"Don't worry, Gillian. You look beautiful." Elli said, a pretty servant girl who was told to dress up Gillian.

Gillian tugged on her dress as she looked at herself in the mirror. The dress is beautiful. I'm not., she thought miserably.

"I don't know." she said. "Remind me again why I have to wear a dress?" Gillian told Elli. Elli giggled and puffed her dress out. 

"Because, Gillian dear, you need to make a good impression on the servants. If you don't, they'll eat you." she giggled again. 

"Why didn't you eat me?" Gillian said, facing Elli. 

"Because, Princess, Masters told me not to." she smiled, revealing white teeth with fangs. 

Gillian felt she should be afraid but she wasn't. She sighed. "If they didn't, would you have eaten me?" she said.

Elli giggled and touched her dress again. "Now, no. A while ago, yessss. You look like a princess now, Gillian. Master Taemin's princess." she smiled dreamily. "Master Taemin." she said.

Gillian looked at her. "Are you..."

"... is coming. Now. Come on, Princess! Go to the door!" Elli said, pushing Gillian slightly to the door. 

"Why?" Gillian said.

There was a knock on the door.

Gillian looked at Elli. "How'd you do that?!" she said.

"Open it!" Elli said.

Gillian held the doorknob and felt her heart thump fast. She opened it.

Taemin stood in the doorway, looking like the handsome prince that he was. He looked at Gillian up and down, his mouth slightly open. He cleared his throat. "Are you ready?" he said.

Gillian glanced at Elli as Elli urged her on. "Yeah." Gillian said, looking back at Taemin.

"Let's go." Taemin said, holding his arm out. 

Gillian looped her hand on his arm and followed him through the darkness. 

"You look beautiful." Taemin whispered in the darkness. 

Gillian blushed and felt stiffer than ever. "Thank you." she said.

Taemin chuckled lightly and held both her shoulders. "Relax, Gill. It's just a family dinner."

Gillian glared at him lightly. "I hate family dinners."

"You do?" Taemin asked. "Why?"

"I always feel left out." she said and sighed as they turned a corner. 

Taemin wordlessly slid his hand on hers as she felt goosebumps all over her arm. "I promise you won't." he said and opened a huge door revealing a very huge and amazing dining room.

Inside were 4 people and probably a dozen servants not even daring to look at Gillian. Their heads turned when the door opened. Gillian recognized 2 people to be Taemin's dad and Jinki. Another was a pretty boy that had elfin features that made him look like the most perfect sculpture ever. The last one was a beautiful woman that had the most elegant figure a girl, even at her age, could wish for.

"Gillian! Taemin!" Jinki greeted and clapped his hands. He led the woman to them. "Mom! This is Gillian." he presented and Gillian bowed nervously. 

"Annyeonghaseyo. I'm Gillian." she said in a quiet voice.

"My, my, darling. You look utterly stunning." the woman said as she reached out to hug Gillian. "Welcome to the family, dear." she said warmly and squeezed her shoulders in a motherly way.

"Thank you for receiving me in so warmly." Gillian said shyly.

The other boy cleared his throat.

"And this is Taemin's bestfriend and our cousin, the mighty Kibum." Jinki said, grasping the boy's shoulders as the boy beamed at the nickname. He faced Gillian and smiled.

"Hi. I'm Kibum." he said and stretched out a hand. 

Gillian reached out and held it, feeling tiny sparks go up her arm. "Woah." she said quietly, flushing.

"Kibum. No electrocuting Gillian." Mrs. Lee said.

Kibum laughed and shook her hand. "I hope you don't mind. Sometimes I just can't control these little sparks." he said, looking at Gillian. 

She smiled warmly, feeling Taemin tense up a bit beside her. "Of course not."

"Now that everybody know everybody, can we eat already?" Jinki said.

Mrs. Lee held Gillian's hand as she led her to sit beside her and opposite Taemin.

"I hope you like chicken, Gill. Jinki here forgot to tell the servants to not only buy chicken." Mr. Lee said, shooting Jinki a look.

He shrugged innocently as Gillian laughed lightly. "I love chicken." she said, making Jinki beam at her.

"Me too!" he exclaimed. ^^

After dinner, they went back to the living room to look at Taemin's baby pictures.

"And look here, Gill. Taemin stealing Jinki's favorite Barney book." Mrs. Lee laughed, pointing to a picture where Jinki was crying and Taemin trying to look innocent with an obvious silhouette of a book behind his back.

Everybody laughed except Jinki. "I loved that book." he said as he glared at Taemin.

Taemin held out his hands defensively. "We were kids!"

Time flew by too fast and before they knew it, it was already 10:45. 

"Omo." she said, looking at the wall clock.

"Can't you stay the night, darling?" Mrs. Lee said.

"Ummm...." Gillian said, not sure how to answer.

"No, mom." Taemin said smoothly. "Her brother's waiting for her."

"Oh. Well, keep the dress, dear. You look beautiful in it." Mrs. Lee said, standing up to lead them out.

"Thank you." she bowed.

"And we'd love to meet the rest of your family sometime soon, yeah?" Mr. Lee said, standing in the doorway with Jinki and Kibum as Taemin held her hand outside.

"Uhh.." Gillian said.

"Dad." Taemin said and his dad laughed.

"Kids." he said, rolling his eyes. "Go, go." he said, shooing them away.

Taemin carried Gillian bridal style and walked instead of running.

"Why do you have to carry me?" Gillian said quietly, blushing.

"So that we could move faster." Taemin said just as quietly, with a distant look in his eyes.

Gillian watched his pace as he walked on forward to the forest. "You're just walking." she stated, not a hint of anything else in her voice but pure innocence.

Taemin chuckled quietly and glanced at her, his eyes twinkling. "Yeah. I am." he smiled.

They were quiet for a moment.

"I'm sorry about that." he said quietly, the moonlight illuminating his pale face. He looked perfect with night.

"Sorry about what? Your family's amazing."

"Yeah, well..." Taemin smiled, looking at the trees. 

"What's up with Jinki hyung and the chicken?" she laughed, recalling Jinki eating chicken.

Taemin chuckled softly. "It's his favorite common food. We only get to eat it at special occassions with mortals." he said.

"Mortals?" she asked.

"Yeah. People." he said.

"Why do you sound so old?" she asked.

"Old?" Taemin laughed, looking right at her for the first time since they left. Elli had placed two elegant curls to frame her pretty face.

"Yeah, you sound so distant." she said.

Taemin nodded, understanding. "Sorry. I was just thinking of--"

"Sulli?" she asked then caught herself. "I mean.."

"Yeah. Her." Taemin smiled.

"Do you.. regret anything?" Gillian asked softly as a cool breeze passed them.

Taemin looked at the moon again. "Nah. I don't regret anything." he said. He smiled at her. "Because somehow, everything that's happened led me to you."

Gillian blushed and glared at him lightly. "You.."

Taemin chuckled.

In a matter of moments, they were in front of Gill's house. Taemin dropped her off gently on the ground. 

"Well, they'll certainly ask why i'm on a dress." she said, glancing down at her dress and smoothing it out.

Taemin silently reached out and tucked a lock of her hair in her ear. She looked up and smiled at him, making him smile back.

His hand lingered on the side of her face and slowly tugged at her, pulling her to him.

Gillian's breath caught as Taemin's lips stayed on her forehead for 5 seconds.

He pulled away and took a step back, his eyes never leaving hers. "Go get some rest, Gill. You need it." he said quietly.

Gillian nodded slowly and opened the gate, glancing back at Taemin's angelic face. She didn't look back anymore when she was at the door.

"I love you, Gill." Taemin said.

"Awww.. Isn't that sweet?" a voice behind Taemin said, just before he out.

----

^^ Sorry for updating so late. :( I was just so busy but maybe this Christmas break, i'll get to update more often~ Please comment and subscribe and bookmark and other things. haha <3 Love lots~~ And advanced Merry Christmas to all!! :D