Trying to Save my Favorite Character from His Tragic Fate

His arms stop in mid-air from the command.

"Kyrie!" Ian tears up, and he pushes up his body along with the one that is leaning against him.

"Dummy… I am not going to die from this…"

Ian looks at Kyrie, whose cheeks blush red. His eyes are brimming with tears as Kyrie's side of the head weakly leans on his shoulder. Kyrie closes his eyes and buries his face on Ian's neck. The effects of the slime are kicking in.

Erebus lets go of Phanes after she strongly flings a couple of times for him to loosen up his grip. Her eyes tear up. She runs over to Kyrie and Ian. 

Ian can feel that Kyrie is burning up from their skinship. Kyrie moves to uncover his eyes buried on Ian's neck. Looking at the kind goddess's eyes turning red, Kyrie lets out a smile.

"You don't have to involve yourself. I have suppressed the effects enough with light magic that the effects won't cloud my mind. I just need time so that they go away."

"I will just get an earful when I go back…" Phanes explains as if what she is saying will be understood by the young man.

She extends her hands towards Kyrie ready to use her essence.

"No, Phanes. You will get some fates distorted."

Phanes looks at Kyrie with surprise. The young man knows about them. However, she does not want to think about these complicated things now.

"Then… I will just help you get the slime off…"

She removes the slime off Kyrie. After that, Ian wraps his arms around Kyrie, putting one hand on Kyrie's nape and the other on his back. 

Kyrie listens to the gnashing of Ian's teeth, feeling up the frustrations and tension from Ian's body.

"I am so useless…" Ian whispers.

"Ian, I am just glad that you are okay…"

"This is not right… Kyrie… Don't do things like this anymore… Please…"

"I moved before anything came to my mind…"

"Doesn't matter... Just don't do this again… This… this breaks me."

Ian's voice starts to turn into echoes. Kyrie can no longer hear what Ian is saying, and he slips into unconsciousness.

---

The sound of dripping water wakes Kyrie up. His mind is foggy, and he feels like he is floating. For some reason, he is overwhelmed by strange but meaningless happiness like he could not stop himself from this feeling.

Kyrie turns to look at Ian, who is sitting beside him with his eyes are closed. He smiles and giggles.

Ian wakes up and looks at Kyrie, who is giggling. Kyrie crawls closer to Ian, drops to his bums, and crosses his legs. Then, he stretches his arms towards Ian.

He squeezes Ian's cheeks together with his hands while spreading out a smile. He blinks hard to focus on what he is looking at but chuckles again. 

"There are so many Ians… hehehe…"

After being out of words, Ian lets out a laugh. Kyrie looks like he is drunk, with his face blushed.

Kyrie plays with his hair, twirling it with his finger while looking around, chuckling.

"This dream looks so weird! The tunnels are spiraling..."

Kyrie loses his balance while sitting, but Ian catches him. 

"Hehehe… Nice catch! I mean me… I am the nice catch!" 

Kyrie pokes at Ian's chest as he says, "You. Should. Treat. Me. Well!"

Ian lifts Kyrie back to a sitting position. 

"I will," says Ian spreading out a smile while feeling flustered.

"Okay!" Kyrie shrugs and releases his shoulders while taking hold of Ian's hands, "Then you are my boyfriend!"

"Wait… maybe not boyfriend…" Kyrie weakly shakes his head.

Ian frowns, "Why not?"

"Wait!!!! Don't rush me! Let me announce it properly…"

His head feels heavy, so his body leans forward on its own. Wanting to see Ian's face, Kyrie lifts his head back but loses his balance again. Ian narrowly catches Kyrie falling backward, placing his hand on the back of Kyrie's head to prevent him from slamming it to the ground. 

Kyrie, lying on the ground while having Ian on top, wiggles around to reach his pockets to search for something. However, despite running his hand all over his body, he cannot find what he wants.

"Damn… I don't have jewelry on me… I should have prepared a ring," Kyrie tears up.

Ian lifts Kyrie back to a sitting position.

"Why are you crying?" Ian dries Kyrie's tears that are trickling down.

"Because I want to propose, but I forgot my ring!"

Ian chuckles and puts his head on Kyrie's shoulders.

"Are you this shameless when you are drunk too?"

"Shameless? Why am I suddenly shameless?" 

"We just met, but you are now proposing marriage."

"What? You don't want to be my hubby?"

"Huh? Hubby?"

He feels a rush of happiness inside of him. His eyes tear up.

"When I get tons of money, I am going to propose to you! You just wait up!"

Ian nods while his tears soak into Kyrie's clothes. 

Kyrie grabs Ian's arms and pulls him away so that he can meet Ian's teary eyes.

"But you! Don't you dare cheat on me! Got it!?"

Ian nods contently again and again.

"Good! Because... I am going to save you! I am going to save this world! And I am going to marry you!"

Kyrie loses his balance again since his vision is spiraling. He drops to Ian's arms. 

He snuggles into Ian's arms while he wraps his arms around Ian's firm body.

His eyes catch the green potion around Ian's neck. Kyrie frowns and inflates his cheeks. He slides his hands into Ian's shirt, feeling up his abs all the way to his chest. 

"Kyrie! What… what are you doing?" asks Ian flushed while trying to take Kyrie's hand off the pendant.

Kyrie swings his leg over to the other side, sitting on top of Ian's lap. He pushes Ian down while pulling on the pendant. Ian's shirt slowly lifts, showing off his defined abs and chest.

Ian's pupils shake, watching Kyrie focusing on the potion.

"Kyrie… I…"

"Give this to me in exchange for the ring…" Kyrie says.

Ian silently looks at Kyrie while taking the wrist of the hand that is holding onto the potion.

"Do you know what this is?"

Kyrie nods.

"It is a potion…"

Ian observes Kyrie's eyes staring into the potion calmly, but Kyrie's brows furrow.

"Do you think I will give you a cheap ring?!"

"No… That is not what I meant!"

"Is this more important than me?"

"No!"

"You cheapskate! Are you saying that you are not giving anything back in exchange for the ring?"

"That is not what I mean!"

"Then, I will take this!"

Kyrie lifts the pendant along with Ian's shirt off and over his head. Then, he puts the potion necklace on his neck. He smiles at the vibrant green color of the potion.

"I will tell you a secret… But you have to promise that you are not going to tell anyone!"

Ian nods while sitting back up, holding Kyrie's waist. Kyrie shivers as he feels ticklish.

Kyrie clasps the potion up and says, "I like green…"

"But… but… Green is no good!" Kyrie hiccups.

"Green is against my aesthetics…. I have silver hair and amber eyes!"

"So… green clashes with my beauty!"

Ian lets out a laugh. That's his secret?

"But I will do this for you! I will wear it! Just you wait… I will get you a nice ring!" Kyrie wobbles.

He falls to Ian's embrace. His consciousness is slipping away again.

"I am going to make sure you will never be alone!" Kyrie whispers.

"Hmmm!" Ian's voice breaks.

Kyrie chuckles and closes his eyes. 

"I… I will… always… love… you…" Kyrie falls back to sleep.

Ian takes hold of Kyrie tightly.

"No taking backs..." He whispers.