Taemin POV

Sunlight. Bright, blinding sunlight. When I awoke, that was the first thing that greeted me, burning through my eyelids until I groaned and rolled over.

The bed was too comfortable to even ponder the thought of getting up, so instead I settled into my pillow, lazily wondering how much longer I could sleep.

And then reality came to me, bringing an exciting recollection.

Today is my birthday!

That thought in my mind, I grinned and opened my eyes, expecting to see Minho’s sleeping face in front of me.

Instead, however, I found myself face to face with a piece of paper. A rose was carefully placed on top of the note, a beautiful red contrast to the pure white sheets.

I traced my finger along the petals for a moment before finally sitting up, bringing the flower and the note to my lap.

I took a moment to admire the rose, then curiosity overcame me and I finally picked up the note.

It was written on a white card that was embellished with gold patterns. The actual message was written in messy, uneven handwriting, which ordinarily would have taken away from the elegance of the notecard. But since that handwriting belonged to Minho, it only improved the note, in my opinion.

Smiling, I finally read the message.

     Taemin,

     Good morning! And Happy Birthday! If you’re reading this, that means it’s probably about 10:15.

I glanced at the digital clock on the nightstand, laughing when I saw that it was 10:15 exactly. Minho knew me very well.

     Head out to the kitchen. Key is waiting for you with your first present. Don’t forget your rose!

     We all have something very special planned for you, so follow these notes and enjoy!

    Happy Birthday!

     Love,

          Minho

By the end of the note, I was grinning widely, wiggling in excitement.

Something special planned? I thought giddily.

Not wanting to waste another second, I grabbed the rose and dashed out into the kitchen. As the note said he would be, Key was there at the table, sitting in front of a large box and some very delicious-looking food.

When he saw me, Key’s face lit up, a smile spreading across his lips. He stood up and ran over to give me a tight hug.

“Happy Birthday, Taemin!” he exclaimed.

“Thank you!” I hugged him back just as tightly.

After a moment he released me, looking me up and down. He must not have liked what he saw, because he scrunched up his nose.

It was then that I realized how I must look. My hair was un-brushed, I was still in my pajamas (which were wrinkled and twisted from being slept in), and I hadn’t even washed my face. I smiled, suddenly a little self-conscious.

After adjusting my shirt and combing his fingers through my hair a few times, he nodded. “That’ll do for now. We’ll fix it later.”

“Huh?”

He shook his head. “Never mind. Come sit down, I made breakfast.”

I was more than happy to follow him to the table that was full of fluffy pancakes, perfectly cooked eggs, and deliciously crispy bacon.

“Eat up,” he said once we were seated.

“Chal mokeseumnida!” I cried, dropping the rose on the table and wasting no time in stuffing my face full of the carefully laid out breakfast foods.

As expected, everything was delicious. But my attention kept straying to the large box in front of me, which I assumed was the birthday present mentioned in the note.

Once people grow up, presents are supposed to lose their appeal. But I still found myself childishly excited about ripping the lid off to see what was inside. And right now, seeing that unopened present just sitting there was killing me.

As much as I wanted to savor every last bite of my meal, opening that box was a much more important issue. I ate as quickly as I could, barely pausing to even breathe.

Key just watched, an indulgent smile on his face. I got the feeling that he knew exactly what was going through my head at the moment.

When at last I finished eating, I looked at Key expectantly.

He laughed, and when he handed me the box, I was positive that he knew what I was thinking.

I flashed him a quick grin before tearing the lid off the present at lightning speed. I eagerly looked in the box and saw a shirt and matching pants. With a smile, I lifted out the shirt.

It looked oddly familiar…

“Do you recognize it?” Key asked. Seeing my confusion, he gave me a hint. “The park?”

“Oh, right!” I said, the year-old memory coming back to me.

Minho took me to the park on our one-year anniversary for a picnic. We laid out a blanket, set up all the food, and had just started eating when it began pouring down rain.

Laughing at our own bad luck, we abandoned the picnic and ran home, which, thankfully, was only two blocks away.

When we got inside, we changed into dry clothes and snuggled together on the living room couch to watch a movie.

Our wet clothes got washed, but somehow my outfit got mixed in with everyone else’s laundry, and I never saw the shirt or pants again.

Now I had them again, and they reminded me of the most fun I’d ever had at a ruined picnic.

I ran my fingers over the soft fabric of the shirt, smiling at my fond memory.

“Come on,” Key suddenly said, standing up and walking out of the kitchen. Confused, I followed him, still holding the box with the clothes in it.

Once we reached my room, Key told me to put on the outfit. He would be waiting for me in the bathroom to style my hair.

I didn’t argue, knowing there was probably some reason for me to do this.

Or Key just wanted to play dress-up.

Either way, I wasn’t stupid enough to fight him.

After I got dressed, I met Key in the bathroom. He spent a solid twenty minutes fussing with my hair before he finally declared, “It’s perfect!”

I glanced into the mirror. My hair really did look good.

Key took a step back to admire his handiwork. “Absolutely perfect.” He smiled at me, looking very much like a doting mother.

“Thank you,” I said, smiling back at him.

We stood in comfortable silence for a moment, then Key took my hand and led me back into the kitchen. Once we were there, he picked up two roses from the counter and handed them to me along with the rose I’d left on the table earlier. After warning me to watch out for the thorns, he pulled a notecard out of his pocket and held it out to me.

As I took it from him, I noticed it was written on the same paper as the other note, and in the same messy handwriting. I began to read with a smile.

     How was your breakfast? And how do you like the clothes?

     You do remember them, don’t you?

     That was a truly great day. At the time, I couldn’t believe that we’d been together for an entire
     year.

     And now, I can’t believe that it’s been even longer than that.

     I feel too happy for words when I think about it.

     Now, you’d better get outside. Jonghyun is waiting for you in front of the building with your next
     present.

     Bring your roses!

     Love,

          Minho

I grinned and looked up at Key.

He pulled me into a quick hug, then fussed with my hair one last time. “Happy Birthday, Taemin,” he said happily, taking the note from me. “Now go, go. Don’t make my Jongie stand out there all day.”

I laughed. “All right, Umma. Thank you for everything!” I threw him one last smile before running out the door, the three red roses clutched in my hand, and my heart pounding with excitement.

What else is in store for me today? I wondered with a grin.

~*~

A/N: See? I told you it would be less than a month before my next story :P

I was invited by AuthorZ to write a story about Taemin for his birthday today, and I gladly accepted.

There will be three or four chapters in this story, which hopefully I’ll finish today. I’ll post them as I finish writing them, so keep an eye out! :D

Now, who can guess what Jonghyun’s present will be?