In the privacy of the small council room, five figures sit at the table. Each one as bewildered as the other, confused and shaken by what they’d witnessed only minutes ago. Taemin’s there, and not there, as if the news had torn him from himself and left only a shell. He’s panicked. He’s angry. He wants to know what to do.

“We could stay here, protect our kingdom.” Jinki begins, his warm voice still carrying hope. “We have the magic to hold them off.”

Joohyun shakes her head. “If he’s this determined... No number of mages will be able to defend the entire kingdom. Magic isn’t limitless.”

“Then we’ll have to go fight.” Minho determines, crossing his arms. “Meet him where he wants us. There are too many villages between here and the border to risk fighting from the capitol.”

Before being taken to the cells, Kyein’s messenger had provided them with a location. The boy had no idea what it meant, as frightened as the rest of them, only that he needed to show it to them. Taemin recognised the area on the map as somewhere he and Kibum rode through on their return from the kingdom. And now, they’re meant to fight for their lives there. Not just their lives, but the entire kingdom. The weight of it all only increases with every passing minute, the more real it becomes. War is so simple a word, compared to the reality it entails. The devastation it’s sure to bring.

“If we’re to do this while abiding by the law, and we go into Kyein’s land...” Kibum frowns, the physician still haunted by the last time they’d ventured beyond that border. “We can’t use magic.”

“But magic is our strength.” Joohyun, captain of the mages, thinking of the child she’d rescued only months ago. “It’s our only advantage.”

“Kyein already broke the law by disturbing the peace.” Minho argues.

His best friend replies. “If we break the agreed law, we’re no more honourable than he is. Our mages aren’t only good at magic, you know this. They’ve been trained as hard in combat as the rest of the knights.”

Five people, who’ve never experienced the ways of war. What it can do. How to survive. Taemin wonders if there’s anyone still alive from what was supposed to be the last war. No, those left behind from those days would’ve been mere children. Then how are they supposed to know? Books only tell so much. Still, it’s a start. He’ll have to create a larger council, with people who’ve intensively studied the wars of the past. It’s a start. They have to make do with what they have.

“Then we’ll need another advantage.” Minho sighs, and pulls Taemin from his thoughts. “Heavens know how long this er has been planning.”

“Changmin.” Jinki straightens in his seat, eyes widening. “Before you banished him, he’d spoken about Kyein creating some kind of secret weapon. I’d tried researching about rare weapons afterwards, but I never found anything that fit his description.”

Kibum bit his lip. “A weapon that could kill anyone in an instant... Jongin had hinted at it too, before Taemin and I got out.”

“.” Minho’s gaze shoots daggers into the table.

Taemin considers, only briefly, reaching out to the prince. Jongin had expressed hatred for his father Kyein, and even joked about doing the same as Taemin. But would he really do it? Taemin can’t afford to count on somebody he’s only spoken to for a total of five minutes. For all Taemin knew, in the last six months Jongin could’ve taken his father’s side and be just as keenly waiting to rain hell with their secret weapons and years of rehearsal.

Even so, they need an advantage. They don’t need to risk trusting those within Kyein’s border to find support.

The king looks up, and finally speaks. “We’ll contact Queen Seohyun. I know she isn’t the violent type, but she should be persuaded if we let her know of Kyein’s ultimate plan to rule all three kingdoms as one.”

“Unless she’s on Kyein’s side?” Minho suggests.

“Seohyun is protective of her people, I doubt she’ll be willing to give them up to Kyein.” Kibum adds. “Especially when many of them are mages.”

And to be a mage under Kyein’s rule means death.

“Exactly.” Taemin rolls his shoulders, relieved to feel some kind of purpose. “I’ll go and speak with her.”

“No, you have to stay here.” Kibum says, firmly. “You’re the king, you’ll be needed in the capitol. I’ll go. Seohyun should still recognise me from last time.”

“You can’t go—”

“I’ll go with him.” Jinki instantly leans in to reassure Taemin. “We’ll be safe as long as we don’t go too close to Kyein’s border.”

They continue the discussion with that decision made for him, nobody sparing the king time to protest. The idea of being holed up in this castle while his friends are out in another kingdom scares him suddenly, more than the mere fact that he could feel such worry for other people. These are friends he’s come to treasure like nobody else. He doesn’t want them to go. They need the advantage. He doesn’t want them to get hurt. They could get hurt in this war if they aren’t prepared enough.

Taemin will have to give a speech to the people. After all this work they’ve put into putting the king in a good light, only for him to tell them he’s lead them straight into war. With the day before being such a dramatic celebration of peace, he could laugh at the irony. Nobody will praise him. Nobody will be on his side. He will be the king who broke the everlasting peace.

“Taemin,” Minho holds him back at the conclusion of their meeting, taking his wrist. “What do you want to do about the messenger?”

He looks down at the hand holding onto him, a bitterness rising in his throat. “What do you mean? Kick him out of here, and let him run back to his king.”

“He could have valuable information.” Minho frowns.

“And you think he’ll give it up for free?” Taemin shakes his head. “Don’t bother, Minho.”

The knight pushes. “There are ways we can get the information out of him.”

Yes. This Minho. Angry flames flickering behind his eyes, and a tightness in his stance. It’s unfamiliar, this extreme level of violent determination on somebody he’d grown accustomed to being only kind. Defensive, and stubborn, but never this quick to abandon his honour out of revenge. Taemin wants to go back to the night before.
 

“Like what, torture?” Taemin scoffs.

“He killedMandae.” Minho insists, jaw clenching. “Not just... killed. It’s ed up.”

“Yeah, and I doubt the messenger had anything to do with it.” Taemin sighs. He’s tired, and disappointed. “It’s ed up if you punish an innocent for his king’s wrongdoing.”

If Taemin wasn’t so caught up in his own web of issues, he would’ve recognised Minho’s anger as misplaced grief. He would’ve taken the knight’s hand, told him to breathe, and provided comfort in a place where one might believe there is none. But in that moment Taemin is selfish, and pulls away from Minho.

“Whatever.”

Taemin leaves the knight there, and ignores him when he calls his name.

He’s taken, by nobody but himself, through the castle corridors. He walks, and walks, until he finds himself standing in the entrance of a room he’d swore he’d never visit.

The Royal Garden pulls Taemin into its walls, his senses immediately attacked with the smell of fresh grass and plant life. He’s startled at first by how still with silence it is, but the promise of no company lures him in further. If anybody comes looking for him, they won’t think to look here first. The king will return to the world when he’s ready.

He finds what he thinks might be a jade plant first, though he has no real knowledge of plants. Sure enough, a wooden plaque with the first king’s name sits above its roots, reading ‘King Seunghyun’. The man who’d ended the first war, and began this chamber of poetic death. Taemin expects to be disturbed by it—the amount of ashes buried here, with their pretty flowers to pretend that these people will live on within the walls of this garden. But he isn’t. A strange spell of sadness hits him, and he swallows it back. Just behind the small jade plant, standing tall in the centre of the garden, is an apricot tree. Taemin stares at the orange fruit that hang from its branches, then the name plaque below it; ‘Queen Seunghee’. The first king’s daughter, who’d saved the kingdom from the disasters of a post-war economy and raised them to become a society which could continue to grow on its own.

Their work is going to be undone, the very roots of this kingdom in danger of another war.

Venturing further, he realises there’s a second section to the garden. Taemin gazes mindlessly over the plants he doesn’t recognise, some showing colourful blossoms and others dull with the lingering cold of winter. It crosses his mind briefly that it’s spring now. Then finally there’s a plaque with an unidentifiable stalk, a plant yet to grow to even a resemblance of its full form. He realises he’s holding his breath as he reads the plaque, the name ‘King Hyunmin’ scribed into its wood. So here he is. The former king, in all his glory. Hardly anything, not quite nothing.

“Why am I even here?” Taemin breathes out, yet unable to leave his spot. “You don’t deserve..” he shakes his head. “You shouldn’t be here, amongst.. the others. Nobody was pure but none of them were as twisted as you.”

He isn’t sure what it is that wills him to sit down in front of his estranged father’s grave, when he can’t even look in its direction without complete disgust. Simply calling him his father is too much. Taemin crosses his legs, fighting the urge to light the whole place on fire. Cleaning that up would be too much effort, especially with all the he already has to deal with outside.

“So what? That was your response to the threat of Kyein’s kingdom?” he recalls it now, how Kyein had pestered Kibum about some apparent spy from their side. “You heard he was preparing for war, and decided the onlynext step was to kidnap children? Perform some hideous sacrifice to make yourself more powerful?

Of course it was. You probably defended it as a sacrifice for the kingdom, but you were only protecting yourself. You always only thought of yourself. ing selfish . Did you just demand all the knights to the capitol to guard your cowardly , and leave the rest of the kingdom at risk? Who cares about them, right? While you’re at it, increase the tax for the poor people! As long as you’re safe!”

The dots finally connect, and the image it creates make him ill. He’d thought Hyunmin had taken those children, made the huge show about hunting down the other kingdoms’ royals, out of his own inspired fight for power. It was so much more than that, and now Taemin has to pull together an unprepared kingdom filled with people who’ll no doubt despise him by the end of the day.

“I hate you.” He curls his hands into fists, feeling the flickering of flames spreading through his veins. “You couldn’t just be a decent father and let us live normal lives. You couldn’t resist the throne. You couldn’t just let me run away, you had to cheat your way to the throne and us all over. And then for weeks... monthsafter I finally got rid of you, you still wouldn’t leave me alone.”

Sleepless nights, haunted by the ghost of the man he’d cared nothing about. Taemin had come to understand how tortured Kibum felt by the memory Jungha after they’d driven that blade into her chest. Murder can never be forgotten, washed from hands and mind, no matter how evil that person is. Nightmares chased him anyway, and his hands remained stained red. . He’d been doing so well lately to keep that from his thoughts.

“Now my friends are in danger. Again.”

Kibum. Minho. Jinki. Joohyun. All of them. Eunbi. All those children they’d managed to rescue six months ago. Their friends. Their families.

“Your death was too good, too easy. I should’ve made you suffer more.”

Taemin holds out his hand, and burns the plant from the soil up. This one patch, a single corner in this great and green graveyard, will never grow another damned centimetre of whatever was planted here. The earth will forgive him. If anything, he’s doing the heavens a favour.

Then he just sits there, and stares at the cursed plaque.

He doesn’t keep track of how long he spends sitting in the garden, surrounded by nothing but the flora and fauna, but when he does get up to leave Taemin is only partially surprised to find Jinki leaning against the door. His advisor sends him a warm smile, understanding without words, and lets him outside. Taemin feels strange still, but the anger has dissipated and been replaced with determination. There’s no use dreading over this public announcement when he has no choice but to do it.

“Here,” Jinki passes him a deck of papers, words scrawled over them. “Only if you need it.”

Taemin had used the advisor’s script the day he’d announced Hyunmin’s death because he didn’t know how to lie to an entire kingdom without it. Today is just as heavy, if not more, and the king still isn’t sure he can trust himself to say the right words.

“Thanks.” He murmurs, sliding the deck into his pocket.

They reach the throne room is less time than he would’ve liked, the rest of his small council already waiting outside. Taemin doesn’t have the guts to look any of them in the eye, and steps through the doors to a hall filled with unsuspecting nobles and civilians.

No time passes at all, and he’s standing before them all.

“Yesterday we celebrated another year of peace. Since the last war, our kingdom has thrived and raised new generations of inventers, creators, and strong willed people. I am proud of those who have ruled before me to guide such a kingdom, and the countless people who continue to contribute to its wellbeing.”

He turns a piece of paper to the back, his hands shaking against the podium. He grips the edge, and takes a deep breath. They can’t see how effected he is.

“Because of all we’ve accomplished, it breaks my heart to tell the people that our days of peace have been disturbed. King Kyein of the southern kingdom has, for no reason other than a vile pursuit of power, declare war upon us.”

Gasps. Whispers. He can’t see how confused, how afraid they suddenly are, but he certainly feels it. Taemin focuses instead on the presence of his friends, just behind him, and allows their strength to seep into him.

“King Kyein’s conditions were clear. It is either we fight against him, or willingly allow him to take this throne and control of our kingdom. Let it be known that if we were to fall to his rule, magic of all kinds will immediately become illegal and face ultimate punishment. King Kyein is bold and cruel, but he underestimates the strength of our people. We must stand and fight together, to protect all that our kingdom has achieved in these years of peace. As your king... I ask that everybody who is able to join in this fight.

Every man, every woman... mage or not, counts towards our victory.”

Word spreads through the capitol of their unexpected call to war, many no doubt spitting words of disdain for their young king who’d lead them into this disaster. Taemin tries not to think about it in the confides of the castle, having too much to do to linger on others’ opinions of him. There are researchers to gather, knights to command back to the capitol, and a growing checklist of to do’s that he knows won’t be complete until the day they leave this land and march into war.

As he walks through the castle halls he runs into Seungwan, and the servant girl is nice enough to ask him he wanted lunch soon. When he insists he’s too busy to stop for food, she’s then bold enough to scold him for skipping breakfast and declare she’s going to provide lunch for him anyway. The servant then goes off on her own way, and Taemin doesn’t realise he’s smiling until she’s already out of sight.

He stops by Kibum’s study, the door already open enough for him to poke his head inside. The royal physician is with the advisor, the two of them sorting things into a travel sack. Or rather, Kibum sorts while Jinki stands quietly behind him, chin on his shoulder and arm around his waist. Taemin remembers now that they’d agreed to take the role of seeking Seohyun for help, and his chest aches. He didn’t think they’d leave so soon.

Torn between speaking to them and dashing out before he’s noticed, Taemin’s mind is made for him when Jinki turns his head and they lock eyes. Jinki smiles, releasing his hold on Kibum to wave him over. He enters the study, somewhat awkwardly crosses the space between, and meets the couple by the desk. Now would be the perfect time for a witty remark, but he struggles to think of anything.

“Already leaving?” he shakes off the disappointment, replaces it with a grin. “The weather’s nice but surely you’re not that desperate to spend two weeks sleeping on dirt.”

Jinki chuckles. “The sooner we leave, the sooner we can get back here.”

Taemin would want to hurry back too, with a king like him in charge.

He rubs his neck, leaning against the desk. “I was thinking, though. You should make a detour on your way back, and stop by Taebaek for a night.”

Kibum doesn’t say anything, focused on sorting the sack for the tenth time.

“We wouldn’t want to delay our journey any longer, Taemin. It’s nice of you, but...” Jinki frowns.

Inspired by Seungwan’s persistence from earlier, Taemin stands his ground.

“You wanted to go before all this blew up.” He crosses his arms. “One night won’t hurt. If you have anything urgent to tell me from your visit to the queen, send a letter.”

His advisor still looks hesitant. “We’ll... Think about it.”

“You’ll think about it, and decide to go.” Taemin nods firmly. “Heavens know when you’ll get a chance to stop by there again.”

The word ‘if’ hangs between them.

There’s a pause as Kibum ties the sack closed, then moves to hang it over Jinki’s shoulder. The couple share a wordless stare, and he wonders briefly what that must be like.

Jinki turns to him, rests a hand on his elbow. “I’ll see you soon. Keep an eye on Minho for me, okay?”

Taemin can only nod. He senses Jinki might want a hug, but to offer him one would make this too real. Instead he’s given another one of those typical smiles, and a moment later the advisor leaves the study.

Kibum watches him now, expression deceivingly neutral.

“What?” Taemin asks. “You going to say something about not burning down the castle while you’re gone?”

“No.”

“Then... What?”

He’s reminded then of the two of them in that damp prison cell, one facing the other.

“You’re right, about not knowing what’ll happen next.” Kibum only begins once he’s also leaning against the desk. “While it’s somewhat morbid, I think... It gives us the chance to say and do the things we wouldn’t before. Like... Without this threat we could die tomorrow anyway, but with it we can’t really convince ourselves of otherwise.”

The king waits a second. “You refused to return to Taebaek... Are you going to go now?”

“Maybe.” Is all the fellow mage gives him. “More than that, I want you to stop pitying me because of what happened in that place. If you have something to ask me, say it. If you want me to do something, order it. What I went through didn’t make me weak.”

Despite Kibum always having a way with straightforwardness, Taemin is thrown instantly by his words. He looks to the physician, and where he expects anger or frustration he only sees determination. Kibum stares back at him, confident, like he knew everything without Taemin having said a word.

“I don’t...”

They’re two sides of the same coin, having experienced dissimilar lives that correspond in ways they shouldn’t. Fleeing from their own families, surviving alone in the shadows, suffering at the hands of people they once trusted. Taemin sees too much of himself in Kibum. No, it isn’t pity. The other mage has dealt with some intense , but he never once thought of him as any less because of it. It’s guilt, he realises, that’s held him back. During the one chance Taemin had to protect his friend, he couldn’t. And Kibum suffered, on top of everything he’d already been dragged through.

“I... Do you think...” Taemin tries again, his shoes suddenly the only interesting thing in the room. Honestly, there was a lot he wanted to say but he couldn’t decide what exactly it was, or how to word it. His exhausted mind leads him elsewhere. “Was it a mistake to send those letters?”

“No.” Kibum is so sure of it, Taemin wants to believe too. “Do I think Kyein made the most of the opportunity to make a statement? Of course. But he’s obviously been planning this for a long time, so nothing you’ve done could’ve changed the result. If anything, your attempt to re-establish the peace might make him underestimate you as soft. Which you aren’t.”

None of that could ease the memory of that box, and the thing that rolled onto the floor.

Taemin stretches out a hand, turns it over, and feels the heat still swelling beneath his palm. Hyunmin had underestimated him, too. But it wasn’t only Taemin who created the idea to fool him, he wasn’t alone that day he took the crown.

“You should doubt yourself, frequently, and listen to the opinions of others.” Kibum rose from his position, and pats Taemin on the shoulder. “But once you’ve made a decision there’s no point regretting it. You just have to keep going on.”

The king considers his words, then grins. “You spend too much time with Jinki. Your motivational speech is almost as ridiculous and poetic as his.”

To this Kibum rolls his eyes, and shoves him. “ you.”

Taemin can’t help it—he snorts. “I don’t think Jinki would like that.”

With that final turn in conversation, the physician entirely gives up and heads for the door.

“Safe travels!” he calls out after him. “Don’t have too much fun without me!”

Kibum waves without turning back.

“Sure. Don’t burn down the castle while I’m gone.”

The next hour or so passes in a bit of a daze, with an unending stream of castle staff appearing to ask him questions. The king needs someone to find a temporary royal physician during Kibum’s presence, an estimate on supplies needed for their journey, a way to produce said supplies, and so on. Joohyun is left in charge of training the mages who will train the rest of the mages, Minho likely doing the same with the knights. That is, whenever he’s done torturing the poor messenger for information he potentially doesn’t even have.

Minho is protective of his people, and persistent to do his job to the utmost of his ability, but Taemin has never thought of him as the type to choose violence where it isn’t needed. The thought lingers at the back of his mind, and follows him to his room. Rather than disappointed, there’s a strange part of him relieved to discover such an unlikable side to Minho. Like after so many years of seeing only the good things (disregarding his stubbornness, quick temper, and other idiotic tendencies) Taemin has finally been given a solid reason to not like the royal knight. Whatever feelings could possibly be stirring within him are rubbed away, as if they’d never been there to begin with. It’s cruel, and foolish, but he’s relieved.

Finally, people can’t reach him here. And if they want to they’ll have to knock, a sound which Taemin will definitely pretend he can’t hear. He strips off his royal cloak, removes the crown he’d forgotten was placed on him before the public announcement, and carries himself across his room, onto the balcony. A bustling capitol echoes below him but for once he doesn’t stop to admire the view, dropping to the ground. Taemin sits there, back leaning against brick, head back and eyelids drooping shut.

There is no peace, and very little quiet. Even so, it’s better than whatever’s going on out there.

He hears Minho enter his room before he sees him. Because Taemin knows the way he enters his room, and the sound of his footsteps on the floor. And because, perhaps, a part of him had been anticipating the knight’s presence. The footsteps stop and he opens his eyes to finally acknowledge Minho, who stands in the doorway between inside and the balcony.

Their gazes lock. Taemin waits.

“I saw Jinki and Kibum off.” Minho starts, glancing away. “Earlier.”

“...Yeah.”

While it’s only temporary, Taemin now feels the reality of their absence. It’s going to be an empty couple weeks until their return. He can only hope it’s worth it.

“About... The meeting. After it.” The knight shifts the weight on his feet. “I’m sorry. I acted like an .”

What a fortunate thing that humans are all innately s, so Taemin can remind himself not to be shocked. Though that was a whole moment, even for Minho. Relief. He’s relieved. He flashes a grim smile, and pats the ground beside him for the knight to take a seat. The offer is considered, seconds pass, then eventually Minho walks over to sit beside him. Taemin observes the way he sinks into the position, shoulders sagging and head dropping back against the wall.

“It’s fine.” His attempt at comfort sounds strange, like he should be giving him for it instead. “You did what you have to do.”

Minho pulls his knees towards his chest, and crosses his arms. It must be uncomfortable with the knightly gear on. “... I didn’t do it.”

Taemin blinks. “What?”

“I couldn’t.” he replies, eyes glazed over like he isn’t quite here. “The knights guarding the castle shouldn’t have allowed the messenger in without checking what was in that box. As their captain it’s my duty to reprimand them for their carelessness, but... I saw them and how ing terrified they were. They were scared, and heartbroken. Mandae was our brother, he was a good personand they had to witness that. So I told them... I said... to take the rest of the day off— go home and let their king release the news when he’s ready. What was I supposed to say? To do?”

Taemin says nothing. Minho continues.

“So then... I went to question the messenger. I wanted to spook him into revealing Kyein’s secrets, but he looked no better than the others. So I... I tried to just speak with him, and he told me some things but nothing useful or what we didn’t know already, and I knew what the next step should’ve been but instead I just... Left him there. In that cell.”

Relief, genuine relief, hits him now. Whatever part of him that had been selfishly searching for a reason to see the bad in Minho diminishes. The royal knight is good, too damn good, and had simply been caught up in the immediate stress they’d all felt after the revelation that war is upon them. Taemin should’ve known better than to assume the worst. He’s known Minho long enough now to recognise when his friend is fighting to maintain a strong front. But he isn’t sure how comfort works.

“I’m sorry, Tae. I thought I had it under control.” Minho visibly hardens again. “Soojin... Mandae’s wife... She came after the announcement to ask for him. Said she knew he was out on a special mission for the king. Said... Said he promised he’d be back soon.” Stubborn tears start to trickle down his face. “I had to... Tell her. Showher. ing hell. Her face when she saw him—I...”

Seeing Minho like this, Taemin wishes he could do more.

“Just let it out, Minho.”

Like a command the captain finally falls apart, sobs escaping and shoulders shaking with each breath. Mourning the loss of a friend, like a brother, a comrade, like another part of himself. Grey clouds float over the sun, filtering out the light and the warmth. Spring is here but the last of the snow from winter has only just melted. Wind drifts into their tiny corner of the castle, the capitol, the kingdom, and Taemin suddenly wants to be closer to Minho. So he moves closer, a little more, until their thighs touch and he can wrap an arm properly around Minho’s shoulders.

“I’m g-going to...” Minho mutters. “Kill him. King Kyein.”

It’s just a hint of what’s to come, this agony. Kyein has hurt Kibum, and now he’s hurt Minho.

“I’m afraid you’ll have to get in line.” He says. “I’m sending that bastard to the deep pits of hell.”

Minho lifts his head, revealing a mess of tears and snot, and despite the sight of it he isn’t as defeated as he was moments ago. With a gesture that shocks even the king himself, Taemin uses the cuffs of his sleeves to dab the tears from Minho’s cheeks, the knight’s round eyes widening in wordless surprise. Taemin pretends not to notice. Wiping the tears doesn’t erase the pain, or the anger, or what happened, but he might find some kind of solace in it. When Minho sniffles, Taemin pulls his sleeves as far out as possible. He holds them out, and gestures to the other man.

Minho raises his brows. “Serious? You want me to blow my nose into the king’s sleeves?”

“Uh.” Taemin blinks. “I can go look for a handkerchief if you’re really that sophisticated.”

“No! Don’t go.” The knight reaches instantly for his leg, then actually looks a little embarrassed. “I mean... Wow. You’re still that gross kid from the cave. Do you even listen to Jinki’s advice?”

“Jinki told me once to think about what I believe a good king would be.” Taemin grins, not missing a beat. “And henceforth, I believe a good king would let a friend sneeze into his sleeves.”

“Sneeze into—” Minho breathes out what could resemble a laugh. “I can’t believe...”

The pair lean back against the wall with a shared heave of a sigh, and in the space of a few seconds they’re drawn back into the overcast sky and grey of clouds. A few more tears escape Minho, a reminder that a brief conversation and a joke or two can’t change what happened. On instinct Taemin takes his hand, simply because he wants to, and if the knight is startled by another uncharacteristic display of affection he doesn’t show it. The way their hands fit together, fingers threaded and palms warm, might not help at all. Maybe there’s nothing Taemin can do to fix this.

The chance to say and do the things we wouldn’t before...

He reaches for something to say, and claims that first thing he touches.

“I’m glad to have you as my captain, Minho.” Another light gust of breeze passes by them. Honestly, he continues. “You’re dedicated to your job, but more importantly you care a lot about the people around you. Today... was ed up, and I’m sorry you had to deal with so much bull. But I’m glad... it’s you.”

Minho turns his head, affords him a slight smile. “Thanks.”

The night before, they were in the seclusion of Taemin’s room with little more than candlelight watching over them. They’d been so close, not just physically but to something more. How weightless it had felt then, with Minho’s hand on his cheek and his heart thudding with anticipation. And how quickly he’d refused it.

He should’ve kissed Minho, last night.

Now, it almost feels too late to start what’s doomed to end.

Minho squeezes his hand, and pulls him back to reality. Whatever thoughts, or feelings had been stirring last night are shoved back under the rug— out of sight. They have a war to prepare for, and they aren’t even finished with day one.

Author's Note: another long wait! ;; i hope you enjoyed this chapter. onkey are off on a little adventure and leaving 2minjoo to take care of the capitol. the next chapter will be a whole throwback as we follow onkey, so please anticipate it! let me know what you're thinking! every comment gives me the strength to write! ^^