"I'm not wearing a frilly dress." Taemin said seriously.

"Oh come on, it's a special occasion," Jonghyun said, forcing the hideous blue monstrosity closer to him.

"I will wear that frilly dress over my dead body," he continued, still very serious. Jonghyun obviously was playing with him, but Taemin was so sick of all the dresses that he didn't appreciate it. Even after he and Minho had found a way to get along, that man still insisted on the dresses. Taemin was almost to the point where he'd rather walk around . Maybe that would be enough to make Minho give him some men’s clothes.

He sighed heavily and turned from the gardener to the window, and view outside. It was a foggy morning, just after dawn.

He had been at that mansion for almost three weeks now, and the end of his stay didn't seem anywhere in sight. He had hoped being more agreeable with Minho would work to his advantage, but his host didn't show any signs of giving in any time soon.

Taemin had gotten to the point where he quit asking to be let out. After all, there was no quicker way to annoy someone than asking them the same obstinate question over and over again.

"It is pretty ugly," Jonghyun inevitably agreed, before tossing the blue thing back into the pile. "They all are. We should start a bonfire with them. That'd be a fun way to celebrate his birthday."

It was Minho's birthday. The three of them had planned something fun to do, but Taemin wondered how much fun five men could have being stuck in that same house. Besides, Minho didn't look like he even had fun. He just sulked.

Granted, there were a few times when the master let down his guard, when he laughed at his servant's jokes, or when Jinki said something very kind, or when Taemin was doing his normal tasks and he would take to studying him.

It was a little disconcerting, but he had a feeling Minho was growing fond of him. The idea only made his chances of leaving the place that much more slim.

"Good morning," Kibum announced as he came into the room, uninvited. He had a habit of doing that, so Taemin wasn't too surprised by it, although the magician did look a little surprised by him standing around in his underwear. (At least Minho had the decency to provide him with that.)

"I know it's Minho's birthday, but I also have a present for you." Kibum moved his hands from behind his back and presented Taemin with a folded bundle of clothing. It was his mother's dress, cleaned, pressed, and mended.

Taemin felt very relieved to see it again, almost happy. It was a dress, but at least it was his dress.

"Please don't let it get that bad again. It was horrible," Kibum said.

Taemin ignored him and pulled it over his head, happy to be inside the comfortable fabric again. He started lacing the corset when he realized that Kibum had adjusted the dress to better fit his body. The extra room in the chest was gone. So much for storing things there.

"Well at least someone will look good at this party," Kibum commented, as he approached Taemin and took over the job of lacing the clothes for him. It was a little forward, but Taemin didn't make an issue of it.

"So what's this fun thing you all have planned?"

"Well there's the cake," Jonghyun said.

"And there'll be music," Kibum added.

"Maybe some games."

It didn't sound much different from the birthday parties they would throw at his family's house, but there were usually other guests. Obviously, there would be no special guests there. Except for him.

"Trust me, it'll be fun," Kibum assured, before tying the laces into a pretty bow and stepping back to examine his work. "Very pretty."

Taemin rolled his eyes. "Ugh."

"Minho!" he heard her calling his name from down the hall, over the music that was playing on the first story. He tucked the letter he had been reading back into the drawer, before turning to face the young woman.

She was now standing at the entrance to his bedroom, smiling at him coyly as she hid half-way behind the door. She looked very pretty then, dressed her finest gown and the expensive jewelry he had given her.

He offered Krystal a charming smile, the one he always gave her - the one he always gave any pretty young thing.

"You promised me a dance, didn't you?" she said, "Why are you hiding all the way up here? You'll miss your party."

There would be more. After all, it wasn't like he would never have a birthday again. And twenty-two wasn't a particularly exciting age to celebrate.

He didn't tell her that though. He let her believe that party was just as important to him as it was to her. Just like he let her believe their relationship was just as important to him as it was to her.

"I know, I was just taking care of something real quick," he said.

"Well, let Jinki handle it. It's your birthday, and we need to celebrate." She stepped into his room and took him by the hands, before pulling him toward the door. On the way out, he plucked a rose from the vase sitting on the table near the door - one of the many senseless decorations Jinki would litter around the house.

"A gift for the prettiest girl here," he said, eloquently handing her the rose.

It was such a cheap gift, but she seemed to adore it greatly. Women were all the same, all so easy...

He wondered why he let that memory haunt him that day. Perhaps because it was his birthday, exactly...exactly how many ever years since that day. It was the last party he had ever thrown and the last time any guests had ever filled his home. He wished he really had appreciated it more. There were so many things he wished he had done differently.

He stared at the necklace that stood on the elaborate display before him. It was a piece he had given to Krystal, right when they started their relationship. There were many pieces that had come and gone through the mansion, but that one he could never seem to get rid of it. It always remained on that display, haunting him with all his regrets.

He grabbed the necklace before he could give it a second thought and stuffed it into the velvet sack, before tossing it into the trunk at his feet. It was being steadily filled as he went throughout that storage room and tossed random things into it. Jewelry, silverware, sashes, and anything that stood out to him.

He had had all that stuff for years and it never did him any good. It just sat there, locked away in room in a mansion that no one would dare rob.

"There you are," Jinki said as he stepped through the open door, "I've been looking for you everywhere."

Minho didn't reply. He grabbed a silver vase that once held roses and tossed it into the trunk as well.

"The cake is done, and I have to say, it looks to be my best one yet...What are you doing?"

"I'm sending a gift. Next time you see Jonghyun tell him to open the gate for the postal boy. I have a delivery for him."

A/N: Some parts of this story are just so goofy. XD

This chapter felt a little short, but don't worry, the next one will be up soon. :)