"You can always come see me," Minato says with an air of solemn promise, his eyes heavy with meaning. No flippant, easy assurances here. Minato withdraws his hand, wondering if he can manage to say how alone he's been sometimes, too. Not literally alone, like Ken, what with how often Minato goes out and spends time with others.

But in the past, he has often been like that. And now, sometimes he feels like he can't breathe for thinking of the looming future ahead of him. If it's bad, he'll be stuck with Erebus again-- a fate and a memory Minato has carefully blocked out in any detail-- and even if it's good, and he's alive in truth, that comes with decisions and responsibilities Minato had thought he'd set down for good. He understands needing to be around others to distract his mind from reality. It doesn't do him any good to be thinking about it.

No, this isn't something he knows how to say articulately.

"I only work a couple days. And... I'd prefer not to be alone, either."