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Minho woke up unusually early that morning, too anxious to keep sleeping. October 25th — his birthday, and the day Chan was supposed to come back. It has everything to be the best day ever, and he was so excited!
He and Chan had met in college through a mutual friend, Jisung. From the very first time their eyes met, Minho swore that man would be his. At first, Chan was shy — painfully so — always trying to slip away from Minho’s attention. But that only made Minho want him more. It took him exactly six months and fifteen days to convince Chan to go on their first date, and five months and twenty-five dates later, it was Chan who made things official — with a ring.
But all that excitement drained away the moment he unlocked his phone. No messages. Nothing.
Not a single “good morning,” not even a quick emoji. Chan had never gone a day without checking in since his work trip began a week ago. It wasn’t like him — Chan could forget his own birthday, sure, but never Minho’s. The silence on the screen felt almost unreal, like waking up to find something missing you didn’t even know could be gone.
Minho stared at his phone for a few seconds longer, trying to convince himself there was an explanation. Maybe Chan was just busy, maybe his flight was delayed, maybe he’d lost his charger… anything but the thought that he’d simply forgotten.
With a sigh, he tossed the phone onto the couch and went to the kitchen. If Chan wasn’t going to wish him a happy birthday, at least he could start the day the way Chan always made him — with coffee just the way he liked it and heart-shaped pancakes. Chan was cheesy, but Minho loved it.
But having breakfast alone, without his boyfriend bringing it in bed and pampering him with kisses, even feeding him, only made his heart ache even more. Soonie meowed softly as she entered the kitchen, lying down at his feet.
“Your father abandoned us. Now it's just you, me, your brothers and your sister." He sighed dramatically, receiving another meow in response. "I know. It'll be hard, but we'll survive.”
His phone dinged, and he quickly got up and walked over to it. Chan had finally shown up! Or so he thought. The message was actually from Jisung. He huffed in frustration, if Chan didn't show up in the next few hours he was going to issue a search warrant.
Jisungie🐹:
it's your BIRTHDAY!!!!!!
are you excited???
anyway, the boys and I prepared a super program for your special day >.<
be ready at lunchtime
and don't forget that Berry has an appointment at the pet shop… she needs to look beautiful on your birthday (and for when Chan comes back)
Minho didn't want to leave the house; his cheerful mood had already been completely destroyed—and he'd only woken up half an hour ago. The only thing he knew for sure was that this day was doomed to failure.
When the clock struck 1 p.m., the doorbell rang. Minho, still in his pajamas, dragged himself to the door while Berry barked excitedly beside him. He opened it to find exactly who he expected — Jisung and Seungmin.
Jisung took one look at him and frowned. “Didn’t I tell you to get ready?” he asked, scanning Minho from head to toe.
“Don’t feel like going out today,” Minho muttered, shrugging. “But you guys can take Berry to the pet shop.” He reached for the collar hanging by the door and tried to hand it over.
Seungmin pushed his hand away. “No. We planned a whole special day for you.” Without waiting for an answer, he stepped inside and grabbed Minho by the arm. “Come on, hyung. Go get ready.”
Minho sighed and let himself be pulled toward the bedroom. “What are we even doing after all?” he asked, opening the wardrobe. The familiar scent of Chan’s cologne drifted out with the faint rustle of clothes, hitting him harder than he expected.
“First,” Jisung said, following them in with Berry already leashed, “we’re getting you some new clothes. Then we’re going to have lunch at that restaurant you love.” He shot Minho a warning look. “But you better be quick, or Berry’s appointment will get canceled.”
“And,” Seungmin added, digging through the closet before tossing a shirt and pair of pants at him, “Jisung’s paying for everything.”
Jisung groaned. “That was supposed to be a surprise!”
Seungmin just smirked. “Now he has a reason to hurry up.”
Minho couldn’t help but crack a small smile. It wasn’t much, but for the first time that day, the heaviness in his chest felt just a little bit lighter.
Chan felt like absolute crap. Not texting Minho — not even calling him — on his birthday was hands down the worst thing he’d ever done. Every part of him ached to be with him, to hold him, to see the look on his face when he woke up. But Chan kept reminding himself it was for a bigger reason — something that, if everything went right, would make up for all of this.
Still, walking into their apartment and not being greeted by Minho stung more than he expected. The silence felt strange, almost wrong. At least Soonie, Doongie, and Dori were there to fill the space, trotting over the moment they heard the door open.
“Hey, babies,” Chan murmured, crouching down to pet them. “I’ve missed you too.” He pressed soft kisses to their little heads, smiling when they purred and circled around his legs. “Will you help me with the surprise?” All three meowed at once, and Chan chuckled. “Knew I could count on you.”
He stood up, setting the heavy bag on the table — everything he’d need for the big moment was inside. His heart raced just thinking about it. He was so close now.
Then, his phone buzzed in his pocket.
minnie:
minho is pouting
it’s cute
but you better be quick or he'll say no just out of anger
chan:
you think he can say no?
is he that mad?
minnie:
nah
he's not capable of saying no to you :P
two hours is enough for you?
chan:
yeah, i thinks it is
i’ll let you know if i need more time
He put his phone aside, starting to unpack the bag. Two hours. He could do it.
Being with friends really helped improve Minho's mood—and shopping for clothes especially made him feel better. Still, he couldn't stop checking his messages. Still nothing, no news from Chan, not even to let me know if he had already boarded. He couldn't hide the sad expression that came over his face.
“Hyung,” Jeongin called. “I can't believe you look so bad even after Jisung paid for your clothes! And now he's going to pay for your lunch, so go ahead and order the most expensive one.”
“I come here with Chan all the time." He pouted, flipping through the menu.
“You are disgusting.” Hyunjin made a fake expression of disgust. “He’ll be back today anyway.”
“I know! But it's just… he didn't text me.” Minho sighed sadly. "And he didn't even reply to my message.”
“He'll be back soon, hyung." Jisung said, holding Minho's hand. "And then you two will never be apart again!”
Minho just nodded, turning his attention back to the menu. Until Seungmin's phone vibrated on the table, catching his attention, Chan's name flashing on the screen. He frowned, staring at the younger man. Chan had time to text Seungmin but not him, his boyfriend?
“Can you explain why the fuck Chan is texting you?” Minho asked sharply, the feeling of betrayal washing over him.
The table fell silent. The phone beeped again, another message from Chan. Minho reached for it, but Jisung was quicker.
“You can't read!" Jisung exclaimed, hiding the phone.
Minho's gaze sharpened. “Give me the fucking phone, Jisung.” He stood up abruptly, the chair making a loud scraping noise on the floor.
“I can't! You're going to invade Seungmin's privacy!” Jisung pressed his phone tighter against his chest.
“Invading his privacy? He's chatting with my boyfriend!” Minho lunged forward, trying to grab the phone, but again, Jisung was faster sitting on top of it.
Minho pulled away irritably, running his fingers through his hair — an attempt to calm himself down. He looked at everyone at the table, and they had the same look, like they were keeping a secret that Minho couldn't possibly know. A secret that certainly involved Chan.
“You guys really aren't going to tell me what's going on? It's obvious you're hiding something!”
Everyone remained silent, exchanging a few glances.
“Really?" Minho asked in disbelief, a bad feeling taking over him, making him dizzy. "What? Is he going to break up with me?”
“What? Hyung, don't be stupid…” Seungmin said, getting up and walking over to Minho. "Nothing's wrong, okay? Let's just eat and then take you back home." He tried to touch Minho, but he dodged.
“Fuck off.” He muttered. "Since Chan only has time to talk to you, let him know he'd better find somewhere else to sleep tonight.”
Minho left with stiff steps, ignoring his friends' calls. His only desire was to go home and drown his sorrows in the tub of ice cream forgotten in the freezer.
Chan had arranged everything perfectly.
Minho’s favorite cake sat in the center of the table, surrounded by framed photos — some of their best memories, and a few candid shots Chan had secretly taken. Next to it lay a thick photo album he’d spent the past month putting together.
He’d even picked up Berry from the pet shop, dressing her in a tiny wedding veil. The cats wore little ties, sitting proudly beside her. It was adorable — exactly the kind of thing that would melt Minho’s heart.
Finally, Chan reached for his phone to check the time, only to see several missed calls and a flood of messages from Seungmin.
minnie:
everything went wrong
he saw you texting me and got pissed
sorry, we couldn’t hold him any longer
he’s going home, everything better be ready…
Chan groaned, running a hand through his hair. Everything was ready — except he hadn’t rehearsed his speech. What if he messed it up? What if he stuttered or completely blanked? Before he could panic any further, the front door burst open.
Minho stormed inside, too lost in his thoughts to notice the extra pair of shoes by the entrance — or the man standing right there, frozen halfway between excitement and dread.
Chan cleared his throat softly. “Minho?”
Minho’s head snapped up, eyes wide. “So now you remember I exist?”
“I haven’t forgotten, love,” Chan said carefully.
Minho let out a sharp laugh, one with no humor in it. “Right. That’s why you didn’t text me, not even once, not even to say that you had landed.”
“Baby, if you just—”
“I don’t want to hear your excuses right now.” Minho took a deep breath, blinking back tears. “On my birthday, Chan. Of all the days you could choose to ignore me, it had to be today?”
Chan took a cautious step toward him. “I know, love. It was awful for me too.”
Minho stepped back immediately. “No. Clearly it wasn’t. From the looks of it, ignoring me is pretty easy for you.”
Before Chan could respond, a small movement caught Minho’s attention. Doongie brushed against his leg — wearing a tie.
“What the hell…” Minho muttered. Then he noticed Soonie and Dori, also wearing ties. And Berry, standing proudly in a tiny white veil.
He blinked, his anger briefly faltering. His eyes darted to the table: a bouquet of lilies, a cake, fairy lights strung above, a thick book open among framed photos.
“What… what is all this?” he asked, frowning in confusion. “Why are they dressed up?”
Chan chuckled softly. “They’re part of the surprise. Aren’t they adorable?” He reached out, taking Minho’s hand. “Come on. Let me show you what I prepared.”
Minho followed, though his heart was still pounding — partly from anger, partly from confusion, and mostly from the overwhelming rush of emotion in his chest. His eyes finally took in the full scene — the lights, the photos, the cake with Happy Birthday, My Love written across it. Some of the pictures were so old, he didn’t even remember they existed.
“So…” Chan asked quietly, eyes hopeful. “What do you think?”
Minho glared at him — but his lips twitched despite himself. “You’re not forgiven.” Chan deflated a little, until Minho added, softly, “But I love it.”
He picked up one of the photos and smiled.
Chan smiled too, wrapping his arms around him from behind and resting his chin on Minho’s shoulder. “Well, I think you’ll forgive me completely after the rest of the surprise.” He kissed Minho’s neck.
“There’s more?” Minho turned in his arms, looping his hands around Chan’s shoulders. “Maybe I can forgive you after all.”
“I’m sure you will,” Chan teased, pressing another kiss to his lips. “But first, cake.”
“No!” Minho whined, pouting. “I want to see the rest now! You’ve already tortured me enough today.”
Chan raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you don’t want cake first?”
“Unless the cake is you.” Minho smirked, slapping Chan’s ass lightly.
“You’re ridiculous,” Chan laughed, ears burning red. “For someone who was furious a minute ago, you seem pretty calm now.”
“I can stay mad if you want.”
Chan shook his head, grinning. “Just stay right here. I’ll be right back.”
Minho watched him go, a small, helpless smile tugging at his lips. Maybe he’d overreacted… or maybe Chan just knew exactly how to make him soft again.
When Chan returned, he was hiding something behind his back.
“What’s that?” Minho asked, curiosity flickering in his eyes. “I told you I didn’t want anything this year.”
Chan just looked at him for a long moment — and Minho swore he could feel every ounce of love in that gaze.
Then Chan dropped to one knee.
Minho’s breath caught.
“I know it’s kind of cheesy to propose on someone’s birthday,” Chan began, voice trembling slightly. “But I think everything about us is kind of cheesy. I love you, Minho — more than anything. There’s nothing I want more than to spend the rest of my life with you.” He smiled nervously, his eyes glimmering. “Today’s the day the world got lucky enough to have you, and if you’ll let me, I want to be that lucky too. Will you marry me, Lee Minho?”
Minho just stared, completely frozen. For a second, he thought he’d imagined it — that maybe this was some weird dream.
“I know it’s not much,” Chan went on quickly, his nerves spilling out in words. “But you once said you wanted a simple proposal — at home, with the cats as witnesses. So I thought—”
“No.”
Chan’s voice broke. “N-no?” His heart sank. “You… don’t want to marry me?”
“No!” Minho blurted, shaking his head furiously. “I mean yes— I mean— ugh!” He groaned in frustration. “I wanted to propose to you! You stole this one too!”
Tears filled his eyes before he could stop them. He dropped to his knees, cupping Chan’s face between his hands. “Of course I want to marry you, idiot. I just wanted to ask first.”
Chan laughed through the tears gathering in his own eyes. “So… this is a yes?”
Minho smiled, pressing his forehead to his. “Yes. It's a big yes”
Chan took Minho’s hand gently, sliding the ring onto his finger before lifting it to his lips and pressing a soft kiss there.
“It looks beautiful on you, husband.”
Minho’s breath caught. “Say that again,” he whispered, his voice trembling as he leaned closer, their foreheads almost touching.
“Husband,” Chan repeated, smiling so wide it reached his eyes.
That was all it took. Minho closed the distance, his hand finding the back of Chan’s neck and holding him there as if afraid he might vanish. Chan’s hands moved instinctively to Minho’s waist, pulling him in until there was no space left between them.
The kiss wasn’t calm — it was messy, desperate, overflowing with everything they felt. It spoke of promises made and kept, of the quiet certainty that they would keep choosing each other again and again.
When they finally broke apart, their breaths mingled in the stillness.
“Happy birthday, love,” Chan murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.
Minho let out a shaky laugh, tears glinting at the corners of his eyes. “Best one ever,” he said — and kissed him again, slower this time.
And in that moment, Minho knew he had finally found home.