Just Let Yourself Love You Without The Guilt

every three months he'll post and in the author's note there's some shit like "sorry this took a while, i got shot seven times :/" or "i know it's been a minute, i literally got hit by a bus and then stabbed in the leg, but i'm all good!" or sometimes ned would log in and post with a note "hey i'm a friend posting on the author's behalf, they're healing from severe hypothermia but promised an update, so here it is!"

and the fic just gets increasingly more popular for the author notes alone. a good handful of the comments are something along the lines of "i'm not even in the star wars fandom, i'm just here to see if the author is good" or "every update i cheer for another day the author gets to live at this point"

and any reader who is a native new yorker kind of pieces together that holy shit the author might be spider-man because the timeline adds up, and they just fully embrace it. spider-man will stop a robbery and the guy behind the counter will ask when the next chapter will be up. spider-man returns a stolen backpack to a girl and she'll tell him that he "really got poe's voice down so well, it's really impressive."

ned thinks it is hilarious. mj finds out about the fic from twitter, to peter's absolute horror, and changes peter's contact name to "friendly neighborhood ao3 author". but the worst thing to happen is after an avengers battle where peter took a pretty big hit and ends up in med-bay. and during a press conference, when someone asks how spider-man is healing, tony just drops "spidey won't be down for too long. the star wars fic will be updated within the week, probably."

CW: Angst, self hatred, slight references to internalized homophobia

———————————————————————

Jonathan hasn’t taken a picture of Mike in almost two years.

Not because he doesn’t want to, he does want to take a picture of him. He used to take so many pictures of Will and Mike, and when Mike got focused on his DND planning he was a good model for contemplation.

But, the reason he hasn’t is because every time he lifts the camera and sees through the square….

He doesn’t see Mike, not like he really is. He sees someone pulling at their edges until they’re folded. Smaller and more ‘acceptable’.

He sees someone not like Mike at all, the real Mike has decided to hide somewhere and left a cardboard cutout he thinks people will accept.

He doesn’t know what to do to get the real one back, it isn’t a situation where you can just go looking. So he’s there with the cardboard, and he acts like that is Mike.

He sees the real Mike again on a fall day, always fall Its always fall, in the bunker. It’s almost over, Vecna only has one active portal left and it’s Chrissy’s.

Mike was leaning against the wall, reading over something that Jonathan thinks he wrote himself. He takes a pencil out and then Jonathan knows he did.

He writes something, and then writes it again. And then he seems to get frustrated and write over it, his face twitching harshly. Jonathan reaches a hand out to his shoulder and starts to ask what’s wrong-

“Is not telling someone something still a lie if they never ask?” Mike sighed, one hand clenched around the pencil and one around the book.

Jonathan blinked, and ran a hand through his hair in thought. Oh wow, that’s more complicated then he thought….

“What’s the context?” Jonathan asked, scooting till he sat more in front of Mike. “Like is the person lying about something that happened but they never said anything?”

“No, no it’s more like it’s something about the character they never told the person” Mike clarified and Jonathan nodded. Oooh.

“Well, then that’s not really a lie if it’s personal” Jonathan started, waving. Mike nodded to show it was personal. “It just depends really on how personal it is, you don’t need to know everything about a person and it’s not a lie if you don’t. It’s just something they haven’t told you yet”

“Hm” Mike made a brief humming sound, and took his eraser to the book. “So it’s not…they’re not a liar?”

“Not a liar” Jonathan shook his head, finding he wanted to erase the slight shaking in Mike’s tone. “You know there’s stuff about me I haven’t told you, personal stuff and it doesn’t mean I’m lying to you it just means it’s personal to me”

“Yeah” Mike said, nodding before his eyes went a bit distant. Jonathan worriedly put his hand back on Mike’s shoulder. “What if it is something the person wants to tell someone, and they haven’t yet?”

Jonathan is beginning to think they’re not talking about Mike’s character here.

“Well that’s that’s one of two things” Jonathan started, Mike’s eyes drifted to him. “Either it’s bad timing, or it’s really personal and they’re scared. And that’s not lying, if you’re scared you’re scared”

If Mike had anything to say about the transition from they to you he didn’t react to it. He just nodded.

And looked back down at his book, before Jonathan could say anything else he handed Jonathan the book.

Jonathan’s eyebrows hit his hairline as he carefully read, because as far as he knew no one had been given permission to read Mike’s stuff-

‘And you haven’t yet peeled back my skin, much like everyone who has turned away from me. You haven’t seen the severed nerves that have given way to rot, you have not seen the terror that acts as filling for my bones. You are not disgusted by me yet, and if miraculously you never are I forever will. Walking in skin that so clearly hides something wrong’

Oh.

Jonathan thinks he mouths that as he thumbs over the dialogue, the character is telling this to someone they love. Because they think they’ll hate what they see if they see the real….

Jonathan looked up at Mike, his eyes glassy. Mike had his knees to his chest. And his chin on them as he watches Jonathan read.

“He hates himself, that’s what he hasn’t told anyone” Jonathan said, and Mike nodded.

“No one but Rosfen” Mike breathed, hand going into his hair. “So is…is he still not a liar-“

“He’s in pain” Jonathan cut off, and Mike’s eyes shrunk. “That’s not lying Mike, that’s being in pain”

“Oh” Mike breathed, and there it was. He came back out with the wetting of Mike’s eyes and the way he seemed to slump in Jonathan’s direction.

There was Mike, putting the cardboard cutout away. Folding it up and neatly setting it in the closet in case he needed it again. Jonathan hopes he never brings it out again as he moved his hand around Mike’s shoulders. Bringing him into his side and hugging him.

“You’re not a liar” Jonathan whispered, and felt Mike’s shoulders begin to shake. “You never lied about this”

He never said it in words, but Jonathan could shake himself because Mike had told the whole world he hated himself with his actions. Folding corners.

“I-I did about other stuff though” Mike wheezed, head ducked into Jonathan’s shoulder. He held back a sob when Jonathan’s had went to his head. Cradling it.

When was the last time he let someone hug him when he cried.

“We all lie sometimes Mike” Jonathan whispered. “And a lot of times we lie because we’re afraid, and that fear can just choke the truth out of you. So have some grace for yourself, you’re not a liar. You’re just someone whose afraid to tell the truth sometimes”

Mike couldn’t hold back a sob that time, and when Jonathan shifted to fully bring him into a hug Mike clenched at the back of his shirt. His book slid to the floor.

It was ten minutes of crying, Jonathan was so worried that this was the first time Mike had cried in years, before Mike’s face was back. He pulled away to scrub at it, and Jonathan left a hand on his shoulder.

“I won’t see rot in you” Jonathan promised quietly, and Mike settled shaky black eyes on him. “All I see is you”

“And that’s not wrong?” Mike whispered back, the meaning clear.

‘You know me, and you don’t think I’m wrong?’

Sometimes Jonathan wants to punch Ted Wheeler’s dim lights out.

“You’re not wrong Mike” Jonathan said, deja vu creeping up on him. “You’re not and nothing about you can make me think that”

Mike’s face twitched, his lips going slightly upwards. And if Jonathan had his camera he could take a picture now.

“Then I have something to tell you later” Mike promised, head jerking to the clock. They all had a meeting with Owens in half an hour. “I-if that’s okay?”

Jonathan’s eyes softened.

“Of course it’s okay”

He has a feeling that when he does, say what he wants to say, and Jonathan can tell him everything is okay. That’s he’s okay, that he’s not wrong and Jonathan isn’t turning away from him.

“You’re hiring?” Mike blinked as he looked up from the Byers dinner table, Joyce nodded.

“Yeah, we need some extra help around the store now that those supernatural conspiracy people have moved in the next town over” Joyce poked at her meatloaf. “They come in all the time to gawk at ‘Hellkins’ and they end up buying something or another while they’re there, so we’re too busy for upkeep”

“Vultures” Mike mumbled and took a sip of his water, Jonathan made an agreeing sound as he despaired over his textbook.

“Are they the same people your drama buddies said were taking pictures of the lake?” Will asked his boyfriend, who looked to the ceiling in thought.

“Well Jessie said they were hemming and hawing over the cracks so I’d say so” Mike hummed, El snickered some.

“They will be very disappointed all there is left now is fish” She pointed at them with her fork.

“And possibly the body of that one customer who called mom dumb” Will amended and all of Joyce’s children nodded while she choked down a laugh.

“You’re all vicious” Joyce joked, and the laugh broke out when El clicked her teeth like a carnivore. “Sweet and so very vicious, I could whack Kevin and Alicia for stealing you”

Working with her kids would be amazing, she’d know they were being treated right and not overworked and she knew she’d get some good help.

“Please don’t whack my boss, she pays me” Will asked.

“And she gives you a workers discount on the art supplies” Mike added, and Will nodded rapidly.

“And she gives me a discount, plus last week she let me have the canvases that got damaged in shipping for free” Will beamed, remembering how Alicia had seen the small rips in them and knew they couldn’t be put out. So she’d turned to him and asked if he wanted them to maybe do a statement piece?

He’d almost dropped the paintbrushes nodding so fast.

“You cannot whack Kevin either mom, he let’s me order any new books I think kids our age would like” El complimented her own boss. “And he is never rude about things I don’t understand”

If she doesn’t know why someone does something and it’s an unwritten, so stupid why not just say it, social thing he just explains.

“Kevin is a sweetheart” Joyce said with a small smile. And just waved. “I know you’ve got good bosses kids, I just wish I could scoop one of you for the job instead of having to help with interviews and learning how to work with a stranger”

At that all three Byers children looked up, Jonathan even abandoning his torture, and slowly turned their heads to Mike. Who didn’t notice until he went to reach for salt and jumped at the three eyes staring at him.

“What?” Mike asked.

“You’ve been wanting a job” Will smiled, his boyfriend had been hunting for a good part time job to pay for his clothes and save up some for college.

Karen refused to buy him grunge clothes or anything dark and in her words affirming of the rumor from last year about him being a devil worshipper.

So Mike had started asking if anyone was hiring and his head fell when he realized a lot of his friends already had the open positions.

Dustin got the job with Family video because Steve and Robin vouched for him, Lucas got a job at the clothing store because Mrs.Danport saw his outfit at the interview and deemed him the only capable candidate. And Max was hired as the police stations secretary’s secretary. Because no one wanted to fire Flo and Hopper threatened anyone who suggested it, but the woman needed some help now that her arthritis was getting bad.

“Oh! Oh I forgot you’ve been looking for a job Mike” Joyce perked up, and Mike looked at her with wide eyes. She smiled. “Would you wanna work at the store? I’d show you how to do everything and you know the layout pretty well”

He did come over a lot.

Mike straightened up some, a smile curling at his face too.

Working with Joyce? In a non life or death situation? And getting paid?

“I’d love to” Mike said, nodding. And watched her punch the air some.

“No interviews” she whispered with glee.

And, it’s Mike! That’s basically one of her kids.

No strangers, and she doesn’t have to worry about slackers cause frankly Mike was a bit of a perfectionist. And her boss already knew Mike was a good kid cause he helped them fix the windows last year.

“Yeah! I told Donald you were looking for a job and you know what he said?” Joyce’s voice came out happy. “Tell him he’s got one, he starts Monday”

“Donald” Mike jumped some, punching the air with one hand. “I love that man!”

Joyce’s laughter escalated into snorts as Mike started planning his new schedule in his head.

“You know he told me something else today too” Joyce said with a kinda teasing but also fond tone. “That he remembered around September when we left for California you’d come in sometimes and just stand at the counter, and fix the displays when they were ruffled”

Mike stopped jumping, face going blotchy.

“And when he asked if you needed something you’d buy a single snickers and go and it happen for three months”

“Donald how could you betray me?” Mike whispered, and he heard Joyce breathe out.

“Honey, did you come into the store because you missed me?” She asked kindly, and Mike bit his cheek. And kicked at the tile.

“I mean, I couldn’t exactly go to your old house when I did. And I didn’t have anything from you like I did Will’s drawings or Jonathan’s pictures so” Mike started, thumbing at his cuticles. “Yeah”

“Aww Mike” Joyce whispered, hand going over her chest as her eyes watered a little. That was too sweet and heartbreaking at the same time.

He really was like one of her kids.

——————————————————————-

“Hi Mike” Donald smiled as he watched his best employee walk in with their newest recruit. The teenager looked excited, and maybe a bit nervous. “You ready to work son?”

He bets he is, he’s a hard worker from what Donald remembers. And pretty good at organizing little displays.

“Hey Mr.Melvald” Mike said back, and shook the store owners hand when he got in reach. “I am, thanks for hiring me”

“No problem, I’d much rather have someone I know will do the work here then have to take a gamble on someone who might not” Donald smiled, and then turned to Joyce who looked like a proud mom. “And you have very good references in my opinion”

It was funny how they both smiled shyly, but then again he remembered that Joyce had known the boy almost his whole life.

You pick up habits from some people when you’re around them a lot.

———————————————————————

“It’s….finished?” Donald blinked as he stared at the cubbies in the office. Completely organized with file holders Donald didn’t know he had slotted next to each other. Each one labeled and dated by month and year.

“Yeah, I went ahead and did the other years too” Mike shuffled some, Donald had asked him to organize last years receipt books and expense reports for his accountant. And when he’d got that done he’d moved to the other years. “You already had them in stacks so that was most of the work”

“That is still thirty years, you’ve been alive for only sixteen of those” Donald whispered, it’s never been done. It’s been stacked, and news stacks added but it’s never been completely organized before and- “Did you color code the months with different colored paper lips?”

December is blue, June is red, black is November, green is May, Yellow is March. Donald could go on, how did he get those paperclips? Donald thought he lost those.

“Oh yeah, was I not supposed to?” Mike chewed his cheek, maybe Donald didn’t want them like that? Dad thought the idea was stupid and childish when Mike suggested it when he talked about work once-

“I didn’t expect you to, but I’m glad you did. My accountant is going to cry” Donald’s face split into a big grin. “Tears of relief, Thomas is gonna cry tears of pure relief”

“Thomas Wellmore?” Mike asked, and when Donald nodded with a curious look Mike explained. “He’s my dads accountant rival”

“Accounts have rivals?” Donald blinked.

“In small towns where they hawk for clients, yes” Mike nodded. “It’s vicious”

“Hm, sounds entertaining” Donald hummed. “I’ll ask Thomas about it instead of watching the Walton’s tonight”

———————————————————————

“Ted Wheeler’s son did this?” Thomas whispered, after carefully inspecting the new filing system of the Melvald General Store. Donal nodded with some pride. “It’s color coded”

And it’s assorted by date, older files are on the lower cubbies and more recent years were easier to reach near the top.

“I know” Donald grinned.

“I’m taking him from you” Thomas poked at a file, labeled for 1968. “How much do you pay him?”

He’ll offer more, Thomas needed a secretary to help with files.

“I ain’t telling you” Donald snorted. “Finders keepers, me and Joyce scouted him first”

“God damnit Donald” Thomas whispered. “I love this system, would you let me ask him to at least train someone how to do it?”

Please?

“If you pay him for it, and he says yes, yeah” Donald shrugged.

Thomas perked up, a happy glint in his eyes. Ted Wheeler eat your heart out you dumb bastard. He’s gonna increase his office’s efficiency with the help of your son.

And he’s gonna tell everyone he knows who did help him too!

———————————————————————

“How was work today?” Hopper asked Joyce who was hanging up her coat.

Joyce smiled.

“Well we were fairly busy but Donald bought us all a pizza” Joyce started, taking her shoes off. “And Mike almost got hawked by our stores accountant”

Donald told her all about yesterday before the man stopped by today, and Thomas was this close to asking Mike to work for him anyway after he talked to him.

But well she and Donald and Jeffrey, who’d stopped by for a new egg pan, all glared subtly at him and he’d just asked Mike to teach him his filling system.

Mike had looked shocked, and a bit suspicious like he thought the man was making fun of him. But when he looked at Donald and saw him smiling he nodded.

Thomas left that store so jealous, but also ecstatic because the teenager had agreed and had even recommended someone for the job.

Robin Buckley, who’d recently had to quit family video because her father started complaining about what movies they stocked and their values, was surprised to get a call from one of the biggest accountants in town.

“Thomas tried to steal Mike from y’all? The kids not an accountant” Hopper raised an eyebrows.

“No, but he is the son of a mediocre one and he soaks up things like a sponge and then tweaks them” Joyce hummed, and then looked up with a smile. “And he got his name tag in today, he looked so proud Jim”

Hopper smiled back.

Suddden DunDunDunDun angst Jaws Theme Song

Me: What the fuck-

[The concept of Mike sacrificing himself to save the world and leaving Will a letter and in it he writes “I know you’re the cleric, and I’m just an idiot with a sword. But just this once I want to change, for one day I want to be someone who can save instead of fight. So I’m casting protection, and for you and everyone else whose cared about me I pray it’s a nat twenty. Love Mike” ]

CW: Mentions of depression, medication, bad parenting

———————————————————————

Lucas, driving him and Erica and Mike to the DND Con: Someone put some music on

Erica, grabbing Mike’s phone because hers is getting repairs: What’s your password? I’m gonna cast Spotify

Mike, humming: 0322

Two minutes later

Erica, pausing: Wheeler

Mike, turning to look at her: Yeah? Is it not letting you log in-

Erica: Why do you have a playlist titled ‘crying music’ that has two hundred songs on it and says you’ve listened to it for a combined one thousand and twenty six hours?

Mike, hissing through his teeth:….I forgot about Suzie’s software edit

Erica, blinking:….She just sent that to us three months ago, you’ve listened to this that much in three months?

Mike, pausing:……y e s?

Erica: D u d e

Lucas, signaling to a wide spot and hitting the breaks: One thousand and twenty six hours, that is collectively forty two days worth of crying, WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL MIKE DO YOU NEED ME TO CALL MY DAD AND GET YOU A THERAPIST?!

Mike, immediately: Nah, I’ve tried asking for one but Mom thinks I’m being dramatic. Dad doesn’t believe in therapy or medication for that at all

Lucas, pointing at his best friend: Fuck parental permission, we’ve broken the law for less important things, we’ll forge some papers

Erica, poking her head between the two front seats: I know a guy who can do signatures, he usually does field trip permission slips but he’s got a crush on me so he’ll do it

Mike, blinking: It’s not bad enough to-

Jonathan Byers was nine when Will met his best friend in the whole world. And for all of the thirty days between hearing about Mike and meeting him he was insanely jealous.

He was all Will talked about, he’d talk about all the things they did in kindergarten that day. All the things Mike told him, how Mike loved his drawings and begged to keep some. Will was a preening peacock at the attention.

Jonathan was puffing his cheeks out in a pout for thirty days until Mrs.Wheeler called his mom up and asked if they’d watch Mike? There was a family thing and they’d been meaning to plan a play date anyway.

Joyce had happily accepted, and offered to pick him up if they needed. So Jonathan and Lonnie had watched Will bounce in the entrance way so fast he was practically a battery.

“He’s never been that excited about anything” Lonnie drawled blankly, raising an eyebrow. Maybe he and Joyce should have let him do daycare, if Will was this excited about one new person. It was weird.

“It’s just a five year old, nothing special” Jonathan grumbled, Lonnie looked at the puffed out cheek. Poking one, Jonathan whined and swatted at the hand.

“Somebody is green cause Willy has a new friend” Lonnie pointed out, ears perking up when he heard the sound of tires on gravel. Joyce was here, with the mystery Mike.

If possible Will hopped faster and raced to the door, waiting on tip toes as the door was unlocked and Joyce’s smiling face came out. And a small, smaller then Jonathan but definitely taller then Will, pile of black curls peeked out from behind her knees.

Will jumped, literally jumped, and grabbed Mike. He didn’t have to, Mike was already on his way to do the same the second his eyes had registered the boy in overalls.

“Will!”

They met in the middle, and honestly in Johnathan’s opinion best friend rivals shouldn’t be that adorable it’s just not fair. Jonathan was peeved off at this guy not ten seconds ago.

“Mikey!” Will chirped back, using his toddler strength to sway them side to side. It set off a chain of giggle from the black haired boy. “You’re here, come meet my brother and then I’ll show you my room and my crayons and the yard-”

“Will give him some time to breathe sweetheart” Joyce giggled, charmed as can be by the beaming look on her youngest face. “Welcome to our home Mike honey”

“Thank you Mrs.Byers” Mike nodded, smiling up shyly at her. It made Joyce want to pinch his chubby freckled cheeks. She settled on patting his head and saying your welcome.

Will pulled back and grabbed Mike’s sleeve, leading him to Lonnie and Johnathan. And suddenly Jonathan was subject to the widest black eyes he’d seen on something that wasn’t an owl.

“This is my dad, and that’s Johnathan” Will pointed, like he was showing off a museum exhibit. Lonnie suffocated a snort, it was just another five year old. Albeit the kid was kinda froggy looking so maybe that was what impressed his son so much. He liked frogs. “Meet Mike, it’s short for Michael!”

“Hi” Mike seemed to be more shy, shuffling behind Will despite the fact his head poked over the older boys. “Nice to meet you Mr.Byers and Johntan….”

He tripped on his long name.

Ah fudge, Jonathan couldn’t be jealous of that. It was like holding a grudge on a baby penguin.

“Nice to meet you too Mikey” Lonnie reached a hand down to shake, the boy stumbled over the action but shook it surely. He was scrawny as a pole but he had a good grip.

“No dad you can’t call him Mikey” Will interjected, pouting. Lonnie blinked down a bit incredulously, Will didn’t get pissy about much. “Only i can”

A small burst of giggles escaped out of Jonathan, and they only got worse when Will set a brand new baby glare on him. Geeze.

“You can call me Mike” the black hair boy nodded too, agreeing wholeheartedly with Jonathan’s brother. It was like they were on the same wavelength. “Will talks about you all the time”

Well the sentiment is mutual, you small bag of black curls and striped fabric.

“Have we been snubbed by two five year olds?” Lonnie asked his wife slowly.

“Just a bit” Joyce confirmed, watching Mike drift closer to Jonathan. Curious.

“What’d he tell you?” Jonathan asked the other boy, smiling a little when he stepped out from behind Will.

“You’re the best big brother ever” Mike pointed at one finger, starting a countdown. “You can jump rope up to twenty, you like cats better then dogs, and you like pictures!”

He finished his list, a wide smile breaking out and pushing at his freckles. It lit up his curl framed face.

Awwwww, Jonathan wants to squish him.

And because he’s nine and has less impulse control than his mother, he does.

“Wah?” Mike got out as Jonathan squished his cheeks with his hands. He didn’t seem surprised by the action, which made Jonathan wonder if Will had done the same. “Jo-jo?”

Awwwww, Jonathan wants to keep him. He can be his littler brother.

“Jonathan, you're squishing him!” Will pulled on his brother's shirt.

“You do it all the time” Mike pointed out when Jonathan let go, confirming that his brother had. The apple does not roll far. “Nancy does too”

“Who’s Nancy?” Jonathan asked, walking and waving the two kindergartners to the living room so they could stop clogging the entrance way. His mom shot him a proud look. He looked like a little daycare teacher.

“She’s my big sister….“ Mike huffed, crossing his arms. “She pinches my cheeks though, like auntie Mary”

He’d rather have them squished then pinched.

“Nancy Wheeler?” Jonathan blinked, recognizing a slight resemblance to a girl in his class.

“Uh huh, that’s her” Mike confirmed, and then plopped on the carpet while Will pulled out his coloring supplies from the entertainment center. “She’s a meanie, she tries to put bows in my hair”

Jonathan grimaced in sympathy for the younger boy.

“I don’t like bows, they pull at my hair” Mike pouted, Will patted his back and handed him a piece of paper and a blue crayon. “Thank you Will”

They started coloring, well Will colored. Mike would too but he spent most of his time making shapes and clumsy origami, he offered Jonathan a paper star he made and every last ounce of jealousy drained away.

Eventually s5 mike snaps and says “you think I don’t regret it?! You think I don’t lay awake at night thinking and thinking about everything?!” And then he says something he shouldn’t have.

“You think I don’t want to finish what I started at the quarry because I hurt everybody?!”

And both Mikes stands there in horror because that was never supposed to get out 

Ow ow ow Nightwing 😭/pos

Both Mike’s make a truce and find a place to hide while the two party’s are distracted.

Shaking Dustin’s and verging on panic Will’s team up and find them.

They find them with bruises and scratches and they’re sitting back to back with their heads in their knees.

At the playground, near the Swingsets.

S1 Wills Dives for them both and wails as current Will put a hand around S5 Mikes head and pressed it against his chest.

Both Mike’s were trying not to cry. Baby Mike trying so hard not to get tears in Will’s hair.

“Don’t say that shit ever again we love you, you Asshole!”

Dr. Stone is a love letter to humanity and its sciences. The main character, Senku, often acts averse to all forms of affection, and the only love he doesn't deny is his love for science. But Senku is so so full of love. He just expresses it in a way other than physical touch or words of affirmation. He gives.

But let's go back to the one who taught him so– Byakuya Ishigami, his father. The love of Senku's life.

I miss this scene so much...

So Senku is adopted right? And the reason for his adoption is because something terrible happened to his parents leading Byakuya to adopt him. And Senku's biological dad also happens to be Byakuya's best friend.

Senku took the Ishigami surname without caring who his birth parents are because all that matters is that he has Byakuya. He knows he can rely on him because that's the man that took him in after his parents deaths no questions asked.

Byakuya raised him, sheltered him, and cared for him like he's his own. Because he is and there's nothing that will change that, he'll continue to support his boy even if he constantly teases him.

Then the petrification happened, and Senku lost Byakuya. The man who raised and cared for him to be the person who he is now, his dad, gone and had died several thousands of years ago and he wasn't able to say goodbye.

He accepted it, but that doesn't mean it got easy especially without human interaction for 2-or-so years. But as time went on, he'll learn how to heal from grief with the support of the people who cares for him, the people who he also cared back.

After saving the world from petrification, Taiju and Yuzuriha got married. And Senku was happy for them. Everyone was overjoyed when they found out Yuzuriha's pregnant, Taiju wouldn't stop crying.

Senku knew that both Taiju and Yuzuriha would've been great parents. But life has never been fair.

There he was, standing near the cliffside as he watches the ashes of his best friends' flow with the wind across the ocean. Taiju and Yuzuriha's baby looked at him with bright eyes full of innocent wonder, Senku's stomach churned to how much the baby resemble its dad, and how its eyes look just like its mom's.

But right now that doesn't matter. What matters is that their baby is in safe hands in his arms, he promise to look after his best friends' kid until the day he dies and after.