure."

When he got to his room his first reflex was to go see the meowing cat in its box to pet him.

"Woah he's so cute, Hyung."

"He is. I'm not sure Appa will let me keep him."

"Well Dad will advocate for you. I saw you both come out of your room earlier, I was in Hyunjin's room. It seemed like you'd been crying or something."

"None of your business."

"Well you were, innit?"

"Mind your own business Bok, I don't want you to snitch on me to the others."

Felix rolled his eyes, of course his big brother would get defensive. Yet it wasn't such a big deal for Felix, his brothers were extra, especially the oldest one but everyone just put it on hormones and puberty anyway so he decided to ignore his brothers reaction and to blame puberty as well.

They spent some time together, Felix playing with his Switch on the bed as Minho did his homeworks for the day after until the kitten started to meow his little heart out again, ready for another feeding. So Minho carefully tucked the little cat in his hoodie's pocket and went to prepare a bottle in the kitchen.

By now only the adults were left in the common area, they were on the couches of the living room by which Minho had to pass by to join the kitchen.

"Oh Min, show me your baby.", Hanbin said so the teen complied and went to show the kitten to his uncle.

"I go prepare a bottle, can I leave him with you?", he quickly asked.

His uncle immediately agreed and when Minho came back the cat was on Changbin's lap as the man held onto the fabric of the couch as if his whole life depended on it. 

"Hyung, take it away.", the man whined and Minho came to rescue the kitten.

"Why would you put him on Appa if you know he hates cats?"

"I don't hate them, I'm just, they scare me.", Changbin said but Minho was already gone.

That evening when the couple came to bid goodnight to each of their kids the way they usually did Chan came to ruffle Minho's hair and told him to sleep in not too long, and to remember to put the kitten's box in the bathroom (as they'd planned) so he could sleep and Chan could come and feed the cat during the night without waking him up. 

Changbin didn't leave with Chan, instead he sat on Minho's desk chair. 

"So Chan told me that you overheard us earlier.", he started. 

"Whatever."

"There won't be any of that with me, young man. Remember, you have the right to be mad at me but we're gonna have a talk about it. I expect you to talk to me."

"Why should I even?"

"Because what you heard was horrible and I need to apologize."

"So do and go.", Minho said.

Changbin sighed and came to sit on the bed right by Minho who was cuddling the cat.

"Minho-ah. Look at me."

"I'm looking at you.", he snapped.

"You're my son. As much as I am Harabeoji and Halmeoni's son."

"They adopted you."

"And I'll adopt you. Whenever I am allowed to. I promise you Minho."

"You're not talking bullshit, right?"

"I am not and you're lucky your Dad isn't here because he hates when you use such words."

"I'm lucky to have a family …"

"It's not luck, you deserve to have a family. If anything we're the ones that are lucky to have you, you're such a wonderful son. And I know what I am saying Minho, it's not luck, I've spent 4 years in 6 foster families before Eomma and Appa found me."

"I'm glad I didn't have to go through that."

"And you'll never have to go through that because I'm never letting you go and that's as much of a promise as it is a threat.", the man said with a smile.

Minho sighed before speaking up.

"You know, I … I love having you for fathers so I really hated it when you said I wasn't your son."

"I know Minho, I promise it wasn't what I meant. How about we find a temporary name for our guest?"

"Oh, really?", the boy said, his face lit up from his father's implication.

"Yes but don't forget that soon enough he'll be grown and he'll leave home, alright?"

"Soon enough … How about Soonie? What do you think, Appa?"

"I think it's great Minho."

The kid smiled petting the kitten.

"Do you like it, Soonie?"

The cat meowed.

"Do you want to try again and pet him?"

"I … maybe not today. I really am not fond of cats, Minho. I'm allergic, you know."

"Yes but it's a baby so maybe you won't have your allergies."

"I'll try another time, I promise you, alright?"

The teenager nodded and put the little cat in his cardboard box onto his little blanket and Changbin put a little plush toy next to the kitten.

"I'll put him in the bathroom, alright? Chan will feed him before going to bed and you know your dad he never sleeps anyway."

Minho nodded it was true that his Dad had trouble sleeping.

"Goodnight Soonie. Goodnight Appa."

"Goodnight Minho, I love you.", the man said and those words felt like a warm hug.

The next few days of school were hectic with Minho having December school exams as per usual, yet the only thing he wanted to do when he was home was spend time with his cat.

His parents knew that and they found quite a way to " force " him to work on his classes. The kitten was going to the company with Chan so Minho could work. On top of that it was much more convenient for the man to take care of the kitten when his son was at school.

"Aww.", a manager that worked with Chan from the very beginning, Heeyeon, said as she saw her boss take care of the kitten for the first time. "Is it your new adoptive baby?"

"Yeon-ah don't say it like that, please. It’s Minho's kitten. I mean not officially. Changbin doesn't want pets at home. Do you want a cat by any chance?"

"I can't, my dogs aren't cat friendly. Plus, it's Minho's so it's his choice not yours."

Chan sighed as the greedy little cat drank his milk.

"You're probably right but go say that to my husband."

He kept on with his day, the kitten playing with his shoelaces as he kept on working at his desk. He'd made sure to put a sign on his door, a simple paper sheet with tape to hold it to the door. It said "Beware of the cat! Knock on the door so you don't knock the cat off." And he got a few good remarks for it, the workers loved it.

During the next two weeks, a few rookies of the company came over to his office to see the orange cat. He didn't mind, he always had people in his working room anyway. It just happened a little more often these days. And that was about it, a few people offered to give the bottle to the growing kitten.

As soon as Chan went back home everyday the kitten was back to Minho's care. The kid actually took good care of the cat, under Chan and Changbin eyes. He was a little overprotective of the kitten, not letting his younger brothers play too much with Soonie just in case they'd hurt him.

Changbin knew that Minho loved his pet. Chan and him could both see how well he took care of Soonie. The kitten had grown up quite a lot since it arrived home and it was now healthy.

"Channie.", Changbin once said as the man arrived home with the cat and put him down.

"Hum?"

"How about we get the cat a collar and a tag?"

"Oh, really?"

"Well, Christmas is coming and we could give the tag to Minho for the cat, you know, as a present."

Chan smiled and nodded.

"Sure, I'll have one made."

"Get him a collar with the little blings.", he said, knowing how much Minho looked at those when they went to the pet shops to see the fishes and birds there.

"Alright, my love."

The next day Chan went to the closest pet shop, bought a bag of litter pellets and a travel bag. In the accessories aisle, he found a mint colored collar and a golden tag that he engraved with "Soonie" on one side and Minho and his phone numbers on the other. He didn't fail to notice the Christmas themed items and also bought a little Santa hat for the kitten just for fun.

Christmas always had something to do with staying at their grandparents for the kids. From the very first Christmas since they arrived into the family until now the kids had never once spent Christmas eve at home. 

This year they wouldn't be in Australia so it was only normal for them to go to Changbin's parents. It wasn't a surprise when they started to load the two family cars that the next 2 days would be spent with their cousins.

Yet Minho wasn't so pleased with this habit of theirs, he didn't want the younger kids to be all over Soonie and hurt him. He'd spent the last few weeks teaching his very enthusiastic 3 years old brother, Jeongin, not to crush the kitten while playing with him and now he had to do it again with his cousins.

When they arrived at his grandparents the teen rushed upstairs in the room he'd share with his siblings. There were multiple bedrooms at their grandparents, yet the kids always slept in Changbin’s childhood bedroom. It had changed a lot since Changbin left home, it now had 2 sets of bunk beds that the 4 older kids always slept on and on Christmas days, their grandfather would also bring the air mattress up so the 6 of them could sleep there together and leave the other room for their cousins. 

Since Minho always slept on the bottom bunk, he chose the bed with the comfiest blanket and started to set his and Soonie’s stuff. Jisung who had followed him into the room let the little cat outside of the bag after getting Minho’s approval as the teenager put down a litter box as well as bowls of food and water for his fluffy friend. They made sure everything was alright and that they could leave Soonie on his own inside of the bedroom before getting back downstairs.

The rest of the family was already there and his uncle Jaebin was a little mad when Minho and Jisung came back.

"You’re not even greeting your family on Christmas eve to run to the bedroom, is that a way to behave?", their oldest uncle scolded. “Aish, brats …”

"Sorry.", Minho said, feeling a bit guilty.

"It's ok, kids, just go kiss your grandmas.", Changbin's father said. "It's not the end of the world Jaebin-ah, they’re just kids."

The evening went by with Minho going to check on the kitten every other hour between the first part of the meal and the time he'd be bugging uncle Hanbin to help out in the kitchen. Of course his siblings and cousins wanted to come inside the bedroom as soon as he went to check on Soonie but Minho was adamant he wouldn't let any of the kids in his room until it was time for bed.

Not long before midnight, as they finished eating dessert, Minho was asked by his grandfather to bring all his siblings and cousins with him downstairs so the adults could set the presents around the Christmas tree. Being the oldest, he knew by now that it was his job to entertain the others so he didn't complain and brought the younger kids with him in the basement that their grandparents had specifically furnished for the kids with a karaoke set and a bunch of toys. 

Two years ago they had tried to have someone dressed as Santa Claus come deliver the presents but it didn't work because the smaller kids got scared and the bigger ones couldn't stop laughing as they recognised their uncle. 

They spent the next twenty minutes singing whatever song the younger kids wanted to sing and Minho was glad he now had a phone to film his younger siblings being chaotic around the TV screen. 

Not so long after, Hanbin came to get them, asking them to come upstairs, telling them that Santa Arabeoji came by when the adults were cleaning up and dropped the presents around the tree. Jeongin and Taeyoon, their 4 years old cousin, were as excited as ever, they kept bouncing around, running upstairs to find their presents around the tree. 

Chan and Yebin, Changbin’s older sister, took things in hands and started to give the gifts to each member of the family while Changbin kept a very specific present in his hands, a little box, wrapped in the white and golden paper, with Minho's name written on it.

The living room quickly became a mess with the wrapping papers spreading around. The happy squeals of the kids could probably be heard from outside and it was heartwarming to see them enjoy it.

At some point Chan disappeared from the room and not long after Changbin called Minho.

"We have something else for you Min."

"Oh?"

"Yes, come with me, let's see your Dad."

Weirdly enough, as he followed his Appa they got to the door of the bedroom he'd sleep in tonight. Changbin knocked on the door and Chan opened.

The older man had in his hands the kitten that was proudly wearing his Christmas hat (not that Chan hadn't struggled to put it on the kitten). Changbin handed the little box to Minho.

"Open it.", Chan told his son as the cat struggled to leave his hands.

And as he opened the box, Minho slowly understood what the gift was and exactly what it implied. His eyes filled with tears, he was happy to receive such a gift.

"Merry Christmas.”, the Dad said. 

“Soonie is yours now. You better take very good care of him.", Changbin added.

Minho smiled so big at his father's words then called his cat. Chan helped him put the collar on the kitten's neck, the mint was beautiful on the short fur. 

“Soonie-ah, you're Hyung's baby forever now.”, he said to the orange cat.

The cat purred, it was like the small fluff ball knew he was now in very good hands. 

That night, after they partied for the rest of the evening, as Changbin came to check on his kids, he noticed the kitten, sleeping tightly against Minho's chest. Usually Changbin wouldn’t allow it. As he got more used to the cat, he could now (although reluctantly) take Soonie away and put it in the bathroom where he usually spent the night. But since it was Christmas today and that they weren’t at home anyway, he allowed it. Little did he know that Soonie would come to sleep every single night in Minho’s bed.

Chan joined them in the room, putting a sleeping Seungmin in bed next to Hyunjin and then cooing as he watched over his shoulder to see Minho cuddling with the newest family member.

Both men lightly kissed their kids foreheads ready to go to bed themselves. The kitten woke up as Changbin brushed back Minho's hair, he was purring and brushing his little head on Changbin's hand. The man smiled despite still not being totally at ease with the cat.

“You love that cat, right? I know you do.”, Chan said.

“I love what he brings to Minho.”

“Hum?”

“Knowing he's safe at home and that we'll do anything to keep him with us forever just like he did with that kitten.”

Chan smiled and took his husband’s hand as they slowly got out of the room, without forgetting to kiss under the mistletoe that Jisung and Hyunjin had taped over their door frame. Changbin giggled. 

“I saw you.”, Jeongin said softly, giggling as well because he was at that age where kissing made kids laugh and say “ew”.

“Well, that’s love Innie, now, time to sleep.”, Chan said.

“Merry Christmas.”, the little boy said. 

And as the little boy said it the cat meowed as if to reply. 

“Meow-rry Christmas, Soonie.”, he said again. 

“Jeongin, nunight.”, one of the older kids said with a sleepy voice as the parents sent him flying kisses and signed him that it was now time to sleep before they left the bedroom. 

Who would have thought that there would be a new family member with them this Christmas? Surely not Changbin but he was glad to make Minho happy.