#mangdoong

"All right, sorry for the wait," you heard Changmin say. "They finally dropped her off."

"Oh my god," you breathed, your hands flying to cover your mouth as soon as Changmin walked through the doorway. There was a little white ball of puff cradled in his arms, staring at you with huge, confused eyes. "This...this is your dog?"

"Yes," Changmin said, a little defensively. "Why do you sound so surprised?"

"I just..." you bit your lip, trying hard not to laugh. It wasn't funny in a bad way, just surprising. "I'd imagine you'd have something a little...bigger..."

"Hey," Changmin warned you. "Mangdoong is a beast, okay?"

You couldn't tear your eyes off of the dog. She looked like a little stuffed toy. "She's so cute," you squealed delightedly, still not quite believing that this was your boyfriend's actual dog. You'd never seen her before, as she lived with his family, and you only ever met his family when they came to visit the both of you.

You'd heard about her, but you'd always pictured her as some sort of beastly German Shepherd or a behemoth of a Greyhound. Something large, to fit Changmin's elongated, muscular structure. Never, ever in a million years had you imagined that he'd have a tiny, sweet, almost criminally adorable Maltese.

"Why are you staring at us like that?" His voice broke your train of thought.

"I just want to eat her up," you responded immediately, still staring at the dog. "I think I now understand the meaning of the phrase 'cute as a button.' Goodness, look how tiny she is...look at her little nose..."

"Don't fall in love, now," Changmin drawled, but you were too enamored to even call him out on his sarcasm.

You took a step forward, your attention still entirely on the dog. "Can I...pet her?"

Changmin chuckled. "What are you waiting for, an introduction? Here: Dog, meet girlfriend. Girlfriend, meet dog."

You thought you were actually going to die when he took one of her little paws and waved at you with it.

You glanced up at his face, and had the breath momentarily knocked out of you as you saw how he was looking down at his dog. He had this proud, adoring smile on his face. You rarely saw him like this. He was so...doting. His attention shifted to you, and he raised his eyebrows at you expectantly.

"Well? What are you staring at me for? Come get yourself acquainted."

You took a few steps forward, holding out your hand to the miniature creature. She sniffed at you, then her little pink tongue darted out and you giggled as she licked the palm of your hand. She shook her head and sneezed, then started pushing her wet, stupidly cute nose into your hand.

Changmin chuckled. "I think she likes you."

He adjusted his hold on her, and she nestled comfortably in his arms. She looked up at you, her head cocked.

"I certainly like her," you said quietly, adoringly.

"Isn't that nice?" Changmin grinned. "My two favorite ladies, getting acquainted."

He lifted the dog up in his arms, bringing her to his face and kissing one of her cute, floppy, soft ears. She rested her tiny, delicate paws on his shoulders and gave him a lick on his nose in return. Changmin kissed the top of her head, and she looked pleased with herself.

"How can I even compete with that?" you moaned, shaking your head. "How can I possibly beat that much cuteness? If I have to compete with this little machine of cuteness for your attention, I don't think I'll ever win...it's like she was a robot created for the sole purpose of being cute!"

"Don't sell yourself too short," Changmin laughed. "You at the very least have a decent fighting chance. Here, babe."

Before you could protest, he was handing you the dog, and you were holding her tiny little body in your arms. She looked over at Changmin, confused, as if saying: What are you doing handing me to this strange lady? And why does she have your scent on her?

"That's your mom," Changmin said, bending down to look Mangdoong in the eyes and pointing up at you. "Got it, Mangdoongie? She's gorgeous, thoughtful, smart, and talented. I think you'll be friends."

Mangdoong started wagging her fuzzy tail, as if she understood his words, and you felt it beating softly against your arm. She huddled up comfortably in your arms, breathing a contented sigh. You couldn't tear your eyes from her.

You felt Changmin's arm around your shoulders, and then the soft kiss he placed on top of your head.

"So? What do you think?"

"We're kidnapping her, I don't even care," you stated. "We're stealing her from your family. There's no way I can part with her now."

"See, I knew you two would get along."

He pulled you into a gentle hug, his arms slipping around your waist. Mangdoong was nestled in between your bodies, one of her paws on Changmin's chest as she looked between the two of you curiously.

Changmin leaned down, his lips meeting yours in a gentle, soft kiss. He was so warm, so affectionate. You found yourself having the revelation that the only other time you'd ever seen Changmin look so warm and doting was when he looked at you, and as silly as it was, it made you happy to be so important to him.

The kiss ended abruptly when Mangdoong barked, causing Changmin to lean back and stare down at her. Her tail started to wag again. She was staring up at the two of you mischievously.

"Brat," Changmin snickered, tapping his finger against Mangdoong's nose playfully. She swiped at his hand with one of her paws. "Don't you know not to interrupt mommy and daddy when they're having a moment?"

"She's a baby, leave her alone," you responded lightheartedly, grabbing Mangdoong and turning away from Changmin. "Let's go play by ourselves, Mangdoongie. Min's a rude, sarcastic, mean-spirited guy...terrible influence..."