#dcst x reader

"After school is okay, right?" His brow briefly arched in concern, misreading your fluster for something else entirely. Were you busy with something afterschool? What were you busy with? Another guy? The unpleasant thought immediately pulled a frown out of him, filling him with more distaste than he’d like to admit. That, was a variable he didn’t account for… No, it could be something else. Maybe it was the weather? The forecast did say it would rain today, but he had his umbrella, and he was more than willing to let you use it. Sharing an umbrella with your beloved under the rain was commonly known to be romantic, was it not?

Senku cupped his chin in deep ponder as he considered every case scenario. Or was it because the sun set rather early this season? No issue there, he was planning to walk you home from the very beginning anyway, well, if you would let him…. Or was it something else? Dammit, what the hell am I missing? Should he have waited to say something on White Day instead like common customs? But then that was an extra month he had to wait. It was inefficient. Ah, but couldn’t he just confess today, on Valentine's, and then do it again on White day? Matter of fact, he could just say he's fond of you everyday after today's confession onward, no?

"Um- sure?" You answered unsurely, still dazed from what you heard come out of his mouth.

He snapped out of his train of thoughts the moment your meek response reached his ears. "Be prepared then."

"Okay…" Cheeks flushing with embarrassment, you complied pathetically under his relentlessness. How could you possibly put up a fight against the persistence that was him?

"Why is your face so flushed?" He pointed out shamelessly, abruptly pressing his rough hand on your forehead to check your temperature as if his oblivious nature wasn't the very cause of your malfunction. "Do you have a fever or something? Why come to school if you're unwell? Dumbass."

"No! It's just… this is— well, you basically already confessed…" Shoulders sagging with defeat at his denseness, you finally addressed the elephant in the room.

"…."

A deafening silence ensued between the two of you, so deafening you debated whether you could really hear the beat of the man's heart before you or if it was imagination's cruel delusion playing tricks on you.

The realisation of his stupidity finally dawned upon him. His ears flushed a comical red, you watched with enamour as he rubbed the back of his neck with once-in-a-blue-moon kind of fluster. Senku’s attempt to hide behind his face framing strands was undeniably pathetic, so much so you couldn’t help the titter that left you.

"Damn it... A brain clouded by love really is the most irrational kind..."

a/n: first dcst fic! it’s lowkey a slightly altered version of a rin/sae fic that i wrote but i thought it fit Senku sm so i just had to 😭 comment below if u have any dcst fic requests! most of all, i hope you enjoyed!

dcst! masterlist

"Come on," Chrome whined, tugging on the edge of Senku's dress persistently. "You never tell us anything about life before the stone!"

"I've already told you about the inventions before," Senku retorted, swatting Chrome's hand away. "All of the ones you asked for, by the way."

"Okay, that's true, but you never told us about your life before the stone," Chrome clarified.

Kohaku nodded in agreement. "All we know is that your father is the founder of our village. Were you as unpleasant then as you are now?"

"I feel like he was always like this, ever since he was born," Gen chimed in, biting off a piece of his meat on the stick he held over the fire. "I wonder if anyone even liked him."

"Anyone who did would have to have been incredibly stupid," Ginro mumbled.

Senku didn't really know what made him cave in. Maybe it was the way that this wasn't the first time that they had asked him to talk about his life before the petrification. Maybe it was the way they were so quick to assume things about his life without concrete proof.

"For the love of —" he sighed exasperatedly, heavily planting himself onto the ground out of irritation. "Fine!"

Chrome, Kohaku, Gen, and Kinro collectively blinked at the same time. They didn't actually expect that to work, not when it hasn't been working for the past two weeks.

"I'll tell you about my life before the petrification," Senku said, "but you have to keep your mouths shut and don't interrupt me with any stupid questions. Understood?"

Chrome and Ginro nodded eagerly. Even Kohaku and Gen fell silent out of curiosity. This would be the first time the stoic, logical scientist actually shared things about his life, and they weren't going to let that chance go away.

"I'll only talk about one thing," Senku clarified. "And it will only be about this one thing, since I'm planning on reviving them sooner or later, and you might as well learn about them now."

"Them?!" Ginro gasped, and immediately yelped when Kohaku knocked their elbow deep into his gut in order to shut him up.

Gen politely raised his hand, making Senku sigh again for what would seem to be the first of many that night. "What, mentalist?"

"Are 'they' a friend of yours?" He asked.

The question made the scientist fall silent. Were they friends? He barely even considered Taiju a friend, and he's known him for much longer than he's known you.

And there's no way what he feels for you is that of a friend. He may be more knowledgeable with science and facts, but he wasn't ignorant about how his biology reacts different around you.

"I guess you could say that," Senku said. The rest of those surrounding the campfire exchanged odd glances when they all noticed the softness that his tone took.

Which meant that his story was just beginning.

—————

The first time you met Senku was a memory that Senku could never forget, because he was the only one of the two of you that actually remembered it.

You were both in your first year of middle school, and Senku had once again stayed behind in his school's science laboratory to make some things that Byakuya would definitely scold him for trying to make at home. At least the lab was left basically unsupervised, leaving him to do whatever he wanted as long as he cleaned up after.

After another failed simulation of his rocket engine, he packed up and went home, his head deep into calculations and possible solutions for his trial today.

He didn't expect to hear manic giggling from the small patch of trees beside the exit of his school.

Senku was curious. Of course he was; it was part of the basic structure of his ingenuity as a scientist. He would not have become the person he is now without curiosity, as it was his biggest strength. (And weakness.)

He approached the source of the sound cautiously. For all he knew, it could be some escaped convict that's currently hiding out in the greenery of his school.

He pushed the branches away, revealing a kid.

Their back was turned towards him. Their white uniform was dirtied with lines of soil, hair decorated with the random stick or stray leaf.

They were hunched over something, muttering to themself and laughing. Based on appearance, they were definitely not an escaped convict, but with how they were acting, they might as well be one.

(As if he isn't the same way when he was passionate about something.)

The kid was stuck in their own world, giving not a single sign that they were aware of Senku's presence behind them. He slowly approached them, peering over their shoulder to see what they were so focused on.

Now that he was closer to them, he could make out a bit of their unceasing mumbling, catching a few worlds like "rare… effects… test it out…"

Once he got a better view of what they were holding, he could no longer stay silent. "You do know that's poisonous, right?"

That was enough to snap the kid out of their trance. They yelped and spun around, the momentum causing them to fall ungracefully onto the dirt. Their eyes, wide with shock, stared up at Senku, as his seemingly uninterested red ones stared back at them.

That was the first time you had seen this boy. You were a kid that was always in their own separate plane of existence, never talking to someone long enough to remember their names or faces. Despite his unnatural hair and eye color, you don't remember seeing anyone like him in your school, but you were wearing the same uniform.

"You know about poisonous mushrooms?" You said incredulously. Not even your parents, who have been putting up with your antics since you could read books about poison, ever understood your interests. They only understood enough to keep you out of harm's way — not that it always worked.

The boy shrugged. "It's not hard to tell. The colorful ones are normally poisonous, sometimes even by touch alone."

You shook your head, holding your bundle of mushrooms towards him. He instinctively recoiled, but that didn't deter you. "These ones are only poisonous through ingestion! I read somewhere that these make your head feel fuzzy and affects the way your brain perceives color. I can't wait to try them out later."

The boy blinked. Once, then twice.

"You're crazy," he muttered, his eyebrows creasing. He couldn't believe there was someone as stupid as you.

You waved his insults away. "These aren't poisonous enough to kill. I mean, whoever eats these would most probably sleep for almost two days, but it doesn't kill if you just eat small amounts of it. I'll be fine!"

"How do you know so much about mushrooms?" The boy asked.

You grinned, standing up and dusting your uniform off with your free hand. Your parents were sure to murder you once you arrive home wearing yet another dirtied set of uniform, but to you, it was worth it if you were able to keep these mushrooms.

"I'm an apothecary!" You proclaimed, tilting your head up high.

The boy offered you a blank look. "Apothecaries don't wander around school campuses hunting for poisonous mushrooms."

"There's no better way to develop an antidote than testing it on yourself!" You didn't let the boy's pessimistic view on your practices dampen your spirits. "There's nothing like the threat of your own life being ended to find the most effective antidote out there!"

His expression morphed into something discreetly concerned. "You're insane."

"I prefer the word 'eccentric,'" you countered, weaving around him to leave. "Only geniuses would appreciate my dedication to my work."

Your last words were said as a murmur, obviously to yourself and not to him, but he froze nonetheless. Did you just assume that Senku was… stupid?

Despite being closed off and not having that many friends, there was no doubt that Senku had pride. Pride as a scientist, a soldier of technology, and a genius. The fact that you had indirectly demoted him to the status of an average person because he had said nothing but insults about how you do your craft hit a spot Senku refused to acknowledge existed.

"Some poisons have long-lasting side effects," he said snarkily. "Your own perception of color could be permanently altered depending on the strength of the mushroom's poison. Even worse, you could partially paralyzed."

You stared at him, eyes blank and unreadable.

Then you turned away without saying a single word.

Senku sputtered, slightly tripping over an overgrown root as he tried to catch up with you. "Wha — hey!"

You had gone back to your mumbling, your pace unnaturally fast for a small kid. You left Senku in the dust made from his own ego and audacity as he keeled over and started wheezing. For someone with a strong brain, he sure sucks at any kind of physical activity.

"Wait!" He called out, weakly reaching a hand out in a pathetic attempt of stopping you from leaving.

You finally turned, tilting your head at his distraught state. You had just stepped out of the gate, and he was already winded? What a weak kid, you noted.

"I'm a scientist," he said, finally gaining enough of his composure to straighten his back and lift his chin up high. "I can help you with your mushrooms."

You frowned. You couldn't really recall if there was ever a time where someone willingly offered to help you with your "weird" interest. "How do you plan on helping me?" You asked.

"I can help you develop antidotes," he offered. "I'm knowledgeable in chemistry and biology, so it would be easier for you to make an antidote, thus giving you more opportunities to test out poisons."

Putting a hand beneath your chin, you gave a moment of thought. It would be helpful to have another person of science working with you.

Maybe I can even try out stronger poisons now that I don't have to be completely mobile to administer a cure! You thought gleefully.

"Deal!" You chirped, holding out your hand. Your palms and fingers were stained with clumps of dirt, and Senku physically recoiled at the sight.

You looked down at your hand, suddenly aware of how dirty it was. "We'll shake on it tomorrow when my hand's clean! I have to head home. See you around, scientist!"

You gave him a single wave, before you launched into a sprint, obviously looking forward to working on the mushrooms in your house.

Senku slapped his hand on his forehead, shaking his head back and forth indignantly. What the hell did he just get himself into?!

He resumed his more relaxed trek home, his mind going back to his rocket model and more improvements, but now, his thoughts occasionally circled back to you — you and your messy uniform and beaming smile.

Then, he realized.

I don't even know their name.

Senku, at the time, didn't really understand why he was so hellbent on getting on your good side. You were just some random kid that he's known for less than an hour, but he was willing to put his dignity as a proud scientist on the line just for you to not card him off as another average person.

Whenever Taiju or Byakuya asked why he tried so hard to get close to you as he grew older, he had simply said that he didn't want you insulting his intelligence, since he was smarter than people who were even as old as his dad. But now, three thousand years later in a new world, he knew exactly why he sought for your companionship so much. It was the same motivation that drove him to look for your statue, somewhere out there, separated from his over the centuries that you've both been in stone.

From then, when you were kids, even until now, you had been the only one who didn't make him feel like an anomaly in society. Of course, he wasn't ashamed of how much smarter he was compared to the average adult, but he knew that his ingenuity also put up invisible walls between him and kids his age.

Though he may be the most logical child — or person in general — that you would ever meet, he was still inherently a human. Humans thrived on connection with others, because they were social beings. All humans, no matter how young or old, no matter how normal or twisted, will always seek human connection, whether consciously or otherwise.

Now that he had the chance to forge an alliance (because Senku would rather die than call it a friendship) with someone who was as passionate and knowledgeable in an aspect of science as he was with the entire subject, he subconsciously grabbed onto the chance and didn't want to let it go.

When young Senku arrived at his home, his father immediately noticed something was different about him. Byakuya could tell that his son seemed… hopeful.

"Did anything interesting happen today?" Byakuya asked lightly, peering at him over an old newspaper.

"I met an apothecary," he announced. "They're very odd."

"Like 'Taiju' odd?" Byakuya said teasingly, but Senku shook his head, ever the serious child.

"They're another plane of odd, but… they're like me."

The last part of the statement was so soft that Byakuya barely caught it.

"What do you mean, Senku?"

The kid shrugged, any ounce of childlike softness that had surfaced just a few moments ago already gone, as quick as it had arrived. "They're passionate about poisoning themselves."

Without any further elaboration, Senku retreated to his room, ready to work on his rocket during the time he had left before Byakuya would force him out to eat dinner.

"'Like you,' huh?" The older man mused, staring outside the window. The sun had began to set, which meant that he should get started on dinner soon. "I hope you find a friend in them, Senku," he muttered to himself, smiling slightly as he stood up and rolled up his sleeves, ready to get to work on food.

—————

Over the course of the next few months in your first year of middle school, you found yourself spending a lot of your free time with Senku. Through him, you met Taiju, the brawn. You thought that him and Senku complimented each other perfectly; that is, Taiju was nothing short of an airhead.

"Why would you try to eat that?!" Taiju cried, slapping another kind of brightly-colored mushroom out of your hands just as you were about to pop it in your mouth.

A scowl immediately replaced the once blissful expression on your face at the idea of digesting a new kind of fungus. "Taiju, we've been over this! I'll be fine! I just want to see how strong the effects of the poison are before our dear scientist administers an antidote!"

Senku rolled his eyes from behind his monocle (of course he had a monocle), examining the piece of the suit he was developing for Byakuya in order to help him with swimming to pass the astronaut qualification exam. "As if I would give you the antidote, apothecary."

"You always do," you sang, snatching the mushroom from off the ground again and putting it in your mouth before Taiju could stop you. Unlike either of them, you were a perfect balance of physical and mental strength; your reflexes outmatched both of Senku's and Taiju's combined. "Don't worry! I swear to you that I'll always come back alive!" You shouted through a mouth full of mushroom.

"No!" Taiju lunged forward, albeit quite dramatically, tackling you and making you both fall to the floor of Senku's bedroom slash lab. He wrapped his arms around your stomach, trying to squeeze it to make you cough out the mushroom.

But it was too late. You had already swallowed.

You swiftly elbowed Taiju in the stomach, trying to get him to let go, but he didn't even wince. Stupid meat shield.

"How are you feeling, apothecary?" Senku asked monotonously, not even bothering to turn around to make sure that you were okay. However, his hand was already reaching for the antidote that you made before you decided to eat the mushroom.

"Vision is getting blurry," you noted, grinning. "There's also a ringing in my ears, and I'm losing feeling in my fingertips." After a pause, flexing your numbing fingers, you made your conclusion. "I'm about to lose consciousness in less than twenty seconds. Please administer the antidote."

With that, you grew limp in Taiju's hold, and Taiju immediately let you go to make you lay down flat on the floor, brow creased in worry. You had done this a dozen times in front of the boy, leaving him trained in handling it, but he never really stopped worrying for you. It was stupidly sweet, you couldn't lie.

"Senku, you heard them! Give the cure!"

"Shut up, you big oaf, I'm doing it," Senku sighed, standing up and walking over to your body, kneeling over you and forcing the liquid into your mouth. He put down the bottle to massage your throat, trying to make you swallow. His other hand was on your wrist, his pointer and middle finger pressed on your pulse point to track your heartbeat.

He felt your throat move reflexively beneath his hand. He couldn't help the small feeling of relief that let made his shoulders sag almost imperceptibly.

"Are they okay?!" Taiju asked, looking over Senku's shoulder.

"Pulse is stabilizing," Senku muttered, more to himself than to the boy hovering behind him. "Breathing is evening out as well. They'll be fine; they'll wake up in a few hours or so."

Taiju let out a big sigh of relief as he leaned backward, sitting down heavily on the ground as if he was the one who had administered the cure. "Thank the gods they're gonna be okay! I should put them on the bed so they'll be comfortable when they wake up!"

He immediately reached forward, aiming to do just as he suggested, but Senku stopped him. "Just leave them there, you big oaf. If they wanted to be on the bed, they would have sat on the bed before they drank the poison in the first place."

Taiju hesitated, tilting his head in conflict as he battled between his thoughts and the suggestions of the smartest person he knows — well, now one of the smartest people he knows. "Are you sure that's fine?"

Senku sat back down on his desk chair, clicking through various websites displaying graphs that made Taiju's head hurt just thinking about looking at them. "They'll be fine there. Just go back to molding the plating for the suit. I still have to work out new simulations."

"Alright, if you say so!" The strong boy spared you one last glance before grabbing the aluminum sheet that he had before you had passed out, deciding to just work near you in case you wanted company when you woke up.

Senku mentally scoffed. Stupid oaf.

He let you stay unconscious on the floor of his bedroom, knowing that you preferred the feeling of the cool wood beneath your body whenever you were passed out because of a new poison.

Not that he left you there for that reason. Totally not.

—————

High school arrived faster than anyone had anticipated — except for Senku, obviously. The demon probably counted down the seconds from the end of their middle school to their first day in high school.

Luckily, the three of you had gone to the same high school, which was the sister school of your middle school. During your first year, you had met Yuzuriha, a sweet girl who was insanely good at arts and crafts. Taiju had been the one to introduce her to the group, and she quickly became part of your odd little circle of individuals. Along the way, you had noticed that Taiju had developed feelings for her, and Yuzuriha felt the same.

Now, it was only a matter of when either of them would cross the line.

Other than that, you were still close friends with Taiju, Senku, and now Yuzuriha. Growing up into a taller, smarter version of yourself did nothing to pacify your obsession with poison. All it did was make you bolder, and Senku's hair would have turned white a long time ago because of you if it weren't for the fact that his hair was… you know… genetically white already.

Due to your insanity and Senku's aloofness, most people kept their distance from your group. Although it made you seem like a bunch of nerds and weirdos (which, let's be honest, you were), at least you weren't tortured with being approached every day by new people hoping to be friends with you.

You already had your circle of friends, and that's enough. It took you a long time to even warm up to Yuzuriha, and you were still in the process of doing so. The thought of adding someone else to your group sent shivers down your spine.

You were with Senku in the lab, as usual. Although it was technically club time, Senku simply worked on his own thing despite being the head of the science club, leaving the rest of the members with basically free time on their hands.

He was muttering to himself about something as he peered into the microscope, while you were doing the same on another table, but you were currently making an ointment for the rash that appeared on your back a few days ago as a side effect from another mushroom you decided to eat. Your antidote had done well in keeping your heart from stopping, but it left the non-lethal side effects for you to deal with separately. So fun.

Taiju barged in, slamming the door open as he announced, "Senku! I will confess to Yuzuriha today!"

You looked up from your work and grinned at him. "Finally. Don't mess it up."

Senku, on the other hand, look at him as he replied, "Great, do you want this potion I made? It makes you irresistible, and it boosts your confidence level by two billion percent." He grabbed a beaker filled with a strange fluid and held it out for the boy to take.

You watched Taiju consider it for a moment, before he cemented his resolve and shook his head with a determined frown creasing his eyebrows. "Thank you for the offer, Senku, but I won't need it today! It's either she likes me back or she doesn't — whatever comes next should be up to her and how she truly feels!"

"Bravo," you nodded in approval, giving him a small round of applause for his awareness. "Good luck, Taiju."

He smiled at you. "Thank you!"

With that, he left the lab.

"Yo, Senku, does that potion actually work?" One of the club members asked.

An evil grin spread on Senku's face as he poured the liquid out into the drain. "No, this is petroleum."

You perked up. "Do you still —"

"No, I'm not giving you any of that," Senku interrupted you, giving you a scolding glare. "One of these days, your organs will stop from the amount of stress you put them under."

Huffing, you deflated into your chair and rolled your eyes. "Boo. No fun."

You soon engrossed yourself in your work, while Senku decided to take a little break by the window, sipping on his drink while he watched his friend confess to his crush.

Then the flash of green light came from the distance.

He turned to you to warn you, to make sure you would be safe.

You looking back at him in confusion was the last thing he saw before the stone swallowed him whole.

—————

The people surrounding the bonfire were silent. The only sound heard was the crickets and the crackle of the burning wood.

"So that's what happened to you when the petrification happened," Gen hummed softly. For once, there was no tint of mischief or manipulation on his face; his expression was simply neutral, neutral in a way that only a person who knew how it felt to turn to stone could have.

Senku scoffed out a laugh, but it wasn't humorous. It did nothing to alleviate the tension that lingered in his frame ever since he started his storytelling. He couldn't believe that he actually let himself be convinced to tell your story, like you were some kind of legend that could only live through memory.

"Senku," Kohaku started. Her voice was unnaturally soft, with a feeling akin to pity. Senku didn't like it. "If you were able to develop the revival fluid, then why haven't you revived them yet?"

"You think I wouldn't have done that already if I could, lioness?" Senku said, voice void of emotion as he stared at the flame in front of him. "I haven't been able to find their statue. The change in terrain during the past thousands of years seemed to separate us far enough for them to go to a place that I can't reach yet, not with our current tools and situation."

"It would be good to have someone good at medicine with us," Chrome muttered, adjusting his headband. "Maybe they can make the all-cure drug faster than we did!"

Senku let out a chuckle. "Nah, they don't really dabble in pharmacy. They'd probably make some other kind of remedy, purely out of the plants that they could find."

The thought made Chrome's eyes sparkle. "So they're a scavenger too?! That's so cool!"

"I wish they were here so we could meet them," Suika said sadly, sniffling a little bit as she slowly recovered from the tears that she shed from Senku's stories. "They seemed like a good person."

"Yeah, they are."

Chrome stood up, grinning with a determination that only he could have. "Senku, I swear to you that we will do everything we can find them and revive them!"

Senku stared at him. His words sparked a memory.

"I swear that I'll always come back alive!"

The scientist couldn't help but throw his head back in laughter. "If you want that to happen, Chrome, then you better work two billion percent harder tomorrow so we can make the phone!"

Ginro groaned dramatically, flopping on the ground. "Look what you did, Chrome! Now we're subjected to more labor because of you!"

"We have to do whatever Senku wants either way, since he's the village chief," Kinro reminded his brother. "Rules are rules."

While the rest of the circle conversed with each other, Senku slipped away from the gathering as he made his way to the observatory. The turmoil of the entire exchange made the exhaustion sit heavier on his bones, and he needed an ample amount of sleep for his brain to function to its highest potential tomorrow as they continue the reinvention of the phone.

As he laid back with the blanket pulled over his chest, he stared out at the open sky, watching the stars glint in the black night.

He was participating in this war against Tsukasa for multiple reasons; ownership over the Cave of Miracles, diplomacy, resources, manpower… the list goes on. The whole village knew this, which is why they were all willing to help him.

However, there was one more reason that he decided to keep to himself. After endless calculation and prediction based on how much the land has developed during the petrification, where he was originally, where he found Taiju and Yuzuriha, and where their school once was, Senku was over eighty percent certain that your statue was hidden somewhere deep in Tsukasa's territory. If he wanted to find you, scanning that whole area would be the best place to start.

"I swear that I will find you," Senku whispered to the stars, as if they could somehow convey his message to wherever you were hidden. "No matter what it takes. So hold on for a little bit longer for me, apothecary."

He closed his eyes and let himself sleep. That night, he dreamed of your eyes, and how much he yearned to see them open once more, free of stone.

“You're not denying it, which means there's definitely someone you admire, am I wrong?”

“Yeah, I admire Albert Einstein.”

“A girl damn it!”

“You said someone that I admire.”

“Let's not push Senku-chan further, he's an awfully stubborn man.” Gen sighed, he knows that Senku is hiding something from them, but the scientist is way too good at keeping his shit together. Tricking him to spill out his secrets has a chance of an absolute zero.

The way this conversation is going is slowly killing his hopes on Senku actually having a relationship or a simple crush. He already stated that love is illogical and a waste of time to them before, he never made any nice comments about it.

Gen decided it's best to let it go for now and watch from the sidelines, he figures there might be a slip up soon if he chooses to let things take their own course. His face looked quite dejected.

“Kukuku, you look like I refused to give you a math cheat sheet. Seriously, you two should mind your own business.” Senku waved his hand dismissively.

“Whatever you say Senku-chan.”

…

Senku usually stays late inside the school laboratory to work on experiments, but this time he waits at the gate. His watch displayed the time, 5 PM, he glanced at it with a patient look. Then he hears you, your loud but gleaming voice echoed in his ears.

“Senku!!!” You waved both of your arms in the air as soon as you saw him.

“You'll ten billion percent rupture my eardrums sooner than I will launch a rocket to space.” He picked at his ear to display annoyance but the softness of his voice gave it away.

“You know you love it!” You aggressively grabbed him by the shoulders, almost making the guy lose his balance.

“Alright calm down, you're acting like a 5 year old that consumed the whole candy aisle.”

“Sorry! It's just so unexpected to see you waiting for me.”

“Have to break a routine at some point.” He shrugged it off.

“Aww, you're so sweet!”

“Don't make me regret this.”

“Doubt you will, you're smiling like a maniac!”

“You're stretching it.”

You both giggled at the exchange. He took your hand and walked outside with you by his side.

“How's the crafts club?” He tried to play it cool, but it was difficult when you're tightly holding hands with him.

“The usual crocheting and stuff. Yuzu and I were so busy earlier that I nearly forgot my own lunch!” You responded happily.

“Bothersome, you could've starved during your classes if you didn't remember such basic necessities.”

“And you're the one to talk? On most days you survive on just coffee and sunlight. You experiment on your chemicals longer than me doing crafting projects!”

He clicked his tongue at your comeback, you had a point. “Touché.”

You two continued to walk back home, you were mostly yapping about your day while he stayed silent to listen to your experiences. To think the Senku Ishigami would be the listener in your relationship and not the other way around is quite surprising.

Actually it's more surprising that he's in a relationship, and nobody knows yet except for his two close friends — Taiju and Yuzuriha. He's not a big fan of publicly announcing it since he hates how much people love to pry about his personal life. So he tries to keep it as private as possible by expressing how love can't compete with science, being the center of attention when it comes to love is not his cup of tea.

Although it doesn't stop the curious minds and their hypothetical thoughts. People expected a cold, efficient, and logical genius like him to be his partner. However, you were by far the opposite of him. You're just like Taiju, extroverted, loud, energetic, and way too emotional. Because of it, nobody stopped to think that you two were compatible with each other.

And another reason that nobody knows you're both in a relationship, is how little you see each other in school. Not from the amount of assignments piling up, but from both of your projects in your own clubs.

He's always up to something in the science club, while you crochet and sew clothes in the crafts club. Neither of you had the time for a break and look for each other.

Yet it felt natural between you two, despite being busy for the other, you still managed to find ways to make up for lost time outside class hours.

You would often hangout with Senku at the rooftop, where there's barely any students. Perfect for both of you to just bask in the presence of your partner without any prying eyes.

“Hey, Senku-kun!” You called out to the guy who's been spacing out since you went quiet earlier.

“Yeah?”

“Do you think that someone will find out about our relationship one day?”

He gave some thought to it and broke out his signature grins. “Kukuku, ten billion percent. Our little privacy won't last for long, especially since Gen and Ryusui have been pushing me to talk about love more. It was getting difficult to call it irrational and pointless.”

“If they do figure it out, you're still going to stay with me, right?”

“I would be an idiot if I didn't. Sure it's gonna be a pain in the ass, but I'll manage. Besides, you're worth more than science, it would be hell to give up on a girl I love.”

You blushed wildly at his response, you expected he would call you a dummy for asking a stupid question, but he didn't. He admitted something real so casually, it was enough for you to bring your arms to him for a hug.

“I love you so much!!”

“Okay okay, be easy with me. I can barely breathe.” He muttered breathlessly, patting onto your back weakly.

“Oh sorry!”

“Seriously, control your strength. This genius might not live long enough to get married to you.” His ears turned bright pink at the tips.

“Stop! You're too smooth for your own good!” You squealed and playfully smacked his chest, which he reacted to with a chuckle. Both of you were so lost in your own world, none of you noticed a certain senior and a filthy rich student watching you from afar.

They have been spying on Senku without him knowing. And they managed to see your interactions with him so far. Their faces were priceless to see the moment you hugged Senku tightly; clearly they aren't used to seeing you hug their physical avoidant friend. Senku is going to have a long talk with them.

Senku's project advisor closed the door as he exited the meeting room. The leek-haired man's phone vibrates, reminding him he was on a call.

"Taiju? Oh, sorry about that." Senku presses his phone to his ear, talking to the man on the other side. "Don't worry about it! And that's amazing, Senku! Congrats!" Taiju's boisterous voice rang loud, making Senku put some distance between his phone and his ear.

He let out a laugh, trying not to feel too smug about it. "Yeah, well, it's no big deal. It was almost to be expected with the amount of work I contributed into the project."

He smirks, leaning on a wall while the conversation continues. "That's true... then I assume that they're okay with it?" He hears Taiju ask and raises a brow.

Taiju pauses before continuing, "Since its a big deal and you had agreed so quickly, I assumed you already talked about it with them."

"Them?..." He licks his lips in thought, "What do you mean?"

Taiju's line goes quiet for a moment before Senku hears his voice again, he mentions your name and continues. "Do they not know? Oh, well, I just mean... don't you ask your partner first before agreeing to those kinds of things?"

Senku's reply is only him humming in thought. "Though if I was in that situation, Yuzuriha probably won't be mad anyways so I can't imagine them being any different... oh well!" He couldn't believe that Taiju, that oaf, of all people was giving him something vaguely like relationship advice.

It was true that Senku had agreed rather fast when the project advisor had approached him, he was on the phone with Taiju when it happened so it was only natural that his friend had overheard everything. Senku was offered a seat in the latest mission, a project he'd also contributed a lot towards. For him, it was a no-brainer to accept, it was a great opportunity after all. It's not like it'd be his first time flying off to space either, so... was it really necessary to bring it up to you first? The thought hadn't crossed his mind. Though now that Taiju had pointed it out, it left him conflicted.

Senku was almost completely lost in thought when he heard Taiju speak again, "Oh, Senku! Yuzuriha's calling me down for dinner so I gotta go. It was nice catching up!"

Senku's eyes found the clock hanging on the wall opposite to him, realizing Taiju was right, he hasn't even noticed. "Yeah man, have a good one." The call ended.

Senku brought the phone down from his ear and stared at his lockscreen. The clock on his phone had also read 7:22 PM. His eyes drifted to his wallpaper, looking at the photo he had set as his wallpaper. It was a photo of you and him wearing your highschool graduation robes, taken after the ceremony.

He sighs, Taiju's words was bothering him more than it should. Why was it gnawing at him? He turns off his phone and rubs his temple, the bright lights were starting to get to him too. Perhaps it'd do him some good to come home early, and have that chat with you too while he's at it.

...

The apartment was quiet when Senku entered, but not silent. He could hear you were home, if the mood lighting turned on was not enough evidence of your presence.

"I'm home..." Senku announced, closing the door behind him as he loosened his tie. Upon entering the living room, he immediately spotted you by the couch. The warm glow of the floor lamp was the only thing illuminating the room, but it was enough for Senku to see the scattered mess across the coffee table.

You, who were sorting through folders, looked over your shoulder with shock to see him. "Senku! You're home early?" Not waiting for a reply, you immediately picked up some documents laying on the couch, adding it to the pile on the coffee table instead. Tucking them away to make space for him to sit.

Senku was about to argue. One, that it wasn't an early time to be home and two, that you didn't need to bother. But he shut his mouth instead, sitting next to you, and compared to the time he'd usually go home- it was early.

"If I'd known, I would've cooked us dinner." You smile, discarding the folder to focus on him instead. "Oh! have you actually eaten dinner yet? If not, I can-"

He sighs, cutting you off. "I ate at the office, it's fine."

He leans into the couch, relaxing. You copy him, "Alright, that's good..." You let out a satisfied hum.

What once would've warmed his heart with appreciation for your understanding nature, now tugs his heartstrings.

It slips into his mind again, he'd forgotten about it briefly on the commute home. But it's here again. There was this doubt that it shouldn't be like this. Then again though, it's not like it was actually something to complain about. Other people would probably die to have a partner that wouldn't complain even if they always get home from work late, even if they always missed dinner, or go on work trips without asking for permission first.

He sighed and ran his hand through his scalp. Of course, it doesn't escape you.

"Was work extra tough today?" He turns to look at you, only to find the gentlest eyes paired with the warmest of smiles. The look of love he's ever so familiar with, you never looked at him with anything else but love in your eyes, and it made his chest feel tight.

You didn't push him for an answer, recognizing the look of distraction on him. His mind was always running. "I'll get us something to drink." You stand up, heading to their kitchen. And Senku was left with his thoughts. Again.

Well, he came home with a concept of a plan. Talk to you about what he was feeling. Because he had never struggled to voice out what he felt, ever.

Lies, of course. For someone who is always telling other people to just verbalize what's on their mind, Senku certainly struggles when it was his turn. It was inefficient, and the heavy feeling on his tongue was mocking him.

It reminded him why it took years to even admit he had romantic feelings for you. He can hear your soft humming coming from the kitchen and it reminds him of how long you've actually been together. From quietly working together in the school's science club, to staying up during the late nights to finish college assignment and now living under the same roof.

Your relationship with Senku was never rocky, steady, in fact. You've always been together, always the other's constant and Senku had grown comfortable with that. But now there was this lingering thought that won't leave him.

He might've continued spiraling but the feeling of cold glass pressing on his cheek brought him out it, "Huh?"

"Something's on your mind, isn't it?" You ask him, handing him the glass of water while you sipped your own.

Senku puts off answering the question by drinking his own, but decides to speak up in the end. "...I got invited to join the mission."

You hum, "The one you were working on? Mhm, that sounds great."

Right, see? What Taiju said, it was unfairly making his stomach sick. Got him thinking about "normals," something he hadn't done since he was in middle school and wondering if there was something wrong with him when he struggled to feel romantic attraction towards other people. Something that seemed to come so naturally towards his peers.

But, he thought for sure things were surely different now. Senku got comfortable with that. How can he not? It came so easy with you.

You had accepted his entirety without struggle, and with welcoming arms instead. When Senku had first mentioned to you about his struggle with intimacy, you didn't even have a hint of surprise on your face.

Throughout your relationship with him, you never asked for more than what he gave. But what has he given you? The guilty feeling that he’s been lacking is what weighs him down, Taiju only made him remember it was there.

Senku eyes you sitting next to him, rubbing your eyes as you look over some documents. So normal couples even bother asking to go away on business trips? Well, a space mission isn’t a typical business trip but… semantics.

If Senku had missed the note on that, what else had he missed out on that the average conventional couple did?

“Are you…” Senku starts, licking his lips. “Are you okay with that?” His hands wetter from sweat than the condensation from the glass of water.

You look at him weirdly, “What.” You chuckled. “Well, yes..? Why wouldn't I be?”

He wasn’t nervous about the possibility of you not being okay with it, in fact he doubted it was even a possibility at all– and you had just confirmed that.

“You never usually ask anyways?”

Senku placed the cup on an empty spot on the table. “I hear it’s what other people do.” He spoke, slower, words feeling a little heavier than they usually do. “…ask for their partner’s opinion.” He clarifies.

You hum absentmindedly, “Doesn't mean we have to, it’s fine. Why would I ever want to hold you back from what you enjoy?”

Those comforting words send Senku spiraling once more, why did you immediately go to assure him? It felt wrong to him. He wasn’t the one who needed it, he should be the one comforting you instead. Tell you that it was okay to hold him back, to selfishly ask for his company instead of going some place else. Instead, he was being comforted for his own shortcoming.

“No…” He stands up and sighs. “You don’t hold me back.” He affirms. “If anything, don’t you think I'm the one who holds you back?”

In a softer voice, “Senku…” You called. “Where is this coming from?”

Senku runs a hand through his hair. “You can ask me to stay with you.”

“I don’t understand…” You shake your head, “Do you not want to go?”

He wasn’t stupid, he knew there was probably a better way to get what he meant across but right now… the words hung heavy and Senku couldn’t find strength to reach them.

“No, I- I do…” he stammers out. “I'm just asking what you- you…” he pauses, trying to catch his breath. “You're just okay with this?”

You stand, brows furrowed and concern plastered on your face. “Yes?” You let out a sigh. “C’mon Sen, what is it really?”

Senku wills himself to calm down, the beating of his heart slowing down. “Taiju… that oaf, mentioned something about talking to your partners and it- it just got me thinking about you.”

Have I not before? He thought. Why was this the first time I had thought to ask first?

His eyes drift down, no longer looking at who was standing in front of him… in shame? Embarrassment?

“Asking your partner before agreeing to business trips?? I didn't even know about that. What else do I not know?”

His voice, now full of frustration, was getting louder. “Just how much have I actually been holding you back? Dates, romantic evenings, affection… don't you want it? Why don't you ask me for it?”

For a second, You don’t say anything. His outburst probably caught you off guard. “I… because…” You start.

He doesn't see it but, You were looking at him so tenderly. “I never minded it. I mean, asking for those kinds of stuff, they would just get in the way right? And… science has always been your priority, something I never really wanted to get in between of.”

Get in the way? No…

Despite having a drink of water not long ago, his throat felt strangely dry. “No, that’s… you can tell me. I wouldn’t choose science over y-“

“You don’t have to say stuff like that.” You take a step forward towards him, entering his field of vision once more. “I'm more than happy just being with you.”

Senku shakes his head in disagreement, placing his hands on your shoulder. “No, let me… hold me accountable if I’m not enough.” Desperation was obvious in his voice as it trembled, why was this harder than rebuilding humanity from scratch?

He opened his mouth to speak but you had beaten him to it. “Sen, I have always loved you for who you are. I never needed you to change.”

“It's always been fine if I came second, or if there were things I couldn't have. As long as it meant I could stay by your side.”

Senku’s hands, that found their place on your shoulders, fell to his side. He pulled away, took a step back and averted his gaze. He felt like he was about to collapse any second now. “You're wrong…” He whispered, finding his own voice too weak. “I can-“

…

He couldn't even find the words. How could he convince you when he couldn't even convince himself? Maybe you were right. Maybe it was foolish to even think otherwise, maybe it would’ve been better to just brush it off and think nothing of it, to just keep going with the way things were.

“Sen, I love you. Its okay, really, don't need anything else.”

But as Senku’s eyes find the ever gentle smile on your face, he just couldn't give up, couldn't just let it end there, and he’d have to be maimed before he would even consider backing down.

It was late into the night now. A couple of hours had passed since the… argument? Disagreement? Could it even be called that? Regardless, Senku’s mind was a little clearer now. That isn't to say his frustrations had disappeared though, no, if anything it was stronger now. If Senku had to describe it, it would be like the frustration that came with trying to solve an equation when all the principles weren’t given, leaving him to find it on his own.

He was leaning on the kitchen counter, pondering by himself with only the warm kitchen lights to accompany him. You had already gone to bed, no doubt that the unexpected outburst he threw at you had worn you out. Ironic, as it was the same thing that was currently keeping him wide awake now.

The more he thought about it, the more he couldn't accept it. Though he also knew that denying the facts is just being stubborn. It was true that science has always been what he put, it was true that no matter how much time would pass, Senku would probably always struggle with feelings and affection. But what wasn't true was that there was nothing he could do about it.

It was on Senku’s third attempt that he managed to launch a rocket beyond the earth’s atmosphere, each one taking a grueling amount of patience, research and care. He was going to be damned if he was going to be defeated by his inexperience with romance. It was time to do things his way, because he’d rather fail in his attempts for hundreds of times than potentially lose something good, the one thing that kept him anchored.

With a fire in Senku’s eyes, one that usually only showed when he got his hands on a new discovery, he would look at you soon enough, brand his usual cocky smirk that tells you he knows something you don't and show you just how much he can achieve for you. He clenched his fists, he was going to prove he deserved to let you stay.

...

The office has been busy with preparations. Senku was supposed to be focused on running simulations for the launch to happen with zero casualty, but really, he was running simulations in his head for something else. He was no stranger to having to go through plenty of trial and error when doing something for the first time, and now he was stumped with having to figure out how to romance his own partner.

If he had it his way, he would’ve just tried anything and everything, it was the fastest way to get accurate information on what works and what doesn’t. It’s a little shameful that he doesn’t even know, actually.

He truly felt like he had gone back in time to when he was still a fumbling highschooler trying to figure out how to woo the person he was admiring. Though, arguably, he was still fumbling and trying to figure out to woo you- it’s just that, now he was older. Wiser? that’s debatable. He has plenty of experience under his sleeve with rocket launching and outer space research now but probably still in the same place he’s always been when it comes to love.

Even now, that word still rolls off his tongue in a weird, unnatural way. Love.

What did love mean? What did it mean to love? Senku feels slightly silly thinking about it, such questions felt like they would really only come from a pubescent girl trying to sound deep. Still, you made it look simple. When he tries to recall all the things you had done to show him love, he would fill up a notebook trying to list it all down.

Acts of love he so graciously repays by coming home late and droughts of affection.

Senku sighs, feeling dejected by his own neglect. He runs a hand through his hair, unintentionally glaring at the screen in front of him. He had gotten barely any work done and he hadn’t even gotten far on the other heavy topic that was weighing him down. Perhaps it was time to take a break.

The scientist moves to stand, finding his way to the nearest vending machine. It was lunch time now anyways, even if he was usually known for prioritizing work above all else, it wasn’t going to be unusual to step away.

Actually, would you have eaten lunch by now too? He thinks as he pushes the button for a can of cold coffee and inserting the exact number of coins for it. It drops and he picks it up, though he doesn’t open it just yet. Instead, he takes out his phone from his pocket and pulls up your contact.

His thumb hovers over the call button for a second before ultimately pressing it. Senku hoped you weren’t busy. His phone vibrates in his hand, the call ringing. While he waited, he opened the canned coffee and leaned over a nearby wall- just in time for you to finally pick up.

“Senku?” You answered, dragging out the last syllable of his name. You sounded cheery. Though, it’s not like the you were ever upset for long periods of time when it came to him, even if you had gotten into what you’d essentially call a disagreement just a few nights ago.

Senku grunted out a reply, “Hey.” Clearing his throat before taking a sip of his coffee.

“What’s up? Did you need something?”

“Did you eat lunch yet?” He answers the question with another question.

“Ah? Mhm, not too long ago …why?”

“I’m just asking.” He mumbles, throwing away the empty can of coffee in a nearby trashcan.

You giggle, “What? Is something up? Have you finally inhaled too much fumes?” You teased.

He smiles to that. “So, I can’t just ask you that? Whatever happened to making small talk?” Senku swears he almost choked on air while trying to form a coherent sentence. Since when did a casual back and forth make his palms sweat?

“What.” Senku can hear your laughter through the phone. “You’re being so weird, when have you ever made small talk? If you need something- “

Maybe it was the taunt, but now Senku had felt like he had to bite back to that. Why can’t he just do it for the sake of it? He ought to prove he can do such things soon.

He licked his lips, “Yeah, maybe I needed some of your attention?” His voice cracked at the end, and Senku couldn’t be more thankful it was only a voice call. He so badly wanted to bury himself for that fumble of a line delivery.

However, he was then snapped out of his self-deprecation when he hears you yelp.

“WHAT.” Senku presses the phone closer to his ear to hear muffled coughing from the line but quickly has to pull it away again when you start rambling at louder volume. “WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU. ARE YOU SICK…”

“S-seriously! You can’t just say stuff like that, what is wrong with you- you should get checked out, I think the fumes have actually entered your brain-“ You don’t stop, spouting at an incredible speed, no doubt flustered as well.

He smiles at the thought. Well, he might’ve not given the best line delivery but it seemed to at least worked out anyways.

“I gotta go.” Senku cuts you off. He didn’t actually have to go but it was time to retreat for now.

“H-huh? Oh okay…” You stutter out, still taken aback.

“Seriously… what the heck.” He hears you whisper before ending the call.

A win is a win. Senku thought, huffing out a laugh. That little unplanned, stunt he pulled had gained him some confidence. If earlier he was feeling stuck on how he should go about his whole plan about romanticizing his own long-term relationship, then now he feels a little more certain.

Perhaps it was going to be good, perhaps it was even going to be fun.

And if anyone saw Senku walking back to the office with an evil smirk and a dangerous glint in his eyes? No, they didn’t.

...

Unfortunately, breaking habits never come easy.

In Senku’s defense, the workplace was getting busier. With the launch date coming closer and closer, the need to double check and eliminate any potential of something going wrong. The tiniest wirings needed to be inspected over and over again, hundreds of simulations that needed to be ran through and in case something does go wrong- safety measures that needed to be taken.

And thus, Senku came home late once again. To no one’s surprise, really.

He felt specially exhausted as well too, something he usually wouldn’t think much of as he’d normally be coming home feeling quite content. The blanket of exhaustion would be his proof of a well spent day at the lab. But today, he’d wanted to go home early for the sake of spending time with you and it’s been ruined.

The unmoving traffic was not helping either. He sighed, glancing at his phone to check the time again as if it’ll make it a difference. A chuckle coming from the man beside him had caught his attention, however. “In a rush to get home, Senku?”

Xeno, who had offered him a ride when the older one noticed they were leaving at the same time, looked at him with curiosity. “You’re usually the last one to leave. How unexpected to see you rushing to get home for once.”

Senku hid his impatience with a smile. “Heh. You’ve been watching me that closely, Dr. Xeno?”

“Hmph, it was merely an observation.” The older one retorts. “Perhaps, there’s a special occasion today?”

He looks away, leaning against the window instead. “Nah… nothing like that.”

The traffic finally moves and the car reaches a more familiar area. It’s completely dark out now, all the buildings in the area had turned on their lights and the streets was far less busy now compared to how it would be during an earlier time. Everyone seemed to be on their way home now.

“We’ll be nearing your block soon.” Stanley, whom had been driving for them, assured as the car came to a stop again- the last red light in the way of Senku reaching home.

He gripped his phone, debating if he should just go for it as he eyes the screen of the traffic signal counting down 120 seconds. “Actually, I’ll just get off here.”

“Are you sure?” The man beside him asked.

He hurriedly made sure he got all his belongings before replying, “Yeah, this way you won’t have to take an extra turn either.” He put his hand on the handle, ready to exit. “Thanks for the ride.”

“Well, get home safe.” He hears Xeno say as he closes the car door.

Senku didn’t know why he was rushing home. Why had every minute mattered now when it didn’t before? Well actually, he did know why. It was just hard to admit. It was a mix of reasons, between wanting to competitively prove something and genuinely wanting to show that he can love something else that wasn’t work- that no, he wasn’t just a man drowning himself in chemical compounds and scientific equations, he too can do something in the name of love.

Which was quite hard to prove now that he can’t even manage to come home early.

Ever the man with no stamina, he’s already breathless from speedwalking and climbing a couple flights of stairs. He opens the door to the apartment and is greeted with the absence of light. Had you already gone to bed? He shuffles around and tries to feel around the walls where he remembered the light switch was. After awkwardly palming the wall, he eventually manages to smack the switch on.

Senku hears a scream and flinches. His eyes hadn’t even adjusted to the sudden bright light yet but is already trying to look for you, worried you somehow managed to get hurt.

“Ugh… Senku? Is that you? I just got flashbanged…” His eyes eventually land on the clumsy you who was laying on the balcony floor for some reason.

He frowns, wondering what it was that you were up to. It was worrisome, why were you laying on the balcony floor with no lights on? It was a small balcony, just big enough for a couple of chairs so someone could hang out there in case they needed some fresh air, and on the occasion- where they hanged laundry to dry.

“What are you doing? Freak.” Senku questions, squatting down near you.

You tilt your head to look up at him, with a big goofy grin. “I’m trying to let my eyes adjust! It’s common practice to let your eyes to get used in the dark for at least 30 minutes first before doing any stargazing.”

“Although… now I’ve been flashbanged, thanks to you! I think I’ll have to restart.” You pout.

Senku sighs, standing up. “And laying on the floor also helps with that?” He pulls one of the chairs closer to them and signals for you to stand up and sit on the chair instead. “Sit on a chair like a normal person. Isn’t the floor cold? If you get sick, I’m not taking care of you.”

He hears you groan before moving, “Research says that floor time is great, actually.” Your voice slightly fades as Senku walks away, turning off the light switch from the hall.

Research? He lets out a dry laugh. “Uh huh, I’d love to read that study.”

The scientist can barely hear you mumbling out some complaints when he enters the shared bedroom. Senku puts down his stuff on the floor somewhere, careful to avoid knocking down a random furniture from how dark it was. He squints his eyes, trying to find a blanket. When he spots one, he snatches it and walks back to the balcony.

The balcony lets in a bit of light at least. The moon illuminating your figure. He slows down, quieting his footsteps as if he was trying not to scare a small animal. Perhaps he was scared that if he made a noise, he’d somehow scare you away into disappearing- away from him. He frowns.

Senku drops the blanket on you inelegantly before taking a seat on of the chairs as well. “Ah! That scared me…” Judging from your laughter, it didn’t actually. You wrap the blanket around you better than Senku did, a smile on your face.

“Andromeda is supposed to be visible to the naked eye tonight, it’s great!” You exclaim.

Senku looks away from the night sky, staring at you instead. “You know we have a telescope, right?” He says as a matter-of-fact, raising a brow.

“Yeah, but this is still different! There’s just something about actually spotting it with your own eye, you know?” You insist, looking up with a sparkle in your eyes.

“Not really, I mean I see these galaxies on like a regular basis from our telescopes. It’s almost a chore now.” He states dryly, leaning back.

You pout, “Boo.” You stick out your tongue as taunt. “Okay, we get it, Mr. Astronomer Scientist!”

“You’re looking at one of humanity’s potential doom. Unlike other galaxies, Andromeda moves towards us. If the sun doesn’t explode first, then we’ll be wiped out when the Milky way and Andromeda inevitably collide.” Senku smirks, explaining dryly as if he wasn’t talking about the wipeout of humanity.

“Well, that’s for the future. For now, it’s just beautiful to look at.” You shrug, used to the somewhat deprecating comments he would make.

And Senku looks at you. Really looks at you.

He can admit that Andromeda looked beautiful up closely. Well, closer than from Earth’s surface anyways. On land, Andromeda looked like just an average star. Maybe slightly bigger and fuzzier- almost blurry. But that was about it, he didn’t think it was anything to celebrate about.

“Oh! I think my eyes are adjusting… I can see a lot more stars now.” You chirped. “And soon, Andromeda!”

Right now, it wasn’t any star or galaxy that held Senku’s gaze. It was you. Senku chalked it to fatigue, too tired to lift his head and look at the stars, so instead he admires the person next to him. Whether anyone would buy that excuse doesn’t concern him. It was just easier than admitting to the whole universe that he found you beautiful, so he tucks it inside his chest with a poor disguise.

Senku can’t actually recall the last time he had properly looked at you like this, too busy looking at microscopes most days.

Time has passed; the two of you, together, for a long time now. You’ve both grown out of your baby faces, developed a few wrinkles and deepened smile lines. Both having respectively gone far in your careers, and have entered a stable spot in your lives long enough for you to say that it has become mundane.

Mundane…

Perhaps that’s why Senku got complacent in the relationship. It was just something he put at the back of his mind, repeating that he’ll get to it later yet making no plans to actually go through with.

He frowns and glances away, finally choosing to look up instead. His eyes immediately spotted the distant galaxy, Andromeda. It was terribly small from this distance.

“Can you see it yet?” The scientist asks only to find you scrunching your face in an effort to squint harder.

You grumble. “No, am I blind?”

He can only snicker, “Idiot, you’re looking at the completely wrong direction.”

You let out a drawn out, “Huuuh?” Senku stands up and moves behind you. He wraps an arm around the back of your shoulder as he crouches near your level and points.

“Focus your eyes on that area.” He instructs. “See that fuzzy thing that kinda resembles a star?”

You let out a small gasp after realizing, “Woah. That’s it?” You question. “It looks so… normal. That’s a whole galaxy? It just looks like a slightly stretched out star.”

Senku smirks, “Why do you think it took so long for the existence of other galaxies to be accepted? It’s only been a hundred years that people started comprehending that the Milky Way was only one of the thousands of galaxies out there.”

“And that’s gonna crash into us one day.” You giggle. “How unthreatening.”

“Uh huh. Let me know if you still think that way when you see it up close.” He quipped.

You hum in thought, “I don’t know… We’ll be old and wrinkly by the time it comes for us.”

“I’ll be surprised if that’s all we’ll be, decomposed is more like it.”

A comfortable silence blankets over them, quietly admiring the cosmos in peace. We’ll be old and wrinkly, huh? Senku found he didn’t hate the thought.

...

“Senkuuu…” You whine. “Wake! Up!”

The man groans in protest. “Ugh.” He lifts up his head and rubs his eyes in frustration. “What.” Senku deadpans. He looks over to you, still clad in your pajamas and obviously looking like you’ve also just woken up.

“Why are you still here? Aren’t you supposed to be at work by now?” You hurriedly question. “It’s already 7’o’clock!”

Senku groans again and falls back to the bed, slightly grumpy from having been woken up. “I don’t have to go in early today, they’re preparing a few training stuff for the people who’s gonna get on board.”

“Oh.”

You scratch your head sheepishly. “Sorry… you usually leave so early, I kinda panicked. And plus! You didn’t say anything about it.”

Too sleepy for a coherent conversation, Senku just babbles a response, already closing his eyes again. “Alright, well, just go back to sleep then.” You say as you move to leave the bed.

Before you can, Senku throws an arm around you. Not totally keeping you in place, Senku’s stick arms being too small for that. “Huh? Why?”

“Silly, I have work.” You blink, confused as to how he forgot.

Defeated, Senku lets out a third groan. It was super rare for the both of you to wake up at the same time. Usually, the scientist had to wake up much earlier in order to immediately get back to work. But now, all he wanted was a lazy morning and you were threatening to leave. It was cruel.

“No one’s gonna die if you’re five minutes late.” He complains.

You laugh, mocking his distress. “Wow. I never thought I’d ever see the great Ishigami asking for morning cuddles.”

Still, the whining seemed to have worked as you slide back under the blanket with him. A win is a win. Senku cheered in his head.

You laid together quietly, warm and cozy. And he was so close to slipping back to dream land when he felt you shift again. “Okay but like, I really do have to get ready now.” You whisper. As much as Senku wanted to protest more, he let you out of his grip now.

He hears the bathroom door open when you enter it and decides to also get up now. Granted, he could’ve kept sleeping. He wasn’t needed at work anytime soon, lest he volunteers himself for physical labor. Still, he drags himself to the kitchen.

Routinely, he made himself his usual pot of coffee and your preferred hot drink. He settles your cup at the dining table while he sat and sipped his drink. He can hear the water from the bathroom has stopped now. You were most likely going to come out of the room soon after getting dressed.

After thinking through some simulations in his head, you come out and walk towards him. He hands you the cup of milk. “Careful, it’s hot.” He warns, knowing you’ll still probably burn your tongue anyways.

And you did, “Ah. Oops.” You stick your tongue out as if that’ll make it feel better.

Senku can only huff in disbelief, “Idiot.”

He watches as you blow air into the hot drink, cooling it down, when an idea presents itself to him. It immediately paints an evil grin on his face. He doesn’t usually do it, but the opportunity is just far too tempting, far too amusing.

You eye him weirdly as he lets out a stream of evil, low chuckles. Senku pays you no mind. “Shouldn’t you get going soon? You were so worried about being late earlier.”

“Huh? Oh, right.” You test the temperature of the drink and after confirming it was at a much tolerable level, quickly gulp it down. “Thanks!”

You move quickly, grabbing the last of your things before heading towards the door. Senku, who was in no rush, places both of your empty cups by the sink. “Are you leaving now?” He calls out.

“Hm? Yeah!” You answered, putting on an extra outer layer of clothes by the door.

Senku walks over, putting his plan into motion. He leans on the wall and crosses his arm, failing to hide his smirk as he was preparing to drop a bomb.

“No goodbye kiss?”

It was amazing to watch you completely freeze in motion, face morphed into horror and warm. “E-excuse me?” You choke out.

Senku holds back his laughter, keeping up the act of composure. “Hm… Just gonna leave me to take care of the house all day for nothing in return?” He teased.

“O-okay? First of all, I sincerely doubt you’re going to do anything productive before leaving for work too. Second! Yeah, you’re not going to be here all day. So, I don’t know what you want, good sir.” You ramble, blurting out words faster than you can think in an attempt to conceal how flustered you were.

And this time, Senku couldn’t contain his laugh. He steps forward, going closer to you. “A goodbye kiss would be nice.”

He thinks that, if you were a volcano- you would’ve definitely erupted from embarrassment by now. “Since when! You’re acting crazy-“

“Since now.” He cuts you off.

You squawk in disbelief. “I swear- they actually did something to you in that lab. A failed experiment or something, and now you’re all weird and crazy.”

He shakes his head. “You can just say no. Why do I have to be dragged into a conspiracy theory?”

He smirks in triumph, knowing he’s won when you couldn’t find any other rebuttal to make. Just quiet, debating whether or not you should take the bait. “I swear, I’ll be the one who turns crazy with how you’re acting crazy lately.” You huff.

You take a step towards him, closing a bit more distance. If Senku’s heart wasn’t beating so loudly in his ears, he might’ve just heard the curses you were spewing under your breath before finally kissing him on the cheek.

“There. Happy?”

Not quite. Senku cups your cheeks before you could move away and presses his lips with yours. He hears your little squeal as he deepens the kiss, and it makes Senku’s heart do a little backflip and a twirl as a landing pose.

When they part, your eyes were so dilated it would’ve been concerning under any other circumstance. Though, Senku doesn’t say anything about it, he was sure he probably looked the same.

They quickly take a step back from each other. Senku letting out a little cough and you were suddenly much interested on what was on the ceiling. “Well, uh… you should go.” He broke the silence first.

“Yeah, I- yup! I’m gonna go…”

You both awkwardly shuffle for a few seconds, Senku moving out of the way to let you out. “I uh… I’ll see you later then.” You croak out, turning to leave.

The door closes and Senku almost keels over right there and then. WHAT WAS THAT!

A kiss was just a kiss, lips on lips. It held no purpose, not even in recreation. The only reason it holds any significance was because humans decided it had one and oh god- Senku was spiraling. In an attempt to calm himself he was now rationalizing what a kiss was. Senku doesn’t know how other people manage to kiss in a relatively casual manner without going on the verge of a heart attack.

But in terms of a trial, it certainly didn’t end as an error. Although he realizes, maybe he should’ve thought about it more before going through with it. After all, when was the last time you’ve had a proper kiss like that?

Senku lets out a sigh as he crashes on the couch, feeling slightly weak in the knees. He can still recall how hard his heart was beating, and was still in fact trying to calm down.

He definitely wasn’t the biggest guy on physical touch as a love language. Physical intimacy wasn’t necessarily scary, no- he didn’t fear it. More like, it made him squeamish? To him, it just came so unnaturally. Hence, never getting any proper “practice” for it and hence, never getting properly used to the act. It was just another pointless endeavor the alloromantic did for the sake of it.

You were the only partner he’s ever had. Every first time he had was with you, and it was something. Which might sound bad to anybody else but, for him- it was just hard to consider special. Still though, what made this “goodbye kiss” so different from all the other times to the point he felt like he was going to burst like a supernova?

When he recalls all the other kisses he’s shared with you, they never really felt like that. Small, quick pecks at the lips that really felt more like formality. Though, he guesses it wasn’t always like that. The closest thing he could compare it to was the feeling of anticipation and uncertainty he felt during the early days of your relationship.

When the two of you were still experimenting and approached love with a curious hunger. So, was it the eagerness to comprehend that made this recent one so explosive? The need to prove something with scientific evidence? Senku admits he initially thought of the plan as just another part of finally being a little more conventional with your relationship with him but…

It’d gone so well it would be a shame to boil it down to just that. But why?

Senku closes his eyes. What was it that makes a kiss so tender and explosive that couples did it so regularly despite not having any real purpose? And what had he been doing wrong before that it became something so mundane to the point it was something he avoided?

When did it become something he just disregarded? And how can he ensure that never happened again?

He was going to need another cup of coffee. Thank god he had a few hours to kill.

...

A few weeks have passed and the launch date was getting closer and closer. So close in fact, that it was going to be the day after tomorrow. And for the first time, Senku was dreading it. He did not want to leave.

He was just starting to really enjoy spending more and more of his time with you. Senku wonders when the distance between the two of you actually grew, memories of being peas in a pod during highschool flooding him. Was it when you both entered college and had gone into different majors? Or was it when either one started getting flooded with work- drowning and sinking deeper into more work that was covered up with the excuse of pursuing passion? Or maybe, it was only ever Senku whom had assumed there was even a distance to begin with.

Because now, as he looks at you and your smile, he can’t find any semblance of a distance. He feels closer to you than he had ever before, and greed whispers to him that he wants to be even closer.

In a last-ditch effort to spend his remaining time with you, he had made reservations for the two of you at this fancy place that had recently opened. You had both dressed up for the occasion, ditching the usual comfy clothing for something slightly uncomfortable in exchange for looking better.

And looking better indeed was his partner standing beside him as they waited for their names to be called. Huh, names… The hostess was going to call out a reservation for his last name and yours once there was a table ready.

Senku snaps out of his thoughts when you tap him on the shoulder. “Are you really sure it was okay to not attend the celebration?” You ask.

The celebration for the launch, it was also being held tonight in order to congratulate those who had worked hard on the project. It would be crowded, with journalists and plenty of flashing lights from photographers trying to get the latest gossip.

“I told you already, no one’s even gonna notice I didn’t attend.” Senku assures, his pinky locating his ear out of habit. “It’s just a bad excuse to sip wine and act snotty.”

You purse your lips, “Well, alright.”

A beat passes. “You’re much better company anyways.” He says, refusing to look at you. His cheeks had a light dusting of pink on them.

“And… you look amazing.”

The compliment slips out of Senku before he even realizes it.

You, who was standing beside him, can only laugh. He pouts, he gives a heartfelt compliment and this is what he gets? “Not even a thank you? Just going to laugh at me instead?”

You snort, “It just feels weird hearing you say it.” You laugh lightheartedly, “I guess, I’m just not used to hearing you say stuff like that.”

And Senku leaves it at that but his thoughts don’t. Why was it weird? Why couldn’t it just be the most natural thing in the world?

Senku can admit though, it did feel weird to do all these things. But it wasn’t bad… Yes, it was still unnatural and foreign to him, but at the same time, it felt like something he wanted to continue. Like a new discovery he wanted to keep studying. It felt overwhelming at times, and he found himself wanting to pause time for a few seconds every now and then just so he could recollect himself. Still, he didn’t wish to leave. He wanted to stay, soak in the moment and replay your laughter just to enjoy it, even at the cost of his dignity.

He'd sincerely wished he’d done this sooner and more often. He’ll be sure to make up for lost time.

Eventually, the two of you are seated and handed a menu. It was certainly a nice place. Despite having the capabilities to seat more customers, the restaurant chooses to give plenty of space between tables instead- making it scarce and each party having their privacy.

You were seated just across the table from Senku, the candle at the table illuminating your features. He watches you skim through the menu, as you purse your lips while trying to decide on an entrée. You look up to catch his gaze and smiles, “Sen? Have you already decided what you’re getting?”

The two of you converse easy, helping each other decide what looked good or not. You flag down the server and state what the two of you were having. The server gives the both of you a pleasant smile and claims they’ll be back with your food before finally leaving the two of you alone again.

You catch Senku’s attention, “Psst, Sen.” You smile when his attention lands on you. “Do you think the food will actually be good?”

He raises an amused brow, “Are you having doubts?”

“I mean…” You drag out the last syllable in ponder. “Isn’t it usually a gamble when it comes to a place like this? It’s either the food doesn’t actually taste good or the portion size is abysmal for its price.”

Senku snickers. “If you wanted to go to a greasy fast food place instead, you could’ve just said so. No need to disguise your picky eater trait by placing the blame somewhere else.”

“I am not!” You pout. “If it does end up good then you’ll never hear me complain again. But if it’s bad, then I’ll have told you so.” You stuck up your nose.

“Besides, it’s your money wasted anyways.” You grin.

Senku crosses his arms at the comment. It was true of course, but what fun would there be if he just let it go? “Oho, why do you even have a job then? If you’re just going to be a freeloader.”

You quip, “For fun! What else?”

The two of you continue to banter, not even noticing the time that was passing as it was quickly filled with smiles and laughter. Still, the food had finally arrived.

The entrée wasn’t bad… not bad enough to stop eating. It was the main course that had the two of you in a laughing fit, covering your mouths in an attempt to not disturb the other guests from their behavior. It wasn’t bad, nor was it good.

The food had been terribly mediocre.

They weren’t even quite sure what they were looking at when it was first served to them. How could food look cooked and raw at the same? The food was obviously cooked but from the lack of anything, it had managed to look raw.

You were holding your stomach from the laughter. “I can’t… I just- WHAT is this…” You poke at the food in emphasis. “It looks like they just boiled everything and called it a day! Not a SPECK of seasoning is on it…”

Senku couldn’t even manage a response, too busy trying not to die from laughter. “Senku! Are you even listening… Pft- I mean, just look at it!”

When he does look at it, he ends up letting out a howl of laughter. “O-okay, stop… stop talking…” He wheezed. “I can’t breathe-“

He wipes off some sweat from his forehead in an attempt to calm down. Trying to help, You pass him a glass of water, which he gladly took and downed.

“I wonder if the water was boiled too-“

And that was it. Senku Ishigami had died from laughter.

The server assigned to your table had eventually noticed the commotion and had come over to ask if anything was unsatisfactory. You, not having the heart to be honest just kept quiet as best as you could, placing a hand over your mouth and hoping the shaking of your shoulders didn’t make it obvious you were one push away from bursting out laughing. On the other hand, Senku whom had been tired out from nearly dying of laughter just waved the server away.

Confused but unwilling to ask any more questions, the server leaves them be.

“What do you say we just leave?” Senku suggests, resting his chin on a propped up hand.

“Awe, but what about dessert?” You pout, feigning disappointment.

He flashes you a smile, taking out his wallet and stack of cash that more than covers the cost of the bill and tip. “We can get something from the convenience store on the way home.”

You giggle in satisfaction. “Sounds like a plan.”

Senku stands, extending a hand for you to take. “Now, come. Let’s go before someone notices.”

Senku was pretty disappointed that their dinner hadn’t gone exactly as he planned. Next time, he’ll be sure to read a couple of reviews before settling on a decision.

...

The two of you were at home by now, still clad in fancy attire, sitting at the couch as you both wind down. You were leaning on Senku’s shoulder, humming a soft tune while scrolling through your phone.

He clears his throat, catching your attention. “Listen, sorry it didn’t work out tonight…” He frowns, voice getting quieter at the end. Scratch that, he wasn’t just pretty disappointed, he was massively disappointed. He had hoped that things would end well tonight as it was essentially their last before Senku had to leave. A disappointing, heavy error that weighed his heart down.

You break away, sitting up straight. “No… it wasn’t even your fault.” You chuckle as a brief memory of what happened flashes in your mind.

You falter for a second before continuing. “Actually, I should be the one to apologize.”

Senku eyes you, confused. “Remember when you had brought it up? About how I shouldn’t have accepted being second on your list?” He winces for a second at the reminder but lets you continue anyways. “Well…”

“Yeah.” You smile gently, looking at him in the eyes. “I’m sorry, Sen.”

“I was just… I always want to be your biggest supporter, and if it turned out that I was ever getting in between you and your passion- it would’ve broken my heart. I want you to reach all the dreams you have, so I let myself come second, I insisted. That’s why when you came to me, suddenly proposing the idea of prioritizing me… I got scared. What if I caused you to slow down?”

Senku mutters your name, brows furrowed. You shake your head, and it makes his heart ache. “And, I always knew that conventional romance wasn’t your thing. That was another thing I would never want to pressure you into. But I guess I was so tunnel visioned on that I ended up brushing it off when you wanted things to change.”

You press your forehead to Senku’s, “And look at you. You’ve proven me so wrong. You’ve treated me so well these last few weeks…”

“It’s been barely anything…” He whispers, emotions welling up at his throat.

You pull away, looking at him. “You should give yourself more credit, Dr. Ishigami.”

Senku’s hand twitches, the urge to cup your cheeks and kiss you silly was strong. But his stomach had other plans, growling from neglect. “Pft-“

“Tsk, seriously?” He deadpans, scratching his neck in disbelief.

You calm yourself down from giggling, “To be fair… I’m also hungry. We barely touched our food earlier.” You stand up, heading for the kitchen. “No worries, I’ll whip us up something deserving of 3 michelin stars!”

He sighs, leaning back to the couch in defeat. “If it has salt- I’m sure it’ll already be ten billion percent better than what we had earlier.”

He almost dozed off while waiting for whatever his partner was preparing in the kitchen, but the moment the aroma hit his nose, he was completely awake. He stands and makes his way to where you were only to find you stirring in the seasoning pack to two cups of instant ramen- ah, a delicacy indeed.

“Wow. Well that definitely has sodium in it.” He remarks dryly.

His partner chuckles, “Oh I’m about to undo all the training they had you do with some bad, bad diet.” You pass him his cup, still steaming, alongside a pair of chopsticks.

He smiles; heart filled with warmth. All those trials and specially tonight’s error had been well worth it. There was no greater reward than slurping instant ramen in the kitchen while dressed in a well-tailored suit with his partner.

It just made the fact that he had to leave all the more bitter. Ironic, considering a few weeks ago he hadn’t given staying at home an inkling of thought.

No, a few weeks ago, all Senku saw was intricate, delicate wirings and calculations of numbers that exceeded him more than he’d like to admit. Now, he bathed in the warm kitchen light, heated from the inside by comfort food and sharing laughter with the person who’s been with him through it all- the same person he now has to separate from.

Yes, it was his decision. One that Senku was allowed to regret but also wouldn’t take back. He looks at you, seeing the same person he would share unhealthy instant ramen back when you were suffering through long nights in your respective majors. You who wanted nothing more but to support him.

It tore him apart. Because now, he just wanted to slow down for once and walk by your side instead of leaving for a vast, empty space. Sure, there were sights out there that no human has ever even seen yet but where was he going to find your bright smile and red cheeks in the endless stars if not right here at home, beside him?

Maybe that was the importance of asking your partner first.

...

Senku left early the next morning. He hadn’t woken you up when he did. He felt bad, you had both stayed up relatively late last night and he had to leave after only a few hours of sleep already. So, he let you rest instead.

The launch wasn’t until tomorrow’s dawn, but everyone involved had to be at the site for all the preparations and precautions that needed to be taken. It wasn’t Senku’s first rodeo. He had already managed to be a part of multiple projects like this one in the past, with his impressive genius of course.

Despite the rest of the city still in slumber, there were already plenty of people at the site running around with work to do. At least, that’s what Senku would assume. Considering there was a party thrown last night, it was also highly possible that a good majority of the team was still recovering from hangover.

See, Senku had made a detour. He figured; it wasn’t like the site was going to go up in flames if he was an hour late and, in his defense, it’s not like he did it on purpose. Not totally anyways. But this antique store had caught his eye on the way, it was the only thing that was open and had its lights on in the desolate streets. And like moth to a flame, Senku had stopped his commute to take a look.

The warm lights that the store used was perfectly highlighting the stock they kept, painting each item in a golden hue. It carried a scent that was comforting and nostalgic, of old books with a hint of dust. Soft music played from, what Senku would guess, a jukebox. It didn’t sound familiar, something that probably would never play in radios nowadays, but not a popular classic either that anyone would’ve known- it was most likely just an obscure song that the owner loved during their youth.

He really should just leave now. There wasn’t really anything here that was worth getting an earful for. Still, his feet remained planted for just a second longer, admiring all kinds of trinkets that the store carried.

It wasn’t until he was about to leave that something had caught his eye. Just a few steps away from the door, there was a shelf he had missed when he first entered. It was relatively empty compared to the rest of the shelves, housing only a few items. One of which was a jewelry box.

The box itself was rather big, holding all kinds of accessories. Though it was an antique store, the other items were well maintained, except for this one. Senku guesses it had been there for a long time now, untouched, the untrained eye probably dismissing it. And he couldn’t blame them, from the first look, most of the jewelry was rusted or in bad condition. Unless people were specifically looking for worn out jewelry or hoping to repurpose the metal, there really weren’t going to be any customer buying anything from it.

Senku exited the antique store, fidgeting with something as small as a coin in his hand. He tried to pay for it at first, but when he brought it to the counter, the old man tending to it just waved him off. It was most likely because the item had been too small or dirty, perhaps feeling a little too bad to charge anything for it.

Senku doesn’t dwell too much on it, just playing with the item as he continued on his way.

...

One would probably think that it gets busy when you’re outside of the Earth’s atmosphere, and it does, but not enough to occupy all the hours. Once the routine of monitoring, maintaining and reporting was done, Senku had just enough time on his hands to wallow in his thoughts.

Senku had spent a good portion of his life looking at the moon, wondering what mysteries it held and the vastness of space beyond it. But now, he finds that he’s always looking back at Earth, relishing its familiarity instead of the unknown that the rest of the universe around him held.

Science had advanced far enough that communication between those in Earth and those outside of it was no longer impossible, but it was still kept limited for various of reasons. Resource management, the occasional delay, risks of interferences and such held him back from talking to you like he would if he was just a few miles away from you.

So instead of risking the chances of getting a scolding for wasting resource and causing delays, he spends his time fidgeting with his new antique when the urge to mindlessly talk with you sprouts. It had a considerable amount of tarnish and built-up dirt that covered its true color.

The spacecraft thankfully had stuff he could use to return it to its full glory. A simple salt bath in aluminum foil had already done wonders for the tarnish, and a bit of elbow grease to get rid of the stubborn dirt stuck in the nook and cranny had it sparkling in what he assumes had been years.

Senku wonders whose hand it had belonged to before him. Perhaps the old man that was attending the antique store he got it from? Or perhaps someone had surrendered it there a long time ago. Did it always belong in that jewelry box or was it just eventually placed there when there was no space anywhere else?

Well, no matter, it was his to give now.

...

The rest of the month that was spent in that spacecraft was unworthy to Senku. After all, the revelations that would come after was what they were going for anyways. Him and the rest of the crew were only there so that once the spacecraft would be fine on its own, everything would go well.

So once word got to them that they were being prepared for return had reached Senku’s ears, he was basically buzzing with anticipation. It was time to go home.

The camera flashes that were getting in between him and getting home was thoroughly irking him, still he tried to not show it too much, good media meant more budget after all. But the exhaustion of landing back on Earth was really weighing him down, figuratively and literally. Gravity felt heavy.

It was important they received an immediate check-up after landing, so while Senku wanted to just insist he was fine so that he can go lay down at home, he gritted his teeth and let the medical team do their work.

Thankfully, someone had finally come to escort them out of the scene, ushering the media away so a path could form. Him and the crew were then brought to a more secluded area, seated in wheelchairs to avoid any accidents in case a disorientation spell was to happen.

Senku just quietly let everything happen, just hoping all of it would go faster. He spots Xeno and other familiar faces monitoring and helping the process go smoothly. Obediently answering all the questions the stationed doctors were asking him while they helped him out of the heavy spacesuit, careful not to shock the body.

Eventually, he’s assisted to a private room where they helped him lay down on a bed. After a more intensive interview about his state, they finally leave him be.

He lets himself close his eyes for a second.

The peace however, does not last long as it’s interrupted by a series of knocks. The door opens and he tilts his head to see who it was.

There you were, carrying a bouquet of flowers in your arm. “Hey, Sen.” You called, softly. “You’re back.”

His eyes widen, certainly not expecting the sudden appearance. He doesn’t let it show for long though, a curious expression quickly replacing it. “And who let you in here?” He snickered.

“I’ll have you know it was Dr. Xeno who invited me here.” You quip, laying the flowers at the bedside table. “What? Not happy to see me?”

The opposite. Senku had such a big smile painted on his face, the expression was one he couldn’t suppress. “I was just about to get some shut eye, you know? Way to ruin my beauty sleep.” But he tries and hide it anyways, relying on his sarcasm as his usual line of defense.

A line of defense that easily crumbles as you flash a smile of your own. “Yeah, well, I think you’re plenty beautiful even with dark circles.”

“Though, the jet lag must be insane. From all the way outside of Earth’s atmosphere to here.” You jest.

Senku lets out an amused chuckle. “Not quite, not like there’s any day or night out there anyways.” He lets out a groan, sitting up.

“Oh… Are you really sure you should be sitting like that?” You worriedly ask.

“You act as if it’s my first time.” He smirks, smugness evident on his face.

You can’t help but laugh in amusement. “Ok genius, we get it.”

Senku was glad that the medical team hadn’t bothered to link him up to a heart monitor, because good god his heart was beating fast now. The weight in his pocket was reminding him of the existence of a certain object. All of a sudden, he felt sick and on the verge of hurling. If it does happen, at least he had the excuse of blaming gravity. It doesn’t slip by your keen eyes though, try as he might to pretend that he was feeling fine. “Are you sure you’re okay? You look pale.”

The scientist prided himself in being able to plan ahead. It was necessary after all, in his field of work, an error could mean death so it was only natural that there had to be extensive planning throughout the whole thing.

However, he was still human. He had impulses.

During the month he had spent floating in space, Senku had plenty of time planning out scenarios on how he would ask the question. Each with its own elaborate details and scripted lines. But now, desperation was clawing at him, specifically his pocket, screaming at him to just man up and do it already.

Worried from not receiving an answer, you offer to call someone in. “I’ll go get a doctor, okay?”

Before you can get far, Senku grabs a hold of your wrist, effectively not letting you get far. Because yes, after spending a month away from you with minimum communication- even just leaving the room felt too far from him.

“No, I don’t need a doctor.” He manages to croak out; his throat filled with anxiety.

He knows it’s sudden, after all this was not the plan. Not even close to it. Plans of waiting for a few months, plans to establish a more stable foundation before even entertaining the idea had been all thrown out the window now.

With a weak push, Senku stands up for a second.

“S-sen! I don’t think you should be doing that- sit back down-“ You panic, holding him by his shoulders in case he toppled over.

Kneeling down was even harder but he eventually manages to get down on one knee, taking all of his strength. Though it did get easier to manage once he found his balance. You shakily take your hands off him, stepping one foot back.

“Senku?” You call out, voice audibly shaky.

His heart almost backflips out of his throat when he couldn’t feel the item on his pocket for a second, letting out a sigh of relief when he finally finds it. His hands were not only incredibly sweaty but trembling too.

Senku wishes he could be one of those people who manages to voice out a whole speech, vocalizing their feelings without any difficulty, but he just did not have it in him. “You already know right?” He lets out a weak laugh as if it’ll mask the fear he was feeling.

Before all of this, he couldn’t even ask you what your thoughts was on him leaving and now, he was asking you to stay with him forever.

He wills himself to stop shaking when he holds out the ring. The same ring he had found a day before leaving, the same ring he had painstakingly cleaned and took care of when he should’ve been writing reports.

Senku could see your tears welling up in your bright eyes, he should apologize afterwards for all the heart attacks he’s been causing to you lately. But not until after this latest one.

“I’m sure this is sudden for you but I had plenty of time to think about it, way up there in space.” He smiles. “And it’s not exactly a space rock but…”

“I do hope you’ll say yes.” He calls your name. “Will you marry me?”

You don’t let him entertain the idea that you’ll ever say no, quickly nodding your head. You whisper out a yes through your tears, crouching down at his level to wrap your arms around his neck.

Relief had washed over him, wrapping his own arms around you.

Unfortunately, gravity was still heavier than what he was used to. He quickly lost balance and the both of you end up on the floor. “Ugh, okay. I might actually need a doctor now. I think I hit my head.” He deadpans.

You let out a laugh, smiling through your tears. “I can’t believe you. I’ll get mad if I find out they’ve actually replaced you with a different Senku…”

He can only huff in disbelief. “The ring is not on your finger yet. I could take it all back if I wanted to.”

You shake your head. “No, no. I didn’t say anything.” You quickly take back your comment. “Give me!”

You wave your left hand in front of him, not minding the fact that the two of you were still very much on the floor. Senku can only laugh at you, sliding the ring on your finger anyways and placing a tender kiss on your cheek. “Here, you better not lose it.”

No errors here. It had gone completely successful, and despite all the trouble he had to go through, Senku would’ve done it all the same. No elaborate plan or scheme would’ve beaten the euphoria he was feeling. He’ll gladly endure tomorrow’s back pain for laying on the floor if it meant holding his future spouse for many more years to come.

END.

Senku reeled back like you’d electrocuted him. “That is NOT how science OR ownership works, you primitive ape!!”

“Too late, I called it!” You crossed your arms, smirking. “Ishigami Senku is officially mine. No take-backs.”

He wiped his cheek aggressively, looking more scandalized than you’d ever seen him. “First of all, that’s completely unscientific. Second, that’s disgusting! Third—” He scrubbed his cheek harder. “WHY WOULD YOU LICK ME?!”

You giggled. “Because you’re mine, duh.”

Senku’s face burned bright red, and for the first time ever, he had no comeback. He just grumbled something under his breath, turned on his heel, and stomped away—probably to disinfect his face a hundred times.

You picked up your shiny rock and grinned.

It had been three hours since ‘The Incident.’

Senku had spent the remainder of recess scrubbing his cheek with the intensity of someone trying to remove radioactive contamination. He had also, to your mild amusement, been uncharacteristically quiet since then. No rambling about physics, no smug comments about how he was the smartest person on the playground. Just red ears, wide eyes, and the occasional distant stare into the void.

Not that you noticed.

The school bell rang, and as always, you waited outside the gate for Senku so you could walk home together. He was taking a suspiciously long time to emerge, and when he finally did, he kept two feet of distance between you, eyes darting anywhere but in your direction.

You tilted your head. “Hey, you okay? You’ve been weird all day.”

“I’m fine,” he said stiffly.

You blinked. Shrugged. And then—as always—grabbed his wrist and started dragging him home.

This was routine. Senku, being Senku, would get so lost in his thoughts that he’d walk directly into traffic if left unsupervised, so it had become your personal responsibility to make sure he actually got home in one piece. Usually, he just let you do it. Today, however—

The moment your fingers curled around his wrist, Senku jolted like you’d electrocuted him.

“W-WHAT NOW?!”

You glanced back at him, confused. “…What?”

“Y-You’re—” He clamped his mouth shut, face burning even redder. You’d never seen him so visibly malfunctioning.

You raised an eyebrow. “Senku, you’re always lost in your head when we walk home. Do you wanna end up in a ditch?”

That seemed to shake him out of it, because he scowled and grumbled, “Tch, fine, whatever,” before reluctantly letting you drag him along.

Again—not that you noticed his existential crisis.

By the time you reached Senku’s house, his entire mood had not recovered. His dad, Byakuya, was already home, leaning against the doorframe with a knowing smirk.

“Well, well,” Byakuya said, arms crossed. “You’re later than usual. Let me guess—Senku got caught up in another experiment?”

“Nope!” you chirped. “Senku’s just being weird.”

Byakuya blinked. “Oh?”

Senku visibly tensed. “I’m not being weird.”

You squinted at him. “You spent the whole walk home redder than a tomato.”

Byakuya’s eyes lit up. Oh, he was already having too much fun. “Wait a second… Did something happen today?”

Senku froze.

You, however, nodded enthusiastically. “Yup! I licked him.”

The pregnant silence that followed could have had her baby before one of you spoke.

Byakuya blinked very slowly. “You… licked him?”

Senku looked like he was praying for a spontaneous meteor impact.

“Yup!” You grinned. “Because I licked him, he’s mine now.”

Byakuya immediately lost it. His booming laughter echoed through the street while Senku visibly died inside.

“PFFT—AHAHAHAHAHAHA!” Byakuya wheezed, clutching his stomach. “Oh man, I knew someone would get you one day, but this is beyond my expectations!”

Senku buried his face in his hands. “Kill me.”

“Nope, no can do, my boy,” Byakuya grinned, wiping a tear from his eye. “You’ve already been claimed.”

Senku made a noise like a dying cat.

Meanwhile, you just smiled, completely oblivious to your best friend’s utter suffering.

Senku was not flustered.

Flustered was an illogical state of mind. It served no scientific purpose. There was absolutely no reason why his brain kept replaying ‘The Incident’ over and over again like a glitched-out record player.

Unfortunately for him, Byakuya wasn’t letting it go.

The entire evening had been filled with teasing. Every time Senku walked into the room, Byakuya wiggled his eyebrows at him. When they sat down for dinner, Byakuya stuck his tongue out just to watch Senku choke on his rice.

It was absolute hell.

But eventually, time passed. Senku convinced himself that it was a one-time thing. A weird, impulsive moment that you’d already forgotten about.

…Until the next day.

It was recess again, and you were crouched on the pavement, examining another rock. Senku sat nearby, scribbling formulas in a notebook. Things had finally returned to normal.

And then—

“Hold still,” you said.

Before Senku could process those words, you leaned over and—

LICK.

Except this time, you weren’t licking him.

You were licking Taiju.

Senku’s entire body short-circuited.

“W-WHAT?!” Taiju yelped, nearly falling over.

“There,” you declared proudly. “You’re mine now.”

Taiju jumped back up. “FOR REAL?!” You were unphased by his demeanor, courtesy of knowing the guy since diapers. “I HAVE TO LICK YOU BACK TOO!”

Senku stared. His brain refused to compute.

He knew it was stupid, unscientific, completely irrational—but for some reason, something in his chest clenched.

He scowled. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

You turned to him, tilting your head. Taiju’s mouth was obnoxiously close to your own pretty cheek. “What?”

“You—you already did that to me.” His voice came out more accusing than intended.

You blinked. “Yeah, but Taiju’s my friend too.” Said boy had some drool fall to the ground from how big his mouth was, still propped open in mid air. The big oaf.

Despite the warmth he normally felt for your antics today it was dulled. Senku felt something ugly twist in his stomach.

“Yeah, but you licked me first,” he muttered under his breath.

“What?”

“Nothing,” he snapped, crossing his arms.

Taiju, meanwhile, was still reeling. At least he had the decency to close his mouth.“Wait, so, uh… does this mean I belong to you now?”

You nodded firmly.

Senku’s eye twitched.

“No,” he blurted.

You and Taiju blinked at him. “No?”

“No.” Senku scowled, pointing at Taiju like he was an incorrect math equation. “That’s not how this works. You can’t just—just collect people.”

“…Why not?”

“Because,” Senku snapped, voice sharper than usual. “I thought you picked me.”

The words escaped before he could stop them.

Silence.

Taiju blinked. You blinked. Senku, realizing what he had just admitted, suddenly wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

You tilted your head. “Oh. You wanted to be special?”

“N-No, that’s not—” He stopped. Because that’s exactly what he had meant.

You grinned. “Okay.”

Senku frowned. “Okay, what?”

You leaned in—too close—and licked his cheek again.

Senku froze.

“There,” you said smugly. “You get double licks, so you’re extra mine.”

Taiju burst out laughing.

Senku made a noise like a dying computer. “I—that’s—” He stood up so fast he nearly knocked over his notebook. “THAT’S NOT—WHATEVER! I’M GOING HOME.”

And then, he fled.

Taiju wiped a tear from his eye. “Man, you really broke him, huh?”

You just grinned.