Rymin Week Day 1: Childhood
Ryan’s older sisters (before they deemed themselves too old and cool to talk to their little brother and the friend that was always attached at his hip) claimed making shapes out of clouds is a childhood rite of passage. Lying in the grass on a sunny afternoon, belly aching with laughter, Min finds he’s inclined to agree with them.
He and Ryan lie flat on their backs, the wild grass tickling their exposed cheeks and ankles, hands intertwined between them. Fluffy white clouds float slowly through the blue sky, breezing gently past as Ryan and Min shape them into characters and tales. The air is rife with the joyous, infectious laughter that accompanies such a comfortable spring afternoon.
Ryan raises his free arm, pointing. “That one looks like a guitar.”
“You think every cloud looks like a guitar,” Min chuckles good-naturedly. “Have some creativity.”
“Hey, I’m only telling you what I see,” Ryan retorts, grinning. “Maybe it’s a sign. Maybe the universe is trying to tell us my parents should buy me a guitar.”
Min huffs out a laugh. “I’m not the one you need to convince.”
“Hmm.” Ryan turns away, gazing at the sky. “It’ll happen someday, though. I’m gonna get a guitar, and you’ll play your mini-synth, and we’ll perform concerts together!”
Min glances to the side, where, in his bag is abandoned next to Ryan’s, his mini-synth waits. “Until then, you can always sing,” he offers.”
“Pfft, I’ll sing anyway,” Ryan says, waving a hand, carefree and exuberant. “I just want to play as soon as possible.”
Min reclines, tucking his elbows behind his head. “You’ll get it eventually. You never give up when you set your mind to something.”
Ryan glances away, the slightest hint of pink tinging his cheeks. “But you’ll help me convince my parents, won’t you? They like you.”
“I’ll do my best,” Min promises, the epitome of seriousness. “We should work out a business plan.”
Ryan rolls over to face Min, propping his head up on the palm of his hand. “Like what? I’m just gonna… play the guitar.”
“Like what your practice schedule will be, and how you’ll take care of it,” Min says, tapping his fingers. “That’s what my parents had me do for viola.”
“I’m just gonna practice all the time,” Ryan promises seriously. “I’ll become a master at guitar.”
“You’ll need to be a bit more specific,” Min warns. “But I’ll help you with that. When we’re done, you’ll stand a much better chance!”
“Thanks, Min!” Ryan rolls over to tackle his best friend in a hug. Startled, Min lets out a squawk of surprise and rolls away, shaking with quiet laughter. Ryan wraps his arms around Min and starts tickling his sides, which only makes him laugh harder. “You’re the best!”
“You’re the worst,” Min wheezes out between peals of involuntary laughter. He finally shakes Ryan off and rolls away, crouching with his fingers wiggling threateningly.
Ryan backs up and pulls himself into a kneeling position, defensive except for his face-splitting grin. As always, he’s the first in motion, leaping towards Min with his hands outstretched and a face rife with amusement. Min rolls with him, laughing.
They tussle for a few minutes, giggling like the schoolchildren they are, until Min accidentally knocks Ryan’s glasses off of his head. They slip away from each other while Ryan finds his glasses and Min stands up to brush strands of grass off his clothes. Inexplicably, Min finds himself missing the warmth of Ryan’s easy, thoughtless touches.
The moment is over as soon as it began, with Ryan grinning at him behind his newly repositioned glasses. Min forgets the thought as soon as Ryan scoots over to him and lies down at his side, attention once again drawn to the sky. Min sits down, engrossed with his friend and their game.
Ryan turns to him with a toothy grin. “Well, Min? It’s your turn. Do you see any good clouds?”
“Hm.” Min leans back, resting his weight on his wrists. His fingers subconsciously knot among the strands of grass. After a moment of deliberation, he raises a hand. “That one looks like a bell, don’t you think?”
Ryan twists to see where Min’s pointing. “A bell? I don’t see it.”
“Like the kinds you find at hotels,” Min explains. “A… concierge bell, I think they’re called?”
Ryan scrunches up his nose, deep in thought. “Oh, yeah! I guess it kind of does.” He flops down on his back and scrutinizes the remaining clouds. “Huh, I think that one looks like a cat.”
Min smiles gently, content. “Yeah, I think you’re right.” He breaks out into a giggle. “And that one looks like a giant caterpillar!”
“Heh, cat, caterpillar,” Ryan chuckles. “Maybe the cat will eat the caterpillar!”
Min rolls his eyes good-naturedly. “Hey, use your eyes. The caterpillar cloud is way bigger than the cat cloud.”
“So?” Ryan hums, crossing his arms with mirthful petulance. “All that means is the cat is the underdog. I bet they could do it if they tried.”
Min snorts. “That’s pretty unrealistic, but I guess so is a caterpillar bigger than a cat.”
“Yes!” Ryan pumps his fist up and down with far too much enthusiasm than the situation requires, but Min only finds it endearing. Ryan laughs with euphoria, and Min finds himself giggling along. Ryan’s laugh has always been infectious.
“Fine, you win,” Min says with faux petulance, letting his back slide back down onto the grass. “Like this would ever happen in real life.”
Ryan grins. “It would be a great album concept.”
“Maybe,” Min hums. “You should start writing those down for when we can produce albums.”
“You say that like I don’t already have a notebook filled with song lyrics,” Ryan hmphs, crossing his arms. “Please, Min! It’s like you don’t know me at all.”
Min snorts. “But are they any good?”
“Maaaaaaaaybe,” Ryan sing-songs, turning to face Min with a mischievous grin. “You’ll just have to read them.”
Min beams. “As soon as you’ll show them to me.”
Ryan laughs in triumph and jumps up, running up and down the hill. His loose jacket flutters behind him in the wind like a cinematic cape. From his place on the ground, Min watches him fondly, smiling.
After they’re all tuckered out, Min and Ryan retreat to the top of the hill. The afternoon is slipping away, and the first hints of sunset’s gold are starting to bleed into the sky. The clouds they so excitedly played with, once a puffy white, darken into greys and oranges and pinks.
Ryan and Min sit shoulder to shoulder, their knees pulled up to their chests, to watch the sunset. The sun glows a brilliant golden, illuminating the sky in peals of pink and orange.
It’s beautiful, that much is undeniable. Min has always loved the soft, gradual fade of day into night and night into day.
He likes them all the more for how many sunsets he’s watched with Ryan. Ryan has always loved watching the explosion of vibrant colors across the sky. He and Ryan have watched countless sunsets together, at the end of their playdates and joint family outings. They always make an effort to find each other as the sun goes down.
Without realizing it, Min breaks his gaze from the sunset to Ryan’s face. His soft skin is illuminated with the fiery glow of the sun, fading yet incandescent. Ryan’s lips are slightly parted in an expression of wonder Min is all too familiar with, and his eyes are similarly wide and shining. It never goes away when watching the sunset, even after every one of their ten years.
Ryan is beautiful, Min realizes. He always wears his heart on his sleeve, but here, enraptured by the beauty of nature and in the company of his closest friend, he’s open in a way he rarely lets himself be. Min could bask in their companionship forever, and let the coveted sunset slip by.
Ryan suddenly glances back at Min. The moment is broken, except it still feels just as comfortable and awe-inspiring as it did before Ryan noticed him. Ryan offers him a small smile, and Min returns it in kind.
After a moment, they both return to watching the sunset, but they lean closer. Their shoulders brush.
“We need to go home soon,” Min says softly, not taking his eyes off of the setting sun. “It’s almost dinnertime.”
Ryan hums discontentedly and drops his head onto Min’s shoulder. Min’s face heats up, although he’s not sure why.
“Awwwww, Miiiiiiiin,” Ryan groans, half-jokingly. “Can’t we stay out here a little longer?”
Min hesitates for a moment, then sighs, standing up and brushing bits of grass and dirt off of his pants. “No, sorry. As cool as that would be… you know how my parents get.”
“Yeah, I do.” Ryan shakes his head, half to himself, then forces a laugh. “I love going to dinner at your house, Min. Your parents are so nice!”
Min shakes his head, laughing. “Yeah, well, your family is always so fun and energetic. It’s rad!”
“Haha, yeah.” Ryan turns away. “I’m sure my parents will be happy to have you over for dinner.”
Min turns and offers a hand to Ryan, who gratefully takes it and lets Min pull him to his feet with a grunt. “Same with mine. It’s so nice that our families are such good friends.”
Ryan smiles. “Yeah! It’s like we were made to be best friends! Just like we were made to be musicians together!”
Min’s responding smile is soft and affectionate. “I’m sure we would have found each other eventually.”
“Yeah, but we wouldn’t have known each other now ,” Ryan rebukes. His serious expression softens into something fond. “I like spending time with you now.”
Min grins back. “Me too.” He offers Ryan his hand, and his friend gleefully takes it without a second thought. Their hands are grubby and dirty from playing in the grass all afternoon, but neither seem to mind.
The walk back to their houses (well, Ryan’s house, since it’s closer) is spent mostly in comfortable silence. Min and Ryan are chattiest in each other’s company (which is saying something, since Ryan’s fairly talkative on his quietest days) but occasionally they lapse into a silent rhythm, fully enjoying each other’s presence.
At the edge of Ryan’s house, Ryan gives Min a quick, tight hug, too fast for Min to really process it before it’s over. Ryan peels away and sprints down his driveway, turning to wave enthusiastically to Min and nearly tripping over a potted plant in his haste.
Min giggles and waves back. For some reason, after the door shuts and Ryan’s disappeared from view, he lingers at the foot of Ryan’s driveway. His hands rest in his pockets, with his weight balanced on the balls of his feet as if about to turn away. Inexplicably, he can’t quite manage to leave just yet. He remains as if in a trace, staring after his friend.
A car drives by, and Min jolts. Glancing at the sun dipping precariously below the horizon, he spins on his heel and begins the walk back towards home.
Ryan does everything big, with presence and style. He’s always flashy and energetic. Min knows well how much Ryan would love to spend their after-school afternoons parading around the neighborhood, serenading anyone who would care to listen. And they do, sometimes, when Ryan can rope Min along. But it’s always been the quiet afternoons, the ones that are just him and Ryan, that Min enjoys the most.
As Min makes his way down the street, smiling softly to himself, Ryan watches him from his window. The sibling Ryan shares his room with is still kicking a ball around outside, thankfully, and isn’t present to tease Ryan for tracking his friend down the street.
Ryan likes the exciting afternoons, sure, loves spending his entire day in a whirlwind of activity. But as long as his time is spent with Min, he’s content.
All they both want to do is enjoy these seemingly endless sunny afternoons in each other’s company.
Min is too realistic and Ryan too ambitious to claim these days will last forever. Yet during this stretch of childhood, sometimes it seems like they’ll go on like this every single day, playing on the hill behind the school.
Neither of them find an issue with it.
woooo happy rymin week! my lovely friend sae is the mastermind behind this whole project, so i've been watching from the sidelines and helping for a couple months now. it's so exciting to see this event come to fruition! to everyone who's participated so far or plans on participating, thank you so much for your contribution!!
i was intending to have every day done before the week began, but as always, that didn't seem to happen lol. i'm not sure if i'll get all of them done in time, but i have a lot of exciting wips and ideas i'd really love to post! i'm interested to see what you all think!
this is just some cute little fluff. i love ryan and min as kids they're just so sweet.
because ryan and min are so musically inclined, i'll be titling each chapter with a song lyric or title from a song i feel fits the theme or vibe (i know, very predictable of me and my many song lyric-titled fics skfhfksdf). today's song is from sunny afternoon from red velvet! the whole russian roulette album really encapsulates rymin fluff in an established relationship i think
i'm pretty new to writing infinity train so i don't think i have the best handle on the characters' voices yet. if you have any tips please tell me! i'm sure i'll improve while writing all the fics for this week. i'm excited!
if you ever wanna talk infinity train, writing, these amazing characters, or really anything hmu here on my tumblr or twitter! haha. thank you for reading, and please leave a kudos/comment if you enjoyed it!
