The key slid into the lock with barely a click, Minho suppressing a grin. Practice had ended early, a rare gift. Perfect, he thought, picturing your startled jump. He loved surprising you, loved the way your eyes would widen before crinkling with laughter. He toed off his sneakers, the cool hardwood silent under his socks. Upstairs. Probably reading or gaming.

He moved with the quiet grace of his baseball training... past the living room where your shared cat, Doongie, blinked sleepily from the couch, up the stairs, each step carefully placed to avoid a tell-tale creak. The bedroom door was slightly ajar. Gotcha.

Minho paused just outside, listening. Soft music drifted out, nothing else. His heart thumped a little faster with anticipation. He nudged the door open slowly, silently, peering around the frame.

There you were. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, bathed in the late afternoon sun slanting through the window. Back towards him, focused on your laptop. But it wasn't just you. Minho’s breath hitched.

Perched atop your messy dark hair were… ears. Velvety black cat ears, catching the light. They twitched faintly, independent of your head movement as you scrolled. And behind you, resting casually on the comforter, was a long, sleek black tail, the tip flicking lazily.

Minho blinked. A slow, mischievous smile spread across his face. Accessories? He’d never seen you wear anything like that before. It was… ridiculously adorable. Playful. Naughty. A perfect surprise for his surprise. All thoughts of announcing himself vanished, replaced by pure, impish instinct.

Minho didn’t make a sound. In two swift strides, fueled by his athlete’s reflexes, he crossed the room and lunged onto the bed behind you.

"Got you!" he declared, his voice a low rumble of triumph.

One hand shot out, fingers sinking into the impossibly soft fur of the nearest cat ear, rubbing it roughly, playfully, the way he’d pet Doongie.

"Since when do you wear these, huh?" he teased.

At the exact same moment, his other hand grabbed the base of that swishing black tail, giving it a firm, possessive tug. "And this? Trying to be cute?" He leaned in, his breath warm against your neck, utterly oblivious to the sheer, paralyzing surprise that had instantly frozen you solid beneath his touch.

Minho felt the ear twitch violently under his fingers, a movement far too organic for any clip-on. The tail in his grip tensed, thick and muscular, straining against his hold.

His playful grin faltered, replaced by a dawning, bewildered shock as the reality. The impossible, breathtaking reality slammed into him. The softness wasn't fabric. The warmth wasn't foam. The life thrumming under his palms... it was you.

You have cat ears and a tail like Doongie.

A very rare animal-human hybrid.

His boyfriend.