Smoke and Spice

REDUCED ACTIVITY

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Some Enchanted Evening -- starter for crystalline-umbrella

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Clear’s touch dribbled fragrant bathwater over his arm, left bubbles like clouds against his dark skin. Everything about Clear was heady, getting into his nose and smelling like salt-preserved flowers, clean and pure. 

Mink lifted his legs under water; they barely even disturbed the water, but he slid lower in the tub, and Clear slid lower with him. A small smile--maybe even wide enough to be a grin--curved Mink’s lips as he dragged Clear down deeper into the tub with him. He slid his legs in around Clear’s, intertwining and fitting their bodies together as close as a kiss. The water was up to their chins now and more than a few of his locks would be wet, but he couldn’t really muster up the ability to care. His lips opened

i want to stay. 

But the words wouldn’t come. He closed his mouth and willed Clear to know what he wanted, to know how to put it so that he didn’t have to think of what words to say. He opened his mouth again and this time they came out in a gravelly voice.  “You could ask me to stay.” 

[cinnamonkiseru]

Weightlessness -- starter for flawlesslymint

[flawlesslymint]

Isao watched as Mink left the room and used his short solitude to find himself a pair of underwear to put on, having suddenly realized that nothing covered his body after the bath. Once his lover returned he was in full search of a t-shirt or something alike to put on, but Mink’s question interrupted him and the thought fell from his mind just as quickly as it had appeared.

It was a stupid thing to ask, he thought, because the answer would always be yes. Just the thought of it warmed his chest and he smiled, giving an almost eager nod as he accepted the offer. “Yes please.” He almost chirped as he grabbed the ribbon and bell, holding it securely in his hand when he seated himself on the bed. He glanced down towards the strands that hung down over his pale chest, remembering what Mink had told him. It was a belief that had been easy for him to accept, strengthened by the way Mink handled his hair and how he kissed the end of his braid upon finishing it. But something still lingered in the back of his mind. Isao cast a glance towards his lover, studying him quietly. “Would you ever let me braid yours?”

[cinnamonkiseru]

Mink scooted in behind him with the comb and brush, ready to tease out any snares with a tender hand. He looked over Isao’s hair, pleased by his willingness to submit to this... ritual, even if he didn’t know what it meant to Mink. 

And then he asked. 

Would you ever let me braid yours? 

Answering it truthfully meant acknowledging a lot of things. That he ever intended to wear his hair unbound again. That Isao would be around for such a time. That they would be close enough, like partners, to want to do that for each other. He thought briefly of how much time it would take to pick the locks out of his hair, and he had no doubt that Isao would volunteer to take time off of work to do it for him, or spend his entire day off doing it, until he had a crick in his neck. 

The only thing that kept him from answering immediately were the chains on his heart, on his true self, that kept him muzzled, holding back his true desires in the name of revenge. 

He paused, his hands hovering over Isao’s hair, and then gently started to comb through it without answering. When he had it all sectioned out, he began to braid it, and the braid was finished in no time, ready for the ribbon and bell, while Mink brooded. 

“Ask me tomorrow,” he answered at last. And as before, he sealed the braid with a kiss. 

[cinnamonkiseru]

Bloodroot -- Bad End starter for flawlesslymint

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flawlesslymint:

Isao lowered the cup until it and his hands were resting on the upper part of his thighs, it helped steadying his shaking and the fear of dropping the cup melted away quickly, although he still clutched to it to make sure it wouldn’t suddenly tip over. The taste of it still lingered in his mouth and he shuddered from it, but not from having his hunger provoked; it was a weird taste and he wasn’t sure he enjoyed it.

Take a break, he was told and he just nodded slowly, not wanting Mink to get his hopes up. He had done what he could for now after the request to eat something and he still felt the same about the idea as he had done when it had been brought up. Managing to pull his attention away from the cup he instead directed it towards Mink as the question was asked. His favorite food? What was his favorite food.. He couldn’t actually remember what had been his favorite dish, what he could remember was how the two of them had eaten omurice not long before he had been taken away. For a moment he almost told Mink this, but the deep breath he had sucked in was released again in a slow breath. “No thanks..”

Mink’s heart ached as Isao let the cup rest in his lap. He wanted to just force him to drink it; there might have been a time when Mink was cold enough to do just that, making him swallow it or choke on it. But he pushed the thoughts away even as they came. They weren’t desperate enough for that yet. 

He let himself stay in the chair a bit longer, resting a little more than he’d intended, keeping his eye on the door. He almost let his head fall back and rest against the back of the chair, but he didn’t want Isao to see him in a position of weakness. He needed to be strong for both of them, no matter how much he wanted to rest. 

Mink’s golden eyes slipped to Isao and he lifted his chin, looking at the cup. There was almost no change in the contents that he could see from over here. 

He heaved himself up out of the chair, stepping over to the side of the bed and looking at Isao. “One more mouthful,” he said. “And then you’ll be done.” 

[cinnamonkiseru]

Some Enchanted Evening -- starter for crystalline-umbrella

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crystalline-umbrella:

cinnamonkiseru:

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Mink hummed softly, not really impressed by the fizzy bath confection, but pleased with Clear’s reaction. He wasn’t really expecting the tender gratitude in Clear’s voice, or even the thanks themselves. 

To Mink, Clear’s companionship was its own reward, something invigorating and life-giving. To be thanked for something like that was like thanking a man lost in the desert for drinking water, or thanking a starving man for eating. Even if Mink had not known what he needed, his heart knew well enough. 

He needed Clear.  

“You’re welcome,” he replied, shifting slightly. The fragrant water between them billowed up with the scent of flowers and Mink leaned forward, kissing the back of Clear’s neck. He hesitated, his lips parted, and unable to really form the words that would capture how he felt. 

“If you need to be close to someone, then I’m--” 

Go on, say it. 

“--happy. To be close to you.” 

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Ribbons

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flawlesslymint:

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He thought about pretending he hadn’t heard for a split second, but there was no denying what had been said, how Isao had finally, after weeks together, put what he felt in words. There wasn’t any ambiguity about what kind of love it was, either, not with the words he’d used. Mink’s heart twisted. He really was going to have to answer this.

I love you. 

He pressed one more kiss to Isao’s shoulder and then sighed contentedly. Mink wanted to chastise him, to say ‘that’s enough’ the way he always did to indicate that he was done talking about something. But it wasn’t wrong to say it, only excessively obvious, like pointing out the sky was blue. 

It wasn’t like he didn’t love Isao back, but being like this, falling asleep in each others’ arms, saying that he belonged to Isao when he was on the brink of ecstasy, wasn’t that enough? Did that not communicate clearly how he felt, more than any words he could ever say? Was it not as obvious that he loved Isao as it was that the sky was blue? 

“I know,” he murmured into Isao’s hair, flattening his broad hand over Isao’s chest and pressing him close. “You tell me every time you look at me, every time you’re next to me.” He inhaled the scent of Isao’s skin, of clean laundry and mint, smelling fresh and alive and like home. “I know.”  

[bravadoes-deactivated20160328]

              FOOL, prate not to me about covenants. there can be no covenants between men and lions, wolves and lambs can never be of one mind, but hate each other out and out and through. therefore there can be no understanding between you and me, nor may there be any covenants between us, till one or other shall fall.

[cinnamonkiseru]

Spirits of Saturn

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bitchywhitemobboss:

If Aoba caught Mink watching him he didn’t say anything. He didn’t mind being looked at so much, not right now. Mink had already seen his entire body, so there was nothing left to hide physically. 

“Ah, I wouldn’t say that I’m preoccupied or anything. I mean yeah I had some things to think about, but I’ve thought about them and I’m done, so..” He wasn’t sure how to hide the fact he’d been lost in thought. It wasn’t an easy thing to hide when someone seemed to be able to read him so easily. Or maybe it just seemed that way because no one ever really questioned him anymore.

The kiss to his cheek was a simple thing, and he didn’t move away. It was a nice bit of affection that he hadn’t realized he’d been craving since he crawled out of bed. The kiss on his lips though was another thing entirely. It was soft and sweet and like everything he wished he could have woken up to over the last year. Just pure love. He could feel his cheeks heating up from it.

“What? That’s not.. I mean, I just..”

One sentence shouldn’t have such an effect on him. But just because it shouldn’t didn’t mean that it didn’t. He knew he was blushing badly now, and he had no idea what to say to that. He hadn’t been aiming for that. All he’d wanted was to share the rest of his shower with Mink so that he didn’t drive himself crazy thinking about last night and his feelings about what had happened.

Mink watched him blush, the color in his cheeks nearly as bad as the burn on his shoulders. How could he be this cute or ... blush like that after they’d done that kind of thing together? It didn’t make any sense, but...

Mink smiled and then chuckled. If it was just going to be an innocent kind of shower, that was alright too. He stepped into the shower, closing it so that no more water would splash out onto the floor and create a hazard. Although Aoba had already been in here for so long, he had to be nearly done, right? What else could he not have washed? 

He left the kiss behind, moving past it. The shower was so small for someone of his height anyway. Japanese bathrooms weren’t really built to handle two people when one of them was as big as he was. He ended up standing with his arms crossed over his chest, watching the water cascade over Aoba’s skin. “Aren’t you nearly done anyway?” 

[cinnamonkiseru]

Spirits of Saturn

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bitchywhitemobboss:

At first Aoba didn’t say or do anything ,just sat there on the edge of the tub and let the water from the shower rain down on his legs. He was glad not to be alone with his thoughts.

He wished Desire was awake, that he could have someone to talk to about his thoughts other than Mink. Without the input of his other half he was left making decisions on his own, something he wasn’t used to doing anymore. 

Eventually he stood back up, thoughts still running faster than he could keep up with. It felt like everything was moving too fast and he couldn’t slow down. He didn’t know how to handle it other than to just distract himself. And there was only one way he could think of to do that right now.

“You can join me, if you want.” It was a bad idea, a terrible idea. But it was the only one he had, and he was going to go through with it no matter how stupid it was.

Unbidden, Mink’s eyes followed Aoba as he got to his feet, the curve of his ass, the shape of his hips, the flash and flare of scars whiter than white in his skin. When Aoba turned back to face him, Mink’s gaze dropped down to his feet to offer him some privacy or dignity, or at least the feeling that Mink wasn’t leering at him. 

He heard what Aoba said, and sure, it seemed like a better idea than just sitting next to the bathtub naked. Mink shifted his legs and then stood up. Aoba didn’t seem... especially welcoming, the way he was standing with his face half-turned away. And Mink was finished with going places he wasn’t really wanted. 

“You seem preoccupied,” Mink said, looking at the water swirling around Aoba’s feet. “I can wait to get clean until you’re done.” He paused for a heartbeat, and then leaned in and kissed Aoba’s cheek, the spray of water setting shining droplets in his hair and eyelashes, and then kissed him again on the lips, not quite chaste, not quite passionate. It was a comfortable, loving kiss, lazily familiar and unrushed. 

“Unless that kind of thing is what you want?” 

[cinnamonkiseru]

Entelechy -- closed starter for skeletaltwin

[cinnamonkiseru]

skeletaltwin:

There was only a single moment he registered on the ground before something dropped into his hand. Another moment still until he figured out what it was. In that second of realization, the man towering above him, keeping him safe seemed like a god to him. Sei had long since stopped believing in such entities; unable to bear Toue’s incessant speeches about how he was ‘playing games with fate to become the victor’, but Mink’s odd sort of kindness… no, it wasn’t even odd anymore. He truly was kind, it was merely the rest of his demeanour that wasn’t quite in that category. 

Mouthing a ‘thank you’ before delicately unwrapping the bar and taking careful bites, Sei felt warmth settle into his belly with each mouthful. It wasn’t much, sure, but it was something. It would keep him functional until they were safe. Mink was keeping him safe, and all Sei hoped was that he could find a way to properly repay him for his generosity. 

The rain intensified, and water began to collect on the concrete under the tarp. Sei had to be basically lying down in a puddle at this point, and it wasn’t going to get any better once they got out into the rain. He looked down at Sei, and then froze when a guard’s voice yelled VERY near their hiding place. 

“Nothing over here!” A dog barked and then trotted away, pulled on his lead by the guard. Their splashing footfalls faded away into the distance, until only the roar of the rain on the plastic sheet above them filled their ears. 

“Get ready,” he hissed, motioning to Sei to stand up. There were enough handholds around them for him to make it to his feet. Hopefully he’d had enough time to get enough strength back to make it to the Northern District. If not... well, Mink would just leave him. He’d be arrested for trespassing and get a few days in the slammer, but it was nothing like what Toue’s prisons USED to be. 

“Hurry,” he added, fearing that the rain would slacken and they’d lose their chance to use the downpour as a cover for escape. 

[cinnamonkiseru]

Spirits of Saturn

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bitchywhitemobboss:

Aoba sat as he was told, trying not to dwell on how strangely sad he was that he was no longer holding on to Minks hand. He was still on edge, nervous and upset. But he wasn’t entirely sure he still wanted to be alone right now. He’d taken the time he needed to think, even if he hadn’t thought through everything like he needed to.

Even with as gentle as Mink was being there were a few times where his hair was just pinched too tight and he couldn’t help but wince. He knew Mink wasn’t trying to hurt him, but with his hair the way it was sometimes it was just impossible to handle his hair without causing pain. Even he couldn’t do it some days.

“Hm? Oh, yeah… I forgot all about that.” Another lie. He hadn’t forgotten. With the water being as warm as it was he couldn’t forget about the burn. But he felt it better to say than admitting that he just didn’t care.

It was a comforting feeling to have such gentle fingers sliding through his hair. It stung, but it was still comforting. “Could you.. stay just a little longer?”

Mink simply accepted the lies, knowing what they were but not arguing what Aoba was saying. One very small part of him hoped that Aoba might ask him to apply the ointment so he could touch him more. It wasn’t a great feeling, letting something like carnal desire stain his attempts at healing him, but, given how long he’d been alone... touching Aoba in any way, even an entirely non-sexual one, was something he yearned for. 

So when Aoba made his request, Mink blinked but sank back down to his knees outside the tub. He didn’t have any reason to stay now, with Aoba’s hair untangled, so he didn’t have anything to do with his hands. Unbidden, a little bit of color rushed into his cheeks and he couldn’t look directly at Aoba for a moment. 

Folding his hands together, he leaned against the cold tub and finally let his eyes look up at Aoba, at his hazel eyes--so Desire slept even now--and his hair. He wanted to ask, wanted to know if Aoba was really okay, or if ... if that was part of the lies too. 

In the end, he couldn’t say anything at all, and simply sat close to him, as he’d been asked. 

[cinnamonkiseru]

Spirits of Saturn

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bitchywhitemobboss:

The question made him stare at where his hand was touching Minks, trying to think of whether he would be comfortable with him helping him or not. He knew he needed the help. But would he be able to handle it without freaking out? He felt more unstable this morning than he felt he should.

In the end though it was the discomfort in his hair that made the choice for him. It was making his head hurt and he wanted it dealt with. Now. If Mink could help him with that then he’d just deal with any awkwardness or strange feelings.

“If anyone can fix it then it’s you..”

He didn’t seem to realize how his words had sounded at first. It was just how he felt about it. He knew Mink could do a better job at it than he could right now. And get it done with less pain. 

Mink withdrew the offered comb, regretfully breaking the contact between their fingers and shifted down to the other end of the tub. He didn’t even offer to get into the shower with Aoba. He figured that if he was wanted in the shower, he might have been explicitly invited into it, especially given how Aoba had been so reluctant to even sleep with him before.

“Here, sit down,” he said, indicating the back of the tub. Leaning over the side of the tub, he began to pick at the hair tie, his large fingers slowly beginning to uncinch the fabric at the bottom of the snaggled braid. Looser and looser, he got it off within a minute. 

Working as quickly as he could, as gently as he could, he only glanced a few times at Aoba’s bare back, his damp skin and burned shoulders. “When you’re done, we can put more ointment on your burn,” he said, touching the red skin with a feather-light touch. 

Aoba’s hair slowly smoothed out under his fingers; he slicked it down over the back of his neck and then stood up. “All finished.” 

[cinnamonkiseru]

Bloodroot -- Bad End starter for flawlesslymint

[cinnamonkiseru]

flawlesslymint:

For a moment he almost forgot that he wasn’t alone and he kept staring into the cup until Mink’s voice reached him, asking if he could eat without help. He blinked a few times before casting a glance towards the man and then let it fell towards the plastic spoon. He understood Mink wanted to help him if he felt too weak, but the images of being fed by someone else triggered bad memories and he shook his head quickly, rejecting the offer.

“I can do it..” He spoke quietly and shifted to sit more comfortable, although he was careful not to spill the soup as he did so. Without saying anything more he took the spoon, holding the cup in one hand and stirring the soup with the spoon before he made an attempt to eat. His hand shook slightly as he raised it and he almost jerked away from the spoon as it touched his lips, he almost burned himself on the soup and made a face at the weird sensation of it sliding down his throat. He repeated this two times, very slowly, before coming to a halt, still not feeling any hunger and he wasn’t sure if he had eaten enough or if he had to finish what was in the cup to make up for the loss of nutrients. The only reason he had eaten in the first place was to please Mink.

Mink watched him eat, resolutely ignoring the hunger that gnawed in the pit of his stomach. Isao had to come first, certainly for the foreseeable future. Isao’s trembling hands almost made Mink reach out and take it, do it himself. But it didn’t stop him; he did it two more times before taking a very long pause, staring down into the cup. 

“Take a break,” Mink said quietly, sitting down in his chair. “See if you want more after a few minutes.”  His voice was gentler, accommodating. He’d be okay if Isao didn’t want to eat any more, but trying again in a little bit might let him get some more down. 

“You had some favorite foods before,” Mink said, although it didn’t really sound conversational. “Would you rather try those?” At this point, even if Isao wanted to eat nothing but choux creme, Mink would find a way to make it happen. He could even go back to the bakery Isao worked at to get them. 

He ignored the weakness that was gathering in his muscles.  

[cinnamonkiseru]

Weightlessness -- starter for flawlesslymint

[cinnamonkiseru]

flawlesslymint:

Isao blinked when Mink held his arm towards him again, his chest stung painfully as it seemed like his gift was being rejected. He didn’t say anything but he watched as his lover removed the bracelet from his wrist before Isao had even gotten the chance to raise his hands again. But as Mink continued speaking Isao was washed over with relief, confusion and curiosity. What did he mean?

He met his lover’s gaze for a moment and pressed his lips together as he still was unsure if Mink actually wanted to keep the gift or not. Perhaps it had been a stupid idea and regret started clawing him in the back of his mind. But Mink’s words and the way he pressed his fist to his chest, securely holding onto the bracelet, brought a soft smile to his lips and he finally acknowledged Mink’s words with a nod. This was fine, if Mink wanted to carry it with him in some other way then he wouldn’t mind. “I should’ve gotten you something other than a bracelet.” Isao chuckled quietly to himself and covered Mink’s fist with his own hand, smoothing his thumb over the man’s knuckles. For a moment he almost whispered a ‘thank you’, instead he shifted his hand and pressed his lips to Mink’s fist before he stepped back.

Mink would need to have time to find a way to protect Isao’s essence; once entrusted to him in this way, he couldn’t let something awful befall it. His heart shuddered at the thought of having to burn it before taking his own life. He didn’t want to burn it; it was so new to him and already precious. 

Without thinking much about it, he walked into the other room tucked it into his things, to make sure he wouldn’t forget it, to make sure he wouldn’t lose it, and to make sure he wouldn’t leave it behind. He glanced at the collar and cuffs, still on the floor. He would have to put them on again tomorrow. 

But tonight, he still had a few hours left before returning to vengeance, where he didn’t have to think about it. Rejoining Isao in the bedroom, he nodded slowly to his hair. “Would you like me to braid it again?”  

[cinnamonkiseru]

Entelechy -- closed starter for skeletaltwin

[cinnamonkiseru]

skeletaltwin:

The sound that Sei made when he was grabbed was comparable to a squawk, though muted by a choke. This was still too fast for him. Add that to his exhaustion and dehydration, and he was quite ready to pass out. It took all his strength to stay conscious through this, but he had to. He didn’t want to be left behind because he simply wasn’t strong enough. Sei couldn’t hide how dizzy he felt now, though. 

Wobbling in place, the ravenette let out a soft breath before his legs finally gave out under him. Thankfully it didn’t make much sound, but there was a bit of a ‘thump’ when he hit the ground. He was tired; so tired. He’d done more running than he’d ever done in his life in less than an hour, all on an empty stomach. It was stupid to do. 

For a moment he wished he had stayed in that warehouse. Then again, if he did, he’d only be going back to those not-twins’ sides. Most anything was better than that. 

Mink held in a curse as Sei finally collapsed at his feet. He was too tall, too wide, too densely muscled to turn sideways and help pick Sei up off the ground just yet, at least while there were still guards running around. He supposed the starvation had finally caught up with him. 

He felt around in his pocket, hitting on an energy bar. They were generally not bad-tasting but not like a real meal, but it might give him the strength he needed to continue the trip. Nudging Sei with his foot, he crouched as far as he could and then dropped it into his hand. 

Another peal of thunder rang out and the sound of rain hitting the top of the tarp started, at first in ones and twos, and then a deafening pitter patter. They could wait like this for a minute; the rain would drive the guards off and give Sei a chance to recover some strength, but they needed to move while it was still pouring to have the best chance at avoiding detection. 

[czechthecount]

[cinnamonkiseru]

czechthecount:

Angel Falls

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Entelechy -- closed starter for skeletaltwin

[cinnamonkiseru]

skeletaltwin:

In that moment, it felt like the world was moving much to quickly for Sei to compute. If this place was ‘unfriendly territory’ to Mink, wouldn’t that mean that he was a really bad criminal or something? Or was it that the people in this area were the bad people… or even both? How was he to know? All he could do was continue following behind Mink. It wasn’t like there was a place he could return to. 

Swallowing dryly before picking up his pace as well, Sei did his best to keep up with Mink, but he always fell just a little short. That was to be expected though. Keep in the shadows, stay out of sight, follow Mink. He had been doing alright so far, that is, until he started hearing aggravated voices from the guards. “What was that?” and “Did you see someone there?” It chilled him to the bone. What if they worked for Toue? He couldn’t go back there. The last thing he wanted was to become a lab rat again. A few moments of freedom seemed to do terrible things to his thought process. Being able to speak and smile and everything was too wonderful a feeling to give up again. 

Mink was entirely too big to skulk around in shadows, but he managed to do it anyway, slipping into Platinum Jail to look for clues and slipping out again when he was done. Each day he returned with little to show for his effort, nothing learned, nothing gained. But it was easy enough to manage himself. Doing it with someone in tow was altogether different. 

They slipped behind machinery and beyond the floodlights and stacked construction supplies, avoiding the occasional patrol with dogs just by not being there when they came by. But slowly, it seemed that people saw them, that radios transmitted their presence ahead of them. 

Should they make a run for it or try to hide and avoid detection? Overhead thunder rolled around the darkening sky, threatening rain, and Mink made the decision for them. 

Snatching Sei by the collar, he lifted a tarp over a pallet of materials and shoved him in between some of them first, cramming his own bulky body in afterwards and pulling the tarp down over the top of them. It was a tight fit for the two of them, but they could manage it for a while, until the coast was clear. He looked down at Sei and then put his hand to Sei’s mouth to make sure he understood that silence was key. 

[cinnamonkiseru]

Spirits of Saturn

[cinnamonkiseru]

bitchywhitemobboss:

It didn’t occur to him that just hiding behind the shower curtain wouldn’t hide how he was feeling. Mink wasn’t like most people, and if he wanted to hide the way he felt Aoba was going to have to try a lot harder than just staying in the shower. It did make him feel like he had a little more privacy though. More than if he’d been trying to face Mink at the moment. 

He was getting so frustrated that he was tempted to just find the nearest pair of scissors and cut out the offending knot and everything under it. So hearing the tapping against the tile was a welcome distraction, but he couldn’t help but be confused about how Mink knew he needed help with his hair. Did he sound like he was having a hard time? Had he cursed too loudly without realizing it? It was entirely possible.

“Oh, uh… thanks…”

At least he wasn’t shaking when he reached for the comb, but he didn’t take it immediately either. Just let his fingers wrap around it, brushing against Minks hand and lingering there for a moment. It was warm, just like he remembered from last night. Just that seemed to confirm for him that it hadn’t just been a dream.

“Though, I’m not sure I’ll be able to untangle it easily even with this.”

It wasn’t exactly an invitation, he was too nervous to do something like that. But he really did feel that he was going to need help with his hair for the simple fact that he was already at the point of being willing to just tear it all out so he didn’t have to deal with it anymore.

He cherished the brush of their fingers together, the close, familial aspect of physical intimacy that he craved and didn’t know how to ask for, didn’t feel like he deserved from Aoba. Even if they’d been together, they weren’t together. 

If Mink had known that Aoba was even considering cutting his hair, he’d have thrown back the shower curtain and proceeded to help untangle his hair with or without his consent. But as it was, he didn’t know and so Aoba was spared from being forcibly coiffed.

Would offering to help mean getting in the shower with him? Or could he maybe just... sit outside the tub and Aoba sit down in the shower and let his hair dangle into Mink’s hands? 

“Would you like me to take a look?” It was better just to see if Aoba wanted his help at all. If he did, then they could work out how to make it happen.