~*~*~

Minho hardly ever went back to the east wing after that morning.  He and Taemin spent all the hours of the day together and when night came and Taemin cried as he listened to Minho go through the pain of his transformation they would curl up and fall asleep where ever they pleased. 

Minho became less nervous around Taemin at night and let the boy get as close as he wanted.  The first several nights he laid still as Taemin climbed on him like a tree pointing out all the changed features of his form.  Taemin liked to touch the long hair of his mane and bothered the whisked like hair atop his ears so they flicked in annoyance.  He let Taemin tie pretty ribbons to his horns and braid his mane. It delighted the boy seeing them still stuck to his head in the morning. 

At first he was afraid of crushing the boy as they slept but no matter how they fell asleep he always woke with Taemin sprawled on top of him under a sea of blankets. The fear of Taemin leaving went from a raging storm in his heart to nothing but a whisper in his mind as the snow melted and they spent more time outside. No matter how far Taemin ran and frolicked, with the call of his name he always came running back, with smile on his face and a hug waiting to be shared. 

And even though each knew this was the best their lives had been something still lingered between them.  Minho knew his life alone had ruined his trust in any one and tried to ignore the hesitance he still felt with Taemin. And on one of the last cold nights of the year as Taemin pressed himself closely to Minho he listened to the boy’s heart breaking prayer, whispered into the darkness, not meant to ever be heard. 

“I know I can never be enough, I’ve never been enough. But I wish that my love was enough to save you.”

~*~*~

(A/N; Hi darlings, I couldn’t post a Christmas themed story, so I thought I would finish this one. It will be a double update. Merry Christmas, and happy holidays.)