Gogo

The headaches were back.

Gen quickly turned his head, letting the long tresses on his side hide his expression. Tsukasa was far too perceptive. If Gen so much as flinched, he would notice immediately. And everything his self-appointed bodyguard noticed would eventually find its way to Ukyo, and from there to Dad and Papa.

…and to Senku.

He couldn’t let that happen. His husband had more important things to do than worry about him.

The throbbing behind his eyes intensified. Slow and familiar in a way that made his stomach twist into knots. It mirrored the rhythm of his heartbeat, like a war drummer putting just a little more force into each new strike.

Gen knew what it meant.

He was living on borrowed time. Again.

---+---

Before the first petrification, doctors at a private hospital had diagnosed him with a brain tumor. He was brought there when he had a strong enough headache that he passed out during a variety show, and the hosts had called an ambulance while the audience wondered whether it was part of the act or if they should panic.

Headaches were something he had been dealing with since toddlerhood. A constant companion. Small. Manageable. Easy to ignore, until they weren’t. He remembered how long he had sat on his apartment’s sofa, staring at his phone, with a photo of his family, including Chelsea and Uncle Brody, displayed before him.

His hand reached towards the smartphone. Paused. Retreated. Reached again. Never quite coming close enough to touch it.

He wanted to call his parents. He didn’t want to upset them with the news. He just… sat there.

Over the months since the diagnosis, it had only gotten worse. Headaches, passing out, nausea… When the time came for his last tour, holding everything in during each show took all of his effort. His management had to hire people whose only purpose was to haul him to and from the stages. He could hardly walk by himself for longer than a few minutes anymore. Even worse were the memory lapses. He would suddenly find himself in different rooms, with no idea how he had gotten there. Or why. Gen had to nag his parents into leaving to fly to the government meeting about the stone swallow anomalies. Even while saying goodbye, he could sense that Xeno and Stanley would have rather taken him with them.

---+---

After he was depetrified by Tsukasa in the Stone Age, he felt… free. Like his inner clock had reset to a time before the tumor even existed. He gradually adjusted back to normal life. Well, as normal as life in the Stone Age could be, that was. Especially when one allied themselves as closely with his Papa’s most liked and hated protégé as Gen did. And Senku was incredible! Gen could absolutely understand why Xeno’s tone when speaking about him was always a mix of pride and exasperation. He had meant every word of what he said to Senku in the observatory. He’d loved his mad scientist, his tide, long before he met him.

But now, after all their strifes, the adventures, the near-death experiences, just after they had finally decided to give their all to each other, the damn tumor he thought he’d shaken off decided to ruin it all.

Gen knew he could easily ask Why-Man to petrify him for a few days every few years. But thinking of the Medusa graveyards he had seen, the mentalist the rest of KoS half-teasingly called their “queen” just couldn’t bring himself to do so. Senku already worked the alien lifeform to the metaphorical bone, the way he did everyone around him. What if Gen’s request would help deplete its core so much faster?

Plus, he couldn’t afford to fall out every few years. He could hardly afford to go on diplomatic missions without returning to full-on chaos, compliments of his dear husband and Ryusui. And that was when he could be reached at any time. Gen shuddered at the thought of what would await him after petrification.

But then what was the alternative? Hiding his symptoms would only work for so long. The more perceptive members would soon start to notice. Papa, Dad, Senku, and Francois had already started looking at him in contemplation, like they suspected something.

If this tumor behaved the same way the first one had, then the trajectory of the symptoms would soon intensify at a rapid pace. Gen was good, but hiding things from Senku wasn’t something he ever managed to do.

The point still stood, though, that Gen was, at his core, a vain creature. He didn’t want his loved ones to see him suffer and fade away into nothing. So maybe he should just… disappear. Leave a message along the lines of “don’t search for me, I’m going to be away for a long time”, and hide somewhere far enough away and secret enough to waste away in loneliness. But why did the thought of dying alone hurt so much?

---+---

One of the spirits pants, "Quick! There has to be someone else left who can handle this!"

One of his two companions snaps at his naivete. "There is no one else left! They took every powerful being! We're on our own here!"

The third nervously tries to stop the two. "Please! You can fight later! We need to leave!"

They don't notice someone watching them until they hear a bored voice behind them say matter-of-factly, "You know, it gets old that whenever someone talks about powerful beings, they always leave me out. If I gave a damn about what others think of me, I might have taken it personally."

Senku, an Oni and the main protector of the city lying just a few more meters ahead of them, looks at the three errant spirits. "Well, isn't this quite the unusual menagerie. What are a mountain spirit, a fire spirit, and a zashiki warashi doing here, together?" He addresses the two quarrelers in particular, an amused glint in his eyes, "Aren't your kind enemies? No wonder you were so loud just now."

The zashiki warashi takes a step towards the Oni, only for the fire spirit to hold her back. “Wait! How do we know it’s really him and not one of their illusions?”

Senku, unimpressed, just snaps his fingers. The earth beneath them starts to shake. Deep cracks split the ground, threatening to swallow the big-mouthed spirit. All while above them, Senku’s servants, who call themselves “Medusa”, swarm in until their view of the sky disappears.

After a few moments, Senku snaps his fingers again, and the cracks in the ground disappear like they were never there. Most of the Medusa disperse, leaving only a few curious ones behind. Senku casually cleans his ear with his pinky. “Is that proof enough, or shall I continue?”

The three spirits share a look before falling to their knees and, in unison, pleading with the Oni, “Please help us, Lord Senku!”

Senku raises an eyebrow. “Help you? Help you with what? And don’t you mountain dwellers have your own sovereigns who look after you?”

The mountain spirit, tears and snot running down his face in streams, exclaims, “No! They’re gone! All gone! Some akuma took them hostage! They said they want to drain their power and enslave the pretty ones among them into courtesans!”

Senku gives a bored yawn. “That is a conundrum, I guess. But why should I step in? It would only put me on the radar unnecessarily.”

The zashiki warashi sobs. “Please! We know it’s dangerous! But these akuma need to be stopped! They even plundered some shrines and abducted the Inari shrine’s guardian!”

Senku’s movements suddenly freeze. “They took… MY fox?”

All three low-ranked spirits nod emphatically, “Yes!”

Senku’s eyes, normally a calm wine-red, now glow the color of hellfire.

The headaches were back.

Gen quickly turned his head, letting the long tresses on his side hide his expression. Tsukasa was far too perceptive. If Gen so much as flinched, he would notice immediately. And everything his self-appointed bodyguard noticed would eventually find its way to Ukyo, and from there to Dad and Papa.

…and to Senku.

He couldn’t let that happen. His husband had more important things to do than worry about him.

The throbbing behind his eyes intensified. Slow and familiar in a way that made his stomach twist into knots. It mirrored the rhythm of his heartbeat, like a war drummer putting just a little more force into each new strike.

Gen knew what it meant.

He was living on borrowed time. Again.

---+---

Before the first petrification, doctors at a private hospital had diagnosed him with a brain tumor. He was brought there when he had a strong enough headache that he passed out during a variety show, and the hosts had called an ambulance while the audience wondered whether it was part of the act or if they should panic.

Headaches were something he had been dealing with since toddlerhood. A constant companion. Small. Manageable. Easy to ignore, until they weren’t. He remembered how long he had sat on his apartment’s sofa, staring at his phone, with a photo of his family, including Chelsea and Uncle Brody, displayed before him.

His hand reached towards the smartphone. Paused. Retreated. Reached again. Never quite coming close enough to touch it.

He wanted to call his parents. He didn’t want to upset them with the news. He just… sat there.

Over the months since the diagnosis, it had only gotten worse. Headaches, passing out, nausea… When the time came for his last tour, holding everything in during each show took all of his effort. His management had to hire people whose only purpose was to haul him to and from the stages. He could hardly walk by himself for longer than a few minutes anymore. Even worse were the memory lapses. He would suddenly find himself in different rooms, with no idea how he had gotten there. Or why. Gen had to nag his parents into leaving to fly to the government meeting about the stone swallow anomalies. Even while saying goodbye, he could sense that Xeno and Stanley would have rather taken him with them.

---+---

After he was depetrified by Tsukasa in the Stone Age, he felt… free. Like his inner clock had reset to a time before the tumor even existed. He gradually adjusted back to normal life. Well, as normal as life in the Stone Age could be, that was. Especially when one allied themselves as closely with his Papa’s most liked and hated protégé as Gen did. And Senku was incredible! Gen could absolutely understand why Xeno’s tone when speaking about him was always a mix of pride and exasperation. He had meant every word of what he said to Senku in the observatory. He’d loved his mad scientist, his tide, long before he met him.

But now, after all their strifes, the adventures, the near-death experiences, just after they had finally decided to give their all to each other, the damn tumor he thought he’d shaken off decided to ruin it all.

Gen knew he could easily ask Why-Man to petrify him for a few days every few years. But thinking of the Medusa graveyards he had seen, the mentalist the rest of KoS half-teasingly called their “queen” just couldn’t bring himself to do so. Senku already worked the alien lifeform to the metaphorical bone, the way he did everyone around him. What if Gen’s request would help deplete its core so much faster?

Plus, he couldn’t afford to fall out every few years. He could hardly afford to go on diplomatic missions without returning to full-on chaos, compliments of his dear husband and Ryusui. And that was when he could be reached at any time. Gen shuddered at the thought of what would await him after petrification.

But then what was the alternative? Hiding his symptoms would only work for so long. The more perceptive members would soon start to notice. Papa, Dad, Senku, and Francois had already started looking at him in contemplation, like they suspected something.

If this tumor behaved the same way the first one had, then the trajectory of the symptoms would soon intensify at a rapid pace. Gen was good, but hiding things from Senku wasn’t something he ever managed to do.

The point still stood, though, that Gen was, at his core, a vain creature. He didn’t want his loved ones to see him suffer and fade away into nothing. So maybe he should just… disappear. Leave a message along the lines of “don’t search for me, I’m going to be away for a long time”, and hide somewhere far enough away and secret enough to waste away in loneliness. But why did the thought of dying alone hurt so much?

---+---

One of the spirits pants, "Quick! There has to be someone else left who can handle this!"

One of his two companions snaps at his naivete. "There is no one else left! They took every powerful being! We're on our own here!"

The third nervously tries to stop the two. "Please! You can fight later! We need to leave!"

They don't notice someone watching them until they hear a bored voice behind them say matter-of-factly, "You know, it gets old that whenever someone talks about powerful beings, they always leave me out. If I gave a damn about what others think of me, I might have taken it personally."

Senku, an Oni and the main protector of the city lying just a few more meters ahead of them, looks at the three errant spirits. "Well, isn't this quite the unusual menagerie. What are a mountain spirit, a fire spirit, and a zashiki warashi doing here, together?" He addresses the two quarrelers in particular, an amused glint in his eyes, "Aren't your kind enemies? No wonder you were so loud just now."

The zashiki warashi takes a step towards the Oni, only for the fire spirit to hold her back. “Wait! How do we know it’s really him and not one of their illusions?”

Senku, unimpressed, just snaps his fingers. The earth beneath them starts to shake. Deep cracks split the ground, threatening to swallow the big-mouthed spirit. All while above them, Senku’s servants, who call themselves “Medusa”, swarm in until their view of the sky disappears.

After a few moments, Senku snaps his fingers again, and the cracks in the ground disappear like they were never there. Most of the Medusa disperse, leaving only a few curious ones behind. Senku casually cleans his ear with his pinky. “Is that proof enough, or shall I continue?”

The three spirits share a look before falling to their knees and, in unison, pleading with the Oni, “Please help us, Lord Senku!”

Senku raises an eyebrow. “Help you? Help you with what? And don’t you mountain dwellers have your own sovereigns who look after you?”

The mountain spirit, tears and snot running down his face in streams, exclaims, “No! They’re gone! All gone! Some akuma took them hostage! They said they want to drain their power and enslave the pretty ones among them into courtesans!”

Senku gives a bored yawn. “That is a conundrum, I guess. But why should I step in? It would only put me on the radar unnecessarily.”

The zashiki warashi sobs. “Please! We know it’s dangerous! But these akuma need to be stopped! They even plundered some shrines and abducted the Inari shrine’s guardian!”

Senku’s movements suddenly freeze. “They took… MY fox?”

All three low-ranked spirits nod emphatically, “Yes!”

Senku’s eyes, normally a calm wine-red, now glow the color of hellfire.