(⁠〃ﾟ⁠3ﾟ⁠〃⁠)

Back at the Empire, you set the bundle of wood down beside the fire. The heat warmed your skin, but your thoughts were elsewhere, tangled as you stared into the bright dancing flames.

Would he even think of me like that?

I’m probably not even his type…

If I were with him… would he let me touch his chest? What if—

Footsteps crunched behind you.

A loud thump followed as another pile of wood hit the ground.

“In deep thought?” his voice came, calm but laced with curiosity.

You startled, glancing up at him. “Yup! You know… just normal thoughts. Mhm.” You snapped your gaze back to the fire, silently thanking anything that was out there that mind readers weren’t real otherwise, you’d be in serious shit.

Tsukasa sat beside you, reaching for a bucket of cooled water. He scooped some into his hand and drank. Your eyes betrayed you, lingering on him

watching as droplets slipped from his lips, trailing down his throat, down to his abs, and lower and lower it went.

From the corner of your eye, you caught him looking at you.

You were caught.

You shot upright so fast you nearly tripped forward. “I—I have to, uh… do something!”

Without waiting for a response, you rushed off, heart pounding.

Behind you, Tsukasa watched, confusion flickering across his face.

“Tsukasa! The mouse running from the cat?”

He turned, expression immediately souring as Yo approached with a small stack of wood.

“What are you talking about?” Tsukasa asked flatly.

“They’re running from you,” Yo said with a sly grin. “Playing hard to get.”

Tsukasa rolled his eyes.

“Trust me, I know girls,” Yo continued, puffing up with confidence. “I used to get so many back then. I could have them all over you like flies on a dead bird. Hell, I could even help you out even get promoted to your top four while I’m at it.”

Tsukasa stared at him, face neutral, but his eyes burned with quiet irritation. “What are you talking about?”

Yo froze. “…Or I could just leave.”

He dropped the wood with a clatter and bolted.

Tsukasa exhaled slowly, thinking he’d finally get a moment of peace

only for it to be interrupted again.

“Tsukasa.”

Hoga’s voice slipped in as quietly as ever. He stood near the fire, looming in the dim light.

“Must we continue the revival process?” he asked.

“No,” Tsukasa replied. “It’s too cold. When the snow begins to melt, we’ll resume. Right now, we don’t have the resources to sustain more people, not in the dead of winter.”

“But waiting until spring will put us at a disadvantage against the Kingdom of Science.”

“Right now, we focus on survival,” Tsukasa said firmly, lifting his gaze to meet Hoga’s. “You understand that.”

Hoga said nothing more.

Tsukasa stood and walked away.

Later that day, you noticed something was off.

Tsukasa wasn’t with the others and wasn't eating like he usually did.

You hesitated before grabbing a portion of meat and making your way toward his lair. The cave was dim, lit only by scattered torches that cast flickering shadows along the stone walls. The deeper you went, the quieter it became.

Then you saw them.

Tsukasa and Hoga stood together, speaking in low voices. The faint light from outside spilled into the cave, brushing against Tsukasa’s face. The sharp seriousness in his expression softened the moment he noticed you.

“…That will be all,” he said, dismissing Hoga.

Hoga left without a word.

Tsukasa turned fully toward you. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be eating with the others?”

“I should be asking you the same thing,” you replied, stepping closer. You held out the food. “You weren’t there like usual, so… I brought you something. I figured you were busy.”

A small smile tugged at his lips as he took it from your hands, your fingers brushing briefly.

You pulled back immediately.

The warmth of his skin lingered, burning more than it should have.

Tsukasa’s smile faded just slightly, a flicker of something unreadable passing through his eyes.

They pulled away so quickly… Maybe they really don’t like me.

He took a bite, chewing thoughtfully.

“So,” you said after a moment, trying to ignore your racing thoughts, “what was so important?”

He swallowed before answering. “I’ve been thinking about what happens when the snow melts… our next move.”

You watched him closely, quietly admiring him as he spoke.

“Our attack on the Kingdom of Science… on Senku.”

You nodded, listening as he laid out his plans, your earlier thoughts still lingering, now mixed with something deeper, something harder to ignore.

-------

Tsukasa Shishio can win many fights, but there's one he can't seem to beat, and maybe he doesn't want to win this one. He thought as he grabbed some wood that was too heavy for you. “Here, I'll take half,” he said softly, like a whisper. His eyes scanned your face for compliance. Only after you nodded did he pull the wood from your hands and keep walking, matching your pace as his head went back into his thoughts. What could he do with this love for you if he wasn't sure you would feel the same? You treated him the same as everyone. What makes him so special from anyone else?

Noticing Tsukasa's absence, you used your free hand and reached out, hesitantly grabbing his forearm and gently pulling and guiding him as you walked. You kept your face neutral while your thoughts went wild. He let you get this close to him? Does he know you're doing this? He seemed so in his head. You didn't want him to walk into a tree, though he would break the tree rather than the tree hurting him.

Tsukasa was snapped out of his thoughts when he was yanked from his path, only then noticing a huge rock in front of him that would have definitely broken something if he walked into it. Still, the sudden force nearly knocked you off your feet, making you fall down, but you barely met your sad demise when you were pulled up to Tsukasa's eye level before being put down. “Are you okay?" he asked, picking up the rest of the wood you dropped. You quickly brushed yourself off. “I should be asking you that. I know the force of my pull must have knocked you off your feet instead.” You smiled. “It's just my natural strength.” You flexed your arm in front of him, hoping he wouldn't notice the blush of embarrassment on your face. Falling in front of someone and admitting it is not an easy pill to swallow. Yet he muffled a laugh and ran with it. “Oh yes, you swept me off my feet.” He smiled, and you let out a sigh of relief, but it was quickly interrupted when you noticed that he had taken all the wood. “Wait, you're going to take all that back!?” “Of course I can handle it.” “Yes, but-” you bit back. Once he has a decision to make, he won’t back out, but you're not one to let someone do all the work for you, so as you two kept walking back, you made a plan.

Tsukasa went right back to his thoughts. Did they really pull me out the way? Wow, this wood is heavy. How’d they carry all this? Tsukasa's thoughts were quickly stopped by a quick tug, then half of the wood he had taken was off his hands, and he blinked. Once, then twice, then his eyes went to the back of your figure walking off as if nothing happened.

When there was a snicker behind him, and he turned to see Yo, behind him, carrying his own bundle of wood. "What kind of flirting is that!?” It's so obvious they like you! Yo laughed, nearly dropping his wood, and Tsukasa's usual stern face came back. "They don't like me, and it's clear." he paused, "And I don't like them.” he stated, turning his back to him, ending the conversation. But Yo didn't get the hint. “Ouch! Doesn't look like it to me." Tsukasa ignored it, which allowed Yo to keep going

"I mean, did you see the way they blushed?”

“They were just embarrassed, nothing more to it.”

And with that, Tsukasa walked away, following your steps.

Inspo

You stare at the small white cup filled with butter then glance up at Tsukasa Shishio eating his food with a blissful Look on his face then finally come up with the courage you needed as you look down at his chest then back up at him “Tsukasa” you called out to him and he looked up mid–chew, eyebrows lifting slightly in curiosity. After swallowing, he gave you his full attention, which somehow made your heart pound even more. You picked up the small container. "Can I rub this on them when we get home?" You asked with an innocent look, glancing back down at his chest, “Them?” he echoed, a small smile tugging at his lips. "What could you be talking about?" He teased he knew exactly what you were talking about, but just wanted you to say it out loud, "you know... Your chest, I mean," You mumbled under your breath just loud enough for him to hear, but not loud enough for the tables around to hear. His expression softened into something fond. “Sure,” he said with a gentle nod. “If you want to,” and you grinned brightly, your heart fluttering with excitement, before eating quickly, the sooner the better.

Getting sick in the Stone World is a big no-no. Unfortunately, after getting caught in a storm, you ended up bedridden and you were part of the manual labor.

Being stuck in the lab was bad enough, but the worst part?

Gen was your caretaker.

The teasing, the nagging, the more teasing. It all made your headache throb. Still, by some miracle of the universe, Gen was a surprisingly competent caretaker. Every now and then, villagers would peek in to check on you, though in your fever-induced haze, their words all blended into something like warm static.

And the dreams… oh, the dreams. You couldn’t explain half of them without sounding borderline insane. The only one willing to listen was Senku, who called your rambling “background noise” while he worked. He’d toss in the occasional hum or comment, then tell you to save your energy and rest never mind that he had no idea where you got that sudden burst of talkative liveliness. Not that he cared it just meant you were getting better.

Senku and Gen came in shifts, armed with makeshift gloves and masks. Senku’s “shifts” were frequent only because he needed something from the lab every ten minutes. Gen tracked your condition closely, telling Senku every detail, but one tiny detail he “forgot” to mention to Senku?

You had a tendency to sleep-talk. And apparently, you had zero filter while doing it. Which, for Gen, was of course, the most fascinating discovery in the world. And he didn't plan on telling anyone for now.

☆ﾟ⁠.⁠*⁠･⁠｡☆ﾟ⁠.⁠*⁠･⁠｡☆ﾟ⁠.⁠*⁠･⁠｡☆ﾟ⁠.⁠*⁠･⁠｡☆ﾟ⁠.⁠*⁠･⁠｡☆ﾟ⁠.⁠*⁠･⁠｡☆ﾟ⁠.⁠*⁠･⁠｡☆ﾟ⁠.⁠*⁠･

“This is so boring…” Gen muttered as he rolled a glass tube across the table, watching the light bounce along its surface. “No~ I can’t eat that, it’s got grass in it…” You whined softly behind him. Gen hummed, turning in his seat. You were pushing weakly at the air, as if refusing some invisible villager offering you that grass... something. “No one’s giving you anything,” he sighed, standing to grab a fresh damp cloth and replacing the warm one on your forehead.

Then you mumbled just clear enough for him to hear

“No, I can’t tell him I like him…”

Gen froze. Then perked up a grin tugging on his lips

“Tell who?” he whispered.

“Senku… I can’t tell him I like him.”

And just like that, Gen had everything he needed.

He knew he wasn’t imagining the passing glances, the lingering stares when you and Senku thought the other wasn’t looking. Now he had confirmation. And with this bit of precious information, a magnificent plan began to brew in the back of his mind.

A plan he never thought he’d need to make.

A plan to finally guide you and Senku together.

All he had to do now was wait for you to keep sleep-talking.

It happened two nights later.

Your fever had dropped, your breathing was steadier, and for the first time, your sleep didn’t look like you were battling hallucinated tigers. Gen felt almost disappointed..almost. Because calm sleep meant clear sleep-talking. He had been waiting for this moment

Senku was hunched nearby, “not staying late,” as he claimed just “monitoring variables.”

Yet somehow he hadn’t moved from your bedside for an hour.

Gen, seated at your feet, had the posture of a man waiting for a shooting star.

Then you shifted.

A soft sigh left your lips.

Your brows drew together.

And Gen straightened so fast his neck cracked.

Senku glanced over, immediately suspicious. “…What?”

Gen raised a finger. “Shh.”

Senku’s eyebrow twitched. “Don’t—”

“Shh.”

Senku opened his mouth to argue.

Then he heard your voice.

Small. Sleepy. Vulnerable.

“Don’t… go.”

Both men froze. Senku’s eyes softened before he caught himself and looked away sharply. “They’re just dreaming,” he muttered.

Gen’s grin spread slowly. “Dreaming of whom I wonder~?”

Senku shot him a glare that said Don’t you start.

But you weren’t done.

You murmured again, the words slurring together but unmistakable:

“Senku… come back… need you…”

Gen slapped both hands over his mouth to stop the delighted squeal that threatened to escape.

Senku looked like someone had unplugged his brain for a moment.

His whole body went still too still.

As if movement might make the moment real.

You shifted again, reaching weakly toward the empty space beside you, fingers pawing at the air.

Senku’s heart lurched in a way he would deny until the end of time.

Gen walked backwards out of the lab. "I'll leave you two for now," And he continued, "but you should hold their hand, purely observational.” And Gen slipped out of the lab with a grin

Senku really tried not to react when your hand stretched toward him again, fingertips trembling.

“Senku…” you whispered, almost pleading.

That did it.

He sighed through his nose, annoyed at himself, annoyed at Gen, annoyed at this whole situation, and still, gently, carefully, he reached out and set his hand in yours. Your fingers curled around his instantly, like you’d been waiting for him. Your breathing eased. Your face relaxed. And Senku… well.

He stared at your hand in his, the faintest pink coloring the tips of his ears.

Your eyes fluttered open, staring at Senku, and with determination in your eyes, like you have been planning this, you sat up, ignoring the blurry dizziness. "Senku, I..I like you! Like a lot, and I know you think it's a ridiculous thing to feel, but I couldn't keep my feelings, and I-" you were cut off with lips connecting to yours, then quickly pulling away. You stared in disbelief at the now red Senku "Don't... I like you too idiot" Senku mumbled looking away from you so you won't see his face

He expected you to do anything else, anything else but laugh, a nervous laugh at that, as if you didn't believe his words. "Ha, this might be the most realistic dream I've had. You look to real though" You reach your hands out cupping Senku's face "And feel too.. this is a dream Right?" You whisper to yourself "Nope not a dream babe" said Senku with that damn shit-eating smirk

Who said you couldn't make your favorite shade of lipstick in the Stone Age? No one and that’s precisely why you’re sitting at your own desk with beeswax, crushed flower petals, red berries, and everything else you need to recreate the color you used to wear all the time back in the modern world.

There’s just one problem. You have nowhere to test the shade.

Your hand? Nope you’d risk mixing the pigments.

A rag? Absolutely not. With Senku’s chemical experiments around, who knows what kind of residue might melt your lips off.

So the next best thing?

Senku himself.

“Senku! Can you come here for a second? I want to try a little experiment!” you call out from your lab beside his. Somehow, despite the labs being ten feet apart, he still arrives out of breath.

“So… what’s the experiment?” he pants, bracing himself with his hands on his knees.

“Come here” you say, motioning to the stool beside you as you finish mixing the pigments.

He watches silently as you blend the colors into a soft pink paste, his crimson eyes following every movement as he sits. Then you dab some onto your lips.

“Are you making lipstick?” he asks with a short laugh, pulling the tiny bowl closer to inspect it. “You could’ve just asked me to make it.”

“Mhm, I know. But I want to get the shade just right! Does it look like my usual color?” You turn away from the mirror to face him.

“How am I supposed to know? It’s not like I stare at your lips all the ti— I have more important things to do,” Senku grumbles. You might have believed him if the tips of his ears weren’t turning pink.

A perfect time to execute your plan.

“Maybe it needs to go on a different surface—Muha!”

You lean in and kiss Senku on the cheek, chaching him off geard then gently take his face in your hands, turning it toward the light to check the color. Senku freezes, stunned, the blush on his ears now spreading across his cheeks.

“It’s too light,” you mutter, adding more red to the mixture. You apply the new shade to your lips… and kiss him again.

This time, when your lips brush his cheek, Senku actually makes a sound, something between a gasp and a startled hiccup and his posture stiffens

You pull back just enough to examine the second print. “Hmm… getting closer,” you tilt his chin lightly. His skin is warm beneath your fingers warmer than usual.

Senku swallows hard. “Y-You know,” he says, voice cracking just a little, “there are far more efficient ways to test chemical pigments than… than this.”

“Oh really?” You dip your finger into the bowl, swirling the color thoughtfully. “Name one.”

He opens his mouth. Closes it. Opens it again. Nothing comes out.

That alone tells you everything you need.

You smile. “That’s what I thought.”

You reapply the adjusted shade to your lips, leaning forward again. Senku squeezes his eyes shut, bracing like he’s preparing for an explosion. The kiss lands a little closer to the corner of his mouth this time—soft, deliberate, warm.

He lets out a choked breath. “You did that on purpose.”

“Maybe,” you sing-song.

You grab his face again before he can escape the moment, turning him toward the light. This time, the imprint is perfect—smooth, even, and exactly the shade you’d been wanting But you take your time inspecting it anyway, fingertips brushing along his jaw. His blush deepens.

“It’s perfect,” you declare. “Exactly the color I used to wear.”

“Great,” he says weakly. “Fantastic. Mission accomplished.”

“Oh, we’re not done,” you say, showing him the bowl. “I need to test its durability.Transfer resistance.”

Senku’s eyes widen in panic. “Transfer resis—?”

You cut him off with another kiss—this one full on the cheek, lingering just a second longer than you have to. When you pull away, he’s frozen again, hair practically sparking with flustered static.

You grin. “For science, Senku.”

He somehow manages to look both betrayed and hopelessly smitten. “Yeah,” he mumbles, rubbing the back of his neck. “For science.”

"I think it needs more testing in the transfer part" you mutter quickly whipping around and adding more the mix "of course this will be more testing is that alright with you?" Looking up as you asked him, still mixing "yeah..I'll have the others do the work" Senku looked off to the side avoiding your gaze "great!" Cheering you dab the new formula of lipstick on your lips

You quickly pecked his forehead frowning at the result a red lip mark as bright as ever visible you hummed turning back around

"I need to find the right formula so it won't transfer"

. “Then we can move on to refining the texture next.”

“Oh? And how do you suggest we ‘test’ that?”

His face goes pink again, but he forces himself to stay cool. “You’ll need to check how long the pigment lasts,” he says with a shrug, “so repeated contact under controlled conditions would be the ideal approach.”

You stare. “…Are you telling me we need to keep kissing?”

“For science,” he says, dead serious.

You laugh, leaning into him, forehead brushing his. “Right. For science.”

☆ﾟ⁠.⁠*⁠･⁠｡ﾟ☆ﾟ⁠.⁠*⁠･⁠｡ﾟ☆ﾟ⁠.⁠*⁠･⁠｡ﾟ☆ﾟ⁠.⁠*⁠･⁠｡ﾟ☆ﾟ⁠.⁠*⁠･⁠｡ﾟ☆ﾟ⁠.⁠*⁠･⁠｡☆ﾟ⁠.⁠*⁠･⁠｡ﾟ

Was it days? Weeks, hours, or months?

No, at most it was 5 hours. It wouldn't have been so bad if Senku hadn't been awake for 4 days already, and obviously, you couldn't help but worry about him, his hair flattened and eyebags sunk in his skin, mumbling to himself with words that only he understands at this point, his blueprints just mindless scribbles. It's now you interfere, or he'll end up mixing chemicals that will explode the lab or end up with charcoal on his face. His face would be planted on the paper. Now or Never "Senku?" You asked.

"What are you working on?" Sitting next to him, sliding into the seat as you laid a blanket over his shoulders. "Blueprints" he said curtly, still scribbling. "Maybe take a breather?" Taking his hand, you pulled the makeshift pencil from his hand. But Senku snatched it back with a grumble.

"The plans won't make themselves."

"And rest won't happen magically."

"I don't need it, what I need is to complete this."

He turned his body away from you, and you sat there. Staring at Senku before deciding, 'Fine, I'll do this the hard way then.' Standing up, you loop your arms around him, resting your chin on his shoulder and placing your hand on his chest. "I don't want to sleep by myself," you whine. "That won't work on me, you know." But you could tell it was working otherwise what was that red tint on the tip of his ears? And you hummed as he sank into you. "Come on, we can get someone else to do it just please come with me" you whined, holding him close, and he placed the pencil down, sighing in defeat. "Fine, only because you won't stop pestering me," he grumbled, but you can tell he gladly accepted the opportunity with open arms.

☆ﾟ⁠.⁠*⁠･⁠｡ﾟ☆ﾟ⁠.⁠*⁠･⁠｡ﾟ☆ﾟ⁠.⁠*⁠･⁠｡ﾟ☆ﾟ⁠.⁠*⁠･⁠｡ﾟ☆ﾟ⁠.⁠*⁠･⁠｡ﾟ

On your way to your hut, he slumped next to you, making you carry him the rest of the way back, placing the blanket over you two. He latched onto you, holding you close. You would never tell him how cuddly he got at night, and he would never admit it, so you keep it to yourself, blissfully enjoying every bit of it as you fall asleep.