averagemedium | [awash] IC Inbox

[... Well...]

I really don't think you are, Ryan-san...

[Sorry to say, but he's used to Ryan being a bit more excitable than this.]

I actually think you might be a little cursed right now. ... Literally.

... Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

You think? I'm not sure I've ever been cursed before...

[Unfortunately, even if he were feeling like himself Ryan would probably be a little fascinated by it, only because it's something new. As it stands, it's more a clinical sort of interest, but still there, and he idly raises a hand to rest about where that shard is (which is right around his left shoulder. Probably not great.)]

Hm. D'you think it has to be pulled out? I have a knife-- though I guess curses wouldn't be that straightforward, would they. Ruins a lot of stories to have them solvable that way.

[Er...

Ryan??? He's awfully concerned right now.]

... Have you ever read any fairy tales?

[...]

There's a way to fix it, it's just that it's going to be... [WELL.]

... Well, I guess I should just apologize in advance.

Of course I know fairy tales, I'm a researcher-- it's just that with as many versions as there are sometimes, finding the accurate one can be pretty hard, if an accurate version of a given story actually exists...

[But he digresses. That last bit gets another little tilt of his head, a curious little hum.]

I'm pretty sure you won't have anything to apologize for, though? Not like you don't know the kinds of things I've already dealt with.

[He's sure he'll be fine regardless, or at least he thinks so at the moment. Let's be perfectly real, he's still too busy thinking about story variations and how to categorize this kind of curse to bother coming up with the answer.]

[Uh huh... Minato lets Ryan ramble for a bit... and then he just shrugs and sighs.

And with a hand still cupping Ryan's cheek?

He leans over and chastely, quickly, presses his lips to Ryan's.

Yeah.

Nobody ever told him it could be a kiss anywhere else.]

[-oh. Oh, that's right, now he remembers something about a kiss in a similar story--

Except with that shard melting away, his cheek slowly warming to a more normal temperature beneath Minato's hand, that realization also begins to shift. At first there's just the distant recognition, then there's the connection that yes, that definitely just happened, there wasn't just a kiss in some story but there was also just this particular kiss, which was not just a forehead or cheek smooch and what's up with that? Is he dying? He sort of thinks he might be dying, actually, he's just gone and swapped that curse for expiring on the spot.

Nevermind a more normal temperature, he is decidedly flushed a few moments later, and that startled expression is much more like the usual Ryan.]

I-- oh. Okay, I- I get the apology, but it still wasn't really necessary-

[That was nice? It was nice. He still thinks he's absolutely going to die, but that's kind of worth it, actually.]

Are you sure it worked?

[He is entirely too close to finishing that with 'or do you want to try that again to be positive', but he manages. Just barely.]

[Minato can definitely feel the way that Ryan's cheeks warm beneath his hand--which is good. It means he's better, that he's recovering, that he won't freeze over and freeze to death and Minato...just breathes out a sigh, dropping his hand from Ryan's cheek and finally letting him have his personal space back.

He rubs the back of his head, and:]

... Pretty sure.

[That'd be quite the line, Ryan--but Minato is oblivious, and instead just smiles a little.]

You seem a lot more like the Ryan-san I care about now.

[Right. Personal space. That's fine. He folds his arms around himself for a lack of anything to do with his hands, and does his best to just... not think about it too hard. It was for curse-fixing purposes. Totally fine.

(except he definitely legitimately kissed him there and hey, what the fuck-)

Not thinking about it too hard.]

...thanks for that. No idea what I would've done otherwise-- well, besides apparently freeze?

[but speaking of the logistics there, okay, god, he can't keep his mouth shut after all because he has got to know:]

You know a kiss on the cheek or something would probably have worked though, right?

[Right? Probably.]

Or the hand might be easier. Less reaching involved and all.

[... There's a slow, slow blink at that.

And he tilts his head, expression puzzled.]

Oh... do you think kisses other places would've worked?

[A...haha... He rubs the back of his neck a little sheepishly.]

Sorry if I made things unnecessarily awkward... I didn't realize.

And I didn't want to risk anything not working or making things worse, when it came to something like your health.

No, no, you're fine, I really don't--

[-and he stops short there, because if it was unintentional then on second thought maybe he should not say he doesn't mind?]

I mean, it wasn't awkward or anything.

[Isn't that basically the same thing, though? He's at least fifty percent sure it's the same thing.]

It's-- you know. Best to be sure and all. Nothing to worry about, promise.

[#nailedit.]

I see... that's a relief, then.

[I'm so sorry, Ryan.

It's this fool you're dealing with.]

We should get you somewhere much warmer than this... it's still freezing in here.

I'll live, I'll live...

[-but he definitely shivers slightly at the reminder, because yes, now that he's not so numb to the fact that he's cold? It sure is freezing, and even his sweater and coat don't fully warm him.]

-okay, on second thought you might be right.

... Yeah. It's cold.

[Not that the bravado isn't endearing, but...!!

Quietly, Minato just offers Ryan his hand.]

There have been some people setting up fires and things--let's go find one and dethaw, okay?

[Well, he escaped dying a little for a minute there, time to get right back to it. He looks at that offered hand for a moment before accepting it with a nod, giving Minato a slight smile along with it.]

-sounds like a plan to me.

[And, after a slight pause:]

You wouldn't mind sticking around for a while, would you?

[Ryan doesn't have to worry about that one; Minato nods and responds without an ounce of hesitation.]

No, of course not.

[He helps tug him up, nodding.]

Let's go together.

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