minho began having taemin join him for his evening meals. they sat across a small table from one another in an adjacent chamber & he would use the time to ask taemin about his day. surprised by the engagement in conversation, he didn’t know how to answer his master’s questions in a way he felt would be satisfactory so he simply told him everything they did. minho listened quietly, his eyes more often on his food rather than on taemin, & asked no further questions: night after night they would end their meal in silence.

days passed & taemin began to notice all the little things about minho that had gone unobserved because he had been looking for weaknesses instead of strengths: the softness of his tone when he spoke to eunsook; the respect he showed the soldiers who served beneath him; the way no one showed fear when he passed, only deference of his authority.

he didn’t fear minho either, he realized. in fact, he had grown to enjoy his company when he was allowed it. he began to ask minho questions about his own day, unsurprised when the answers were curt & undetailed. however, minho began to press taemin further about his own afternoons & soon taemin found himself with more projects & freedom with which to spend his days. they were small but significant, expanding his world beyond the confines of minho’s bed & eunsook’s room & he slowly began to forget that he had ever lived a life beyond the fortress walls.