Mic

20/ tired student/ personal Tumblr. Me being a complete simp is all you're going to see here lol Retired wattpad writer, still thinking on writing once again. I'll post my work on ┈➤@MicR0phone

[yn-k0]

I'm glad you guys are liking this AU I made <33 for that here's more stuff

- Byakuya founded Ishigami village in which everyone respected and made peace with different creatures. When he found Senku Byakuya was banished from his own village, the people did not accept the gorgon as his son. With the help of like minded people they left and started a new village with the goal of peace between all beings.

- A storm hit the village while Senku was exploring, in the process he got lost and met Xeno and Stanley. The pair took pity to the lost child and decided to let him stay for the duration of the storm, Xeno happily became Senku's mentor once the elf had noticed his potential. Senku still sees them from time to time after he made it back to Ishigami village.

(Would you guys want to know or see more characters? If so lmk!)

[cosmicmonky]

Hello there!✨ I made this chart out of pure self entertainment, but I would like to share it with you as well! There will soon be more versions with the different characters are still left, so if you would like more you are lucky!

If you use it, I would like to be tagged, I enjoy seeing other people’s characters or stories in the fandom. 🌱✨

I posted it on Tik tok as well LOL

[snowykittenmia]

WTWWW - Not so lonely survivors

< Previous Masterlist

Note: Sorry this is comming out a week late. Also, just so you guys know, the next chapter will be posted 25 September.

Summary: Fueled by gratitude, it is time to pay back for his generosity. That means a whole lot of work for the foreseeable future. But, with a bit of help, it ends up a way better experience.

Chapter 4 – Working 9 to 5

The world is clear, sharp.

Glasses sit on your nose. Your new glasses. Ones that Senku made for you.

It still makes your heart race and cheeks warm.

A good motivation to deliver the best of your capabilities and build the best house of this era.

But that requires quite a lot of things.

First, materials. Like the logs that pile up nicely on one side of the site. Except, that is less than half of what you will actually need.

Maybe you shouldn't make it a log cabin...

No, the blueprint is done. The work has started.

No backing down.

Though with one look at the pile of logs, it's obvious you'll need help and more ways to lift the logs.

Dammit.

You sit down, thinking about the issues you've put off until now.

A crane would make this so much easier...

Well, I could try making a pulley.

You look at the clear sky above you. Nothing in sight that the pulley could hang from.

Fuck.

Scratching your head an idea strikes you. A temporary solution to your struggles that should work until the building gets too high for the mechanism.

Still a pulley, but attached to a log that you can drive into the ground, and if you build supports around it, it shouldn't topple over.

Yeah, that could work.

Though I do want to try something else first.

You drag one of the logs over, tools spread on the floor around you.

It's time to see if you can even work the wood with these tools.

Step one: debarking the log. Easy peasy, the bark peels nicely with the help of your trusty knife, the work done in almost no time at all.

Step two: actually shaping the log.

This takes a bit more time. A lot more actually.

You start by splitting the whole log in half length-wise, so that it will lay on the ground nicely. Making this piece a part of the foundation… if it works out.

The log is ready. Well, technically, two sides of the foundation are ready.

Now time for the actual test.

The second log get debarked, thankfully with the occasional rain showers the bark doesn't fully adhere to the trees. If you did this in autumn, this would have been a lot harder.

Now, the part that's making you nervous.

The way you want to connect the logs is rather simple, always carving a half moon grooves into a log. A smaller one on the full length of it, and two that go in the corners of the build. That way it will snugly sit on top of the other logs. This is called a swedish cope.

You put the log up to the ready halves, marking with charcoal where everything should be. Since this is the foundation, only the two, side grooves need to be done for now.

Then, it's time to carve.

Kaseki has been kind enough as to gift you his old set of tools, well worn but still perfectly sharp. And to your surprise, that included not only the chisel you'd asked for, but a few different kinds of chisels too. Ones that will help immensely right now.

You drag the curved blade over the log, again and again.

The wood doesn't give easy, but you are able to slowly carve away the unwanted material. Your arms burn before you even finish the first one. Fingers almost numb due to the grip you have on the chisel.

When you move away to take a look at your work, a pop in your back stops you for a moment. Pain shooting all over for a second.

How long have I been carving?

The sun is high in the sky when you look up. Hours must have passed, maybe two or three.

Looking down, you freeze. Heart hammering in your throat.

A mop of blonde hair is squatting right next to you. A blue dress even brushing over your skin every few seconds.

Suika.

It's just Suika.

You breathe in deep, letting the weight of it settle in your lungs before exhaling.

"How long have you been here?"

Suika looks up at you before chirping. "Since you started doing this!"

Great, either she is some kind of little ninja, or you concentrated so hard the world could burn and you wouldn't notice.

You don't know which is worse.

But neither would be good for your heart.

You shake it off.

"Wanna see something cool?"

Suika nods the same way she always does, almost toppling over from the motion.

Looking down at the log, you pray to anyone who would listen for this to work. Lifting the corner you just carved, you shuffle so it hovers above the half log from earlier.

Slowly, you lower it, letting it settle together.

With a soft huff, the wood sits. The groove deep enough that both logs can touch the ground, leaving no gap between the logs themselves.

You stand there, staring.

It fits.

It actually fits.

I can do this!

You pump your fist in the air.

"Fu-"

You catch yourself. Suika is standing right in next to you.

"Frick yeah..."

It comes out way lamer, almost all of the triumph replaced by the embarrassment of almost swearing in front of this sweet child.

She doesn't notice any of this.

"Yaaaay!" She squeals. Happy on your behalf. Even if not fully understanding the gravity of this moment.

You sigh, letting go of the negative emotions. Bending down to pick Suika up into your arms. As soon as she is secured, you start spinning the two of you around.

"I can do it!"

"You can do it!"

The two of you chant.

This goes on for a moment, before you both get dizzy.

Slowly, you lower Suika back on the ground, looking back at the log pile. Calculations run through your head, the time this will all take to finish.

It's taken a few days to gather this much wood. It will take even longer to carve everything into shape. And that's not even including the rooms and furniture. Or the fireplace.

"If only I had some help…"

The sound surprises you. That wasn't meant to be said out loud.

"Kohaku could help. She carries heavy stuff all the time! She's super strong!"

Suika chimes in.

You look at her, already moving to pat her head.

"Yeah, Kohaku would be great help. I'm just not sure if she has the time. You know, with all that training she's doing."

Suika wonders for a moment.

"Hmmm. She always complains that Kinro and Ginro are lacking in strength."

It clicks. A lightbulb flickering on inside your head.

"That's it Suika! Thank you!"

You lean down to look her in the eyes, grinning ear to ear.

"You might have just solved this problem!"

Soon enough, the sounds of training can be heard. Series of quick wooden thunks ring out through the air. Each hit sharp enough to ring in your ears painfully.

"Hey-"

*Thunk*

"AHHHH!"

Out of the corner of your eye you watch Ginro fall on his ass, his eyes wide and a finger pointing at you before calming down.

But you mostly focus on the wooden sword aimed at you. Kohaku holding it on the other side, her expression smoothing out when she notices it's only you.

You put a finger on the tip of the blade, slowly pushing it away. Kohaku let's her arm drop, the wooden prop moving away with it.

"How did you get here so silently?"

She asks, looking you over.

You raise a brow.

"I just walked? You guys were too loud."

Kohaku scoffs a little, looking over your legs again. A small smile appears on her face, as if she knows something you don't.

"Well, anyways, what brings you here?"

"I have a favor to ask. More of a mutually beneficial deal."

Kohaku's eyebrows crease. A look of distrust appearing after those words.

"Listen first, then you can decide. I'm not like Senku to skimp out on the details."

She lightens up at that, though only slightly.

"I need materials, wooden logs, for something I'm making. I need to cut down a whole lot, as well as moving them to the building site. That’s where I need help, as you can see, not much strength in this body to do this quickly enough."

You flex your arms, showing off the slight bit of muscles you do have, clearly not enough to replace a full construction crew, or a lumberjack.

Kohaku looks at you, nodding slightly in both an understanding and to urge you to go on.

"On the other hand. I believe this could help you with training, either yourself or the brothers."

You point at the two boys currently sitting on the ground, panting slightly. Both looking worse for wear in the middle of their training regiment.

"Look, clearly they need to build up their strength and stamina. Cutting and hauling logs could help with that. I don't even need it to be done in a day, meaning this could be their warm up before you all delve into combat training?"

Kohaku looks at the two boys. A hand on her hip. She sighs, seeing what you see. But she still looks a little torn.

"I could sweeten the pot a little."

"What?"

"Oh, uh, I can make this deal even better for you? I could also show you some stretching exercises I know."

Kohaku thinks for a moment, looking a little suspicious before seemingly coming to an answer.

"Show me something now and I'll see."

You nod, stopping when a thought hits you.

"First, I need to see your range of motion."

Kohaku looks at you for a moment before starting to move. While her moves are graceful, it's the exact opposite of what you meant.

"Wait, wait!"

Kohaku stops mid-motion.

"I just need to see how far your limbs move. Look."

You extend your arm towards her, letting your elbow stretch past normal limitations. Ginro and Kinro look sick, while Kohaku looks fascinated. She moves closer, inspecting your arm.

"Wow, you could teach me that?"

"Not really, not unless you can already do something similar. This is genetic, and honestly, it's not as cool as it might look."

Kohaku stands next to you, extending her arm. Everything locks into place, no hypermobility to be seen.

Which, for Kohaku, is great but for the sake of showing her stretches, it does throw a slight wrench in your plans.

"Alright, give me a moment. There are stretches I can show you, I just need to filter out the ones that will probably not help you."

For a moment nobody moves, except Kohaku looking at her own arms as if they betrayed her.

"Okay! So…"

You start showing her how to properly stretch, some exercises she already knows, some deepening her knowledge.

"That's about it for now? We're kind of limited to just using our body, we could do more if we had the equipment. But honestly, this should be enough."

You lend Kohaku a hand, intending on helping her up.

So you don't expect to be pulled down instead.

"Whoa!"

Kohaku moves, stabilizing you and getting up at the same time.

"Thanks! Remind me not to try helping someone up."

You remark while Kohaku stays silent, her scrutinizing gaze sweeping over you. She walks around you, pulling on your arm to look better at the muscles.

"Perhaps... you could also get some training."

She says and you gape at her. Not liking where this is going.

"Me? I don't have time..."

"Well, if you're going to be using the logs we'll get you, you'll need strength. More than you have right now. But you do seem to be on a good track."

She touches your forearm, and you flex the muscle on reflex. Her fingers move along the skin, nodding to herself.

"Right, it's clear that you are a master of your crafts. Maybe not as much as Kaseki, but not far behind either."

Your face goes up in flames.

"Wh-what?"

You squeak, the sound high and quick.

"Okay, I accept your deal, as long as you'll join us for the process."

Kohaku's tone leaves no room for argument. All you can do is nod silently.

She turns to the brothers, getting straight back into training.

You turn, walking off into the forest. Needing both a moment to yourself and to gather some vines for rope.

The next few hours are productive. You clear your mind, letting the silence around you settle. Ignoring the occasional voices coming from the direction where everyone is.

Your arms are full of vines by the time you return.

Walking past the furnaces, seeing Kaseki stand there, a pipe in his hands, Molten glass at the end of it.

So they got him in the end.

Wait?!

You do a double take. The red hot glass still attached to the pipe, only a different shape now than the blob you saw before.

The vines fall to the floor as you make a beeline towards the thing you've not yet tried.

Hands wrap around your waist, and a body steps in front of you. Chrome is standing still, hands spread wide.

"Not one more step."

Senku's normally monotone voice is tinted with a slight panic. His hands hold tight, feet planted firmly on the ground.

Then it hits you.

This is what they needed Kaseki for?

A slight bit of hurt creeps in with that realization. Your body relaxing, letting Senku cautiously let go of you.

The places he touched staying warm.

"Why didn't you ask me to try?"

You let the feelings show in your tone.

Senku sighs, while Chrome looks a little awkward.

"I know you want to try glassblowing. BUT, I can't let you learn and waste precious materials on things we don't need."

A bit of shame tries crawling in, knowing perfectly well that Senku is right. You probably would have made full sets of bowl, glasses and decorations.

But that doesn't mean he should have hid it from you.

You pout, turning your face away from them.

Senku moves closer, letting his voice drop so only you can hear.

"Don't worry, once we have stocked up more than we can use, I'll let you go wild. Think of it as a reward for all the hard work."

His tone is gentle, almost coaxing. The exact tone he learned works on you every time.

You huff, letting the pout fall off of your face.

"Fine, you better keep your word."

"You know I do."

"Yeah, I know."

Senku slowly relaxes, the worry bleeding out of his expression. So you let yourself relax too.

Looking past Senku, you find Kaseki looking at the two of you, a weird glint in his eye. You shrug it of, calling out to him.

"Kaseki, could you come to the fenced are after you're done here? For a craft circle?"

He grins in response, nodding happily.

Looking at Senku and Chrome, you raise a hand, waving.

"See you guys at the campfire."

They wave back, Senku back to normal, meanwhile Chrome keeps looking between the two of you, eyebrows raised almost up to his hairline.

The vines are sprawled on the ground. You take your time gathering them, seeing no reason to rush.

You put them down at the building site, keeping a few that you start working on. Unwinding and braiding it into a rope.

The process is slow, careful to not let the rope slack or fray.

Kaseki comes after a while, looking giddy. Thankfully his clothes seem mostly intact despite the obvious excitement.

The two of you launch into a new conversation. Kaseki relaying the new task Senku set up – a lab. Which is why there is a need for glassblowing.

This immediately brings you to what you wanted to discuss.

"I need your help, if possible."

Kaseki looks up, a complete opposite of how he looked at you when you first approached him.

"I'm already building a house. For Senku and Chrome. As a gift. I'll have some help with the materials, but I also need help with shaping everything so that I can finish it soon."

Kaseki thinks for a moment, his chin between his fingers.

"So you're proposing we help each other out? Building both the lab and the house together?"

"Yep."

He grins, arm stretching toward you.

"Deal! Oh this will be fun! I haven't built with someone for a very long time!"

You smile back at him, heart swelling with joy. It sits there, warming you up from the inside.

Next, the blueprints for the house are laying between you. Both of you going over what needs to be done. You even show Kaseki the base you successfully made.

"See? I flattened this side and made these groves, so it sits nicely, the next log will be shaped similar, just more curvy rather than flat!"

Your hands move, pointing all over the log.

Kaseki pats you on the head.

"Amazing!"

That stops you. Freezing you in place. Face going blank.

Amazing!

A dopey smile stretches on your face, the warm feeling inside intensifying.

You proceed to ramble on, spurred on by the praise. Pointing where the lab could go, the plan for the rooms, the way to do windows for both buildings. And the idea of making your own home.

Kaseki throws in his ideas, improving on some ideas, and learning why some wouldn't work.

The sun is setting by the time the conversation ends.

"Oh, my. Look at the time."

Kaseki says, his tone falling as the day ends.

You keep smiling, knowing this doesn't have to be the end.

"How about you join us all? After all, you are by now a sort of member of the Kingdom of Science, no?"

His gaze finds yours, an eyebrow raising in question.

"We sit and talk by a campfire in the evening. We also eat dinner. We'd just have to not talk about the house and we could continue brainstorming."

"Brainstorming?"

"Oh, it's like what we just did. Go over ideas, decide what works and what doesn't."

"I like that."

You smile, offering Kaseki a hand.

"Let's go."

He smiles back, letting you lead him to the fire.

Senku just finished lighting it up, Chrome already putting fish nearby to cook.

In the distance Kohaku, Ginro and Kinro are walking back as well.

Suika is already sitting there, instructing Chrome to put the fish a bit closer to the fire.

Behind you, Kaseki's breath hitches. You turn to look, seeing his wide eyes take in the sight. His mouth and hands trembling, eyes gaining a wet sheen.

"It's been a while since I spent time with others like this."

"Well, from now on, you can spend however much time you want with us. You're part of the team now."

He smiles, his cheeks rosy and wet. Few tears managing to fall. His feet move faster, no longer moving behind you, instead walking next to you.

The evening is warm. Both the temperature, and the way the group acts. The small quips, random jokes, and future plans.

It all leads into a very peaceful night before work intensifies.

And just like the deals were made, they are carried out.

Kohaku steals your time in the morning. The whole group stretches, then begins gathering the wood. Axes swing through the air, arms vibrate with each hit, and logs hit the ground.

After a few piles form, each prepared for a specific person, the final part of this workout starts. The hauling.

Kohaku takes the log, resting it on her shoulder and bicep. Her steps not affected in the least. Kinro mirrors the move, though the strain is visible with his slightly wobbly steps. Ginro whines before grabbing a log and pulling it onto his arms, carrying it close to his chest despite having to peek over the thing to even see. You, on the other hand, pull it with you, striking the axe into the wood and letting it mostly drag on the ground.

Despite the struggle, you have to admit that it is easier than it was the first time. But you also know that your arms will hurt all the same.

A few trips later, Kohaku and the brothers depart for combat training. And in their place, Kaseki joins you.

He spent the morning blowing glass that needs to cool down now. So in the meantime, the two of you work on the buildings. Shaping logs, smoothing sharp spots. Then moving onto building a frame for the lab.

Continuing into the evening when you both call it quits. Legs feeling like jelly, arms feeling even worse.

And still, the work continues. By the campfire, as everyone talks and laughs, you work on making rope, crocheting and knitting.

This continues the next day. Forming a cycle that lasts about two weeks.

The only exception to the stable routine has been a heist. One night, you and Kaseki quietly melted some glass, making window panes for the house.

You had to wait for a night where the boys have been way too tired to wake up in the middle of the night. Not wanting to risk them waking up and seeing any of this.

Courtesy of Kohaku, who agreed to your idea to have the boys join the training for a day. You used the guise of them helping with the lab construction to get them to agree.

You have never seen Kohaku laugh that much. Though, your stomach and cheeks also hurt for the rest of the day. A wide grin sitting on your face, earning a scowl from Senku anytime your gazes met.

Still seeing flashes of the image of Senku folding under the weight of the log for his own lab.

This was also done in a sort of revenge for working you all to the bone, while he enjoyed some peace these few days.

All the way until you proudly stood in front of the house. Fully finished, even with the necessary furniture.

Of course, the lab is also a really nice piece of work. But that is a collaboration between you and Kaseki.

This, this is your work. Done with help. But under your guidance of the entire thing.

You even gained something too. Experience, and mainly, strength. You stand a bit straighter, finally feeling the support of muscles keeping your joints more in place.

Now, the only thing left to do, is to show it all to its new owners.

The lab is first.

Senku is, of course, enchanted with the place.

Shelves lined with glassware all ready for his laboratory needs cover the right wall. The left side has more shelves, this time filled with clayware. A thick glass slab rests on top of a table for a sterile working surface – as well as being fire resistant.

You even created a wooden window of sorts, meant for airing out the space. There are small openings by the roof, to keep the air clean, but this is for the moments when too much happens at once. Though there is also the open doorway to help with that. Only covered by two fabric curtains instead of a proper door.

Chrome is also fascinated by it all, but his lack of proper knowledge holds him back from enjoying it as much.

"This is so BAD!"

Chrome gushes about the place, turning to Senku and asking about things.

You give them about five minutes to enjoy the space. In the meantime instructing Kaseki to take down the fencing.

As soon as Kaseki comes back, you clear your throat, catching attention of the two boys.

"There is one more thing that you need to see."

You and Kaseki step away from each other, revealing the building.

"Your new home."

You beam, arm moving to show your creation.

"Now, this way."

Senku's mouth falls open a fraction. As always, a reserved reaction. On the other hand, Chrome is completely open about everything. His jaw hanging open so wide a bird could comfortably fly inside.

Snickering, you turn and walk toward the house.

Actual doors keep the space closed, series of windows let in light. You made sure the windows could also be opened for some fresh air.

The door leads into a central room, a fireplace situated at the far wall with chairs placed in front of it. There are two doors on the left side and two on the right, leading into four rooms.

Three of those are bedrooms, the last one you kept empty. That one will be for the boys to use however they like.

Two of the bedrooms have an actual bed – a wooden frame, straw, two blankets and a pillow.

The third one only has a frame. The rest still in the process of being made.  

The boys walk through the house. Chrome loudly expressing his happiness. Senku quietly observing the space, throwing glances your way. His eyes, softer than usual, speak volumes of his gratitude.

When they reach the third door, Chrome turns to you.

"Why is there a third bed? Will you be living here too?"

He raises an eyebrow.

"Nah, that's for the anticipated return of someone. Don't worry about it too much."

Senku nods at the words. But Chrome is even more confused, though by now he knows that you probably won't answer.

Then it's time for the final room, the empty space. Both turn to you, silently questioning. You shrug.

"You decide, it's your house now."

At that, Chrome grins. He turns to you fully before patting you on the back. As you see him from up close, you can see him hiding tears.

Senku looks from beside the door, a small smile on his face before he mouths 'thank you'.

You smile wide, also feeling the slight sting of tears. It all feels so warm, your chest tightens. Satisfaction meeting praise.

But you won't let your ego grow bigger than this. Even though you did manage to very clearly catch Senku off guard.

When Chrome moves into a room he claims as his, Senku moves closer. He stands side by side with you, looking over the whole space.

"Good job, Wild Card."

You grin even wider.

"Better than that wattle house before, right?"

It comes out before you can think about it.

"What?"

"Huh?"

[oh-look-a-strawberry]

🌕Part of the Moon🌙

You were watching the sunset from the school lab window, deep in thought as you watched the red and yellows and orange in the sky grow deeper, it was peaceful, you wondered what it would be like being part of it, you close your eyes imagining it, the chirping of birds, the breeze, the chatter of squirrels.

Yeah.

It was peaceful.

Even when everything in life feels overwhelming, you'd like to be part of a day, of that passage of time that feels like a breath of fresh air, that transition from morning to noon to afternoon and evening before circling back to morning. Repetition is only annoying when you have too much in your mind, but when you finally stop to breathe, it's peaceful. You like that.

"Senku," you call out

"What?" He says not looking away from his project or else it would probably explode.

"When I die,"

He pauses, before correcting, "If you die." He says still focused on his project, but you did feel him giving you a side-eye like you were about to do something stupid, but you just chuckle.

"Alright. If I die, I think I want to be part of the moon."

"Why's that?"

"I don't know. It's always there, day and night if you look for it."

He pauses and finally looks at you.

"What are you on about?"

"Just saying. If I die or disappear, you could just look up and there I am when you miss me." You say still looking out the window like the sky holds something special, 'cause it does.

Senku let's out a sound that's between a scoff and a chuckle, you couldn't really tell, he turns back to his project, "part of the moon, huh? You'd a thousand percent freeze in a place that reaches -183°."

You freeze -pun intended- he just shattered your daydreaming in less than a minute, "Why can't you let me voice my fantasise without ruining them for me, Ishigami?"

"If I don't who will?" He says simply, unapologetic, to which you throw a paper ball at the back of his head. You two end up laughing about it afterwards, because honestly that whole conversation was stupid.

Comfortable silence settles again. None of try to fill it. None of you needed to. Senku kept working, you stayed by the window waiting for him to finish his little experiments.

"I'll look back when you do." You say quietly after twenty minutes, you don't elaborate, he doesn't ask you to, he had no idea what you meant and assumed you were talking to yourself like you usually do when you were bored.

Six words. No explanation. No particular meaning nor context.

He'd get it when he got it.

But for now it's peaceful like this.

...

....

.....

3700 years later.

He finally got it. But it was by accident, on a night so quiet when he was deep in thought, when the village was quiet, he sat on the roof of his makeshift lab, looking up at the sky, just like you did all those years ago.

The stars were more visible without the light pollution of cities that once stood so high they reached for the skies.

Every star, every constellation, every little detail in the sky was visible to him tonight, fireflies, birds, bats, all there, all there for him except one thing was missing... you.

Senku scoffs.

Normal people choose to be something different when they are gone, a bird, a butterfly, a cool insect, a star, or simply a ghost.

Not you. You wanted to be part of something that already existed. Something Senku now finds himself looking up at it more than he used to every day.

The moon.

He's noticing a lot of things about it now that he didn't before, like how it shines every night, and how it's there all day in the sky whether the sun is there or not when he looks closely. He began unconsciously notting things he usually didn't the head space nor patience to notice.

Ever since he woke up from the petrification, ever since he had to figure out things on his own, the moon feels like it's shining brighter than it normally does, at least in his eyes. He thought maybe it was the lack of light pollution that usually dimmed the sky, maybe because he's tired, maybe because of eye sensitivity from being in the dark for so long petrified, any scientific reason to justify it.

Out of all the things you could've picked, you chose something he already looked at and made him notice it more.

And you were right.

It is always there...

Just like you were

Hope you liked it was feeling real emotional today idk.

Who the fraggle is cutting onions?! 🍻🐸

[quintastiic]

Ninjago pilot character design lineup😝

[kzhyxmi]

Three Hundred Sixty-Five Days ❀˖° Stanley S.

Chapter 3.2: Under the Weather

Chapter WC: 5712 Stanley Snyder X Reader SERIES MASTERLIST; CHAPTER 3.1 SYNOPSIS: After successfully driving away twelve bodyguards, you found yourself horrified when your father’s latest solution was his most capable soldier, Stanley Snyder, a security trap disguised as a husband. Assigned to protect you for an entire year, what began as an arrangement evolved into something unexpected as danger lurked around, and the line between duty and devotion began to blur.  STATUS: Ongoing A/n: I'm backkk. Stanley faces the greatest threat yet in protecting his wife. However, the threat happened to be the said wife. THIS ISN'T PROOFREAD BTW.

But darling, you are the only exception — The Only Exception, Paramore.

Ninety-one days.

That was how long it had been since Captain Stanley Snyder was assigned to the most ridiculous security trap he had ever heard of.

Not that he consciously intended to keep count; it was rather an instinct—or a habit rather. Military life, after all, had taught him to keep track of days as missions had beginnings and endings, reports carried dates, and deployments were measured in months. 

Though, despite three months of being trapped—your words, not his—in a property under both of your names for the sake of security, slipping quietly into memory as time went by, your campaign against him had yet to show any signs of slowing down.

If anything, it had evolved.

However, unfortunately for your side, Stanley genuinely enjoyed watching you try. 

He had seen numerous soldiers, especially cadets, start off their career with pure determination—yet, none of the ones he had seen could compare to the one you carried.

Every triumphant smile that appeared whenever you thought you had finally cracked the code intentionally dimmed down every time he simply answered with “Of course, your highness” or worse, “Anything else, your highness?”

The offended look that came from you afterwards never failed to earn him a snicker. Sometimes, a genuine laugh. 

Front row entertainment or whatever they say.

Though he had never admitted it out loud, he had long concluded that your attempts resembled less of a battlefield and more of an artist endlessly revising the same painting in hopes of making a difference.

Always adding another brushstroke, another color—to which they translated to: always scheming and trying.

Yet none seemed to work, perhaps because he simply enjoyed seeing the scowl, often followed by a flying object aimed at him. Still, he admired his wife’s persistence.

The estate, in return, quietly adapted to the rhythm the two of you unknowingly established. A rhythm that consists of orders, dry remarks, pillows flying across the room, and something that was unexpected—laughter.

Though as the days went by, the seasons changed. The soft warmth shifted into something colder. The skies grew heavier over the following weeks, and clouds lingered longer than before until the first rainfall. 

And soon enough, the estate found itself wrapped in the familiar sound of the rain, the same way it constantly carried the sound of your voice as you called for him.

Except, every time the rain arrived, so did you. 

Stanley had to accept that fact. However, that didn’t mean he wasn’t against it. 

“You done yet? The rain’s getting heavier.”

You barely turned around to look at him, hands occupied with arranging buckets, a watering can, and anything else that could hold the falling liquid.

“No. You can head back inside if you want to.”

He found himself standing behind your crouched figure, umbrella in hand to cover the two of you. Despite the umbrella, there were droplets of rain caught on the ends of his hair and droplet stains on the back of his shirt as he tilted the umbrella towards you, shielding you completely from the rain.

He had long learned that you weren’t planning to bring one the second he found your arms filled containers. Collecting rainwater for the indoor plants was the excuse you gave him. And honestly? He wished you ordered him to do it for you instead.

The Secretary of Defense had entrusted him with protecting his daughter from stalkers, kidnappers, and every threat imaginable.

However, he wasn’t warned that one of the most persistent dangers would turn out to be the individual he had to protect.

Stanley exhaled through his nose, mentally questioning if his wife was trying to rival his infamous stubbornness 

“No.” He repeated your answer. “You sure you don’t want me to do that instead?” 

You turned your head to face him, eyes catching sight of his knitted eyebrows, a slight scowl of concern on his face. A hum, followed by a small giggle of amusement, escaped from your lips. “What? Don’t tell me waiting in the rain is something your high competence can’t handle.”

He let out a small scoff. “It’s not the rain.”

“It’s the part where you’re chasing a fever with open arms.” 

The way his voice sounded so matter-of-fact had you giggling louder. 

Stanley should’ve known that it was not just about collecting rainwater. 

As a week of full rain went by, he found you standing at the edge of the porch, eyes gazing over the gardens soaked by droplets of rain.

The rain had gone softer this time, unlike the one that rattled windows and turned skies into a battlefield of thunder such as the previous night. 

You had silently disappeared after lunch, and now he found you standing far too close to the edge, willingly welcoming the droplets that had reached your figure.

He called out your name, his footsteps becoming louder as he walked towards you.

You turned around with a grin as he came to a halt. “Hm, thought I could get out of your watch a little longer.”

“Clearly it wouldn’t have ended well if you did.” He replied instantly, eyes scanning your figure. “What were you doing?”

“Admiring nature?” You raised a brow. “We have quite the garden, y’know?”

“We do.”

You tilted your head, confused. “...And?”

“And you're going to get soaked if you continue to stand there.” 

His reply made you look down at yourself, noticing the droplets scattered across your sleeves. 

You blinked up at him. “It isn't even raining that hard.” 

You noticed how he resisted the urge to sigh. “It doesn't have to.”

With narrowed eyes and folded arms, you let out a small huff. “I thought you were assigned to protect me from actual danger.” 

Stanley met your gaze evenly, unimpressed. “I am.” 

You spread one hand towards the rain. “And where, exactly, is the actual threat or danger here?” 

He didn't hesitate, taking another intentional step forward. “You.” 

Your brows instantly knitted together. “...Me?” 

“You have a very impressive habit of becoming your own greatest safety concern,” he deadpanned. 

You stared at him in disbelief. “Are you calling me a safety hazard again?!” 

“You keep proving my point.” 

“That's an insult!” You shot back. 

He exhaled slowly, taking the umbrella nearby as he noticed the rain starting to get heavier. 

“The assignment doesn't end at preventing kidnappings.” His tone remained flat, yet there was an unmistakable firmness beneath it. “Keeping you alive includes keeping you healthy.” 

You blinked in disbelief. “...Wow, are you a physician too on top of the many things you can do?” 

“Nice joke,” He deadpanned once again. 

You clicked the roof of your tongue. “Five more minutes?” 

“No.” His reply came instantly. 

You groaned, acting as if you were going to follow his order when your next actions clearly indicated otherwise. However, before you could take another step down the porch, an umbrella shadowed over your head.

Immediately, you looked up and met his unwavering gaze. And for a split second, you couldn't help but think of how warm his eyes looked—a striking contrast against the cold weather that seemed to match his personality halfway. 

Then, he extended his free hand, causing your gaze to drop down. 

“Come inside.” 

His voice sounded calm, far from what you expected. It wasn't an order nor a request. It was simply the quiet certainty of someone who had already decided that this conversation was over. 

You sighed dramatically, though the corners of your lips betrayed you. “You're no fun when you want to be, Stan.” 

Still, you slipped your hand into his. Only for a brief moment, that is. Just enough for him to help you step over the rain-slick stairs of the porch. 

And enough for you to feel how firm, large, and oddly grounding his hand was.

And truth be told—much to his dismay—you did in fact give yourself a fever. Happened to be the very moment the staff had taken their days off. 

Hence, Stanley was left to deal with the consequences he tried so hard to avoid. 

However, a fever was something he was quite unfamiliar with, considering he rarely had one throughout the years. He could recall having one as a child simply because everyone else in his family did, and that was it.

He could barely recall any other time he caught a fever.

Which is exactly why he found himself on a call with Xeno, while trying to keep his now asleep, fluffy, dramatic cat still in bed. 

“You interrupted my work with the urgency of a national emergency…” The scientist paused for a brief moment. “Because your wife has a fever?”

Stanley could clearly hear the disbelief mixed with amusement in the tone of his best friend’s voice. It was as if he had yet to hear anything greater than what he was summoned for. 

“Ain’t my fault my immune system wasn’t built to mimic a Victorian child’s.” He spat out flatly.

“Indeed,” A soft chuckle crackled through the speaker. “And it appears you are only now suffering the consequences of such remarkable genetic fortune.”

Stanley raised a brow, eyes glancing at your figure for a brief moment. “...Consequences?”

“You have spent years without so much as a memorable fever,” Xeno continued. “Which consequently means you’ve never had the opportunity to learn how to care for yourself with such conditions, let alone another human being who isn’t blessed with your biologically unreasonable immune system, Stan.”

Stanley’s brows knitted in an unamused manner. “I know how to take care of people, Xeno.”

“In combat,” the scientist was quick to add. “Gunshot wounds, field triage, and coordinate an entire battalion without breaking a sweat.”

Another pause, “Unfortunately, none of it appears to have prepared you for a wife with a fever.”

Stanley swore that he could see Xeno smiling behind the line.

“You sound utterly out of your depth, Stan. How fascinating.”

The captain merely dragged a hand down his face. “She kept refusing to stay in bed until her fever spiked up to thirty-nine degrees.” 

“I assume it’s due to the fever making her physically unable to?”

Stanley hummed in response, walking back to the edge of your bed. “She still tried to get up once after it spiked.”

Xeno’s laugh slipped through. “Oh, Stan, you are not battling a fever at all.”

Another laugh was heard. “You are battling your wife.”

Stanley quietly exhaled, eyes remaining on your sleeping figure tucked beneath the comfort of a light blanket. “...Unfortunately.”

“My condolences.” 

He ignored Xeno’s reply; his hand reached out, brushing the stray strands of your hair back, allowing the band of his hand to feel your warm forehead.

His brows furrowed once again, “Still hasn’t gone down, Xeno.”

On the other end, Xeno found his lips curling upward as he sensed the shift in Stanley’s voice. Concern unintentionally slipped without him knowing. It wasn’t dramatic, nor was it barely there; it was audible in a way that had the scientist entertaining hypotheses. 

However, he chose not to voice it. Not yet; it was simply too early to. 

“How long ago did you give her the medication?” 

Stanley glanced at the clock. “Fifteen minutes.”

Xeno blinked, “...Then you are worrying far too early.”

He pushed his glasses further up. “Antipyretics are not miracles, Stan.” 

“I know.”

His reply had Xeno raising a brow, amusement evident in his voice. “Do you? Your actions clearly contradict.”

Xeno had to cover his mouth to prevent another loud laugh from escaping. “Please do not inform me that you’re glaring at a thermometer.” 

Stanley replied flatly, “I’m not.”

“Stan,” Xeno’s voice continued to carry his amusement. “I assure you that you’re managing the situation well. Ensure she remains hydrated, allow the medication sufficient time to work, and refrain from keeping her bundled up in heavy sheets.” 

Then, a small smile appeared on his face. “You know, Stan…this is the first time I have heard you sound impatient over something that was not my ‘ramblings’ and military bureaucracy.”

Stanley merely let out a loud exhale. “Drop it.”

He heard another chuckle. “As you wish, I’ll leave you be. However, do note that the bet has yet to slip away from my mind.”

And before Stanley could reply, Xeno ended the call. 

What a supportive best friend, Stanley thought.

The first thing you became aware of was the cool sensation resting against your warm forehead. 

It wasn’t cold, just cool enough to cut through the unpleasant warmth that had settled over your entire body. 

A quiet groan escaped your lips as your brows knit together in confusion. The pain wasn’t like the gruelling pain you experienced before losing consciousness; it felt better in a way, yet not completely. 

Your eyelids fluttered open, only to squint tight again as the afternoon light entered your vision.

The room seemed to sway slightly before coming to focus. And then— you noticed him.

Stanley sat on the edge of your bed, sleeves rolled to his forearms, hands gently adjusting the damp towel he’d just placed across your warm forehead. 

His attention instantly shifted the moment your eyes opened, his brown-golden eyes meeting yours. 

“Welcome back.” 

You blinked once, eyes still adjusting to the new sight of him. Then, your voice came out weaker than you expected. “...Hi.”

Despite the heavy feeling that settled through every muscle of your body, you attempted to sit up. And immediately, you realized that was a terrible idea as pain shot through.

A soft groan escaped from your lips, brows furrowing harder than before.

Then, you felt Stanley move, hands holding you still in a manner you didn’t realize he was capable of. He placed a pillow behind you for support, adjusting the cool towel on your forehead.

“Easy, your fever hasn’t completely vanished.” 

You didn’t say anything—and for a moment you couldn’t quite tell if it was because you were too weak to or because your fever had stripped away whatever stubbornness that usually kept you upright. 

It felt strange. His touch wasn’t warm; it had always felt cold, as if his fingertips held ice before making contact with yours, especially now against your burning skin. 

Yet somehow, it anchored you. 

Somewhere along the way—you couldn’t quite tell when exactly—Stanley Snyder had unknowingly built himself into the definition of safe inside your mind. 

Perhaps you were simply overthinking it, as you were too weak to move away or let out a complaint. 

Perhaps it was because that had been the purpose of his job since the start. 

Or perhaps the number of times he’d simply been there to answer your inconvenient orders. 

Whatever the reason was, you wished it wasn’t the latter because the thought of the latter frightened you by a fraction. 

Stanley reached for the glass of water on the bedside table. “Drink.”

Your thoughts snapped into reality as you gazed upon the glass of water in front of you. 

With both hands, you accepted it. However, you only realized how heavy the glass was halfway through lifting it.

Stanley, of course, noticed it before you did. 

Without saying a word, his hand came underneath yours, steadying the glass until you’d taken careful sips. 

The moment you leaned back, he took it from you and placed it beside the bed again. 

You slowly raised a brow after noticing his unwavering stare. “...Do I really look that terrible right now?”

You failed to notice the faint twitch of his lips. Stanley’s gaze scanned your feverish state, pale skin and lips, your slumped posture, and sunken eyes. “You look sick.”

“I am sick.” You frowned again.

The twitch became more visible. His eyes glinted with the familiar amusement he hadn't carried since the first sign of your fever. “I wonder whose fault that is?”

Your face instantly fell in betrayal. “Wow, couldn’t even spare my sick self from your blunt meanness?” 

He raised a brow this time, crossing his arms across his chest, the rolled sleeves revealing the muscles and visible veins caused by years of military training and discipline. 

“Tried to stop you multiple times, didn’t I?” 

You gave him a weak glare. “Not my fault I wanted to take care of the plants I got, which were gifts, by the way.”

Stanley tilted his head slightly. “From?”

“Mom and Eli.” 

“You’ve got an impressive number without considering the outdoor ones.”

“Well…” You rubbed the back of your neck. “Mom started it.”

“She thought the house looked a little empty two years ago.” You added. 

Stanley blinked once. “So she bought plants?”

“So she bought plants.” You confirmed by repeating his words. 

“At first it was just a few. Then she’d come home from work with another one every other week because she thought it would look good in the living room…or anywhere with a good amount of indirect light.” 

A quiet laugh escaped despite your fever. “Then she randomly decided half of them were my responsibility the second I said they looked nice.” 

A snort came after the thought of the memory. “There was one time she brought home a collection of Fittonias, and I thought they looked interesting, and she was like, ‘Which ones do you like the most?’ and they became mine after a minute.”

Stanley remained silent, though the corners of his lips kept twitching as he listened to your rambles. 

“They kept throwing a fit during the first few weeks—I genuinely nearly killed half of them before I figured them out; I think I nearly threw one out.” 

A snort finally escaped from his lips, earning a glare from you. 

“Hey, I’m talking about my unfortunate moments here.”

His shoulders shook harder after noticing a decorative pillow within your grasp. 

“...Wasn’t expecting houseplants to be a source of stress.”

“Very funny, Stanley.” You tiredly rolled your eyes and gave him an unamused look. “It still ranks below Dad’s job though.”

Stanley caught the shift immediately. “That sounded bitter.”

You gave him a small shrug. “It was supposed to.”

The tone of your voice merely gave him the tip of the iceberg, yet it was enough to tell him what he needed to know for now. He could tell your reasons must be personal; hence, he didn’t attempt to pry in. 

For a moment, there was silence. It wasn’t the awkward type that settled in—no, it was the comforting type. 

Your eyes wandered back towards him. “How long was I asleep?”

“About two hours.”

You gave another slow nod in response, feeling your body grow heavier again. 

“You should lay back down while your mother is on the way.” Stanley’s hands found your figure once again, helping you lay back down comfortably. 

You frowned. “...Mom’s on the way? But she has a fashion event in New York today.” 

His hands adjusted the cool towel again. “Had.” 

His eyes met your confused, tired ones. “She wrapped it up early after I called.”

“...She did?” A wave of guilt washed over you.

Your frown deepened as the thought settled through. “I ruined her schedule?”

“No,” His answer came instantly. “You got sick. And I was ordered to call her first if anything happened to your health.” 

“Seriously?” 

He simply nodded. “Your father’s with her.”

A groan escaped from you the second Stanley said those words. “A lecture’s on the way too? Amazing.”

He snorted at your response. “Unlucky.” 

You sent him another weak glare. “Yeah, my luck’s been amazing since a certain number thirteen appeared in my life.”

His laugh grew louder as he shook his head. “Blaming me again?”

Your eyes narrowed at him. “You’re supposed to defend me, Stan.”

“I’m supposed to keep you alive.” He corrected. “And I’m powerless against your Dad; I simply follow orders.”

“...Traitor.” 

An amused snort came out this time, his lips curling into a small smile. “It’s called following orders and not rebelling, unlike a certain someone, your highness.”

A soft protest escaped, yet you found the corners of your lips lifting despite yourself. 

Then, you felt your eyelids grow heavy again. 

“...Stan.”

“Hm?”

Your eyes searched for his gaze. “...Stay.”

“...That’s an order, by the way.”

His eyes found yours; the corners of his lips threatened to curl wider. “I figured.”

Satisfied with his response, you let your eyes drift shut again. 

The second Stanley received the message from the guards at the gate, he was already on his feet before the vehicle could reach their home. 

The moment the familiar pair stepped inside, Stanley could clearly see the worried expression written across your mother’s face. 

“Where is she?” The question arrived before the greetings could.

“Sleeping upstairs.” 

“Has her fever gone down?”

Stanley gave a brief nod. “Still there, but lower than earlier.”

That was all she needed to hear. Without another word, she headed upstairs. A mother responding to instinct, to habit, to years of experience. 

Silence followed as it were only Garrett and Stanley in the foyer.

Garrett loosened his tie slightly, eyes scanning over Stanley’s figure. Then, he let out an amused snort. 

“You look terrible, Stan.”

Stanley raised a brow, sarcasm lacing his voice. “Weren’t you stuck in a briefing with your favorite generals?” 

“Was. Had them stop their useless arguments after my assistant received your call.” 

Stanley returned the snort. “Must’ve been unfortunate to be stuck in the same room as those incompetent idiots.”

Garrett raised a brow, amused and surprised by his response. “Enjoying the benefits of your new job?” 

Stanley didn't answer, though the faint twitch of his lips was enough evidence for the Secretary of Defense to form a conclusion. 

Silence settled between them again. Then, they found themselves standing outside of the door, gazing ahead at the driveway. The sun was starting to set, reflecting over the small puddles of rain. 

Garrett had his hands in his pockets, gaze drifting back towards Stanley. “You know, I think this is the first time I met you without smelling like tobacco.” 

Stanley glanced at him, a hand instinctively reaching for his pocket where he usually stored it. That was when he realized the packet remained sealed. 

“Haven't had the time.” He reasoned casually. 

The veteran let out a quiet hum. “That's unlike you, Stan.” 

The captain merely shrugged. “Was occupied.” 

“Sure you were.” 

Another silence stretched between them. 

Garrett had known Stanley since his first achievement. A newly deployed, young soldier who seemed to have shaken the system with fear of what he was capable of. He knew he wasn't the type to neglect routine—habit. 

Reports were always submitted on time, equipment always remained maintained, even his smoke breaks found a way to seep through his hectic schedule of responsibilities. 

Yet today, his box of cigarettes remained sealed with plastic, and caged in his pockets. 

“You should've informed me that your daughter is a safety hazard.” Stanley's voice cut through the silence this time. 

He received a laugh from the veteran. “You're only finding that out now?” 

Stanley simply shook his head. “No. Realized it the second she couldn't wait for me to grab the bottle of vanilla after I said to wait.” 

Garrett raised a brow. “Did she get hurt?” 

Stanley was quick to reply. “Of course not.” 

A smile formed on Garrett's face. “Well, it seems you're doing your job quite well, Captain.” 

Stanley merely shook his head “I'd rather not make a habit of catching her before she falls.” 

“She's still trying to ruin your reputation?” Your father's smile widened.

“Every day.” 

Time went by smoothly after that. The familiar topic of assemblies, briefings, and operations seeped through their conversation easily. Perhaps the talk about certain soldiers bled through far too easily. 

The sound of footsteps caught both of their attention. In unison, they both turned, catching sight of your mother, who seemed to be trying to keep a smile down. 

She turned to Garrett. “It seems that your daughter is really sick.”

He raised a brow, clearly noticing how her words contradicted her facial expression. However, before he could reply, she turned to Stanley, a smile breaking through her defenses. 

“She's asking for you.” 

The two of them came to a short halt. Utter confusion and silence settled for a moment before Garrett barked out a laugh, looking far from a government official and more of a downright delighted father. 

“Oh, that's priceless.”

Stanley sent him a firm glare—ultimately forgetting that he was his superior for a moment. 

Your mother attempted to keep her smile from growing wider, yet the amusement in her eyes shone far too evidently. “She's complaining about your disappearance after she asked for you to stay, muttering something about not following orders.” 

Garrett turned to Stanley, “She's asking for you, Stan.” 

Stanley frowned slightly, “I don't see how that's amusing.” 

Your mother's gaze found his. “She never asks for her bodyguards. If anything, she prefers a distance at all times.”

“She tolerated them while trying to get rid of them, nothing more.” Her gaze softened, “This is the first.” 

She gave Stanley a warm smile. “She seemed to be grumpy about you not following her order.” 

Garrett let out another laugh, the sound quieter this time as he shook his head. “She’s really giving you a run for your reputation, isn’t she, Stan?”

Stanley answered with nothing more than a slow exhale through his nose. His gaze lingered on the doorway leading back inside, his thoughts briefly returning to the room upstairs. He had initially assumed that you’d want time alone with your mother. 

Apparently, he had misjudged that.

“You should head back upstairs before she issues another complaint.” He said, amusement lingering beneath his voice. “You’re good at following orders, aren’t you, Captain?” 

Stanley shook his head once, though a faint twitch threatened the corners of his mouth. “...Seems I don’t have much of a choice.”

He excused himself and headed back inside, footsteps fading across the foyer before disappearing up the staircase.

Your parents simply watched him walk back inside with knowing gazes. 

“From trying to crack his skull with a lamp to asking for him, huh.” Your father exclaimed softly as he leaned against a pillar, sounding rather satisfied than amused. 

For months, he couldn't help but feel the guilt eating him alive, running through every stream of his blood and thoughts. He knew what he did was irrational and couldn't help but think if his role as a worried father could even justify what he did. 

His wife hummed beside him. “Perhaps you were right about him.” 

“I've known him since he shook the whole department with fear. He unintentionally earned my trust.” 

His gaze lingered towards the staircase where Stanley had disappeared to moments ago.

“She trusts him as well.” Your mother added, her voice tinged with realization and acknowledgement. 

For a moment, your father remained silent, processing the weight of your mother's words. 

Then, he gave a small nod. “More than I expected.” 

A soft chuckle escaped him as he shook his head. “Probably more than both of them realized.” 

A faint smile tugged on the corners of his lips. You had spent years treating every bodyguard the same: respectful enough to acknowledge them, distant enough to remind them they were temporary. 

The flirting merely provided an opening for a report; the line between personal and strategy remained. Not once did you rely on them, search for them, or ask them to say. 

Yet somehow, number thirteen had found a way to blur the lines unintentionally, to cross the borders you've set, the walls you've created. 

“She's safe.” Your mother confirmed slowly. “As long as she's with him.”

He believed it too. Not because Stanley was the most capable soldier under his command, but rather because he saw the evidence first-hand. 

Garrett exhaled quietly. “Perhaps I can finally slow down on wondering whether I made the right decision.” 

“She probably still has a grudge against you and your legal team, though.” Your mother let out an amused laugh. 

He let out an exaggerated groan. “I thought she would've found Clause Thirteen funny.” 

His wife merely gave him an amused sigh. “Clearly not, dear.” 

Bonus: 

After more than an hour of waiting inside of his car, Stanley finally received the text message he had been waiting for. 

Fluffy, dramatic cat

Stannn, I'm done. 

Without waiting for a second longer, he stepped out of his car and locked it before walking towards the pottery shop. 

You had told him a week ago that you wanted to try pottery after finding out that there was a newly opened shop that offered lessons; however, you didn't want him to come in with you for a quite suspicious reason. 

Apparently, you had a surprise for him. 

The moment he entered the shop, his gaze found you eyeing the pots displayed neatly on the shelves, holding a paper bag with both hands. 

The sound of the entrance door opening caught your attention. Instinctively, you turned around and were met with the sight of your pretend husband. 

Your face brightened evidently, and Stanley couldn't tell if that was a good sign or not. 

You walked up to him with a grin. “Did I make you wait for too long?” 

He simply shook his head, hands reaching out for the paper bag within your hold. “Not at all.”

Stanley was used to staying still in one position for hours; the waiting time you gave him felt like nothing compared to what he used to do. 

The walk back to his car was short. He opened the passenger seat door, allowing you to step inside. However, as he was about to close it, you reached out for the paper bag. 

“I want to hold it.” 

He didn't question you. Instead, he carefully placed the paper bag on your lap. Afterwards, he turned to enter the car from the other side. 

“Stan,” You gave him an excited and eager smile. “Can I show you my surprise before we head home?” 

He tilted his head. “I can't tell if I should be worried with that grin on your face.” 

“Oh c'mon,” You smacked his arm with a force that had Stanley confirming your hits were getting harder. “Surprises are supposed to be good, aren't they?” 

“Depends on the person.” He rubbed the spot you hit moments ago. 

You shot him a quick glare before you reached out to open the sealed paper bag. After going through layers of packaging for the prevention of damage during transport, you held up a mug. 

However, it wasn't just any mug. The design of the mug was a chibi face of Stanley—the accuracy was hilarious in the terms of adorable.

Stanley stared at the mug in your hands. Then at you, then back at the mug. For a second, there was silence.

Then, his eyes narrowed, and his brows furrowed. “Is that supposed to be me?” 

The question came out so genuinely that your composure completely shattered. A laugh burst from your lips before you could stop it. 

“Yeah—” You wheezed, clutching the mug and your stomach at the same time. “Isn't the resemblance amazing?” 

“It's concerning.” 

His response made you laugh harder. 

Stanley noticed your grip around the poor ceramic loosen. Before gravity could claim it, a familiar hand caught your wrist and the mug with practiced ease. 

“Careful.” 

He took it from your hands before you managed to drop the very thing you'd spent the last few hours working on. 

“You're laughing way too hard,” he pointed out

You waved him off, trying—though failing—to speak normally. 

“I—I’m sorry—” You burst out into giggles again. 

“No, you're not.” 

“I know, right!” You clutched your stomach again while laughing. 

Stanley sighed quietly, though the faint curl of his lips said otherwise. His eyes remained on you for a moment longer before turning the mug in his hands. 

The details were honestly concerning. You had even painted his impossible long lashes, his purple lips, and even a cigarette. 

He rotated the mug again and found an engraving of words. 

Knight with a Frying Pan/Rapunzel wannabe.

He genuinely couldn't tell anymore if he should be insulted, impressed, or amused. However, it seemed the latter was winning. 

“...You made this?” 

Your laughter finally stopped, softening into a grin. “I did! Took forever to paint your lashes because my hands kept shaking and I wanted them to be perfect.” 

“Why?” 

“You would've noticed the shaky lines, Stan.” Your response came out genuine and soft. “Wouldn't want that.” 

Your reason had him come to a brief halt. “You thought I'd noticed?” 

You tilted your head in return. “Of course? You notice everything, Stan.” 

Something in his expression shifted faintly. Something both of you were completely unfamiliar with. 

Before the silence could remain longer, your grin widened. 

“Wait—” You reached out for the paper bag again. 

“I made another one.”

Stanley watched as you carefully pulled out a second mug, one that looked unmistakably like you. 

He didn't say anything. Instead, he reached out for the mug and rotated it, looking for an engraving of words, except there was none. 

“You didn't write anything on it?” 

You shrugged your shoulders, grin remaining. “I thought it looked accurate enough.” 

He returned the mug in your hands, a faint hint of amusement began to pool in his eyes. “Walking safety hazard would've topped it off.”

Your grin fell instantly as a sharp glare was sent in his direction.

“I'm not a safety hazard!” You jabbed his side, clearly annoyed. 

His amusement grew deeper, “Like I said, you keep on proving my point.” 

You sent him another sharp glare. “I'm taking my surprise back.” 

You reached over to snatch the mug back; however, he simply raised it higher, just out of your reach. 

“Isn't this supposed to be mine now?”

Your glare hardened as you stretched your arms further. Your seatbelt, which he buckled for you, unfortunately restrained you. 

“Stanley Snyder!” 

He tilted his head, a teasing smile plastered on his face. “Yes, your highness?” 

Oh, he was getting way too comfortable with messing with you. 

A/n: I’VE FINALLY FINISHED THIS CHAPTER AFTER WEEKSSS. I was not planning to let it go on that on, but my academics got a hold of me (ugh, the cons of being a slave for academics). And like, I was struggling to write this chapter, which is why I am so sorry if the quality degraded. ALSO, I’ve been itching to write the angst already like crazy. There’s two more chapters before Stan’s job starts to get real. I actually can’t quite tell if the pacing is fast since I’m planning to make this fic 13 chapters long (including the sub chaps for pacing and depth), but it won’t actually be 13 parts if you count the published parts and not the label on the chapters LOL. ꉂ(˵˃ ᗜ ˂˵) Anyways, I’ve started foreshadowing in this chapter already, even though it felt like a filler or something (The point of this chapter was to build the relationship with Stan). I think they were quite faint, though, but I promise you all, everything is connected LMAO. Even the fillers and bonus parts. P.S I’ve yet to watch the last two episodes of Dr.Stone cuz I can’t accept the fact that it’s over (I’m a manga reader btw.) (╥‸╥) TAGLIST: @sillybibbybobby @asteruuu @millyloves2read @ero528 @brownielover5 @lost-in-horrorland @123dabby123 @shijm420 @necromantiste @bananasquash @iheartpieck @moonlightaangel @nanasecrect @no1bruh @moonshoon @shogunfurasblog @weponxwrites @theanaoevre @66rockid @bsdfanhuu @yosyosy @metalyuga3

[chinatii]

🌌🔭🪐🪨🪐🔭🌌

I need someone to write a fanfic where reader belongs to another universe (very cliché i know but hear me out) like Project Hail Mary, where she was sent to a mission knowing that she would die for the sake of the humanity. Being the only one who survived in the crew, she spent what semmed years in isolation, apart from the computers, that could barely keep an emotional conversation, until she finally fulfilled the task to save the human race (it could be the same problem as the movie or another one). Ready to die, she enjoys her last moments and resources before injecting the lethal dose. But right before that happens, the ship begins to tremble, she decides to try to make the ship stable again so she doesn’t die in agony, the least thing she could do to herself after all. The ship starts spinning, which leaves her unconscious or unable to reach the controls. But instead of dying, she goes through some kind of wormhole.

She wakes up in the middle of the sea, her ship no where in sight. The only visible thing is an island not a far away. She doesnt even understand how she is still alive, or even if she is alive at all, but as her instincts are stronger, she starts swimming towards it. Once she gets to touch the sand she collapsed and stares to the sky, her brain trying to process not only the events that just happend, but all her trauma. Thinking that might be the afterlife. Night comes and stars begins to show their glow, she realised she is looking at the very same sky from her home, it couldn’t be, it must be some contusion, but how, she was years away from her home and the last fuel was used to sent the samples. Maybe she was indeed dead.

Even if she was, she couldn’t just stay there. Not because she was brave and adventurous, but because it was the only option left. That is how she travels through the island, only to be surprised when she finds that there are other people, but not like she left behind once, primative people. After analyzing all the variables, she concludes that it is the best to stay on the sidelines. Choosing to live in a comfy cave where no one would disturb her.

That changes when a group of maniacs arrive in a ship and get the majority of their crew turned into stone. It gets the best part of her, after all she already looked in the eyes of Death itself once.

I would love if someone focused in what happens in psyche of the characters. Who and what has the reader left behind for the noble cause. I am a sucker for senku but i leave that choice for someone that wants to write something like this jeje. It would make sense if the reader was just a bit older than the rest, so as she could becoming some sort of emotional support (even though the oc has enough problems for herself), taking into account how young everyone is during the previous events. Cause to be real, senku and the rest went through a lot of shit while still just teenagers.

⚗️🌘🌊🍜🌊🌒⚗️

[snyderasagiris]

BUILT FOR TWO!

PAIRING: Senku Ishigami x Reader

SUMMARY: College AU! Byakuya buys an embarrassing gift for Senku in the hope that he'll finally form a friendship with their neighbor: a two-person bike.

WORD COUNT: 2,917

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Read on Ao3 here! This was originally written for a friend, and it's been sitting in my Google Drive ever since. I want to slowly dip my toes back into this fandom, though, so I thought I'd post it!

He can’t be serious. Even for him, this seems like a little too much. Senku stared blankly at Byakuya. “You’re kidding, right?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at his father as he narrowed his ruby eyes. “You didn’t buy this for me.”

“What? Of course I did!” Byakuya smiled widely, completely indifferent to his son’s cold tone as he circled around the bike. “That girl invites you to ride a bike with her to campus every day, so I thought it would be better if you two just rode one bike! Maybe now you won’t turn her down!”

Senku sighed. Byakuya, of course, was referring to their new neighbor who recently moved in. The family that moved in had one daughter his age who happened to be going to the same campus in the city that he was. “I have a bike already. Why did you buy this?”

The bike in question looked like a tourist bike he’d seen in the city before. It had one set of pedals but two seats - a regular bike seat for whoever was putting in the work, and a seat more akin to a camping chair in the back for whoever was just along for the ride. In fact, the word bicycle was deceiving - it was technically a tricycle, since there were two larger wheels in the back to help support all the weight.

In short - it was ridiculously dorky and didn’t look like anything a normal college student would head to school on. However, Senku didn’t know why he should be that shocked - of course Byakuya would buy something as cheesy as the tricycle in front of them.

“The last time either of us touched those bikes was when I tried to get you to go on a biking trail with me. After my training, it was much easier for me! But I don’t remember you liking it very much… so I thought it was time for something new,” Byakuya explained. “And with this, you two can ride together to campus instead of riding side-by-side! Isn’t that better?”

No, it isn’t. It just means one of us will be doing a hell of a lot more work than the other, Senku thought. The mention of the last time he used a bike was a humble reminder as well. He remembered that day well - Byakuya blazing ahead of him while Senku wondered why anyone bothered trying to bike uphill. By the time he caught up to him at the top, Senku was out of breath and vowed to never touch the bike again. “I’m not using this thing. You should return it while you still can.”

However, Byakuya wasn’t going to give up that easily. He had hope for the idea - and he wanted to see Senku make friends with the new neighbor after seeing her put in that first step over and over again. “There was an expensive instrument you were looking at the other day, wasn’t there?” Byakuya began. “It was… a FIA machine, right?”

The mention of the machine caught Senku’s attention. He was no stranger to lifting Byakuya’s credit card and making expensive purchases on it for some equipment - but that particular machine was nearly four million yen. Even the one in the university wasn’t available for most students to use. “What are you getting at, old man?”

Byakuya smiled, knowing he now had Senku’s full attention. “Just use it once, that’s all I’m asking. Offer her a ride to campus tomorrow when she asks you to ride with her.”

One offer for a ride on this for a FIA machine? Really? “It’s a deal, then. You’re going to regret it when you end up taking out a loan, though.”

Especially since he never said that the ride had to be accepted… and I doubt anyone wants to be seen on this thing.

⋆✴︎˚｡⋆

Riding to campus was relatively easy. Honestly, thanks to where your parents had recently moved, it was mostly downhill or flat land except for the very end - so the journey to and from your morning and afternoon classes never took more than an hour each day. Plus, it was much easier than dealing with traffic and fuel prices in the city. So, it was the obvious choice on non-rainy days.

You kept your bike on the side of your house - so, each morning when you went to unlock it, you always ran into the same person: Senku Ishigami, your neighbor. Since you found out he goes to the same university as you and usually either walks or takes public transportation to school, you’ve always made him the same offer in the mornings.

“Good morning, Senku! Do you want to ride to campus together?”

His response had never changed - he always said no. It wasn’t as if he didn’t own a bike. The only reason you asked the first time was because you could see two nearly-identical bikes leaning against the side of his house. However, he never seemed to touch them. You wondered why he bothered walking to campus when riding a bike was much more efficient… so, every day, you kept asking.

And kept getting rejected. Not that you ever expected that to change.

As you were strapping your helmet on that morning, in fact, you caught Senku walking past your house. “Good morning, Senku!” you began happily. “Do you want to ride to school together?”

You had already mounted your bike, ready to take off the moment he said no when he caught you by surprise. Instead of the usual rejection, Senku reached out, putting his hand on the handlebar of your bike to keep you from going anywhere. “I have a better idea,” he smiled. There was a glint in his ruby eyes that made you somewhat nervous - as if you’d missed something important. “Why don’t you let me take us to campus together?”

While part of you was happy he was deciding to somewhat take you up on your offer, there was something… off about his acceptance. You raised an eyebrow somewhat suspiciously at him. “Do you drive a car…?”

“Oh, no. But I have something else in mind. I’ll be right back.”

He walked just ten feet down to his house and disappeared as he turned the corner, leaving you guessing as to what was going on until you saw him come back into view…

… with something you’d never guessed he’d own in ten billion years.

Upon seeing the shock on your face, Senku chuckled. “I know - it’s awful, right? My dad bought it for me,” he began. “He said I should take you up on your offer… and that I should offer you a ride. How about it?”

Senku was expecting a rejection. In fact, with Byakuya watching from their window, he was banking on it. One offer for a four million yen machine. It was an easy win.

To his surprise, you smiled and began to lock up your bike again. “Absolutely,” you agreed, keeping your helmet on as you climbed onto the chair in the back. “Let’s go!”

His expression quickly twisted into shock the moment you climbed onto the tricycle. “Are you sure?” Senku asked carefully. “I mean, it’s -”

“I’m sure,” you cut him off, leaning back in the seat as you kept eye contact with him. “You’ve said no to me for weeks. I want to be here now that you’ve changed your mind. A tacky tricycle won’t stop me.”

All Senku could think to do was stare blankly at you for a moment before nodding, putting on his own helmet. It pushed down his wild hair until it was falling against his face, tickling his neck at how long it really was. “If you’re sure,” he muttered. “Then let’s go.”

How hard can it be to ride a tricycle mostly downhill anyway? Senku thought, false hope filling him as they rode the first hill down and out of their neighborhood together.

⋆✴︎˚｡⋆

The moment they reached the uphill section that led to the gates of their campus, Senku remembered why he hated biking so much.

The beginning of the bike ride had been simple. In fact, when they’d been going downhill, Senku had even deceived himself into thinking it would be over soon. The force they gathered by getting out of their neighborhood had even been enough to leave them cruising during a lot of the flatter portions. However, by the time the bike had run out of momentum, Senku was already struggling.

Now, as the two of them sat on the bike and looked at the steep uphill ride, Senku began wondering if this was really worth the four million yen.

It didn’t take more than a moment for you to pick up on Senku’s hesitance. “Are we walking this bike uphill from here?” You asked, a touch of humor barely detectable in your tone. After seeing Senku start to struggle on flat terrain, you had doubts about him being able to get you both uphill. Hell - even if he was by himself - you doubted he’d make it far.

Senku knew that, at this point, there was no way for Byakuya to know if they didn’t make it all the way through the campus gates. No matter what he did here, he was securing the FIA machine he wanted. However, he also wasn’t one to half-ass the challenge he was given. If he was going to do this, he was going to do it all the way. “No, stay seated,” he began, a new sense of determination filling him. “We’re going to make it.”

… The newfound determination lasted all of three minutes before Senku was basically panting as he pedaled the bike, students passing you both by with suspicious glances and whispers to one another. When you started to notice the sweat going through his shirt and how much he was shaking, though, you couldn’t sit back and say nothing anymore. “Senku, are you okay? Please don’t die on the way to campus. I have a test today and I don’t want to delay it by having a crisis about killing my neighbor.”

Senku turned his head and looked back, a slight glare in his eyes. “You’re the one who accepted the ride.”

“You’re the one who offered! This is hardly my fault. Have you never ridden a bike before? Is that why Byakuya got you a tricycle?”

Suddenly, Senku hit the brakes on the bike, stopping to fully turn back to face you. He expected to find actual annoyance about the scenario you were in clear on your face, but instead, you were smiling. It caught him off guard for a moment - that, despite the past few minutes, you still simply seemed happy to be there. “We’re switching,” he said before he could stop to consider another option. “You’re having way too much fun back there.”

“Really? Okay! You’re holding my bag, though.”

Your acceptance was another thing to catch him off guard. The two of you weren’t even a five minute walk away from the gates. You could’ve easily said no, got off the bike, and walked the rest of the way to campus. Instead, you’d happily accepted the responsibility, making Senku raise an eyebrow with you as he got comfortable. “Why are you actually switching?”

“Because we’re not making it up this hill if you’re the one pedaling.”

“You know what I mean. You could leave me here.”

You just spared him one last look over your shoulder, a smile still on your face. “Why would I do that? You got us this far. I can do the hard part. Besides… I’m guessing that, after today, we’ll never do this again. May as well enjoy it while it lasts, right?”

As you started making progress with much less effort, Senku had an idea for how not to make this a one-time thing.

⋆✴︎˚｡⋆

“That is not the same bike it was before,” you began, your jaw nearly dropping. “What did you do to it?”

After how things had gone yesterday when Senku offered you a ride to campus, you expected it to never happen again. Not only because he seemed to be completely exhausted by the end, but because you had seen him dismantling the bike when you’d arrived back home after staying at the university to study. That, more than anything else, appeared to be the nail in the coffin.

You never expected him to be dismantling the bike in order to transform it into something else overnight.

Senku couldn’t hide the grin that spread across his face at your surprise. “It’s self-pedaling now, solar powered to save the need for any battery or fuel. I also added some… heat powered engines to keep us going forward in the case of there not being enough momentum.”

“Heat-powered?” You asked, looking down at what appeared to be rockets secured to the sides of the two back wheels. “This looks like it’s going to kill us if it goes wrong. I’m in.”

By now, Senku had started to grow used to your somewhat radical acceptance of whatever was happening around you. He thought he should’ve noticed it from the moment you accepted the ride from him in the first place, but it wasn’t until you accepted his demand to switch seats like it was no sweat that he realized that’s just who you were. You never seemed to remain shaken by anything thrown at you - you adjusted, accepted, and threw yourself into the task with a smile.

It was a ridiculously admirable trait in his opinion. He was the same way - there was no use trying to ignore or change the principals of the world. All he could do was educate himself on every aspect of it and use science and invention to move forward.

“Good. Then get on…” he said, gesturing to the seat in the back as he got into the former pedaling seat. Not that it actually required anyone to pedal anymore. “…and you might want to hold on.”

“Hold onto what?” You asked, barely securing your helmet in time before the bike came to life. The moment it started, you knew exactly what he meant, and you reflexively moved forward to grab onto Senku’s shoulders. While he had the handlebars to grasp onto, all you had was him - and with the bike immediately hitting high speeds, you really didn’t want to simply sit back.

The journey downhill was relatively smooth, if not a little faster than either of them expected. It wasn’t until they were taking turns that Senku realized that this design was not well-suited for turning on any terrain. It didn’t take more than the first turn for you to notice that, either. “Uhm, I don’t know if we should be turning at this speed,” you spoke up, leaning forward a little more so your chin hovered just above Senku’s shoulder. “In fact, I know we shouldn’t be.”

“We’ll be fine,” Senku started to assure you. “It’s just a little -”

Less than a second later, Senku was shown how it was not fine.

He considered it lucky, though. Of all the places to lose control of the bike and crash, he was glad it was somewhere public and familiar. If it had been hidden or in an unfamiliar area and both of you were hurt, you were both in trouble. Luckily, though, he knew the exact grassy slope you were now each falling down, and thanks to both of your helmets, you were protected. You had grabbed hard onto Senku when the bike crashed, which meant that when you were thrown off, you two were thrown off together. When you rolled down the hill, it was in a tangle of limbs, each of you rolling over the other.

When you finally came to a stop at the bottom of the slope, though, Senku was lying on top of you. The bike was already forgotten to him, his one focus making sure that he could still feel all his limbs before checking on you. However, by the time his glance down at his arms and legs to make sure there was nothing more than surface-level scratches was complete, you already seemed to be in good spirits. “I guess we’re never riding to campus on that thing ever again, are we?”

Looking down at you, he was relieved that you were alright. In fact, you were smiling. “No, we’re not,” Senku couldn’t help but let a smile tug at his lips as well. “Does anything get under your skin?”

“Not when I have a hot guy on top of me. Pretty hard to stay mad in that scenario.”

Senku’s expression went blank as he pulled himself off of you, moving to the side and clearing his throat, suddenly desperate to change the subject. “Come on. If you’re feeling well enough to say that, you’re fine enough to get up and walk the rest of the way to campus with me.”

“Hey! Not even a ‘sorry for making us crash’?”

“Nope. Failure is part of the process. Apologizing for that is a waste,” Senku said, standing with a grunt before turning back to you and offering a hand. “Now come on. Let’s get out of here.”

You accepted his hand without hesitation, but when it came to Senku actually helping you up, you still had to do most of the work.

Still, when it came to being with him, you didn’t mind doing the hard part.

[mr-humphries]

shwoop

[snowykittenmia]

WTWWW - Not so lonely survivors

< Previous Masterlist

Summary: Featuring: one accidental marriage proposal, one delighted old craftsman, multiple secret construction projects, and two pairs of life-changing glasses.

Chapter 3 – Given and Gained

The sunshine wakes you up, again.

This world needs curtains. And alarm clocks.

Sighing, you slip out of the hut, careful to not wake anybody up.

Back at your little breakfast spot, it's time to prepare some food. The last bit of rice, some broth and fish.

That should be decent.

Movement catches your eye. A bit too early for anyone else to be awake.

Your head snaps to the side, trying to assess the situation at hand.

Gen.

It's just Gen.

.

.

.

Wait?!

He's trying his hardest to be silent. Feet raising high in the air, hesitating there before stepping onto debris-free ground.

You scramble up off the ground, whisper-shouting. "Where are you going?"

Gen flinches, going still as a board. He slowly turns, mostly his head, turning his body only as much as he absolutely needs to. A guilty smile on his face.

"To Tsukasa-chan."

His words fill you with a sense of unease. So, you take a moment to look him over.

Injuries look better now, more so bruises and a few scrapes. Nothing major. The swelling that looked worrying yesterday has completely disappeared.

His eyes tell you the rest of what you want to know.

No pity, nor any other negative emotion that might set off alarms.

Good. He's going through with his decision.

"Do you want breakfast before that?"

He looks bewildered for a second, his signature small smile replacing it quickly.

"I think it might be better if I go back hungry."

That...yeah, that might make more sense.

You nod, raising a hand to wave at him. He raises a hand giving a tiny wave, before turning and walking into the forest.

You stare at his back, watching his figure disappear between the trees.

Back to cooking, you crouch by the small fire you made. Slowly boiling a broth over it and skewering fish to grill next to it.

The delicious scents spill into the air. It doesn't take long after that for the others to start waking up. All enticed by the prospect of food.

Chrome climbs out of the hut, drawn in by the smells. He looks around, seeing only you, food, and nature. For a moment, everything is alright maybe even better than that.

Then it clicks.

The amount of people in the hut, the amount outside.

The missing number.

Missing Gen.

Chaos should erupt, by all means, but you and Senku are calm. Way too calm for the situation at hand.

Chrome is freaking out about being betrayed, Kohaku is ready to bolt after the escapee only to be stopped by Senku.

Suika has huddled up next to you, following the battle between calm and chaos from a safe distance. You reward her with bits of food and pats on the head.

Soon enough, calm wins. Though, that means work, and you would prefer not to after yesterday. A heavy weight settles on your shoulders. The incoming crash is making itself comfortable as your adrenaline is finally subsiding after god knows how long.

You can feel someone staring. Out of the corner of your eye, you find out that the culprit is Senku. An analytical sweep over your posture, the probably very visible bags under your eyes. If you look even a fraction as bad as you feel, he might force you back to bed.

"I need to take a look around with Chrome today." Senku declares for everyone, but his attention is mostly on you. "That means the rest of you are free to do whatever. Except-" he points at you. "For you. Go back to bed."

You sigh, already knowing what's coming.

"The craft team needs to be in top shape." Senku continues, eyes slightly widening with each word you say at the same time.

"The craft team needs to be in top shape." You almost sarcastically parrot, having heard this so many times before. His favorite argument when you've pushed yourself.

"Glad we're on the same page, now shoo."

You get up slowly, joints popping causing Chrome, Kohaku, and Suika to look at you in horror.

"You sound like you're going to fall apart..."

"Sounds like the old people around the village."

"Are you alright?"

You sigh, waving them off.

"It's fine, I just like pretending to be a glowstick."

That doesn't make anything better as their faces twist in even more obvious confusion. They turn to Senku, who gladly begins explaining.

You continue inside, falling back onto your bedroll.

Dreamless sleep claims you in a matter of seconds.

Afternoon is already turning into the evening when you wake up. Despite the hours of sleep, you feel only marginally better.

Outside, Chrome and Senku seem to be discussing something. Both completely covered in dirt and dust, standing in front of the furnace with a pile of something next to them.

You get up, still completely sluggish, and make your way to them.

"What's up?"

Senku turns, not even greeting you back, just scanning you from head to toe. He clicks his tongue.

Jerk.

"Did you sleep good?" Chrome asks.

Finally, someone with manners.

You raise your hand, tilting it to say 'so-so'. Saying it out loud when Chrome raises his eyebrows.

"Anyway, this is good timing. We need to discuss something."

The way Senku says it makes it clear that you won't like whatever comes out of his mouth next. Even Chrome looks a little panicked, taking a few steps back to kind of hide behind Senku.

"We need to adjust the sleeping arrangements. You take the hut, we'll sleep out-"

"Absolutely not."

"-side. Too bad, this is how it will be now."

"You said nothing when Gen was here!"

"We needed to know he wouldn't try anything, being all together kept chances of that to zero."

Still, that's not enough to shut you up.

"So, now that he's gone, but there is a maniac on the loose, I'm okay to sleep alone?"

"We'll be the first in line, he probably doesn't even know you're here."

You click your tongue, hating that he's right.

"Even if he returns, he will likely go for us. So you being up there reduces the chances of you being dragged into it."

"I still think the three of us would have better chances against him."

Senku's smug look drops for a moment before he switches tactics.

"And sleeping in the same room as two men? Your marriage prospects will be gone!"

He dramatizes for a moment, while having a smirk on his lips the whole time. He thinks he got you. Well, about that...

"Or I could marry one of you two."

It lands quietly, for a second nothing happens. Then it explodes as the words finally register.

Chrome takes a step back, face red as a tomato. Eyes wide and looking anywhere but at you.

Senku stands there, unmoved, looking unaffected. If you didn't know him. His ears turn pink, eyes widen slightly and his mouth drops slightly open.

His eyes never leave yours.

You stare right back. Holding his gaze despite the warmth rising in your own cheeks.

It takes him a moment to do anything. He clears his throat, looking away from you at Chrome.

"You staying safe, means I don't lose my entire craft team. I can't risk that happening."

Completely ignoring the previous argument.

And unfortunately, he's right. Senku can create, though the results tend to be… inadequate.

He and Chrome can't run away, and whoever the attacker is, they know about them. Senku probably has a plan, but still... he's banking on surviving more so than staying unharmed.

This is frustrating.

You can only sigh, no matter what you will say, he's dead set on this.

"Fine..."

At that, Chrome and Senku look smug... For about five seconds.

The unhappiness that was clearly showing on your face before, has been replaced by something else.

"Why don't the two of you go wash up now?" The suggestion is nice, your voice sweet, but the smile on your face spells trouble.

The boys take a step back, suddenly more than happy to leave you alone.

You watch their figures retreat, smile still plastered on, until you can no longer see them. The smile drops and so does most of your body. But despite the heaviness of your limbs, it's time to get started.

With what?

Payback, of course!

Since they insisted on being fine outside, you will make sure they actually will be. Meaning, a place for them to sleep and not get sick.

A house would be the best, but there is no way to build one in an hour. Your Bob the builder powers don't include speed building.

A campsite will have to do.

Two lean-tos and a solid campfire. That's the plan.

And that means one thing – grinding.

You sigh, already regretting choosing to be nice.

Still, you get to it.

Three piles: sticks, stones, dry foliage. They unevenly grow in the matter of minutes. Once you are satisfied with the amounts, it's time to gather the last materials – tree trunks. Not the big ones, but the young ones. Long and thin.

As soon as the last one hits the ground of the clearing, so do you.

Air feels sharp, dry as you breathe it in. Big gulps that hurt, yet you can't stop.

Your fingers tingle around the axe handle.

Time ticks by, precious seconds lost. You get up, not really ready to do anything, but there is no time to waste, not if you want to be able to surprise them.

The lean-tos come together quickly. Frames first, then insulation, and lastly the bed.

The campfire is even quicker, as soon as the stone border is down muscle memory takes over. Dry foliage, sticks and leftover logs turned firewood.

The fire flickers to life easily, blazing through the pile of materials.

Finally, you stand back up. A successfully built campsite in front of you.

Something warm swells in your chest. It keeps you up despite the weight trying to drag you back down.

You breathe out. Now, you can rest. And hopefully, so will the boys.

It doesn't take long for you to hear them coming. The rustling scaring you for a second. But the distinct sounds of a pair of footsteps is enough to slow down your frantic heartbeat.

"-lass, right?"

Chrome's voice carries out of the forest, you wonder if he has adjustable volume.

"Huh?"

"What the-?"

You stand proud, hands on your hips, a smirk on your lips. And suddenly, the one who is smug, is you.

Their faces can be read like a book. The brows raise, eyes going wide. Their mouths opening, then snapping shut. No words out of either.

Senku is the first to snap out of it.

He smirks before bending over and chuckling.

"I should have known."

Chrome looks to him, still lost, but now even more because of Senku. So he focuses on you, itching for answers.

"How? But we were gone only... How?"

Senku takes the initiative and walks towards the camp. He inspects the lean-tos, pushing against the frame but only getting a miniscule amount of movement from it. He whistles to himself, a pleased tune.

"These will do great, the insulation is even and soft. The angle is nice, we shouldn't get soaked if it rains. Kukuku, the craft team really is the best."

His words leave you feeling warm, relaxing the last bits of tension you held in your shoulders. A tiny flicker of pride and happiness fill your heart at the mention of the craft team. Senku definitely has ulterior motives for your skill sets. But you take comfort in the fact that Yuzuriha will eventually be here to share the burden.

Unfortunately, Senku will most likely take advantage of that knowledge. On the other hand, at least it won't get boring.

In the meantime, Chrome seems to have regained his bearings. He looks over his new sleeping space, feeling the nice warmth coming from the fire. His eyes scan everything, greedily drinking in the sights.

"This is amazing..."

His words are almost too quiet for you to hear. Almost. And somehow, they hit you slightly more than Senku's praise did.

The genuine appreciation. The way you see in his posture when he notices the deliberate choices you made when building and how they affect things.

It worms its way under your skin, tickling, reaching straight for your heart.

Your nose stings.

Damn it...

You turn away as your vision blurs at the edges. All of it being too much of what you're not used to.

It used to be a fact to anyone who knew you, so seeing someone discover your attention to detail for the first time? To gain respect from it? With no ulterior motives no less?

Yeah... it's a lot to process. You need to get out of here. Without turning, you raise your hand in a wave.

"It's a thanks for leaving the hut to me. I hope it feels better than the ground."

You don't wait for them to respond, already moving towards your own bedroll.

"Goodnight."

But when you do lay down, eyes closed and ready to fall asleep. That's the moment your brain becomes a traitor. Again.

Ideas swarm your brain. Blueprints and models fly in front of your closed eyelids like a slideshow.

A house. Well, two to be exact. One for the boys, one for you.

Oh right, can't forget about Gen.

So the house has to have three bedrooms and a common room.

And I could make a separate one as a kitchen!

Sleep claims you in the middle of designing the house. Though dreams help you finish the design.

Morning light streams in through the open door, hitting your eyes and thus waking you up. With the memory still lingering, you draft up a blueprint quickly.

But one blueprint turns into two, three, and way more than you will ever be able to complete. A full redesign of the entire clearing.

A kitchen, houses, a smithing area, the inevitable lab. Even a possible well, because you are sick and tired of having to go to the river constantly. And the most ambitious one, the bathhouse. With heated water. But you would need Senku's help with the logistics of that one.

Well, if you ever show those to him, or anyone.

There is likely not enough time for you to mess around with any of this.

Except for the houses and the lab.

And you could always start on the house, working on it in spare time. You smile, a small giggle escaping you and sounding a little manic.

If you build them a house, not only will you have more peace. They will also be indebtedto you.

Hands move together, rubbing over one another without you even noticing.

A villain in the making.

The time came that very same day.

"Nothing?"

"Yeah, nothing. Anyway, you should still rest. There will be plenty of work soon."

You stare dumbly at Senku as he walks off. Free time is truly unexpected. Mainly when there is so much to do...

Welp, time for some personal projects.

The blueprints are nice, a layout with approximate measurements. Materials written down, now only to be gathered. The big issue here are tools, or rather, the lack of them.

There is no way you'll spend time making nails, too time consuming and not rewarding enough. So the only other choice is Japanese wood jointing.

The issue with that lies in the lack of the main tool you need for that – a chisel.

A grin stretches on your face, wide and utterly maniacal.

This village is the answer.

The toys you've seen in children's hands. The architecture all around.

They have a carpenter.

And if they truly like their work, you have something to give them.

"Your face looks strange."

A tiny voice says.

Suika. Perfect.

You school the expression into a more gentle smile.

"Sorry about that. But now that you're here, do you think you could help me with something Suika?"

She perks up at that.

"Help? With what?"

"I need to meet someone from the village, the one who builds all of the buildings and furniture."

After she agrees, Suika is off. Her little legs carrying her into the village.

You sit down, expecting a bit of wait. Surprisingly, it's just a matter of minutes before you hear her approaching again.

"Here, this is the person who wanted to meet you!"

Her little finger points at you. A small, old man stands beside her. While clearly displeased at meeting an outsider, or perhaps being dragged out here, he stays.

A quick look over tells you this guy is the real deal. Despite his age, his hands are steady, no tremors. His eyes scan things quickly, spotting things that need repair before anything else.

Amazing, this is a real master.

"Hello there." You start off with introducing yourself, keeping everything polite. Thankfully, he responds in kind, introducing himself as Kaseki.

"Now, what is it that you brought me out here for?"

"Oh right, I apologize for dragging you all the way out here. I would like to propose a deal."

He looks you over, the same way you did to him. Then finally his eyes land on the paper in your hands.

"I'm not building anything, not for that outsider that destroyed my beautiful bridge!"

His tone is stubborn. The set of his brows is too. His hands cross over his chest.

"Oh no, I'm not asking you to build anything. I would just like to ask for some spare tools?"

You reply, quickly setting the record straight before he decides to leave.

"Spare tools? For what?"

"I'll be building something, but I lack the tools to do so. If you would be so kind to lend me at least something to carve finer details into wood I would be willing to part with a trade secret of mine."

He looks at you, scoffing slightly.

"What could you possibly know that I don't?"

"I can show you."

That piques his interest. Even Suika shuffles closer.

You lay out the blueprints, specifically the ones on the jointing.

"This is the way to build homes out of wood instead of sticks."

Silence takes over... only for a moment.

Strange sounds, like labored breaths, come from Kaseki.

Worry starts creeping in.

Maybe this was too much excitement for the old guy?

Kaseki jumps up, tearing at his clothes until he rips them off his chest.

You squeal, watching as the fabric tears more and more. Then before he can completely uncover himself, you grab Suika and turn.

"This is amazing! This could be...I could..."

Kaseki seems really pleased with this revelation. Probably already full of new ideas and plans – just like you.

A sense of the same crafting spirit lets you carelessly turn back.

Immediate regret.

You squeak and cover your eyes.

"Put some clothes on!!"

It takes a few minutes, apologies from Kaseki spread throughout the whole time, and one very fast trip of him running to get new clothes, before you're both sitting on the ground. Papers spread between the two of you.

"If you do it as a frame, then that's all you need. But if you want to build it up, you might need something like this..."

You follow the words with a quick sketch. Kaseki leans closer in with an excited noise.

"I see, so I use this as a frame, I can pack it in with clay. I will get more stability than we have now. And we could add on to the building way easier than now."

He holds his chin with one hand, the other holding his own charcoal.

"Yeah! And you could even make preparations in advance, even if the expanding isn't decided yet."

The craft circle continues for a while, small exchanges of ideas passing back and forth. By the end you also get the tools, more than what was asked for. It's also decided that this will be regular, you and Kaseki meeting up, talking about ideas, exchanging techniques.

It has been a while since you felt this excited. It feels like electricity running along your skin, this invigorating feeling that won't let you rest. Calling out for something to do with your hands, to create.

So, you start.

First up, a fenced area you will be building the house in. There are two reasons for this: it's supposed to be a surprise for the boys and you don't need someone injuring themselves if they stumble in at the wrong time.

Sticks line the perimeter, giving you plenty of space to build and hoard materials at the same time. Next, you cover over them with pine branches, giving you the needed privacy.

There were of course objections and questions.

"What the hell? Why are you...We might need this area!"

Senku tried, but one look from you shut him up. This is the hill you're willing to die on, and he isn't. He takes a step back on instinct while trying to argue a bit more before his mouth closes and he ends up looking defeated.

"What is this supposed to be? Will you be making something?"

Chrome kept buzzing around the fence. He quickly shut up when you shot him a look too. This one said 'keep asking and there'll be trouble'.

Only Suika got some answers from you.

"Can I look inside?"

"Of course, but you have to keep quiet about what you see in there."

Even if the only thing there is a blueprint Suika can't read.

"What will you be making?"

You look at the boys standing nearby, quickly sticking a tongue out at them before turning back to Suika.

"It's a secret." Then quieter, making a show of covering your mouth on the side where the boys are clearly trying to listen in. "A gift for the boys."

"Ohhh."

Suika seems almost as excited as you about it.

"Oh, come on!" Chrome whines, giving up and slumping onto the ground. "Why won't you tell us?"

You take a look at him, silently contemplating if you should throw them a bone or not.

"You'll see soon enough."

There isn't much more you can give them without Senku figuring it out, though you think he has a good guess already.

That evening something begins, something that none of you present realize will shape the bonds between everyone.

The fire flickers, everyone sits in a circle around it. Even Kinro and Ginro are here.

Suika is sitting on Kohaku's lap, nodding off slowly. Soon it will be time to go to sleep.

"Now that we've gathered the sand, we will start making glass."

Senku lays out the plan, while Chrome occasionally chimes in with a question. It's quite easy, the glass can be melted in the furnace for now, there'll be a need for some molds and a sanding station similar to the cutter created for the generator's copper sheets.

"I think the first thing to create should be glasses for Suika."

A ripple of murmurs start after Senku's words.

"What are glasses?"

"Is he making something for someone out of the goodness of his heart?"

"What's the catch?"

"Why does Suika need these glasses?"

All pretty valid questions if you say so yourself.

The next morning, Senku begins with the commands. He and Chrome start on melting the glass and repurposing the copper cutter.

You manage to quickly put together a few molds for the glass before rushing back to your own project.

Even Kohaku is focusing on her own task, whipping the brotherly duo into shape for the tournament.

You start with gathering all the materials. Choosing not to stray far in case your help is needed. That means chopping down nearby trees.

Before you're even done with the first one, you are already making a plan to request metal tools from Senku.

Though thankfully, you don't need big trees. There is a perfect width you'll need for the walls, so you focus on finding logs you don't need to shape too much. Any shortcut you can get to having this done quicker.

The sun has already started its descent when you hear someone call for you. By now you've managed to cut a few logs, dragging them to the work area.

Senku stands on the other side of the fence, begrudgingly respecting the boundary.

"Need you to show Suika something."

He gives nothing else, already making his way back. You follow without question.

Chrome is standing by the new sander, a glass oval held delicately between his fingers. He's still marveling over the crystal clear material. It makes a fond smile rise on your lips before you even realize.

When you do realize, you decide there's no reason to stop. It might be better to just let it show.

Suika stands nearby, head moving side to side. Clearly looking out of place.

"I drew a basic Snellen chart. I need you to show Suika how this is going to work."

"Why me? Couldn't you have done it yourself?"

"Don't ask questions, just do it."

You huff, confused and annoyed. But you do it.

Grabbing the glass, you put it in front of your eye, closing the other.

"You need to close one eye, holding the glass in front of the open one. Then Senku will point at the shapes and you will say out loud what you see. If you can't see what it is, just say so."

Senku grabs a stick and starts pointing to the shapes, always waiting for you to say one in response. After a bit of a back and forth, Senku drops the stick.

"Your eyesight is still shit."

"Well yeah, smartass. As if my eyes magically healed. Didn't you see me squinting all the time?"

"I thought that was just your face."

You squawk, then crouch to grab the first stick you can find. You stand up, hurling it at Senku with all your might.

It smacks him straight in the face.

You burst out laughing at his expression. Eyes wide with surprise, eyebrows raised almost up to his hairline. Mouth wide open before closing.

But as soon he shows it, it's gone, replaced with irritation.

Out of the corner of your eye you can see Chrome desperately holding back his laughter as Senku turns to glare at him next.

It takes a moment for everyone to gain back their composure, mainly Chrome who keeps snickering when he looks at Senku.

It's Kohaku's arrival that fully calms things down.

Despite your protests, Senku makes you stay, switching between Suika and you with the eye test.

But all you can think about is what needs to be done next. Hands itching to do more.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity Senku sets you free.

"Both eyes?"

"Uh-huh." You hum the response, not really paying attention. Almost jumping out of your seat at the prospect of freedom.

"Fine, go. I'll call you back later."

You jump out of the chair, hands pumping into the air.

"Dobby is free!"

You run. All three Stone Agers look confused.

"What?"

"Who?"

"Do-what?"

Senku facepalms as everything around him descends into chaos because of one sentence. Everybody distracted from the task at hand.

"Get to work!"

You hear as you continue to skip over to your spot, grabbing an axe and continuing into the woods.

The rest of the day is spent out there, gathering logs and dragging them to the building site. And the evening continues with more work.

After finding your friend and other people. Creating something then gaining a new crafting buddy. Now working on multiple side projects, yeah, the dopamine rush from it all is amazing.

Sitting with Senku, Chrome, Kohaku and Suika around the campfire, your hands move quickly. Yarn in your lap, the crochet hook in your hand.

Silence has reigned over the group for a while now. Most of them watching your deft movements, seeing something grow right in front of their eyes, even if they don't know what.

Chrome is the first to break the silence.

"Hey, uh, I wanted to ask you something."

You look up, pausing your work for a second.

"What is it?"

"Oh, well... about what you're wearing and using there?" he points to the ball of yarn.

"This?" You pick up the yarn, letting Chrome look at it from up close. His hands reach out and stop, as if asking permission first.

You nod.

He picks it up slowly, carefully.

"It's yarn."

"Huh?"

"Like wool, or even plant matter."

You can see Senku opening his mouth, but this is your expertise, no way will you let him take over your fun.

"So, to explain. Take your own hair for example. It grows and then it falls out over and over. If you took all of that fallen hair, and you had it from more people, you would have a pretty decent pile."

Senku groans halfheartedly. His eyes roll but then focus back on you.

"Here we go..." He drawls, acting as if annoyed, but the small unguarded smile on his face says otherwise.

You rake a hand through your hair, pulling it away from your face and holding onto any strands that stayed in your hand.

Then, after quickly rummaging through the backpack, you take out the spindle.

"With this, you could take all that hair and spin it into yarn. It would tie here, then you'd spin the whole thing"

You carefully show him with the little bit of hair strands that had fallen out. It makes a very thin, short yarn. More like a thread for sewing.

"Normally, you want it to turn into what you're holding. And using that little hook, or-" You pull out the knitting needles. "These, you can make things out of it. Like my clothes."

You pass the yarn, unfinished work and tools around. Even the aloof Kohaku takes a closer look, her gaze softening slightly.

Suika looks at it all sparkly eyed. "It feels nice and warm. Can anyone learn this?"

When it comes back to Chrome, his hands keep touching everything, as if trying to memorize it all.

"Wow, that's amazing. Is this also science?" Chrome holds the half-finished pillow in his hands, thumb dragging over the expanse of the material.

"I wouldn't call it that. It's more of a handiwork, like woodworking. Or pottery." You say. "I don't need any scientific materials really. Just a bit of fur or wool and something to work it with."

Chrome still looks completely enchanted. Then he spots something peeking out of your backpack. "What's that?"

"Oh these? They're sweaters, to keep warm when it gets cold."

"All three of them? But they look so different from each other!"

You chuckle. "Yeah, different technique gives different results." Chrome comes closer, checking between the three pieces.

"What do you use to create these-you called them sweaters?" You nod and point at the hook and needles.

"Like I said, these. Specifically, this one is used alone, and these two belong together." He looks at the sticks with reverence. You also point out the yarn again. "And this used to be fur."

"This feels like actual sorcery." He whispers so quietly you almost don't hear. When his words register, you burst out laughing. "Yeah, to beginners it usually does."

But it makes you wonder. Maybe the villagers could learn, but you will need some wooly animal. Perhaps you might have a reason to go back for your serow friends!

You turn your attention to the de facto leader. "Senku, think it might be worth teaching the villagers how to knit and crochet?" He looks up lazily, already thinking through the benefits. It looks like his eyes sparkled at the idea, but it's gone as soon as you blink.

"Yeah. That might be worth it. Kohaku, how does your village handle the winter."

The blonde in front of him thinks for a moment. "Well, other than to fish, we mostly stay inside. It gets cold to the point that fur doesn't help so we have to huddle together."

Yeah, these guys need as much help as possible.

Senku looks back up at you and nods. "What would you need?"

"Wool, fur, anything to use as a yarn."

"That might be tough... How did you get yarn?"

"Found goats."

Silence.

"You found goats?"

You nod quickly. "Yeah, well... Serow, but still. They must have bred with goats over the years."

Senku thinks it over. "And you were near Nagano you said." Another nod. "Well, was there anything else we could get from making the trek that way?"

"I don't really know what you already have. Like, I have the rice? It grew there like weeds, but I would think some would be here. Also apples? Like small sour ones but still? Some grapes, those were surprisingly good." You ramble.

"Maybe we should spare some time later to gather some of that."

Chrome pops up beside you. "Anything on the way we should look out for?" It's a good question, almost innocent, but it brings back flashes of the past.

Ugly and painful. The smell. The sound.

You breathe in. Shaking the thoughts off.

"Not that I came across. But it's possible there could be something. It also depends which way we go."

Kohaku looks up. "Which way we go? There are more options?"

"Yeah, if you look at mt. Fuji."

"Fu-ji?" Chrome and Kohaku look at you as if you spoke alien.

They don't know...

"...Senku?"

"Hmm?"

"They don't know mt. Fuji?"

"I guess not."

What the hell?!

"Okay...I guess it's time for a lesson in geography." You grab a stick from the ground, leaning forward to draw in the dirt.

"This," you draw a point up, "is mt. Fuji. If you look up and that way." The stick points directly at the towering peak in the distance. "You can see it with your own eyes."

"Wow."

"So it had a name."

"Now. This is basically where we are now." You draw a little dent toward yourself, south-east of Fuji, marking a small X there.

"And I was here." Another X, this time north-west of Fuji. "There are two ways we can make it from here, to there."

You draw a snaking line to represent the Chikuma river and a few mountains to represent the range you refused to walk through.

"This is technically the shorter way, but it's over mountains." You point the closer path, on the right of Fuji. "On the other hand, this one might take longer, but it's mostly through valleys and next to water most of the way." The stick traces the path you took.

"If we pace ourselves right, it might take us a bit over two weeks to get there and back."

You say proudly.

"Unlike you." Senku snickers.

"As if you will survive just the way there. You will fall over and break something the first day of the trek." You point out, half joking, half serious. He grimaces slightly before shrugging.

"Well, we can't go now. There is too much to do. But if we find a bit of time, we should be able to go in Summer or the beginning of Fall." Senku concludes.

His words build up an anticipation for the future that makes it hard to fall asleep that night.

You spend the next day doing more gathering, stopping only when Senku calls you.

"C'mon, time to show Suika the world."

His words make your heart skip a beat. Despite what he might claim, it's moments like these that give him away.

You smile, talking with Suika the whole way as the boys lead you all somewhere. And it soon becomes clear where and why there.

The field of warm yellow. Flowers as tall as Suika, some stretching even up to your waist.

Sunflowers.

It's beautiful.

Chrome and Senku take Suika further in, surrounding themselves with the blooms.

You lag behind, moving closer to one flower. Letting the fuzzy details sharpen with proximity.

The air is slightly sweet, pollen saturating it.

After one final look, you take a deep breath, letting it all settle inside of you. Then you quickly follow after the others.

"What can you see Suika?" Senku asks, voice softer than he probably meant.

As she tries to focus, her entire face scrunches up.

"They're just sunflowers. It's not like I can't see at all, you know."

Senku shoves her melon helmet – now equipped with glasses – onto her head.

For a moment, only the sound of the breeze passes between you all.

Then, you can hear Suika's breath hitch and a smile spreads on your face. Even Senku and Chrome are smiling wide.

Suika stands frozen for a moment longer, taking in the sight right in front of her. The sunflowers that she can actually see now.

She turns to look at you three, droplets of tears falling from underneath the melon helmet.

"Thank you."

Suika throws herself at Senku, then slowly hugs Chrome and you.

Next thing you know, Suika is running back towards the village. Laughter follows her as she keeps looking everywhere. Her little doggy running beside her.

Chrome bolts after her, unwilling to let her out of sight even if she can see now.

It's just you and Senku now. Standing in the middle of a giant sunflower field.

"Think we could harvest these? Once they're ready of course."

You ask, leaning to properly see the flowers.

"Of course you'd think of how to use them. How about you just enjoy the sight?"

"Well, I can't se-"

You turn to face him, stopping in your tracks as a pair of glasses, frames and all, is suddenly brought in front of you. They almost look like your old pair, as much as can be replicated now.

"Wha-"

"Put them on."

Your hands shake as you take the glasses from him. The anticipation makes your eyes close as you put them on.

"Oh come on, I made them so you could see, but you need to open your eyes."

And you do.

The world is bright, sharp. In focus.

The field stretches all around, framed by a forest.

Then everything blurs at the edges, your nose burns. But you bite your lip hard, unwilling to lose what you've just gained even for a second.

You turn to Senku, once again seeing his features properly, and smile. Wide, unguarded. Truly happy.

"Thanks, Science Man."

[openurh34rt]

senku sketch <33333333333

[ruzewaa]

Could I ask for another part of Senku with a reader who likes praise..? Like what if he says stuff on purpose to rile them up in front of others

Looks like we're getting another praise fic from me 😋😋 (editted this rq cause wdym I missed a mistake...)

Loving Analytical Phrases

Senku Ishigami x Fem!Reader

Words: 1,548

Tags: Tooth-rotting fluff, post-petrification, no use of Y/N, Reader loves praise

Synopsis: Senku compliments you for his experiment: Will you turn into a blushing mess from his words?

Senku doesn't give out nice words and compliments easily unless your talents are extraordinary. And if he does, it's usually like a conclusion you would hear on a scientific output. He thinks sweet and sentimental feedback are nothing but words any human being would die to hear for the sake of dopamine.

He obviously knows how it affects the brain, but he himself can't understand the appeal of it if it's not from rocket science. Love? Partners? Physical affection? It irks him to the bone.

But that changed the moment he met you. You altered his thought process about relationships. Suddenly he doesn't mind being closer to you, he notices small details about you like the way your eyes dilated at the sight of him, and best of all, he knows how much you love praise. Like you really love praise.

He found out the day he caught how you reacted to him the first time he bluntly admired your physical attributes.

“You look ten billion percent better today than usual, your subtle facial cosmetics did bring more attention to your features. Quite… likeable.” He blurted out randomly with no shame whatsoever.

And he was right, ever since he made that primitive make-up set one time when Kohaku had to infiltrate the treasure island, you begged him to make one for you too.

If the light pink blush on your face wasn't enough, then your steamingly deep red, flustered cheeks will ought to do it. “Eh?! You're serious?!”

“I exclaim facts. I'm not an idiot that just drops a lie out of nowhere, that's illogical as hell.” He dug a pinky in his ear. “Of course I'm serious, you simpleton, it matches you well.”

“Thank you…” Your voice slightly cracked as you mumbled. And he noticed it. He unconsciously made a mental note about that, it was an exhilarating discovery.

His gaze fixated on you more, and you were locked in place; unsure why this is happening. Your hands were sweating like crazy and your eyes started to drift anywhere but his sharp, crimson eyes. He was analyzing you like a lab rat, every shaky breath, every micro-expression — buried deep into his mind like a crucial part that needs to be studied.

You began to shriek in embarrassment and quickly turned away when he couldn't stop looking at you. “I gotta go now, see you!” You ran away without wasting a second in a random direction. He stared at your figure that grew smaller and smaller as distance became clear as day.

He chuckled mischievously, it was really exciting him now. Looks like the leek-head has a special hypothesis to test out on you.

…

You're helping Chrome out at sorting his latest materials from his earlier cave expedition with the power team. You were a bit like him, you know how to differentiate most rocks and minerals, so it was a breeze for you to label them separately.

“Check out this Manganese! It's so bad!”

“Cool! Oh look, more Scheelite! You guys are way too good at mining crazy stuff.” You picked it up in awe, you can't get enough of these.

“I know right! You can never go wrong with the king of exploration!” He pointed his thumb at himself with a wide grin that reached his eyes.

A familiar green-headed scientist began to approach you two with a cocky smirk. “Not bad at all, these things will help our future projects significantly.”

“Of course!” Chrome gleamed like a child. “Oh wait, crap! I forgot one of the baskets in the cave, I bet there's something even more badass in there. Give me a moment!” He stood up and rushed to grab his forgotten basket, leaving you alone with Senku.

“That fool, he should've kept track of his stuff more.” He sighed from how pathetic this scientific primitive is. “Anyway, that looks like a decent set-up, it's organized like how it should be. Well done. You're much more efficient than that baby.” He glanced back to the direction where Chrome left earlier. You stopped sorting through the materials and looked up at him with wide eyes.

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me, I said you're efficient. Keep it up, kukuku. It's an admirable trait you have.” He announced and acted calmly as if his statement wasn't making you feel crazy in your heart.

You wanted to say something but he instantly walked away from you before you uttered a word. You stared at him with your mouth left agape, you felt weirdly agitated from his comment — in a good way of course. You never thought you would hear his commendation again.

You didn't see the way his cheeky smile never left his face, he was enjoying it way more than you — he's never going to admit it though. He's coming up with more ways to surprise you rather than planning out more projects that would be useful for the voyage to America.

…

Later on in the afternoon, he finds you helping out Francoiş cook for dinner. Your hair was tied back with one of Kohaku's spare ties — hands working and switching from chopping vegetables to stirring a pot filled with soup — he can't help with how his eyes softened at the sight. He likes it when you're focusing at a task with precision and grace, it was one of the reasons he took a liking to you.

You scooped some of the broth in the ladle to have a taste test with it, but from your peripheral vision, Senku moved closer and looked at you intensely again as if you're some spectacle. A soft gasp escaped your lips, nearly dropping the ladle you were holding. “Senku? What are you doing?”

“Wanted to check on some important variables.” He tried to shrug it off.

“Right…” You doubt watching someone cook a homemade meal is anything important to a man that obsesses over work productivity.

“Can I have some?” He leaned over to you, face a few inches from yours.

You jerked a little to his sudden movement, although you didn't make an attempt to step back. “Go ahead.” Your hand moved the ladle up to his mouth, and carefully, he sipped on it — tastebuds acknowledging the delicacy of such simple broth.

He stepped back with a mused smirk and huffed in awe. “That's really impressive. You're outstanding at everything you get your hands on, huh? It's exhilarating.”

“It's only a basic recipe I remembered from my mother! It's nothing special…” You defended yourself as you felt your chest pound rapidly again.

“And yet you managed to find a way to make this something worthy in a fancy ass gourmet restaurant. I would surely do anything to eat your cooking again someday.” He teased, making you squirm from his overwhelming praise.

“Whatever! Just go wait for the others, I still have more dishes to prepare!” You squealed and gestured to him to go away with your free hand.

“Disappointing, can't believe you would kick out the very man that helped you bring back these kitchen utensils in the Stone World.” He feigned sadness.

“Just go!!”

…

The next days that followed after that incident have been getting more and more ridiculous to the point you're starting to believe an alien secretly replaced the real Senku.

Lately, he's been creeping up on you and giving you sweet nothings so casually. You were such a mess every time, and he looks way too happy seeing you like that. It's driving you to madness.

As you think about it, you hear those specific footsteps again. Your cheeks go hot again reflexively, head turning to look up at him, you know where this is going to go. “Sen… don't tell me you're gonna praise me for sitting like an agitated monkey.”

He chuckled at your response when he hadn't said anything yet. “Oh? You're expecting it now?”

“It's hard not to, I don't even know why you're doing this!”

“Then I'll tell you something, that will finally give you the conclusion you need.”

You perked up your eyebrow at that, he moved closer to your ear; his warm breath caressing it and you shivered at the feeling.

“You've been acting wonderfully like a chemical reaction. It's beautiful and ten billion percent perfect, like you.” He whispered to you as if you're a precious stone. The last straw of your composure crumpled the moment you heard those words clearly.

“Senku, seriously what is wrong with you?!” You screeched at how uncharacteristic he's being, you convinced yourself that you're currently in a dream — a really strange and exciting dream.

“What's wrong with me is how I find your silly thing being into complimentary verbal feedback uncanningly endearing. It's troublesome that my brain runs on dopamine and oxytocin from this fact.” He really did just explain the fact he loves seeing you frazzled over his sugar-coated sentences like it's a world changing feat.

“You should be glad you're too damn hot.” You muttered.

“Kukuku, you can't deny that you love it.”

And it's true obviously, you wish you could just squeeze him to death right now from how accurate it is. Hypothesis confirmed, his partner adores his praises. It looks like he found the perfect solution to rile you up more in future, get excited.

Apologies if these take a while:( as much as I enjoy writing, I'm cramming my time with schoolworks and passionate stuff. Please bare with me, I still have a long fic to work on, but before that, I'll work on one more one-shot request I got. 💗

[openurh34rt]

vanilla notes

senku x f!reader

fluff, university au, probably wrong chemistry, probably wrong terminology. 3k

Senku has a sweet spot for you. Not that you noticed, assuming in an innocent way that he did this for everyone. He sure as hell didn't spend his Sunday slaving over perfume oils and perfumery lessons just for the next guy.

"Why did I ever agree to you?" He moans at himself as he checks the temperature on the reflux equipment. Refluxing takes time.

And as patient as he is, after something that takes four to six hours fails twice, it starts getting ridiculous.

Turns out, even with the right equipment, science sometimes just doesn't like to follow the laws of the world. There is no way on earth his setup could ever be wrong. So, leads the question, why was he getting such an acidic pH?

For the past few hours, he had been attempting (unsuccessfully) to obtain ethyl vanillin as a base for his perfume replica. One that you cried for weeks on end about being discontinued before you had the money to buy more. One that seemed to follow you in every single room you went into. One that Senku actually liked on you.

"It would just be better if you exploded right now," he muttered to the reflux condenser, a slight desire to turn the flame to the max and cover the top of the condenser so this could be done and over with and considered an utter failure.

As the mixture bubbled and evaporated into itself, he stared into the abyssal liquid for an answer at his woes. If only he had a magical fairy that would make this for him. Even if all it did was measure all the powders and liquids. He looked on eBay briefly to see if he could find it, but the only listings were half used to far too expensive.

And suddenly: Bingo! Why was he the only one that suffered right now?

Picking up his phone, he quickly dialled a number as he kept an eye on the round bottom flask, making sure it didn't suddenly turn rainbow.

"Helloo?" You responded.

"Yo. Come mine. Now." He hung up promptly. At least as promptly as he could with nitrile gloves, so there was a pause on the phone as he tried to get the screen to register. You heard his finger bash against the phone screen before the call ended.

At least there would be someone to act as his guinea pig to mix the irrelevant stuff as he did mass calculations.

You lived in a student house around thirty minutes from him. So, being you, you arrived an hour after. He'd called you when you were in pyjamas, with drool still on your cheek from when you woke up. You begin to knock on the door, but before your fist even hits wood you're dragged in by your wrist. Suddenly, you donned a white lab coat, safety goggles and blue gloves. Strangely enough, he seemed to have a coat that fit you even though you two were completely different sizes.

You look onto the scene in the kitchen. An array of glassware litters the counters, placed on top of the microwave, table, and the clean ones on the dish rack. There was some stuff bubbling, but you didn't know what it was.

"Hey, don't you share this place with Gen and Chrome? Are they okay with you turning their kitchen into a science lab?"

"I treated them to take-out already, they'll be fine. Anyway, you came at the perfect time. Mixture's done refluxing and cool, so pour it into that beaker for me."

You give the leek-haired man a blank stare.

"Dude, I haven't done chemistry in, like, forever."

"Neither have I. We both do mechanical engineering, remember? Just grab the clamp and pour it."

"Fuck. My beautiful face is gonna get scorched or something. I feel it."

Trying to follow his instructions, you grab a clamp from the far side of the room and take the warm round flask pouring its reddish-brown contents into a beaker.

"Hey, is this my perfume?"

"Bingo."

"Looks like. Uh. Shit."

"It's not even half way done, stop complaining."

Senku grabs a pipette and takes some of the mixture, haphazardly testing it over the kitchen counter against pH paper. Then again, you didn't know any better.

The paper turned a purplish-blue colour.

"Is that good?"

"Thank God. Finally, you're my good luck charm."

You give out a small 'yay' before you find that your limbs are way heavier than when you came in. Your eyelids feel like 10-ton stones taped onto your eyes.

"Senku, I'm so tired," you wail out, trying to shake your body awake. The genius glances at you and clicks his tongue, as if in revelation, grabbing a mask that had been thrown onto the counter and slapping it on you.

"Sorry, I used chloroform as a formylating agent. Thought it left by now."

"What...?"

"Chill, I'm like immune by now," he nonchalantly states, finger rubbing the outside of his ear, "Plus, the windows are open."

"Ugh, I knew I shouldn't have come here. Maybe you're a serial killer and this is how you finally murder me."

"If I wanted you dead, you'd be dead by the time you stepped in. Actually, before you even stepped in. I'd put some nerve agent on the door waiting for you."

"You're so mean!"

"Shut up. Grab the acid and pipette it slowly into the mixture."

"Why am I doing this now?"

Your complaints fell on deaf ears, as Senku leaned against the counter, you began pipetting small amounts of dilute hydrochloric acid into the mixture. Although you couldn't see his gaze, the thought of him watching you so closely started embarrassing you.

"Am-- am I doing this right?"

"Yes, you're doing good, keep going."

The sliver of praise shot your heart like cupid's arrow, thankful the mask hid the stupid smile on your face. The addition was painstakingly slow, as after you added the acid you had to stir (for at least ten seconds, Senku kept telling you off for trying to shorten it).

"Okay, all in."

"Amazing work." You perk up again, "now move it, idiot, I'll do the extraction and drying, or else I'm sure you'd fuck it up."

"Okay, fuckin' Bill Nye over here." You drop the pipette and let him star in his own show.

He grabs a glass rod to stir the liquid as its your turn to lean against the counter, happy that Senku had actually began making your perfume. It was meant to be a replica of a mid-range perfume, with a vanilla base note and lemony undertone. Your heart is still shattered when you found out it was discontinued.

Senku continues doing his magic, grabbing what looks like the flask-equivalent of a massive tear drop and separating some liquid from the other. He adds, he funnels out, he adds again. A bit of shaking.

Although this wasn't the main way he wanted to spend his weekend, he liked doing acts of service for you. He never admitted it, but hearing your words of gratitude really boosted his mood. Not a completely illogical release of dopamine, but one he'd rather keep a secret.

"This is an Erlenmeyer flask," he shows you a piece of equipment that holds no relevance to your life at all. But you listen to his talk anyway:

"I'm now going to dry this organic layer by adding 8g of sodium sulfate, if my calculations are correct, at least. A little excess doesn't matter much."

Considering he hadn't picked up a pen for the past fifteen minutes, he must've done them mentally using estimations.

"Then, I'll filter it again and use my rotary evaporator to get the ethyl vanillin." He continued explaining, his mind working ten steps ahead of his mouth as he began formulating ways to get the lemony scent involved.

"Your what evaporator?"

"Just a small piece of equipment I brought from home. Like... a thousand or so pounds?"

"Huh."

"It's small, only 2 litres. Thankfully, this is way less than that."

You knew Senku's habit to spend all of his money on science equipment, considering that the university didn't allow (and for good reason) any random to use it. Even though Senku was barely a random, he was not part of the chemistry school.

"Man, is this why your diet consists of instant noodles and shitty energy drinks?"

"All in the name of science."

"More like in the name of vitamin deficiency."

He shakes his head, disagreeing with your objective fact.

He picks up the beaker, swishing the contents around to inspect them.

"Anyway, you're done, you can leave now."

Your mouth opens in surprise, eyebrows furrowing.

"You seriously got me here just for twenty or so minutes of work?"

You stare at him as he shrugs, putting his finger in his ear.

"I wasn't sure whether it would oxidise properly, and the rest is too complex I'd rather you not mess about with it."

You scoff, taking off the gas mask.

"Don't give me attitude, I'm spending my weekend doing something for you." He continues.

With that logic, you couldn't be that irritated.

"Any take away left?" You try your luck. He shuts it down quickly, telling you to get out.

"Well, I guess I'll be going now."

"Mm," he hums in response.

"Well, I guess I'll be GOING now," you repeat louder. He glances up at you.

"See you. Is that what you wanted me to say?"

"Maybe. See ya'!"

You shake the lab coat off, trashing the gloves as you leave the kitchen. Senku watches you leave, then he lets out a sigh he didn't even know he was holding in. His shoulders are tense-- far too tense for such a small interaction.

He places the beaker on the table, screwing his eyes shut. What a completely illogical emotional response to your presence. He was testing whether he felt anxious around you, having eliminated a various collection of factors. He really did have a crush on you. It was a hypothesis, one that he knew was probably right, but there was some shame in that realisation.

He was meant to be your friend, an intelligent shoulder to rely on. Not a lovestruck boy with a playground crush. He didn't feel shame particularly due to the crush, but due to having such an emotional response to just one person.

Senku was emotionally intelligent enough, a surprise to everybody who just hears about him but never meets him, but for some reason he had never computed the possibility for love. Maybe, just maybe, if he immersed himself in his work enough he could forget. That was tested and failed.

So, instead, he decided to play into it. A crush is just an absence of information, holding someone to idealistic standards that they never could achieve. You're human, he's human. He thought he could find a logical pathway out of this before his hands start shaking and tongue ties when he looks at you. But he didn't. Now he's stuck like this, as your bus boy.

𓆩♡𓆪

You didn't see Senku during morning lectures, which wasn't unusual for him when he knew the content already. Hell, half the time you overslept them anyway. You sat at the back row with Chrome, listening to the lecturer drone on about thermodynamics. Chrome's hard at work making notes on the mathematical equations, whilst you try to balance your pen on your upper lip. You were still listening... kind of.

Your mind kept going back to last week, when Senku agreed to make the perfume for you.

Senku had a look in his eye. You weren't sure what it was. Affection? Amusement?

You and Chrome spent the next free period together, staying at one of the university cafés.

Nursing your matcha, you read over Chrome's notes on his laptop.

"This is so not how to derive this... how did you even? Wait," you scroll along his calculations, "that's what I got. How did you even land here?"

He shrugs, "Sai taught me some tricks."

"Yeah, but you did them wrong. Look here, you completely forgot the power."

He snatches the laptop back, a frown etched in his expression.

"X to the power of four... doesn't differentiate to three-x to the power of four..." He reads it aloud, laying his chin in his hand in thought.

You concur, "Yeah, it doesn't."

"There you are."

You turn at the voice, seeing Senku. He was wearing a black NASA sweatshirt, with grey sweatpants. His backpack is slung over one shoulder, one of the zippers open and his books half-hanging out. He's holding a test tube up containing a pale-yellowish liquid.

"Your perfume is done, idiot."

Your face instantly lights up. Leaping up to grab it, Senku raises it higher than you can reach. He looks up and away from you, a smirk playing on his face.

"Aren't you forgetting to say something?" He asks with mischief lining his words as you try to jump to grab it. You latch onto his arm, and being as weak as he is, his arm practically collapses from your full body weight. Now he's hunched forward over himself, you take a step back perfume in hand.

"Thank you!" You hold the test tube as if it was your baby, cradling it in your arms.

"I can see Kohaku's influence from a mile away..." He stretches his arm, rolling his shoulder.

"You made her something, Senku?" Chrome questions the leek-head, who shrugs in response.

"You told me it was for a science competition," he continues, crossing his arms. That earned a snicker from you.

"Woah, are you that insecure you had to make a lie up about it?"

"No, I just didn't want Chrome annoying me about..."

He trails off, realising he was saying far too much. Chrome and Gen both knew Senku's almost debilitating crush on you, and they often teased him for it. So, he finds the next logical reason. A white lie.

"...About making him help so much just for this."

"You helped?"

"Yeah, only for a bit. I made sure the hot plate didn't change temp' all of a'sudden while Senku did his labs."

"Aw, thank you both! Now," you pause to build suspense, popping the cork top off, "time for the -- oh my god."

The smell practically permeated the room. It smelt amazing, exactly like the one you used to wear, just a million times stronger. It instantly glued itself to every fibre on your clothes and you hadn't put it on yet. You didn't even dare take an actual whiff of the liquid, your lungs would collapse under the vanilla.

"Woah," Chrome didn't know whether to cover his nose or not. It wasn't bad, it just was too much.

"That's... super strong."

"Yeah, I forgot to say, it's a perfume oil so it's way stronger than what you were buying. I would've diluted it for you, but I only finished it today and I can't miss afternoon lectures."

"You could've given it to me tomorrow."

"I'm not working on that abomination anymore. I almost lost my sanity," Senku shakes his head vigorously. At least he knows he never wants to go down a career path in perfumery, or more broadly organic chemistry.

The smell was still omnipresent even with the cork off now. It was like a Pandora's box, now it would never be fully closed. Senku must've used a hydraulic press to cork it shut considering you didn't smell anything until now. Some people around covered their noses with their shirts as they continued typing, embarrassment creeping up your neck.

"I don't even need to put it on, just carry it around with me and the next room'll smell me."

"If you don't like it, I can take it ba--"

"No. I want it. Thank you."

You both look at him, perplexed. Senku seems to catch up quickly, colour flying from his face.

Chrome's expression is impish, eyes bouncing between the two of you.

"Gen will love this."

"Don't speak a word of this to Gen, you--"

Chrome slides his laptop off the coffee table and into his bag in one smooth motion, and shows Senku Gen's contact number.

"You idiot--!"

Chrome jogs out of the cafe with an evil smile, leaving you frankly confused. You would ask Senku, but he's so red you're worried his blood vessels will all explode.

He cups his face in his hand, a sorry bid to hide it from you:

"I'm going to class..."

"Class doesn't start for another fifteen minutes--"

"I'm going to class," he repeats, turning and walking off. You knew he liked to sulk in Dr. Xeno's office from time to time, so you'd probably find him there. Helping out a friend isn't such an embarrassment, you'd think. You tilt your head, finding yourself alone now. Maybe Senku resented you in some way? Your heart drops slightly at the thought. No, you were overthinking it. It was probably just Gen teasing Senku about making cosmetics rather than spend his time drooling over schematics.

Sitting back down, you look at the test tube in your hand. You can't help the stupid smile on your face, even though it's absolutely killing your nostrils. You'd have to look up how to dilute perfume when you get home. Or maybe right now, considering you still had three hours of lectures and didn't want the lecture theatre to smell like you for the next... forever. You'd have to hide the test tube in a bush somewhere outside the engineering building. Yeah, that sounded good.

"Mm, it smells like cupcakes. Is there a new bakery or something near here?" Chrome asks Senku as the three of you leave the building. You crouch down at a nearby bush, avoiding the cans thrown by students, and collect your weapon of destruction. "Oh." Chrome was left disappointed and hungry for pastries the rest of the day.

.

an: same universe as get off me, lady! & okay, help yourself . will be specified when i do a masterlist. im like working backwards in the timeline lol . not proofread once again idgaf soz

[tansytaseis]

how it feels to be playing Character with your friend

[tansytaseis]

inviting your friend to smash your toys together

[lovelyahoy]

Dr. Stone: One-shot.

Word count:4,677.

Warnings: Besides being fast-paced, a bit fluffy, and the overuse of the words 'know & like', nothing else.

Summary: Senku struggles to understand why hearing her no longer spew those three words, sends his brain into a rollercoaster of overthinking.

TL: @akiqvq 💖

Pairing: Senku Ishigami x Fem!Reader

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"I like you."

Were words that once shocked him, blinking in surprise when the girl did nothing but offer him a smile right after, leaving him to wander in his thoughts.

It wasn't the first time she had said them, as kids, [Y/N] always made sure to say them once a day. Back then it meant what it seemed, good friends who played with each other daily, nowadays? Now, they felt heavier, with much more emotion.

"Yeah, I know."

[Y/N] chuckled, not a stranger to the way his fingers twitched upon hearing her. She knew he knew about her feelings, choosing to brush them off instead of over-analyzing them.

Senku scrolled through his emails, eyes focused on the recent update from his mentor. [Y/N] shuffled around small pieces of junk, from a box he kept stuffed in his closet, parts he used for his projects.

She didn't know what half of these were, only recognizing bolts and circuit boards. [E/C] eyes shifted to look at the white and green haired teen, smiling sadly when she noticed how utterly fascinated he looked.

A look he would never give her.

She tried to erase her feelings, all efforts dissipated whenever he'd hold her hand, wordlessly dragging her out of the house to bring her to his own residence or the park. Wanting [Y/N] to be there to experience whatever crazy plan he had in mind.

[Y/N] tidied up, pushing the box back into its rightful place and dusting off her school skirt. Her light footsteps lead her to stand behind the scientist, placing her hands on his shoulders and slowly sliding them down his chest.

Her face nudged his cheek, focusing on whatever he was gazing at. Senku forced his body to relax, telling himself this was normal, something she did a lot. It was nothing new.

Yet her warm cheek next to his never failed to make his heart skip a beat.

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I.

I..

I...

Senku couldn't focus on the beaker in his hand, placing it down and settling by the window. He plunged the straw into his milk carton and sipped away, scarlet eyes scanning the field of soccer players and a certain [H/C] haired girl sitting by the bleachers with a group of friends.

She looked dazed, much like how he looked right now.

I, a vowel she had uttered three times just this morning. No 'like you' was added, [Y/N] dashing away with a frown before she added anything else.

He shouldn't care this much, it was illogical to let this occurrence hinder his experimental progress. He could lie to everyone else and say it didn't bother him, but he couldn't lie to himself.

"Senku, it's time to lock everything up."

He sighed, barely registering the passing of time and how the bleachers were empty now. Senku turned away and nodded, going to his station to clean up his unfinished work.

The night came soon, and he felt pure annoyance when sleep could not overtake him, stomping over to her house. Clicking the doorbell until his finger got tired, flinching when he heard a crash.

[Y/N] opened to door, rubbing her sleepy eyes and yawning lightly. Senku held a blank face walking past her and closing the door, despite the very empty streets, there wasn't a reason someone should see her attire.

Before he could comment on her messy tank top, straps falling to the side of her arms, the rolled up shorts and the singular bunny slipper, blood trickled down her nose.

Noticing she wasn't reacting in the slightest, he quickly pinched her nose, tilting her head up. He guided her into the bathroom, sitting her on the toilet cover and quickly searching for a towel.

He kneeled down in front of her and held her chin, pulling it down forward to allow the excess blood to flow onto the towel. [E/C] eyes barely started to register what was going on.

"Sen..?"

"Clumsy, why did you fly down those stairs?"

"Only one psycho rings my bell like that." She murmured softly, he only ever did it when her parents weren't home, otherwise he'd be throwing pebbles at her window like she was a locked up princess.

"Got eager when you realized it was me?" He teased, biting his inner cheek when she didn't laugh in return, sadness pooled within her. Senku was making it harder with each passing day, unknowingly tugging at the strings attaching them together.

That's what [Y/N] thought at least.

"Senku, I..."

"Like me, I know."

"Yeah..."

He should've let her speak, she had nowhere to run to here. He held in the sound of frustration he desperately wanted to make, looking at the girl sleeping soundly next to him with her face stuffed in his chest.

Senku's sleep was filled with memories, ones he used to find rightfully childish but also held them close to his heart, refusing to let any details about them slip by his memory.

"Hi, what are you doing?" Scarlet eyes blinked at the small face peeking over the tall backyard fence, it took him a second to realize this was his new neighbor, who'd barely moved in yesterday evening.

"I'm growing crystals." He watched her head tilt, curiosity brimmed in her [E/C] eyes and she tried to climb over. The stool she had used wasn't enough, yelling for her father, who was drinking by the pool, the man got startled and walked over.

A young [Y/N] pouted and pointed over the fence, motioning [D/N] to help her over. Senku went back to his task, drowning out her yells of protest when her dad dragged her inside the house.

Minutes later Byakuya opened the backyard door and waved, with the new family behind him. The small girl immediately ran over to the sitting brainiac and sat down, observing his little setup.

"Not that you would understand, but first I put magnesium sulfate also known as Epsom salts, into this jar, add water and monitor its growth." He waved his notepad, scribbles of words she didn't know at all, but still capturing her attention.

"Can I have one?"

Senku smugly smirked, of course she wanted one, who could resist science?

"Sure."

He soon learned she didn't care for science at all, she cared for his reaction, his words, and his adoration for it. Whenever he'd hit minor setbacks during his projects, whether it be waiting for a part to be shipped or a slight miscalculation in his notes—[Y/N] kept his mind running with requests.

For example, she had asked him to make a large beautiful lava lamp, the very one sitting on her desk and lighting up the room with bright red and green colors.

She liked him. Did he like her? He didn't know. Obviously [Y/N] was someone he wanted around him at all times, she's been there since the near beginning and continued to stay.

"Woah! [Y/N], where'd you get that necklace?"

"It's so pretty!"

[Y/N] felt claustrophobic having so many classmates surround her desk, the shimmering crystal had attracted unwanted gazes. One of the boys suddenly grasped the accessory and ripped it off her neck, dangling it in the air showing it off to everyone else.

"Please give it back.."

"Looks cheap, why are you all amazed?" He scoffed, dropping the necklace to the floor and stomping it with his foot. All that remained were small dusty particles, the rest of the students berated the boy but [Y/N] couldn't focus on anything else other than her gift being mistreated so harshly.

"Hey [D/N], Senku said [Y/N] refused to come out and play today, is everything okay?" Byakuya had never seen her give up a single opportunity to hang out with his son, they had become close friends in a very short span of time.

"No, not really. A classmate broke the crystal Senku gave her, she's been crying all evening and I don't know what to do. [M/N] tried to calm her down too but nothing worked."

Senku opened the front door, stomping past the talking adults and making his way to her house. The door was slightly ajar so he allowed himself in, walking past a confused [M/N] and up the stairs, now standing in front of her door.

He knocked. Nothing.

Sniffles behind the door and he felt uncomfortable.

"[Y/N]. Open the door."

Nothing.

"[Y/N]."

Fine.

He went back downstairs and headed to the backyard, picking up small rocks and throwing them at her window. Paling when he threw one with too much force and the glass broke, [E/C] irises popped up from the broken window and blinked down at him in surprise.

"Senku? Mommy's going to be mad."

"Why are you sulking over a stupid crystal?"

[Y/N] felt tears gather, lips quivering trying to hold herself together. She didn't want him to see her cry, but despite her best efforts, he did.

"Because you made it. I couldn't keep it safe."

"So instead of asking me for another or telling me about it, you decided to ignore me?"

He jutted out his bottom lip, he didn't mean to sound so whiny, his face reddened when she stopped sniffling and stared down at him with her eyes sparkling. Never had she heard him sound so dejected, not to mention Senku blushing was rare.

"Now, get down here so we can convince your dad to transfer you to my school."

"Senku...I like you."

"Huh? Oh...me too?"

...

...

Senku wasn't the type to shrug something off with an 'I don't know.', always having a logical explanation for everything. He just couldn't formulate anything other than his emotions going haywire when it came to her.

He glanced at the silent girl copying his math notes, he liked her writing, it was neat, pretty, and aligned perfectly no matter what paper she wrote on. The way her fingers seemed to glide smoothly, the sun's rays making her skin glow...when did he start seeing her in a different light?

"Is everything okay?" Senku blinked, met with her head tilting to the side and giving him a concerned expression. The only times [Y/N] had seen him this locked into his thoughts was during anything science-related, this sudden change worried her.

"Yeah, just thinking of the parts I need to buy." She closed their notebooks and slid his towards him, putting her own away and leaning back in the chair. Her head shifted to look up at the ceiling.

"I..." Why did his breath hitch? Why did his heart skip a beat? "I'm sorry for falling asleep on you yesterday."

Disappointment polluted his veins, awkwardly playing with the pencil in his hands.

"Heh, wouldn't be the first time."

"It won't happen again, sorry."

His movement came to a stop, his lips parted but no words came out, silently watching her pack the rest of her things, sending him a brief smile and walking out the clubroom.

A smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

Senku had always brushed off her indirect-direct confessions, never thinking about it for too long and moving on. When did it start bothering him to not hear it? It was ridiculous.

"Senku! I like you."

"You said that yesterday, and the day before."

"Doesn't make it less of a truth!" She pouted playfully, passing him the screwdriver.

Senku shook his head at her giggle, continuing his science fair project. Could someone really like a friendship this much?

Was it still a friendship? And when the hell did he start asking himself so many questions, unanswered ones at that? Senku blew out air, finally getting up from his chair and rolling his stiff neck around.

"What a dumbass." He berated himself under his breath, oblivious to the girl waiting just outside the door.

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The leek-haired kid stood outside her window, nearly snapping his neck from jumping over the fence. A small pebble rolled between his fingers, deciding if throwing it would be a good idea. Remembering the amount of times he broke the glass he dropped the rock and took out his phone.

Scrolling through his contacts and hesitating to press on her icon, he didn't even know why he was here in the first place, dragging his feet out of bed before he could really think about it.

He clicked off contacts, sending her a message instead. It didn't take long, the girl quietly walked downstairs and opened the backyard door, scrunching her eyebrows at him.

"What's wrong?"

"[Y/N] I don't mind you sleeping on me."

"Did you come here just to say...that?" [Y/N] had thought of the worst, that maybe he was going to call off their friendship, tired of her feelings or clinginess.

"No, but it's not a lie." Senku let out an unamused chuckle, emotions are stupid, therefore making him feel stupid. [Y/N] closed the door behind her and approached his conflicting figure, the worry from earlier came back.

She gave him a few seconds, realizing he was once again drifting away into his thoughts. Her lips twitched, from the cold and from how intense his gaze was fixated on her.

"Senku?"

"Do you like me?" That wasn't what he wanted to say either, he knew she did, he wasn't that oblivious—

"No."

—or was he? Scarlet eyes widened only slightly, had he misread the entire situation? Struggling to comprehend his own feelings he held for her, when she wasn't interested in him anymore?

"I don't like you, I—"

"Yeah I got it, see you tomorrow [Y/N]." He lazily waved and spun on his heel, heading towards the fence to hop over it again. His leg suddenly got tugged on, messing up his balance and falling towards the grass.

He blinked away the mild pain, the blurriness cleared away and the scenery of [Y/N]'s face right next to him greeted his eyes.

"Why, why don't you ever let me finish my words?"

"Because I know what you're going to say, that you like me. Did you say them that much to try and get a reaction out of me? Was it fun?" His voice came out harsh, completely surprised at how angry he felt. Senku's stomach twisted when he watched as her [E/C] eyes narrowed significantly.

[Y/N] bit her bottom lip in frustration, no longer kneeling by his side and taking a few steps away from him.

"Get out, and don't ever talk to me again." That was the softest he'd ever heard her voice, sounding completely defeated. Maybe being away from her is what he needed, time to gather himself and what this all meant to him.

That was the best way to get rid of her unrequited love, even if it hurt her more than anything in the world. She couldn't help but sneak glances at him, feeling her chest tighten at how he looked perfectly normal with the change.

The bell for lunchtime rang, Senku walked past her desk without sparing her a glance. The crystal sitting right above her collarbones suddenly felt heavy, she gripped her hand around it and couldn't bring herself to rip it off.

"[Y/N]!" Two hands roughly landed on her desk, startled, she looked up at the cause. Taiju held a bright smile, making exaggerated hip movements and she had never felt so confused in her life.

"I'm going to confess to Yuzuriha after school! You'll have the perfect view from the science club hallway so please, be there for me!" The giant bowed and ran out of the room before [Y/N] could reply, hopefully, Senku wouldn't be there...who was she kidding, of course he would.

She spent the last lesson shifting in her seat, it wasn't like she'd be going there for him, it was for Taiju and Taiju only. It had been a week since their friendship break-up, finding herself sitting alone and talking to no one.

[Y/N] smiled watching Taiju stroll up to a waiting Yuzuriha, both of them were already blushing. She snapped as many pictures as she could with her limited storage space, wanting the couple to have memories.

Somebody joined her right next to the window, balancing their arms on the thin windowsill. Green and white flooded the corner of her view, gulping quietly when she realized who it was. No words were exchanged, just two teens being here for their friend.

Her face scrunched up when Taiju stopped talking, gazing at the atmosphere in a trance. [E/C] eyes widened at the bright green light approaching them quickly, she took a step back noticing Senku do the same.

"What?" She whispered, Taiju and Yuzuriha had been turned to stone statues.

"[Y/N]!" An arm wrapped around her waist and tugged her closer, and a hand landed on her head as if to protect her. Her heart was beating like crazy and all she could do was hug him back, feeling her body encased by a weird material. "I'm sorry." was the last thing she heard.

The darkness was beginning to overwhelm her, it was eerily quiet with only her inside voice being her saving grace. Her head was consumed by her memories, replaying them desperately to keep herself awake. Was Senku still next to her? She hoped he was okay.

"We don't have the same homeroom..." [Y/N] traced the bulletin board list, frowning when she noticed Senku and Taiju were together, but she had been placed in a different one.

"Maybe next year, let's go big oaf." Senku patted her shoulder before walking off with the enthusiastic giant, well she didn't expect him to care, however a head pat would've been better.

Thankfully her classmates were pretty okay, meeting a cheerful girl named Yuzuriha who immediately hit it off with [Y/N]. They paired up for every assignment and helped each other whenever, still, something was missing.

It was barely a week into their first year of middle school when she was approached by her neighbor, holding a pink envelope in his hand. Senku was going to show it to her, but [Y/N] snatched it quicker than lighting itself.

Her [E/C] eyes barely skimmed over the gushy words, tugging the paper back into the envelope and not returning it to him. He didn't read all of it, so he wondered if he missed something weird written in it.

"Don't accept any of these."

"Why?" It wasn't like he planned on accepting anyone's confession, her firm voice did spark curiosity on this matter though.

"Because I like you." That was when Senku realized that sentence was no longer innocent, never had he seen her look so conflicted or embarrassed. [Y/N] loosened her grip on the piece of paper and gave it back, lowering her head to look at her school shoes.

What was he supposed to say? Teasing her like usual didn't feel right, not when she had basically confessed to him. Senku didn't need or want a relationship, not right now, maybe not ever.

"Okay, I won't." So why did he go out of his way to reassure her?

A scarlet eye was finally gazing up at something else other than the total darkness, it was the ceiling of a cave, not the prettiest sight but different nonetheless. He frantically looked around, knowing damn well he held onto [Y/N] so tightly there was no chance her body strayed away.

Oh, there she was. Huddled up near the darker area of the cave, knees pulled up to her chest and hiding her bottom parts.

"I heard your stone cracking...I got shy..."

"Keke, get up, we have work to do—or don't, give me a second." Senku's best clothing option was thick vines, roping them together to shield their parts even if he didn't care for nudity. [Y/N] ended up weaving a dress, deeming the two-piece a little too revealing for her taste.

Senku was completely in his element, a part of him was also extremely glad he wasn't alone. [Y/N] on the other hand was fucking losing her mind, she kept her composure in front of him, helping him in whatever he needed, but when she had her alone time—struggled to keep in her freak-outs.

He had noticed, sending her away whenever he'd feel her body tensing up or eyes glazing over. It worried him that she wouldn't be able to adapt, and slowly lose herself instead.

Maybe he was too, considering his nights were plagued by the flashbacks of her saying she liked him. They hadn't brought up that topic again, and he didn't think he could.

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"You like him." Gen leaned over the tall tree stump, playfully grinning at the usually stoic girl. He heard from Senku that she was only this reserved with them, not him, and that intrigued the mentalist.

"Hm? No, not quite."

It didn't sound like denial, or had she not understood his question? Gen slowly approached her, dropping his teasing tone and melting back into his normal persona.

"Did my question upset you?" [Y/N]'s hand stopped writing, lifting her head up from her lap and blinking up at the concerned boy. She softly shook her head, but Gen knew better, he had definitely heard the shake in her voice.

"Knowing he will never return these feelings...I'd rather keep them buried till the end of time."

Except, Gen knew for a fact it was not that simple for her, placing a hand on her shaking shoulder. He looked away, wanting to be here for her but also giving her privacy to cry.

So he made it his mission to find out how Senku felt, if he did, he'd try his best to get them together. If not...well he would have to find [Y/N] a new love interest.

"What?" Senku nearly dropped the beaker in his hand when Gen popped his head into the laboratory so suddenly and hit him with a wild question.

"I asked how you feel about [Y/N]."

"She's a good friend."

"No."

"No..?" The scientist was playing stupid, trying to shrug off the mentalist from prying into his emotions.

"Well, I need to know before proceeding."

Senku raised an eyebrow, pouring the next chemical from a vial.

"Whether [Y/N] has a shot with you, or I get her fixated on someone who likes her back."

He paused, Gen smirked behind his joint arms, jackpot.

"Impossible, there's no one else she could possibly develop feelings for—not that she has them for me, not anymore."

Senku regretted the words that spilled out his mouth, hearing Gen snicker. Yeah maybe he did like her, the 3,700 years in solitude and the one year being awake, [Y/N] was constantly in his thoughts. Not knowing if they'd ever wake up, he wondered what they could've been if he had realized his feelings for her earlier.

[Y/N]'s love language was physical, hooking her arm around his, holding his hand, pressing her face to his, and cuddling up during sleepovers.

"Listen, Senku. [Y/N] still wants to be with you. I think you're worrying too much about the physical aspect of it." Why was this mentalist this good at reading even him? Senku finished writing up his progress, turning to look at the stone-faced Gen. It was the first time he looked serious.

He wasn't confident that he'd be giving his best friend what she truly deserved. Senku stilled, realizing he had been doing exactly what he thought he couldn't give, her touches were never foreign or unwelcome, in fact, he didn't mind them. Allowing [Y/N] to be that close to him was already reciprocating her feelings.

"Tell her how you feel, give her a kiss or two, and let everything else flow naturally."

...

...

[Y/N] didn't think much of the thick blanket around her and Senku, shoulders pressed against each other. Gen had wrapped them up and walked away with no further words, sitting across the campfire and giving them a thumbs up.

Senku was on the verge of making a torch and throwing it at the smug white and black haired male. Her knee touched his and he tensed up, too focused on her close proximity, why was it sweetly suffocating him now?

"Hurry, say 'ah', the fish is getting cold."

"...ahh..."

[Y/N] giggled seeing him hide his cheeks that flared up like apples, thanking Kohaku for the second fish and eating it quickly while giving some bites to Senku.

"[Y/N]."

She hummed in response, mouth filled with food and cheeks puffing out.

"Meet me by the flower field after you're done." He stood up and fixed the blanket to envelop her further, she nodded half-dazed and wondered what he needed from her. She finished the last bite and got up, lending the blanket to a small shivering Suika.

The path to the flower field was only a few minutes away, but it must be something important, otherwise, he'd tell her what he needed to say in front of everyone...oh..did, did Gen say something? [Y/N] was extremely nervous now.

Senku's hair swayed softly with the cold breeze, he gazed up at the moon gathering his thoughts and formulating words in his head, the moment he heard her approach him, all his meticulous planning drifted away.

He turned around, facing her. What was he going to say again? Fuck, it left his mind.

"What did you need Senku?"

Once he said this, there would be no going back, fearful of the chance it might ruin their friendship. A teeny tiny part of him yelled out that Gen basically confirmed her still have feelings for him, so it shouldn't be this hard to speak.

"Senku?"

She made no move to approach him, standing exactly three feet away. [Y/N] needed this rejection to go by quick, she would heal and move on.

"Is...is your love from before still strong?"

[Y/N] teared up as a shiver ran down her spine, and her lips trembled at the way he gazed at her, with such a soft look. It had taken him quite a bit of time to understand what she had meant by her 'no', all of her hesitated I's, it was right in front of him and he was so damn blind.

"I'm sorry, I should've let you finish that day. I was barely coming to terms with how I felt about you and hearing you say you didn't feel the same anymore, well it put me off."

the same? She finally took a step forward, another, one more and she was right in front of him. Scarlet eyes were half-lidded and fixated on her [E/C] irises, awaiting her response.

"I...I wanted to say I love you." His hand grasped her arm, not bothering to hide his blushing face this time. He felt her eyes scan him as if trying to reassure herself this was truly happening. "I know you didn't feel this way back then, so for a while, I struggled to even say I liked you. Scared that you'd continue to grow tired."

"[Y/N], I was never tired of them." He needed her to know that, his day wasn't complete unless he heard her say those words. "To be honest, I felt worried when you stopped saying it. Wondering if I had done something wrong..."

"I was trying to convince myself that having you as a friend was good enough for me, that I'd force myself to live with my feelings while still being beside you—but I couldn't, I wanted to let go and failed at that too." She took in a shaky breath, his hand squeezing her arm tighter, the air felt heavy despite them clearly confessing to each other.

"Heh, it's my fault you felt that way and I can't turn back time but know that I do in fact have feelings for you [Y/N]." Senku trailed off, feeling her hands come up to rest on his shoulders. "I might not be enough, although, if you want me, I'm right here."

Senku didn't get a chance to cringe at himself as [Y/N] got on her tippy toes and placed a kiss on his lips, lingering for a few seconds before pulling away and panicking at his baffled face.

"Sorry! Sorry..."

"No, It's just that...I wasn't ready." Her lips felt soft, intimacy wasn't something that interested him as it did everyone else and his first kiss wasn't on his checklist but coming from [Y/N] he actually really didn't mind.

"Okay, I'm ready now." Senku initiated the second kiss, hand letting go of her arm and sliding around her waist. They separated, noses touching tips and they held a deep eye contact. The cold night no longer froze them, feeling warmth in the embrace and in their hearts.

"Senku I—"

"Love me, I know."

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When is a one-shot too long or too short? 🧍‍♀️

[kooldewd123]

i will never stop loving how dr stone gives us a stoic supergenius protagonist who's always idolizing science and logic and stuff and then instead of going the easy route and using that framework of cold logic to make him some aloof holier-than-thou figure who's above such petty things as "emotions" and "friendship" the show goes no! senku is actually a deeply compassionate person because that is in fact the logical conclusion to come to. there is no such thing as a lone genius. science is a collaborative effort, built upon the shoulders of those who came before. all of senku's vast mountains of knowledge would amount to absolutely nothing if it wasn't backed up by taiju's strength, yuzuriha and kaseki's crafting skills, chrome's ingenuity, the practical experience of people like ukyo and ryusui, the many individual skills of each and every person in the kingdom of science, the tens of thousands of years of human progress it took to build up those stores of knowledge in the first place, and the eternal faith and support of his father byakuya. every action senku takes is not simply borne out of devotion to science, but out of devotion to this specific understanding of science - the understanding that scientific progress is inextricably linked to society itself and that one cannot exist without the other. senku may be the smartest man alive (not to mention the de facto leader of humanity's remains), but he still recognizes that he is only a single man, no more or less important to humanity's survival than anyone around him.

[stvrbrighttt]

「 To Know You is to Love You 」

word count: 2,229

warning(s): angst with a happy ending, fem!reader, ooc, miscommunication, overthinking, emotional distance, psychoanalysis as a defense mechanism, pre-war tension (specifically the Tsukasa War arc), temporary teparation, holding hands while crying by a river

>og ask<

You didn’t need a microscope to read Senku Ishigami. You just needed to pay attention.

While the rest of the school saw a manic, abrasive science freak who spoke in rapid-fire percentages, you saw the tiny shifts. You noticed the way his left shoulder dropped by a fraction of an inch when a chemical reaction didn’t yield the expected rate. You noticed how he only ever drank his canned coffee at room temperature because hot liquids slowed down his talking speed.

And, most importantly, you noticed the exact micro-second his voice dropped from its usual edge to a flatter, genuine tone.

"You're running on three hours of sleep," you said, sliding into the chair across from his lab desk. You didn't look up from your book, but your hand precisely reached out and intercepted a glass beaker he was about to blindly knock over with his elbow.

Senku didn't look up from his notes, his pen scratching furiously. "Ten billion percent incorrect. It’s three hours and fourteen minutes. And your point is?"

"The coffee stain on your cuff," you remarked, turning a page. "You only spill when your spatial awareness degrades from sleep deprivation. Also, you said 'Yo' today instead of your usual 'Oi.' Your vocal cords are strained from yelling at Taiju, meaning you're trying to overcompensate for low energy."

The scratching pen stopped. Senku finally looked up, his crimson eyes narrowing slightly. It was a look you loved—the look he gave a particularly stubborn physics problem.

"You're a creepy baseline of observant, you know that?" he said, though there was a twitch of a smirk on his lips.

"I just pay attention to my favorite scientist," you said easily, leaning your chin on your hand. You never hid your feelings in metaphors. You liked him. You had liked him for a year. You told him every Tuesday. "And because I like you, I brought the snacks you prefer when your brain is fried. They're in your bag. I put them there before you noticed."

Senku blinked, checking his side bag. Sure enough, a pack of his preferred energy jellies was sitting right on top. He let out a sharp, amused huff.

"Acts of service," he muttered, tearing one open. "How logical of you. Saves me the time of going to the vending machine."

"I aim to please," you smiled, leaning back. "Though, a 'thank you, you're the light of my life' wouldn't hurt. Words of affection, Senku. It’s a recognized love language."

"A pseudo-scientific concept," he countered immediately, though he didn't stop eating the snack you'd provided. "Feelings are just chemical surges in the brain. Asking for verbal confirmation is redundant when the data—your presence here wasting your study period—already proves the thesis."

"Maybe," you chuckled, your voice softening as you watched him work. "But hearing the data out loud makes the brain release a little extra dopamine. I like hearing how you feel about me. Even if it's just a percentage."

Senku paused, his eyes darting to your face, analyzing the open, unabashed affection written there. He wasn't a guy made for grand romantic gestures, but he moved his laptop exactly three inches to the left—perfectly clearing the space on the desk so you could rest your arms comfortably.

"Quality time," he grunted, looking back at his screen. "Shut up and sit there then. I have a rocket report to finish."

You smiled, settling in. You knew exactly what that space meant.

Three thousand seven hundred years didn't change his core, but it changed the stakes.

In the Kingdom of Science, Senku was a visionary in a dirt-stained tunic. He carried the weight of human civilization on his shoulders, scheming against Tsukasa, managing a village of primitives, and inventing the modern world from scratch.

And you were right there beside him, the silent grease in the gears.

You were the one who noticed Gen Asagiri’s fingers twitching in a specific pattern when he was lying to the villagers, allowing you to smoothly step in and redirect the conversation before a riot started.

You were the one who saw the slight limp in Chrome’s stride after a long foraging trip and secretly left a poultice in his shed.

You cleaned the charcoal dust off the shared blueprints before the humidity could smear the lines into illegibility.

You read everyone perfectly. Except, lately, the one person who mattered most.

"Senku," you said, stepping into the lab hut late one evening. The war with Tsukasa was looming, and the tension in the village was a physical weight. "The calcium carbonate yields are fluctuating. You're adjusting the formula manually every batch, which means you're trying to hide a deficit from the others."

Senku didn't look up from his earthenware vessels. "It's a minor variable. Nothing the village needs to panic over. I’ve got it handled."

"You've got everything handled," you said, your voice dropping, losing its usual playful edge. "But you haven't looked at me in three days. And when you speak to me, your pitch rises by about five hertz. You do that when you're trying to sound dismissive." You didn't want to sound needy but the looming threat of the Empire of Might has a way of making your heart ache with doubt. You hated this feeling. Abhored it, if you were being honest.

Senku stopped stirring. His posture went rigid. "We're preparing for a war that determines the fate of humanity. I don't have the bandwidth to calibrate my vocal cords for your psychological check-ins."

The bluntness hit differently in the dark of the Stone World. It didn't feel like a playful remark anymore; it felt like a wall slowly closing in on your fragile self.

"I’m not checking in on a test subject, Senku. I’m checking in on you," you said, stepping closer. "I need you to talk to me. Truly, truly talk to me. Not just give me orders or logic puzzles. I need a word, Senku. Just one genuine sentence to know we're still... us. Before everything goes to hell."

Senku turned around slowly. His eyes weren't filled with the warm curiosity of the old school lab. They were cold, analytical, and utterly exhausted.

"That's exactly the problem," Senku said, his voice dropping into a dangerously quiet register. "You're constantly analyzing the data. You're looking at my posture, my voice, my habits. It's like you're trying to build a psychological profile to predict my next move like I'm a puzzle to be solved."

You flinched. "I do it because I care about you-"

"No, you do it because you want a specific emotional output," Senku interrupted, his words sharp as obsidian. "You want 'words of affection.' You want reassurance. But right now, human civilization is resting on a knife's edge. I can't afford to be psychoanalyzed every time I breathe heavily or turn my head. I need a partner in the lab, not a therapist who's overthinking every single variable because she's insecure."

The word insecure hung in the humid air of the hut like a foul gas.

Your throat tightened. Your gift—the thing that allowed you to understand everyone, to protect everyone—was being framed as a suffocating leash. You looked at him, searching his face, but for the first time in your life, your brain short-circuited. You overanalyzed the coldness in his eyes, multiplying it by the stress of the impending war, and came to a devastating conclusion: He thinks I'm a liability. He's pulling back because I'm a distraction.

"I see," you whispered, your voice trembling slightly. "The data is clear then."

Without another word, you turned and walked out of the hut, leaving him alone in the dim glow of the firelight.

For the next two days, you were a ghost.

You still did your job perfectly. The calcium carbonate was sorted. You anticipated every need of the Kingdom of Science before they even knew they had it. But you didn't step foot in Senku's personal space. When you handed him tools, your fingers never brushed his. When he spoke, you answered with crisp, professional efficiency.

You shut off the valve. No blunt declarations of love. No teasing observations. After all, you didn't want to be insecure.

Senku kept working, but the silence in the lab was deafening. To a man who lived by empirical evidence, the sudden absence of a constant variable was glaringly obvious. The desk wasn't cleared. The countless amounts of containers in the lab weren't arranged. When he reached for the small cup of water, it wasn't there. 

Because you weren't there.

On the third night, as the rest of the village slept, Senku found you down by the river, meticulously washing out glass vials.

"The manganese solution is ready for tomorrow," you said smoothly, not looking up as his footsteps approached. "You don't need to check. I measured it to the milligram."

"I don't care about the manganese," Senku said.

You paused, your hands hovering over the water.

"Your breathing is shallow," Senku continued, walking up to the edge of the riverbank. "Your shoulders are locked at a twelve-degree elevation, which means you're in a defensive posture. And you haven't looked at my face in seventy-two hours. It’s an illogical waste of energy to avoid eye contact with a coworker."

A bitter laugh escaped your lips. "Are you psychoanalyzing me now, Senku? I thought that was a suffocating waste of time."

"It is," Senku said, stepping down into the shallow water, ruining his shoes without a care. He stopped right in front of you. "But apparently, it's the only language you're willing to listen to right now."

You finally looked up, your eyes bright with unshed, angry tears. "I was trying to give you space! You said I was too deep, that I was overthinking, that I was making you feel like a puzzle. So I stopped. I stopped analyzing you. I stopped pushing my feelings on you."

"And your conclusion was that I wanted you to disappear?" Senku asked, his voice losing its harsh edge, replaced by a rare, raw frustration. "Ten billion percent incorrect. Your deduction skills completely failed you, idiot."

You blinked, startled by the sudden shift.

Senku groaned, running a hand through his gravity-defying hair. He looked completely out of his comfort zone, pulling at the collar of his tunic.

"Look," he muttered, his eyes darting to the side before forcing themselves back to yours. "I'm a man of science. I don't do the... emotional monologue thing. It's inefficient. But you want words? Fine. Here's the raw data."

He took a step closer, closing the distance between you until you could smell the faint scent of sulfur and woodsmoke on him.

"I didn't pull back because you're a distraction," he said, each word deliberate, heavy, and completely unvarnished. "I pulled back because you're the only thing in this world that isn't a calculation to me. When Tsukasa threatens the village, I calculate a countermeasure. When a chemical fails, I calculate a new formula. But when you look at me and tell me you love me—or when you notice I'm tired before I even realize it—there is no formula for that. It scares the hell out of me because I can't control it. And if I lose this war... I lose you. And that is a variable I cannot mathematically survive."

You stared at him, your breath hitching in your throat. Your hyper-observant brain was screaming, analyzing every micro-expression. The slight tremor in his jaw. The dilation of his pupils. The utter, terrifying honesty in his voice.

He wasn't rejecting you. He was terrified of losing you.

"Senku..." you breathed.

"You're disgustingly good at reading people," he muttered, looking away, a faint but undeniable crimson flush creeping up his neck. "So read this: I need you here. Just as you are. Blunt, annoying-" you almost scoffed at that—but you'll let it slide, "-and overly observant. The lab is completely inefficient without you. And... I like the dopamine rush when you talk to me."

A tear finally spilled over your eyelashes, but a wide, brilliant smile broke across your face. It was the most un-Senku-like confession possible, which made it the most perfect thing you had ever heard.

You stood up, wiping your hands on your tunic, and took the final step forward, wrapping your arms tightly around his neck. He stiffened for a fraction of a second, completely unaccustomed to the sudden physical contact, before his hands found your waist, gripping you with a quiet, desperate intensity.

"Quality time," you whispered into his shoulder. "And those were very good words of affection, chief scientist."

"Shut up," Senku mumbled, though he didn't pull away. He rested his chin on the top of your head, his heart beating a steady, rapid rhythm against your chest. "We have a war to win tomorrow. Don't make me waste any more time explaining the obvious."

"Understood," you smiled, closing your eyes and listening to the perfect, uncomplicated science of his heartbeat.

❝ Thank you for reading this lovelies! ❞