He had a feeling spending the night in the garden would be awkward. For the past few days, he had gone out there at night to keep Minho company. He didn't fall asleep like he had done before, but he walked with him and talked with him. He enjoyed lightening up the darkest part of Minho's existence.

That night wouldn't be the same. He couldn't picture the beast being as inviting and carefree after what had happened.

He understood his frustration, but it was his sister who hung in the balance. He would not risk her safety - or even something as simple as her happiness - to please Minho.

"Is it true?" Kibum asked from the top of the stairs. Taemin stopped his absent-minded sweeping and turned to the magician. "Jonghyun said he met your siblings at the fence."

Taemin nodded, "Yeah."

Kibum sighed dramatically. "Your sister isn't still hanging around by any chance, is she?"

"No. I sent her home." He went back to his sweeping.

Kibum slowly walked down the stairs and went before Taemin. He grabbed the broom and plucked it from his hands. "Minho's in his room. I suggest you go talk to him."

"Why?" Taemin asked defensively. If he expected him to go apologize for protecting his sister, he was sorely mistaken.

"Because he's upset and I'm afraid that if we let it fester, all of our hard work will come undone."

"Your hard work?" Taemin asked, confused.

"Yeah, getting you two to like each other. It hasn't exactly been easy, you know. You're both very stubborn."

"And what do you want me to say to him?"

"I don't know. What do you say to him when you're outside at midnight with the beast?"

Sometimes it was easier to talk to the beast. It was easy to forget that it was the same man who had him trapped in there.

"You need to talk to him, trust me," the magician said seriously, "You don't want to get stuck here like I did."

He understood what he was saying, and inevitably gave in. He knew he stood no chance of being let out if Minho was angry with him. Somehow, he needed to make him understand - or at least accept - that his sister wasn't going to save him.

He left Kibum to do the sweeping and made his way up the stairs. The long hall to the left inevitably led to the master bedroom. Taemin waited outside for a moment, wondering what he was going to do or say. He didn't even know what to expect to find in there. Minho might have trashed the place again. His anger could be getting worse as the minutes went by. He might finally put him back in that basement.

Taemin forced himself to knock on the door.

"Come in," Minho's reply came from the other side.

Nervously, Taemin opened the door.

The room was surprisingly in order. Nothing was broken or out of place. The air was calm. Even Minho, laying down on his bed, was calm.

A little angry still, but calm.

If Minho was surprised by his visit, he didn't show it. He turned his attention back to the open window and stared at the sun that was setting in the distance.

Taemin still didn't know what to say. He already made up his mind that he wasn't going to apologize. He could try to make him understand, but he had a feeling that conversation would only turn into an argument. And he had already had enough arguments with him.

So he didn't say anything. He decided to act like nothing had even happened. He played it casual. Overly casual.

He went to the bed and plopped down beside him, enjoying the comfort of a mattress that was probably rarely used.

Minho was confused, but he also didn't say anything.

Taemin took to watching the sunset as well, trying to determine how long he had before the man beside him transformed into a beast. He had never seen his actual transformation before. He wasn't sure he wanted to.

"She's beautiful," Minho said and broke the silence.

Taemin took a deep breath. "She is."

"I would love her, you know."

He would try, no doubt. But his sister deserved a better love than a cursed man forced to behave.

"She told me about the gift you sent."

He expected some sort of response or explanation, but it was Minho's turn to be silent.

"Thank you...for whatever reason you sent it."

"There were several reasons. You were the first one."

"In payment for my services of cleaning and gardening?" he asked.

"You deserve some compensation for being here." He continued to stare outside, still morose as ever.

He rolled over to face him and to pull Minho away from the sunset. It worked and he mirrored his position on his side. "What were the other reasons?"

"Your father lost all his possessions the night he came here. I knew he could use the money."

"And?" There was more. He knew there was.

"I wanted your sister to have a taste of what I could give her." He looked Taemin straight in the eye as he said it, as if daring him to challenge his intentions.

"Naeun isn't the type to be seduced by riches."

"Even so, I could take care of her. With me, her family - your family - would never want for anything ever again. No other man could offer her that security, could they?"

He couldn't argue with that. There was a lot he could argue with, but he had already decided he hadn't come there to argue.

"There was one more reason."

"And what was that?"

"To prove to you that I am trying to be better."

He smiled softly. "I know you are."

"Then when will you believe me?"

"When you let me go," he said honestly.

Minho shifted his gaze. It was normally defiance he saw when he refused his request, but now Taemin saw something different. He hadn't come into his room with the intention of begging for his release, but he knew he had an opportunity that he couldn't afford to waste.

"Please, my family is falling apart. My dad is drinking again. He's killing himself over bringing me here. Please, Minho. If you want to prove you've changed...then let me go."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

Minho didn't reply. Not with words at least. He unexpectedly drew close to Taemin and embraced him.

Taemin froze awkwardly.

He didn't realize Minho had grown so attached to him. He didn't realize his keeping him there was no longer about punishing him. He had come to like him and enjoy his company. He wanted him there because...he wanted him there.

"I just can't, Taemin."

He sighed heavily. As flattering as his endearment to him was, it only made the prospect of leaving that much more difficult.

Minho didn't remove himself and Taemin didn't try to leave. He laid flat on his back again and let Minho rest against him, all while contemplating what options he had left.

Here Jinki was trying to make him fall in love with Minho, and Minho was falling for him. As much as he could anyway.

"What if I promised to come back?"

Minho opened his eyes and contemplated it.

"What if I was only gone a few days? Just to assure my dad that I'm alright."

"I can't trust that you would come back."

Taemin's hopes sank again. Honestly, he couldn't even assure himself that he would return. The allure of home might be too tempting to leave behind.

"What if Kibum made sure I would?"

Minho lifted his head. "What do you mean?"

"What if he cast a spell on me? Something benign, like that scaly thing he did to Jonghyun. Something that would force me to come back here in three days to get removed."

He could tell Minho was considering that deal a little more seriously. Taemin would settle for three days. Three days would be enough time to get his father back on track and assure his siblings that everything really was alright.

Minho was about to answer, before he sat up suddenly. He inhaled sharply and looked like he was about to be sick. "Ask me again tomorrow."

"Are you alright?"

"No, but it's nothing new."

Of course. The sun was almost set.

Minho stood up from the bed and quickly pulled off his shirt. He tossed it on the bed on his way to the door, before he started undoing his pants.

"Where are you going?"

"The garden. I'd wait a few minutes before coming to see me. It's not a pretty sight."