Synopsis: You question just how deep Xeno’s love runs, his toxicity ruining you. You yearn for his once pure love, one you could see so clearly.
How deep is your love - Mitski (cover)
How deep is your love?
Is it as deep as the water you’ve sunk my head into? Thick and suffocating like the blood that spills; mixing with the water you’ve trapped me in, diluting my love–my devotion. Your claws are wrapped around my throat, watching with a sick satisfaction as I struggle to breathe. You pull me out, just to slap me for savoring the taste of freedom, for my love diminishing. Hit me harder, again. Sink your claws into my skin if it means I get to be loved by you. Spill my blood, watch as the red drips down my forehead, hit me harder.
Slam me against the wall, choke me as your lips steal the air from my mouth. Bite my lower lip, demean me, degrade me, do anything to me. Show me how much your love runs deep. Mark my body with bruises, pull my hair as we connect, hold me closer. Comfort me after your cruelty, leave soft kisses against the skin that felt your wrath.
Watch me beg for our love with that sick look in your eyes, as if I wasn’t your wife, someone you held with such care; showing off like a porcelain doll. Call me pathetic, whisper in my ear how I’ll never amount to anything without you. You held me so close, your lips so close, your hands holding my chin. Look at me with disgust if it means you’ll look.
Take your anger out on me, watching as you’re once again bested by teenagers, anticipating your attention, your touch. Hit me harder, slam me against the equipment, watching as your best friend, a man hardened by war, looks at you with contempt. Look at me like you look at him, treat me like you do him–What does he have I don’t?
Gouge my eyes out if you must, so I do not gaze upon your lack of depth; the shallowness of your love. Deceive me, make me believe this is the deepest your love goes. Do not let me run from your arms, pull me closer. Hit me harder, again. Let your love be as thick as my blood, as dark as it, unable to see clearly.
Do not let me yearn for the days you once held me in such high regard, where you would seek comfort in my arms, not destruction. Show me the love that was once so pure, as clear as the water you hold my head under. Bring life back to my eyes, not watch as they fade under the tinted water. Let my eyes shine again if it means a shallow love, seek comfort in my arms again, hold my throat to inspect the hickeys you left; refrain from watching the air leave my lungs as your grasp tightens.
Embrace me with love, look at me as if I was your equal once again. Bring me back to our wedding day where I had seen the love behind your eyes, how deep it runs.
Darwin and Wallace looked at the observable natural world and reverse engineered the mechanism behind all biological complexity on this planet.
No divine intervention, no predetermined direction, just variation, selection pressure, and time.
To quote Dr. X, it's elegant in a way that is genuinely staggering to think about.
Everything alive right now is the product of an unbroken chain of survival stretching back four billion years and that is ten billion percent the coolest thing that has ever been true.
Maybe I’ve been too harsh on you especially with opinions like that!
Evolution is one of the sciences that will take the most amount of time only to offer the least amount of payoff within your lifetime. Which is why we have to study it and document it now for the scientist of the future who will need that data.
Needless to say as the only Evolutionist in the area, I absolutely agree! Not a hot take in the slightest and absolutely right! (*´∀`)♪
Tbh it's extremely ooc for StanXeno to love someone that needy, useless and helpless to the point of marrying them? There are countless antidepressants found in nature and it's literally evidence-based: lots of people find solutions to that levels of anxiety and depression by dramatic lifestyle changes, food, meditation or sports. Nutrients and herbal extracts that boost mood and brain function helps greatly. Honestly that level of crisis is something we only hear about in the american communities? (maybe other rich countries too, because they love keeping you people on meds, but definitely not in the eastern countries, because people know how to deal with hardship and live normally). Reading an adult person to be that needy to the point of getting taken care of like a child by 2 adult men that are supposed to be incredibly busy and stressed already is insane levels of incompetence. It's just childish... I'm sorry for sounding like this,
I'm gonna be so honest, I don't know how to answer this😭😭 I didn't know that they are natural antidepressants, as for the uselessness.. I can assure you, we aren’t THAT useless.
With the stress of the new era, and everything just now settling down, it's stressing you out more than you would've thought. Especially since your entire life has been uprooted, and your career isn't the most useful.
Hope this helps? I'll do some research about it and edit what I can😭
Edit: I'd also like to add, we aren’t that useless. We chose to work on exotic animals, so when it came to taking care of livestock, our information was only so much. The tools you used to use are completely gone, and Xeno could only really make a few items. It just isn't too much of a highlight
Xeno and Stanley aren’t really taking care of you, it was more so that way during your teen years because they didn't really trust you to be alone anymore after you tried to attempt. I was going to make a part two showing how Xeno and Stanley realise it's hard without your meds. While you are being competent and getting shit done, it just feels harder than it's meant to be. I'm still reactively new to actually writing fanfics, so I don't think i conveyed what I meant to😭
Senku, emailing Xeno like old times like that Frozen song: Hey, Dr. X, do wanna build a time machine?
Xeno, slamming the door open: When where how what should I bring can Stanley come never mind I don't care we'll be there in 15 hours STAN WARM UP THE JET
Synopsis: In a new stone age, you weren’t granted the luxury of having your meds; Xeno wasn’t well versed in medicine. It was hard, no meds, no dog, and hardly any time with your husbands; it was a constant weight in your chest.
WC: 1637
“The petrification heals by cellar restoration, allowing the body to return to its most optimal state–With the exception of those visually impaired, and with genetic conditions”
Xeno went on about the petrification properties to Stanley, he remained unbothered, a cigarette hanging from his lips. The two faded into a buzz as you fell into your thoughts. There was a dull ache in your chest since being unpetrified, it was a relentless pressure, making it hard to breathe. It weighed you down, making everything harder. You had your own role in Xeno’s kingdom, to care for the livestock, and be his spouse.
You were happy to care for the animals, you were a vet in the modern era after all. It was just hard, it made you miss your beloved dog, Levi. He was a Newfoundland, big and fluffy. You had gotten him after you married Stanley. (For the military benefits) That dog was your anchor, keeping you company when Xeno worked late, and when Stanley was deployed.
He was a smart dog, Stanley had trained him to bring you your meds every morning, with a water bottle too. He was at home when the beam arrived. He was probably waiting for you three to come home, waiting to jump onto Stanley, to lie on you when you would lie down on the couch like a blanket. You missed hugging him, his disgustingly wet kisses. You missed him. In a cruel twist of fate, your petrification marks were on your upper thigh, roughly shaped like paw prints.
Without the luxuries of modern medicine, you were left without your antidepressants. The effects hit hard, you felt everything tenfold. It was gnawing at you, pulling you apart little by little. The petrification was meant to restore, not destore.
You were snapping at everyone on a daily basis, to the point where everyone avoided you. That only made it worse, being isolated, alone; it forced you to be alone with your thoughts, face the inevitable. Xeno and Stanley were pulling away, it never felt like they had any time for you. Sure–trying to rebuild modern technology was a time-consuming task in itself, and Stanley was constantly outside, serving as protection. He had to test out said tech too, the guns, the planes, that was left up to him to decide if it was suitable.
It’s not like you had all the free time either, in the modern era, you were a vet; it was only natural to hand off the job of animals to you. Leading Stanley’s team in the early days of your revival for food, as well as maintaining the livestock. That was more than enough to eat up your entire day, but now that everything is settled, you don't have much else to do.
It forced you to face yourself, to be alone with your own mind–truth be told, you were scared of that, of yourself. You would’ve killed yourself back in high school if the pair hadn’t found you.
It was a cruel memory.
Six months had gone by, and you couldn’t recall one day of it, you could hardly remember today. The pain was gnawing, chewing on your bones, settling in your muscles, stiffening them.
You hadn’t showered in two weeks. The hot water would break down the dried up blood harshly, the stinging was unpleasant. The steam filled your bathroom, fogging up your mirror as you stepped out. You couldn’t bear to look at yourself, the cuts running down your legs, the scars on your upper arms–It was disgusting, you were disgusting. Every move was panicked, the desire to cover up your skin strong. You left your sleeves rolled up, grabbing the fresh, new blade from the bathroom counter.
A gasp escaped as you dragged it down your forearm, the cut deeper than anything you had done before. The blood was fast, running down your arm, dripping into your jeans. Your hand trembled as you did the same on your right. The pain was sharper than you expected. Both arms shook uncontrollably, the blood continuing to rush down your arms.
The blood was soaking into your jeans, forming spotty brown splotches. It sank into the fibers of the bathroom carpet, cushioning you. Starting to dry, the blood crusted on your skin, darkening in color.
Would anyone even miss you? Stanley and Xeno might, but why would they; you ghosted them for a month, and have been blowing them off for three. You’ve known the pair since you were 10, meeting them through Stanley.
You didn’t hear the front door open, Stanley and Xeno calling your name, only did you notice when the bathroom door burst open. The gust of wind biting into your skin, the cold air stinging against your exposed tissue. A hiss left your lips, forcing your droopy eyes open, you saw Stanley and Xeno’s horrified expressions. Stanley immediately grabbed your discarded towel, wrapping it around one of your arms, taking one of your shirts hanging on the door, and wrapping it around the other.
Your left arm bled through the shirt easily, sending panic through the two. Stanley scooped you into his arms, almost jumping down the stairs, Xeno trailing behind. You were completely out now, your head lolling against Stanley’s shoulder.
The scars are gone now, the petrification having restored your skin. Yet, you couldn’t help but trace a vertical line down your left arm when you were deep in thought. Your fingers would swipe back and forth, ghosting against your skin where the scar would’ve been had it still been there.
You had kept your clothes from that day, the hoodie that had blood crusted on the inside of the sleeves, the jeans with the spotty stains on the front; both lost to time. Unbeknownst to you, so did Stanley and Xeno; your blood had stained Xeno’s shirt so badly he freezes every time he sees it. Stanley kept his in the darkest corner of his closet, refusing to touch it after that night.
He was so scared when your eyes shut, your body going limp. He didn’t know if you were still breathing until he put you in the car, and Xeno confirmed you were alright, just unconscious. He had tears in his eyes the entire drive there, his hands shaking slightly as he tightened his grip on the wheel.
Xeno was in the back seat, hair dishevelled, with you in his lap. His eyes were locked onto your arms, keeping pressure on the left. You had already bled through the shirt, and bunching it up to press against the wound didn’t seem to help. All it did was stick to your skin, the blood drying and binding the fabric to your skin, pulling whenever Xeno rotated it. He saw Stanley’s unshed tears in the rearview mirror, Stanley of all people was crying. A shaky breath left him as his forehead pressed against yours, every breath you took was shallow; and when Xeno looked up, his panicked eyes meeting Stanley's he sped up, breaking every speed limit he could.
When they finally got you to the ER and Stanley had given you to the nurses, there was a slight shake in his hands, barely noticeable, but Xeno did. He grabbed Stanley’s hand, holding it while they waited to hear about you.
You had been blowing them off for three months, and ghosted them for one. They were worried, reasonably so. If they knew what you were doing to yourself every night in the dark of your bedroom–It was only right to check on you. If you needed help, they could; if not them, then let it be someone else. Just so you would be okay, be happy, be with them.
Xeno went silent in the middle of his rant, his eyes gazing over to your figure. Staring blankly at the floor, with unshed tears in your eyes, and your fingers grazing over what used to be a scar on your forearm, on autopilot. Stanley followed his gaze, particularly focused on your face. It was nearly identical to what you were like before you disappeared for a month.
“Sweetheart?” Stanley’s voice rang out in the lab, you hadn’t moved, not even sparing a glance at him. Xeno stood up, walking over and placing his hands on your shoulders, you jumped, eyes wide when you stared at his face. You blinked the tears away, trying to erase the shakiness from your voice, “Ye-yeah?”
The pair shared a glance, Stanley’s brows furrowed as he put his cigarette out, moving to sit next to you. Xeno’s hands moved from your shoulders to your face, his metal claws cold against your cheeks, his tone unreasonably soft. “You have been so out of it lately. Just Charlotte alone has come to Stanley and I three times this week about you snapping at everyone–” He was promptly cut off by Stanley, a frown on his face.
“Spill, what’s bothering you? I’ve seen you space out so many times you might as well be sleepwalking.” He turned to look at you completely, seeing the conflict on your face. You couldn’t find the words, it just felt wrong. You knew they wouldn’t judge, they were your husbands after all. You felt too reliant on your meds, that without them, you kept thinking about the day you almost killed yourself. You felt everything tenfold, desperately missing your dog, the way he would jump onto Stanley, licking his face as he groaned, you and xeno snickering behind them.
The words were hard to string together, a lump forming in your throat as you spoke, “I just–It’s so hard without my meds. All I feel is a constant pressure in my chest, weighing me down; making it hard to breathe. I can’t take it anymore. Why did you have to revive me?”
1. If you were a bird, what type of bird would you be?
2. if you were an aquatic creature, would you be mammal, amphibian, fish, or something else?
3. do you have a favorite plushie/do you have a plushie
4. sleep. This isn’t a question. Sleep and drink water :) /threat
I’ll go first!
I would be a seagull!
I would be a mammal, probably some type of seal :)
I have two plushies that I snuggle at night! One is a sloth named Silver, and the other is a fish I made and named after my fish, Hyacinth. I love them dearly :)
i drank an entire bottle of water, and when I’m done with this, I will sleep! If it is night in your time zone I’m making you do the same
hmmmm… I think I’d have to be either a blackbird or a snowy egret
I would love to be a fish, maybe some sort of eel
I have a ton of stuffies, but my two ride or dies are my old ass bear named bearbear who I got at my mom’s baby shower, and my blåhaj named olive
I drank a lot of water and some caffeine (sorry guys lmao) bc I went climbing, and I’m use this as an accountability check for myself to get to bed early tonight :D
@jasmine-butterfly @robot-prince-of-the-apocalypse @sunnaestt @zombiegrrlll @gardenofstarss + open tags :)
I was told i reminded someone of a sparrow and that is my most treasured compliment
I want to be a jellyfish so i can sting people
Sppsps i had so many plushies back home and I miss them all, i have a decent amount here but i still miss those ones, my favourite one was this big fish one, also unrelated you can't call this a plushie but I would kill to get my kolbalis back
i drank.. soda.. eugh I'll drink water in a bit and i actually just woke up :))
THANKS FOR THE TAG @sunnaestt
1.) if i were a bird i would like woodpecker so i could use my beak to annoy @sunnaestt and @pop-rocks-22
2.)i would love to be dolphins cuz they just be doing shyt😭
3.)so i had this one plushie which i had since i was in 5th grade BUT MY GRANDMA THREW IT AWAY 😭😭(i cried for the whole day and still miss ma baby), but yeah i also have this other one that i sleep with every night ,his name is Mr snuggles (YALL BETTER RESPECT MY BABY IMMA BEAT YO ASS OTHERWISE)
4.)WATER AND SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK, I AM A STRONG , I DONT NEED IT I ONLY PASSED OUT ONCE YESTERDAY I AM FINEEEE
Crow. They're cool, crafty, and veeeery fashionable
Prolly a mammal... i just like mammals better lol. I love otters as well so maybe that :D. If not that then I'd be a freaking jellyfish or sm; they're so prettyyyyy!
Yes! She's a baby harp seal and she's my most treasured possession ><. I also have a blahaj ahahahaha
Yeah i really do need to get to sleep, i have things to do tomorrow T^T
No pressure tags:
@anyadanielleee, @anadiilua, @sparklesiren, @meliooh, + anyone who wants to join ><
1. i would probably be a pigeon. because theyre cute. and dont really do anything but eat and fly around. OH AND THEM SITTING IS SOSOSO CUTE
2. an amphibian probably so i could spend time on land and in water. i think it would be cool to feel so comfortable in both heheh
3. omg i have so many but my favorite is probably a kuroo one that i have matching w my bsf (she has a kenma one). but yeah i had waaaayyy too many plushies and even though i had to give away a ton i still have quite a few :33
4. oof i needed that reminder tyty i have no idea how to take care of myself 😔😔
I GOT TAGGED YAYAY!!! i dont know many ppl i can tag but i’ll try!
1. i would be an owl for sure. they’re my favorite animal and i have such an emotional connection to them. specifically a pygmy owl.
2. id love to be a whale, so mammal. they’re chill to me.
3. i have so. many. plushies. like, a walk of them next to me when i sleep and more scattered around my room. my favorite is one i have had since i was 2, she’s lady from lady and the tramp!
4. i’ll sleep after this post LOL.
(NO PRESSURE) tags!!!:
@no1bruh @f2lix @softtwhisper (i need more mutuals.)
Summary: Inspired by Amy's birth scene from Brooklyn 99!
Push It! Salt-N-Pepa
You have never wanted to punch men in the face this badly; let alone those men being your husbands. In a cruel twist of fate, you were pregnant, with twins. While you three were elated that Stanley and Xeno were both the biological father due to a rare case of heteropaternal superfecundation.
You were lying in the hospital bed, cursing both of them out. You had been in labor for the past 3 hours–the twins taking their sweet time to arrive. A c-section was the last thing you wanted, being bed-ridden and in pain for weeks wasn’t exactly appealing. Stanley and Xeno were more than happy to take care of you–Xeno being more persistent in having a c-section.
“With it being twins, the increase of a tear is prominent–”
“Xeno, utter one more word and I will cut your dick off myself.” You cut him off, gritting your teeth. You sharply exhaled as another contraction hit, a scream leaving your lips, your grip on the side bar of the bed concerning. Beads of sweat were forming on your face, red with strain. There was a nurse at the foot of your bed, telling you to not focus on the pain. Kind of impossible when you’ve been shot before and this was worse.
Standing off to the side, Stanley and Xeno gave each other a look. Suddenly, music was playing, Push It by Salt-N-Pepa, your pain momentarily forgotten as you looked over, confusion etched onto your face.
They were dancing. Stanley and Xeno, dancing. Why were they so in tune..Did they fucking practice this? Laughter emerged from your lips as you stared, Stanley’s face completely blank as he danced, Xeno having a light flush across his cheeks.
Technically, they did practice this, but it wasn’t meant to be used like this. During a particularly long power outage, Brody, Stanley, and Xeno were stuck in an elevator. In an attempt to pass time, Brody taught the two said dance. When the power came back on, Stanley gave Brody a look so horrifying he almost pissed himself. None of them ever spoke of it again, not even Stanley and Xeno.
It ended well at least, you gave birth to two girls, both seemingly taking after you. They better have after those 9 months.
Happens when a women release two eggs, and in that fertilization window, has intercourse with two men. Each egg is fertilized by each sperm. Less than 20-30 cases documented!
I was looking through my old bio notes when I saw a page I wrote on this, had me thinking about StanXeno x Reader. I couldn't figure out what to write about, then I saw a tiktok about Holt and Terry distracting Amy with a dance they practiced in an elevator. I was laughing my ass off reading it.
𖹭.ᐟ Summary: You've always wanted Senku Ishigami. You wished on every lucky clover, on every 11:11, wishing wells, shrines, horoscopes and shooting stars. Thoroughly believing that one day‐ he would share the same feelings you had.
Senku watched you make the same wish year after year, finding every superstition you bargained on laughable. And when the stars finally grant your heart's desire, you wonder which one you should thank. The stars or the scientist who's been waiting for you all this time?
𖹭.ᐟ Word count: 4.3k
𖹭.ᐟ Content: Friends to lovers, Pining, Love confession
𖹭.ᐟ A/N: I had 11:11 by Conan Gray on loop while reading this... anws happy holidays everyone!
The first time you made a wish that Senku Ishigami, genius yet a goober, would fall in love with you was during the time he had taken you to his favorite ramen stall.
It had been a horrible day. It was only the second week of your first year in highschool. You were still adjusting to the new environment and arguably, so was everyone else. Except for that science freak in your class. Your classmates had plenty of gossip on him, the kid who had illegally launched a rocket to space in middle school, allegedly. Of course, you just so happened to overhear, after all there wasn’t much to do aside from listening in when you didn’t have any friends yet.
And as fate would have it, the teacher had assigned you as his partner for science class. Something about two pairs of eyes being better when handling lab equipment. You had learned his name was Senku when he introduced himself to you, muttering something about how last names don’t matter and poking his ear with a pinky finger- an unconscious habit, you guessed.
If someone had asked, you usually wouldn’t describe yourself as a klutz, not to this extent anyways. But, you somehow managed to break one of the test tubes not long after everyone was instructed to start. It wasn’t even an actual science experiment yet. Since it was only the second week, the teacher thought it would be a good idea to let the class familiarize themselves with the lab equipment first and here you were- already fumbling.
Maybe it was the fact that you still weren’t comfortable in a new environment that was inhabited with new faces. Or maybe the fact that you’d immediately been partnered with someone way beyond your league. Either way, when your trembling hand reached out for a test tube, it ended up shattered on the floor.
Like deer caught in headlights, you froze when everyone’s eyes turned to you. Some spoke to you with concern, some with curiosity as to what happened, and some were holding back their laugh. Not that it mattered. It was all muffled to you, mixed into a muddy blend in your head while you worried about consequences.
It wasn’t until a warm hand found itself on your shoulder that you had snapped out of your panic.
“You should back away. You might step on a shard and hurt yourself.” Senku, who was standing behind you all that time, had guided you away from harm. With no insulting tone in voice to be found.
The rest of the day went by in a blur. You were far too dazed from what happened in science class to pay attention. When the final bell rung, it left you feeling dejected. That small mistake felt irredeemable. What if no one wanted to be your friend now? What if everyone’s too scared about what object you’ll break next? …What if your lab partner decides he doesn’t want you around and you’ll be forced to go through the rest of the year alone?
Fortunately, fate was kind. It had given you the best partner you could wish for. No, Senku hadn’t hated you for breaking that test tube that day. Instead, when he noticed how you were basically dragging your feet out of the school, he dragged you to his favorite ramen stall.
Senku was a direct man, but sometimes he had feelings to hide, like empathy. So instead of just saying that it was to make you feel better, he said it was only because his old man wasn’t going to be able to join him so he might as well drag someone else with him,
Yes, he could’ve just told you that everything was going to be okay and comfort you like a normal person. But Senku was no normal guy, he was the middle schooler who had launched a rocket to space with only a few emails guiding him.
No, you didn’t feel sad anymore. In fact, as you blew wind to cool down the steaming noodles, you made a wish.
You had wished that Senku Ishigami would fall in love with you. Because he’d make a pretty decent boyfriend.
…
The second time you wished that Senku Ishigami, your lab partner and friend, would fall in love with you was only a few months after you made your first wish.
It was the weekend and you had gone over to the apartment where Senku and his dad was staying in. You said it was to work on an assignment together, something the both of you knew was just an excuse. Senku had already finished his and you didn’t actually have any plans on doing yours, not until the last minute anyways.
Instead, you were both lazing around. Sat on the sofa and fixated eyes on the TV which was playing a documentary of your choosing. You didn’t think it was actually interesting for Senku, he’d probably already known everything that the documentary was discussing. But you appreciated that he entertained your choices despite it.
Halfway through it though, you felt your stomach making complaints about the lack of food. You turn to look at Senku, whose eyes were focused on the TV. “Senku.” You grumble, to which he let out an unenthusiastic hum as a response.
“I’m hungry.” You nudge him, dissatisfied from the lack of reaction.
He huffs, “So? Go look at the fridge or pantry.”
You thrash in complaint. “Buttt…” Pouting, “You know very well that the only thing in your fridge are chemicals that would evaporate my insides. And I’m sick of instant ramen…”
Senku frowns, finally looking at you, with a glare albeit. “And? You act like you live here.”
“Byakuya would say to go get food for me.” You retort, using the old man’s favoritism towards you.
The genius sitting besides you grabs the remote and pauses the documentary. Sighing loudly and ruffling his hair, feigning annoyance. “Because he thinks I somehow only have two friends and feels the need to overcompensate so you don’t get tired of being with me.”
You giggle. You would never actually get tired of Senku. And as much as he pretends that you tire him, he still stands up anyways and goes to grab his wallet. “Let’s go to that cute little family mart nearby! I’m sure your stomach would appreciate some real food.” You beam.
“I’ll cook if you pay.” You quickly add, walking to the door.
Senku also makes his way over. “Right, ‘cause I’m 10 billion percent sure I can entrust my stomach to your cooking way more.”
“Trust, bro.” Smug, you make a show to put your hands on your hips. “Plus, we haven’t had breakfast, so it’ll be brunch technically. I think.”
You pull out your phone to check the time. “Oh! It’s 11:11, make a wish!”
Senku raises a brow. “Shouldn’t that be at 11:11 in the night?”
“Well, I’m sure it’s 11:11 at night somewhere in the world…”
He lets out a noise of disinterest, walking past you and leaving the apartment. “Lock the door on your way out.”
You pout, watching him walk away. “Fine, if you won’t, then I will!”
You close your eyes and think, aware that time is running and you have less than a minute left. You find that you don’t have it in you to wish for anything grandiose right now, dismissing the ideas to wish for giant piles of money or fame.
Instead, your mind drifts to the man not too far ahead of you. And you can’t help but wish that it’ll always be like this. That, one day, maybe you’ll be buying groceries to stock the fridge for a home you’ll both be sharing.
Later that night, awake and restless, lying in bed and staring at ceiling while you wait for the clock to say 11:11. Just to be sure, you say to yourself. When the time came, you made sure to do it properly, wishing at exactly 11:11 that Senku would fall for you. Because now you see a future with him.
…
The third time you wished that Senku Ishigami would fall in love with you had caught you off guard. All of a sudden, it was a little too real- a little too desperate.
It was summer vacation and you had known each other for a while now.
Earlier that day, you had seen news that a meteor shower would be visible later. You had immediately gone to tell Senku about it, who was less visibly excited, but you knew he was also looking forward to it with the way he had immediately gone to prepare a camera to capture the moment when it comes.
Unfortunately, the meteors were taking a while. The two of you have been waiting, out, where the cold wind was starting to make you sneeze despite the summer season. Not to mention how late it was now, you were struggling to stay awake.
“Sen…” A nickname you recently started using for him. “How much longer?” You ask, semi whining.
“Are you really trying to rush falling rocks in space of all things?” Senku answers, tinkering with his camera.
“Well, they can fall a little faster.” You let out a yawn. “Otherwise, I might just doze off.”
You hear Senku let out a sigh from beside you. “You were the one who was so excited, and now you’re falling sleep?” You don’t answer him, your eyelids far too heavy.
You were about to head to dreamland when you heard a camera shutter. Confused, you turn to look at the only possible culprit and find him pointing the camera right at you. “Seriously?” You groan. “How bad do I look in that picture? I bet I look like a corpse.”
Senku rolls his eyes. “You look…” He paused. “Normal.” He clears his throat, lowering the camera.
You shot him an unimpressed stare, “That little pause you just did makes me highly doubt that.” You move to try and snatch the camera off his hands. “You should’ve told me you were taking a picture!”
He quickly puts the camera away from your reach. “And where’s the fun in that?” He raises a brow. “You act like you don’t take pictures of me all the time.”
You squawk, immediately feeling embarrassed at getting caught. “N-no I don’t! I just take picture… of stuff. And you just somehow manage to be in the frame.”
“Uh-huh…” Senku replies, unconvinced.
Darn him and his observation skills! He wasn’t supposed to know about that…You think to yourself, willing your heart to calm down. It really did start as an accident, but before you knew it, you had a folder dedicated to Senku. Maybe it was a little creepy… but you mean no harm! It wasn’t like you were doing anything malicious with the photos, unless looking at them every night counted as malicious.
Okay, now it does sound creepy. Maybe you should delete them later…
“I’ll delete them if you delete the photo you just took…” You mumble, keeping your voice quiet, unsure if you even wanted Senku to hear the offer.
“No.” And he did. “That’s not a fair trade.” He has the nerve to cross his arms. “You have more pictures of me while I only have this single one of you. Therefore, the photo I have is higher in value.”
“Value???” You question. “Dude, you cannot be serious.”
All the sleepiness you were feeling earlier is now all gone, forgotten and replaced with something else. “I bet you took that picture just to blackmail me! You really are despica-“
You stop.
Senku had effectively shut you up by holding one of your hands.
You were about to pull away and question him when he suddenly looks at you. “Look.” He turns his head to look up. “It’s starting.”
Granted, the meteor shower was very beautiful, and on any other circumstance you would’ve been freaking out about it way more. But right now? The only thing you could focus on was how warm Senku’s hand was.
“For the record, no. I didn’t take that picture for blackmail…” He sighs. “Stop worrying. You look… good.”
If your heart was beating any louder, you’re convinced you wouldn’t have heard that last part. But you did, and it made your heart do little backflips inside your chest. It made you feel a little weak. Such a simple comment, barely a compliment. Still, it made you refuse to look at the genius beside you who was still very much holding your hand, afraid that if you did look- it would actually make your heart burst and pop.
Instead, you closed your eyes. Silently wishing…
“Are you making a wish?” Senku asks, breaking your train of thought.
“H-huh? Oh… yeah.” You nod.
“Seriously?”
You sigh, not in the mood for him to make fun of you. “Seriously! Now, stay quiet. I have to focus.” You make a show to close your eyes again.
The silence doesn’t last long; it never does with the young scientist. “You know its not actually gonna make your wish come true right? Those are just 10 billion percent debris from some random asteroid-“
“Oh, Senku, hush!” You huff. “Whatever, I made my wish now. And personally, I do believe it will come true.”
A beat passes before Senku speaks again. “So, are you not going to tell me what you wished for?”
You sigh with exaggeration. “No, Sen, that would ruin it! Don’t you know that if you tell someone then it means the wish will never come true?”
He scratched his head, “Who the hell came up with all these rules.” He looks at you, determination swirling in his ruby eyes. “Plus, I can probably help you with that wish better than any burning rock.”
For the most part, that was true. You had no doubt that Senku was a capable man. He would be able to do anything if his mind was set on it. But you’d rather explode than tell him. “No way I’m telling you…” You say, defeated. He can only let out a huff, probably disappointed.
Well, you had once again wished that Senku Ishigami would fall in love with you. This time, because it was unfair to be the only one in love.
…
It started becoming such a regular thing to wish for Senku's heart that you eventually stopped counting. You wished for it on your birthdays while blowing out the candles, you wished for it every night when the clock would say 11:11, on every holiday wish and on every coin you toss.
And Senku was starting to notice. Not your feelings- at least you hoped so anyways. But he was starting to notice your little habit of wishing, calling the action childish on multiple occasions only to end up comforting you anyways once you started pouting at him.
Not even the coming of petrification had stopped you from wishing. From seeing that ominous green light, to spending thousands of years in stone until getting revived by the man himself. You hadn’t stopped wishing for Senku to fall in love with you.
And when the days were hard, when you would be consumed by jealousy after hearing stories of his “marriage” with the village priestess or after seeing women cling to him, you would wish even harder.
Of course, you knew you couldn’t just rely on stars or fate to make it come true. You knew that eventually, you would have to be the one to take that big step. But there was never really a good time. After all, Senku was a busy man. He was leading the revival of the entire human race, who were you to try and worm yourself between all of that?
So for a long while, you kept yourself and your feelings at a distance, far enough that it wouldn’t get in Senku’s way. You were happy to watch him thrive, so you pushed those unnecessary feelings down somewhere they wouldn’t be found. You kept yourself busy.
But it was at times like these where you just couldn’t contain it inside. Everyone was having their own moment, gazing at the fireworks with dreamy eyes. The battle against Ibarra had been hard, but the beauty of the firework show Kaseki and the others had prepared made it seem worth it. Such a beautiful conclusion to a hard struggle.
Thinking that no one would be paying attention to you; You let yourself get lost in thought, bargaining with the stray sparks of the firework, that if it helped make your wish come true then you’d gladly immortalize it in your memories instead burning out the very short lifespan it had.
Senku had other plans, however. The man had a sixth sense for when you were trying to be alone in peace, seeming like he had a personal vendetta to never let you have a moment to yourself. “Don’t tell me you're doing that thing again.”
You sigh, wondering why you’re even pining for this goober. “What thing.” You state in a flat voice, it wasn’t even a question as you already knew he was teasing about your habit.
“Making wishes.” He shakes his head. “It’s been years, you’d think by now it would’ve come true.”
You finally turn to look at him, a grumpy look on your face. “It takes patience! And it would be meaningless if I gave up now.”
“Ah yes, the classic sunk-cost fallacy.” Senku retorts. “And I keep telling you, if you would just tell me, I could’ve probably made it come true by now. What good will come from wishing on meaningless superstition when you have a perfectly capable scientist by your side?” He continues.
But you’re unconvinced. “Uh huh, as if you don’t already have your hands full with reviving seven billion people.” You shake your head. “I’ll figure it out eventually…” You pause, glancing at everyone else and seeing that they’ve moved on to partying by now.
“Come on.” You start walking over to the crowd. “We gotta celebrate!”
You don’t notice the frown on Senku’s lips as you walk away from him.
…
Finding the right moment was hard.
After the quest in the treasure island was accomplished, there was barely any time for rest. Everyone was more than occupied with the revival of Tsukasa and setting off to establish a corn city in America. It wasn’t until now that things started slowing down. No other choice really when there was still a great distance away from reaching land.
Right now, you were spending time with Senku in the makeshift lab within Perseus. Well, it was more like you were both doing your own thing in the same room. Senku was keeping himself busy with whatever he was tinkering with, maybe a new gadget that would help once everyone had set foot in America.
You, however, were trying your best not to die from boredom. After finishing the routine of cleaning the deck and helping Francois serve food, you basically had all the free time in the world. Which sounded amazing at first, but after realizing that there was only a limited number of activities you could do in a moving ship, you found that it wasn’t really the blessing it seemed to be.
Today though, Yuzuriha had generously given you some of her art supplies, suggesting that maybe you could find something to do with it. While you weren’t as crafty as the girl, you knew some of the basics and you had settled for doing some origami.
“Do you think if I fold a thousand paper cranes then I’ll get what I want?” You absentmindedly ask, not even bothering to hide your habit of wishing from the scientist anymore.
“What I don’t understand is why you keep relying on such childish superstitions when you have me. How impossible could your wish be that you choose to believe in paper instead of confiding in me?” Senku scolds.
It was upsetting to hear. Of course, it was easy for him to say that when he’s clueless but what would he actually do if he finds out that all these years you’ve been wishing for him to fall in love with you? There wasn’t going to be any science or technology that would magically make him feel the same things you did.
So, you throw the paper crane right at him in frustration.
Senku looks up from whatever was occupying him, shooting you a comical dead stare instead. “How mature. What if I was holding some super dangerous chemical and accidentally melted my hand because of that?”
You huff. “Then I would wish for your hand to magically heal.”
Senku rolls his eyes at you. “Instead of actually helping me, of course.”
Maybe it was the boredom, or maybe it was the stubbornness, but something in you now wanted to instigate something. “Why are you so sure that my wish can’t come true without your help anyways? Sure, there’s no empirical evidence that supports wishes can come true but there are also no evidence disproving it.” You cross your arms. “I’m not losing anything and everything to gain on the non-zero chance it comes true.”
Senku has fully stopped what he’s doing now, his full attention on you- which was intimidating. Starting a petty argument with an actual genius always ended in a landslide, but the good thing about Senku was he never took any of it personally, more likely seeing it as a fun challenge so he can put you in your place. The evil man that he is.
He places a hand on his hip and raises a brow. “Because its unreliable and that line of thinking is exactly how people send themselves into a psychosis. And you can say the exact same thing with trusting me with that wish. You’re not going to lose anything if you rely on me and everything to gain if I make it come true.” Senku smirks, all smug. “And unlike those flimsy paper cranes, I am actually reliable, with more than enough empirical evidence to back that claim.”
You let out an exaggerated sigh. You knew you weren’t going to win in the first place anyways, but it was a good attempt, it was always the same song and dance with Senku. But it wasn’t over yet, no. Because now? Now you had Senku Ishigami right where you wanted him.
So maybe you had planned it, or maybe it was on impulse. But if Senku was so desperate, who were you to deny him? The scientist had loved nothing more than discovery. Of course, it could also go all wrong, this might lead to you losing him.
But you had faith that the countless wishes you made didn’t go unheard.
You take a deep breath and make one final wish for Senku Ishigami to fall in love with you. Because it would suck if he didn’t.
“If you don’t make it come true, I’ll cry.” You threaten, or try to anyways, but the crack in your voice just made it sound more genuine than you wanted it to.
“Pft, there’s no need to start crying.” Senku smiles. “That’s how confident I am. Ten billion percent I’ll-“
You cut him off. “Senku, please fall in love with me.” You declare before you can think too hard about it.
It was silent. You assume anyways, because right now it felt like you would go deaf from how loud and fast your heart was beating. This was it, you had bit the bullet. There was no shooting star or birthday candle to help you anymore, only Senku-
“Easy.”
Oh…
You wanted to wipe off that smug look on his face so bad. “Done. Years ago, already. Thousands of years ago, in fact.” And he has the nerve to chuckle, as if it was the easiest thing in the world, as if he had always known there was nothing impossible when it came to you- that he would break limits just to fulfill any wish you had. “Your little wishes have nothing on what I can do for you.”
“They helped…” You argue weakly, eyes watering from a mix of relief and pure, untainted happiness.
Senku rubs the back of his nape in a laid-back manner, contrasting you on the verge of tears. “Did they? If only you had just come to me years ago. You wouldn’t have had to waste so much time.” He flicks your forehead lightly. “Tsk, how inefficient.”
“Just to set things straight, you never needed the help of shooting stars to convince me.” Senku stated, in a voice that sounded so sincere that it sent you waves of warm, fuzzy feelings.
You can’t help but sulk, slightly embarrassed. Not one to quickly accept defeat, however, “Isn’t this technically evidence that my wishes came true though?”
Senku deadpans in disbelief. “What? No. You can’t just claim my feelings as evidence for your weird superstitions.”
“Why not? Can you prove that those feelings, in fact, did not come from me wishing for it every night?”
“Ten billion percent. I can’t believe you’d rather think that my feelings came from some weird ass manifestation instead of actually being in love with you.” Sigh. It seemed like Senku was going to need to go through a lot to convince and disprove you. Oh well, there was plenty of time out at sea.
Before you can spit out another argument, Senku places his hand on top of your head before pulling you closer to him. “I love you, no need for fantasy or magic. There I said it, are you happy now?”
You were. With how close you were to him, you could hear his heart beating, almost as fast as yours were. It felt more real than any scenario you let yourself imagine during those lonely nights when you’d wait for the clock to turn 11:11. Because it was real this time. You whisper those same three words to Senku’s heart before closing your eyes, wrapping your arms around him, afraid for the moment to slip away.
Perhaps the stars had already granted your wish as early as when you broke that test tube. Perhaps the stars had it all planned out in the beginning.
𖹭.ᐟ SUMMARY: Senku received an invitation from NASA to join a mission but it seems he forgot one thing, actually it seems like he's forgotten about a lot. After becoming complacent in his relationship with you, it seems he forgot about the concept of romance itself. You and him have been in a relationship for a long time now and yet, would you even be called a couple?
Romance has been neglected in this "romantic" relationship and it sends Senku spiraling. He questions whether or not he's done anything to deserve your loyalty and devotion to him, after all he's only ever repaid it by coming home late everyday and barely even treating you right.
But Senku's never been a quitter, science gives him no choice in that regard with all the trial and error he has to endure, so instead of giving you up he vows to make things right even if it means learning how to be conventional.
𖹭.ᐟ Word count: 11.8k
𖹭.ᐟ Content: Senku's POV, Canon divergence, Senku works at NASA, Established relationship, Light angst, Happy ending, SFW
Senku's project advisor closed the door as he exited the meeting room. The leek-haired man's phone vibrates, reminding him he was on a call.
"Taiju? Oh, sorry about that." Senku presses his phone to his ear, talking to the man on the other side. "Don't worry about it! And that's amazing, Senku! Congrats!" Taiju's boisterous voice rang loud, making Senku put some distance between his phone and his ear.
He let out a laugh, trying not to feel too smug about it. "Yeah, well, it's no big deal. It was almost to be expected with the amount of work I contributed into the project."
He smirks, leaning on a wall while the conversation continues. "That's true... then I assume that they're okay with it?" He hears Taiju ask and raises a brow.
Taiju pauses before continuing, "Since its a big deal and you had agreed so quickly, I assumed you already talked about it with them."
"Them?..." He licks his lips in thought, "What do you mean?"
Taiju's line goes quiet for a moment before Senku hears his voice again, he mentions your name and continues. "Do they not know? Oh, well, I just mean... don't you ask your partner first before agreeing to those kinds of things?"
Senku's reply is only him humming in thought. "Though if I was in that situation, Yuzuriha probably won't be mad anyways so I can't imagine them being any different... oh well!" He couldn't believe that Taiju, that oaf, of all people was giving him something vaguely like relationship advice.
It was true that Senku had agreed rather fast when the project advisor had approached him, he was on the phone with Taiju when it happened so it was only natural that his friend had overheard everything. Senku was offered a seat in the latest mission, a project he'd also contributed a lot towards. For him, it was a no-brainer to accept, it was a great opportunity after all. It's not like it'd be his first time flying off to space either, so... was it really necessary to bring it up to you first? The thought hadn't crossed his mind. Though now that Taiju had pointed it out, it left him conflicted.
Senku was almost completely lost in thought when he heard Taiju speak again, "Oh, Senku! Yuzuriha's calling me down for dinner so I gotta go. It was nice catching up!"
Senku's eyes found the clock hanging on the wall opposite to him, realizing Taiju was right, he hasn't even noticed. "Yeah man, have a good one." The call ended.
Senku brought the phone down from his ear and stared at his lockscreen. The clock on his phone had also read 7:22 PM. His eyes drifted to his wallpaper, looking at the photo he had set as his wallpaper. It was a photo of you and him wearing your highschool graduation robes, taken after the ceremony.
He sighs, Taiju's words was bothering him more than it should. Why was it gnawing at him? He turns off his phone and rubs his temple, the bright lights were starting to get to him too. Perhaps it'd do him some good to come home early, and have that chat with you too while he's at it.
...
The apartment was quiet when Senku entered, but not silent. He could hear you were home, if the mood lighting turned on was not enough evidence of your presence.
"I'm home..." Senku announced, closing the door behind him as he loosened his tie. Upon entering the living room, he immediately spotted you by the couch. The warm glow of the floor lamp was the only thing illuminating the room, but it was enough for Senku to see the scattered mess across the coffee table.
You, who were sorting through folders, looked over your shoulder with shock to see him. "Senku! You're home early?" Not waiting for a reply, you immediately picked up some documents laying on the couch, adding it to the pile on the coffee table instead. Tucking them away to make space for him to sit.
Senku was about to argue. One, that it wasn't an early time to be home and two, that you didn't need to bother. But he shut his mouth instead, sitting next to you, and compared to the time he'd usually go home- it was early.
"If I'd known, I would've cooked us dinner." You smile, discarding the folder to focus on him instead. "Oh! have you actually eaten dinner yet? If not, I can-"
He sighs, cutting you off. "I ate at the office, it's fine."
He leans into the couch, relaxing. You copy him, "Alright, that's good..." You let out a satisfied hum.
What once would've warmed his heart with appreciation for your understanding nature, now tugs his heartstrings.
It slips into his mind again, he'd forgotten about it briefly on the commute home. But it's here again. There was this doubt that it shouldn't be like this. Then again though, it's not like it was actually something to complain about. Other people would probably die to have a partner that wouldn't complain even if they always get home from work late, even if they always missed dinner, or go on work trips without asking for permission first.
He sighed and ran his hand through his scalp. Of course, it doesn't escape you.
"Was work extra tough today?" He turns to look at you, only to find the gentlest eyes paired with the warmest of smiles. The look of love he's ever so familiar with, you never looked at him with anything else but love in your eyes, and it made his chest feel tight.
You didn't push him for an answer, recognizing the look of distraction on him. His mind was always running. "I'll get us something to drink." You stand up, heading to their kitchen. And Senku was left with his thoughts. Again.
Well, he came home with a concept of a plan. Talk to you about what he was feeling. Because he had never struggled to voice out what he felt, ever.
Lies, of course. For someone who is always telling other people to just verbalize what's on their mind, Senku certainly struggles when it was his turn. It was inefficient, and the heavy feeling on his tongue was mocking him.
It reminded him why it took years to even admit he had romantic feelings for you. He can hear your soft humming coming from the kitchen and it reminds him of how long you've actually been together. From quietly working together in the school's science club, to staying up during the late nights to finish college assignment and now living under the same roof.
Your relationship with Senku was never rocky, steady, in fact. You've always been together, always the other's constant and Senku had grown comfortable with that. But now there was this lingering thought that won't leave him.
He might've continued spiraling but the feeling of cold glass pressing on his cheek brought him out it, "Huh?"
"Something's on your mind, isn't it?" You ask him, handing him the glass of water while you sipped your own.
Senku puts off answering the question by drinking his own, but decides to speak up in the end. "...I got invited to join the mission."
You hum, "The one you were working on? Mhm, that sounds great."
Right, see? What Taiju said, it was unfairly making his stomach sick. Got him thinking about "normals," something he hadn't done since he was in middle school and wondering if there was something wrong with him when he struggled to feel romantic attraction towards other people. Something that seemed to come so naturally towards his peers.
But, he thought for sure things were surely different now. Senku got comfortable with that. How can he not? It came so easy with you.
You had accepted his entirety without struggle, and with welcoming arms instead. When Senku had first mentioned to you about his struggle with intimacy, you didn't even have a hint of surprise on your face.
Throughout your relationship with him, you never asked for more than what he gave. But what has he given you? The guilty feeling that he’s been lacking is what weighs him down, Taiju only made him remember it was there.
Senku eyes you sitting next to him, rubbing your eyes as you look over some documents. So normal couples even bother asking to go away on business trips? Well, a space mission isn’t a typical business trip but… semantics.
If Senku had missed the note on that, what else had he missed out on that the average conventional couple did?
“Are you…” Senku starts, licking his lips. “Are you okay with that?” His hands wetter from sweat than the condensation from the glass of water.
You look at him weirdly, “What.” You chuckled. “Well, yes..? Why wouldn't I be?”
He wasn’t nervous about the possibility of you not being okay with it, in fact he doubted it was even a possibility at all– and you had just confirmed that.
“You never usually ask anyways?”
Senku placed the cup on an empty spot on the table. “I hear it’s what other people do.” He spoke, slower, words feeling a little heavier than they usually do. “…ask for their partner’s opinion.” He clarifies.
You hum absentmindedly, “Doesn't mean we have to, it’s fine. Why would I ever want to hold you back from what you enjoy?”
Those comforting words send Senku spiraling once more, why did you immediately go to assure him? It felt wrong to him. He wasn’t the one who needed it, he should be the one comforting you instead. Tell you that it was okay to hold him back, to selfishly ask for his company instead of going some place else. Instead, he was being comforted for his own shortcoming.
“No…” He stands up and sighs. “You don’t hold me back.” He affirms. “If anything, don’t you think I'm the one who holds you back?”
In a softer voice, “Senku…” You called. “Where is this coming from?”
Senku runs a hand through his hair. “You can ask me to stay with you.”
“I don’t understand…” You shake your head, “Do you not want to go?”
He wasn’t stupid, he knew there was probably a better way to get what he meant across but right now… the words hung heavy and Senku couldn’t find strength to reach them.
“No, I- I do…” he stammers out. “I'm just asking what you- you…” he pauses, trying to catch his breath. “You're just okay with this?”
You stand, brows furrowed and concern plastered on your face. “Yes?” You let out a sigh. “C’mon Sen, what is it really?”
Senku wills himself to calm down, the beating of his heart slowing down. “Taiju… that oaf, mentioned something about talking to your partners and it- it just got me thinking about you.”
Have I not before? He thought. Why was this the first time I had thought to ask first?
His eyes drift down, no longer looking at who was standing in front of him… in shame? Embarrassment?
“Asking your partner before agreeing to business trips?? I didn't even know about that. What else do I not know?”
His voice, now full of frustration, was getting louder. “Just how much have I actually been holding you back? Dates, romantic evenings, affection… don't you want it? Why don't you ask me for it?”
For a second, You don’t say anything. His outburst probably caught you off guard. “I… because…” You start.
He doesn't see it but, You were looking at him so tenderly. “I never minded it. I mean, asking for those kinds of stuff, they would just get in the way right? And… science has always been your priority, something I never really wanted to get in between of.”
Get in the way? No…
Despite having a drink of water not long ago, his throat felt strangely dry. “No, that’s… you can tell me. I wouldn’t choose science over y-“
“You don’t have to say stuff like that.” You take a step forward towards him, entering his field of vision once more. “I'm more than happy just being with you.”
Senku shakes his head in disagreement, placing his hands on your shoulder. “No, let me… hold me accountable if I’m not enough.” Desperation was obvious in his voice as it trembled, why was this harder than rebuilding humanity from scratch?
He opened his mouth to speak but you had beaten him to it. “Sen, I have always loved you for who you are. I never needed you to change.”
“It's always been fine if I came second, or if there were things I couldn't have. As long as it meant I could stay by your side.”
Senku’s hands, that found their place on your shoulders, fell to his side. He pulled away, took a step back and averted his gaze. He felt like he was about to collapse any second now. “You're wrong…” He whispered, finding his own voice too weak. “I can-“
…
He couldn't even find the words. How could he convince you when he couldn't even convince himself? Maybe you were right. Maybe it was foolish to even think otherwise, maybe it would’ve been better to just brush it off and think nothing of it, to just keep going with the way things were.
“Sen, I love you. Its okay, really, don't need anything else.”
But as Senku’s eyes find the ever gentle smile on your face, he just couldn't give up, couldn't just let it end there, and he’d have to be maimed before he would even consider backing down.
It was late into the night now. A couple of hours had passed since the… argument? Disagreement? Could it even be called that? Regardless, Senku’s mind was a little clearer now. That isn't to say his frustrations had disappeared though, no, if anything it was stronger now. If Senku had to describe it, it would be like the frustration that came with trying to solve an equation when all the principles weren’t given, leaving him to find it on his own.
He was leaning on the kitchen counter, pondering by himself with only the warm kitchen lights to accompany him. You had already gone to bed, no doubt that the unexpected outburst he threw at you had worn you out. Ironic, as it was the same thing that was currently keeping him wide awake now.
The more he thought about it, the more he couldn't accept it. Though he also knew that denying the facts is just being stubborn. It was true that science has always been what he put, it was true that no matter how much time would pass, Senku would probably always struggle with feelings and affection. But what wasn't true was that there was nothing he could do about it.
It was on Senku’s third attempt that he managed to launch a rocket beyond the earth’s atmosphere, each one taking a grueling amount of patience, research and care. He was going to be damned if he was going to be defeated by his inexperience with romance. It was time to do things his way, because he’d rather fail in his attempts for hundreds of times than potentially lose something good, the one thing that kept him anchored.
With a fire in Senku’s eyes, one that usually only showed when he got his hands on a new discovery, he would look at you soon enough, brand his usual cocky smirk that tells you he knows something you don't and show you just how much he can achieve for you. He clenched his fists, he was going to prove he deserved to let you stay.
...
The office has been busy with preparations. Senku was supposed to be focused on running simulations for the launch to happen with zero casualty, but really, he was running simulations in his head for something else. He was no stranger to having to go through plenty of trial and error when doing something for the first time, and now he was stumped with having to figure out how to romance his own partner.
If he had it his way, he would’ve just tried anything and everything, it was the fastest way to get accurate information on what works and what doesn’t. It’s a little shameful that he doesn’t even know, actually.
He truly felt like he had gone back in time to when he was still a fumbling highschooler trying to figure out how to woo the person he was admiring. Though, arguably, he was still fumbling and trying to figure out to woo you- it’s just that, now he was older. Wiser? that’s debatable. He has plenty of experience under his sleeve with rocket launching and outer space research now but probably still in the same place he’s always been when it comes to love.
Even now, that word still rolls off his tongue in a weird, unnatural way. Love.
What did love mean? What did it mean to love? Senku feels slightly silly thinking about it, such questions felt like they would really only come from a pubescent girl trying to sound deep. Still, you made it look simple. When he tries to recall all the things you had done to show him love, he would fill up a notebook trying to list it all down.
Acts of love he so graciously repays by coming home late and droughts of affection.
Senku sighs, feeling dejected by his own neglect. He runs a hand through his hair, unintentionally glaring at the screen in front of him. He had gotten barely any work done and he hadn’t even gotten far on the other heavy topic that was weighing him down. Perhaps it was time to take a break.
The scientist moves to stand, finding his way to the nearest vending machine. It was lunch time now anyways, even if he was usually known for prioritizing work above all else, it wasn’t going to be unusual to step away.
Actually, would you have eaten lunch by now too? He thinks as he pushes the button for a can of cold coffee and inserting the exact number of coins for it. It drops and he picks it up, though he doesn’t open it just yet. Instead, he takes out his phone from his pocket and pulls up your contact.
His thumb hovers over the call button for a second before ultimately pressing it. Senku hoped you weren’t busy. His phone vibrates in his hand, the call ringing. While he waited, he opened the canned coffee and leaned over a nearby wall- just in time for you to finally pick up.
“Senku?” You answered, dragging out the last syllable of his name. You sounded cheery. Though, it’s not like the you were ever upset for long periods of time when it came to him, even if you had gotten into what you’d essentially call a disagreement just a few nights ago.
Senku grunted out a reply, “Hey.” Clearing his throat before taking a sip of his coffee.
“What’s up? Did you need something?”
“Did you eat lunch yet?” He answers the question with another question.
“Ah? Mhm, not too long ago …why?”
“I’m just asking.” He mumbles, throwing away the empty can of coffee in a nearby trashcan.
You giggle, “What? Is something up? Have you finally inhaled too much fumes?” You teased.
He smiles to that. “So, I can’t just ask you that? Whatever happened to making small talk?” Senku swears he almost choked on air while trying to form a coherent sentence. Since when did a casual back and forth make his palms sweat?
“What.” Senku can hear your laughter through the phone. “You’re being so weird, when have you ever made small talk? If you need something- “
Maybe it was the taunt, but now Senku had felt like he had to bite back to that. Why can’t he just do it for the sake of it? He ought to prove he can do such things soon.
He licked his lips, “Yeah, maybe I needed some of your attention?” His voice cracked at the end, and Senku couldn’t be more thankful it was only a voice call. He so badly wanted to bury himself for that fumble of a line delivery.
However, he was then snapped out of his self-deprecation when he hears you yelp.
“WHAT.” Senku presses the phone closer to his ear to hear muffled coughing from the line but quickly has to pull it away again when you start rambling at louder volume. “WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU. ARE YOU SICK…”
“S-seriously! You can’t just say stuff like that, what is wrong with you- you should get checked out, I think the fumes have actually entered your brain-“ You don’t stop, spouting at an incredible speed, no doubt flustered as well.
He smiles at the thought. Well, he might’ve not given the best line delivery but it seemed to at least worked out anyways.
“I gotta go.” Senku cuts you off. He didn’t actually have to go but it was time to retreat for now.
“H-huh? Oh okay…” You stutter out, still taken aback.
“Seriously… what the heck.” He hears you whisper before ending the call.
A win is a win. Senku thought, huffing out a laugh. That little unplanned, stunt he pulled had gained him some confidence. If earlier he was feeling stuck on how he should go about his whole plan about romanticizing his own long-term relationship, then now he feels a little more certain.
Perhaps it was going to be good, perhaps it was even going to be fun.
And if anyone saw Senku walking back to the office with an evil smirk and a dangerous glint in his eyes? No, they didn’t.
...
Unfortunately, breaking habits never come easy.
In Senku’s defense, the workplace was getting busier. With the launch date coming closer and closer, the need to double check and eliminate any potential of something going wrong. The tiniest wirings needed to be inspected over and over again, hundreds of simulations that needed to be ran through and in case something does go wrong- safety measures that needed to be taken.
And thus, Senku came home late once again. To no one’s surprise, really.
He felt specially exhausted as well too, something he usually wouldn’t think much of as he’d normally be coming home feeling quite content. The blanket of exhaustion would be his proof of a well spent day at the lab. But today, he’d wanted to go home early for the sake of spending time with you and it’s been ruined.
The unmoving traffic was not helping either. He sighed, glancing at his phone to check the time again as if it’ll make it a difference. A chuckle coming from the man beside him had caught his attention, however. “In a rush to get home, Senku?”
Xeno, who had offered him a ride when the older one noticed they were leaving at the same time, looked at him with curiosity. “You’re usually the last one to leave. How unexpected to see you rushing to get home for once.”
Senku hid his impatience with a smile. “Heh. You’ve been watching me that closely, Dr. Xeno?”
“Hmph, it was merely an observation.” The older one retorts. “Perhaps, there’s a special occasion today?”
He looks away, leaning against the window instead. “Nah… nothing like that.”
The traffic finally moves and the car reaches a more familiar area. It’s completely dark out now, all the buildings in the area had turned on their lights and the streets was far less busy now compared to how it would be during an earlier time. Everyone seemed to be on their way home now.
“We’ll be nearing your block soon.” Stanley, whom had been driving for them, assured as the car came to a stop again- the last red light in the way of Senku reaching home.
He gripped his phone, debating if he should just go for it as he eyes the screen of the traffic signal counting down 120 seconds. “Actually, I’ll just get off here.”
“Are you sure?” The man beside him asked.
He hurriedly made sure he got all his belongings before replying, “Yeah, this way you won’t have to take an extra turn either.” He put his hand on the handle, ready to exit. “Thanks for the ride.”
“Well, get home safe.” He hears Xeno say as he closes the car door.
Senku didn’t know why he was rushing home. Why had every minute mattered now when it didn’t before? Well actually, he did know why. It was just hard to admit. It was a mix of reasons, between wanting to competitively prove something and genuinely wanting to show that he can love something else that wasn’t work- that no, he wasn’t just a man drowning himself in chemical compounds and scientific equations, he too can do something in the name of love.
Which was quite hard to prove now that he can’t even manage to come home early.
Ever the man with no stamina, he’s already breathless from speedwalking and climbing a couple flights of stairs. He opens the door to the apartment and is greeted with the absence of light. Had you already gone to bed? He shuffles around and tries to feel around the walls where he remembered the light switch was. After awkwardly palming the wall, he eventually manages to smack the switch on.
Senku hears a scream and flinches. His eyes hadn’t even adjusted to the sudden bright light yet but is already trying to look for you, worried you somehow managed to get hurt.
“Ugh… Senku? Is that you? I just got flashbanged…” His eyes eventually land on the clumsy you who was laying on the balcony floor for some reason.
He frowns, wondering what it was that you were up to. It was worrisome, why were you laying on the balcony floor with no lights on? It was a small balcony, just big enough for a couple of chairs so someone could hang out there in case they needed some fresh air, and on the occasion- where they hanged laundry to dry.
“What are you doing? Freak.” Senku questions, squatting down near you.
You tilt your head to look up at him, with a big goofy grin. “I’m trying to let my eyes adjust! It’s common practice to let your eyes to get used in the dark for at least 30 minutes first before doing any stargazing.”
“Although… now I’ve been flashbanged, thanks to you! I think I’ll have to restart.” You pout.
Senku sighs, standing up. “And laying on the floor also helps with that?” He pulls one of the chairs closer to them and signals for you to stand up and sit on the chair instead. “Sit on a chair like a normal person. Isn’t the floor cold? If you get sick, I’m not taking care of you.”
He hears you groan before moving, “Research says that floor time is great, actually.” Your voice slightly fades as Senku walks away, turning off the light switch from the hall.
Research? He lets out a dry laugh. “Uh huh, I’d love to read that study.”
The scientist can barely hear you mumbling out some complaints when he enters the shared bedroom. Senku puts down his stuff on the floor somewhere, careful to avoid knocking down a random furniture from how dark it was. He squints his eyes, trying to find a blanket. When he spots one, he snatches it and walks back to the balcony.
The balcony lets in a bit of light at least. The moon illuminating your figure. He slows down, quieting his footsteps as if he was trying not to scare a small animal. Perhaps he was scared that if he made a noise, he’d somehow scare you away into disappearing- away from him. He frowns.
Senku drops the blanket on you inelegantly before taking a seat on of the chairs as well. “Ah! That scared me…” Judging from your laughter, it didn’t actually. You wrap the blanket around you better than Senku did, a smile on your face.
“Andromeda is supposed to be visible to the naked eye tonight, it’s great!” You exclaim.
Senku looks away from the night sky, staring at you instead. “You know we have a telescope, right?” He says as a matter-of-fact, raising a brow.
“Yeah, but this is still different! There’s just something about actually spotting it with your own eye, you know?” You insist, looking up with a sparkle in your eyes.
“Not really, I mean I see these galaxies on like a regular basis from our telescopes. It’s almost a chore now.” He states dryly, leaning back.
You pout, “Boo.” You stick out your tongue as taunt. “Okay, we get it, Mr. Astronomer Scientist!”
“You’re looking at one of humanity’s potential doom. Unlike other galaxies, Andromeda moves towards us. If the sun doesn’t explode first, then we’ll be wiped out when the Milky way and Andromeda inevitably collide.” Senku smirks, explaining dryly as if he wasn’t talking about the wipeout of humanity.
“Well, that’s for the future. For now, it’s just beautiful to look at.” You shrug, used to the somewhat deprecating comments he would make.
And Senku looks at you. Really looks at you.
He can admit that Andromeda looked beautiful up closely. Well, closer than from Earth’s surface anyways. On land, Andromeda looked like just an average star. Maybe slightly bigger and fuzzier- almost blurry. But that was about it, he didn’t think it was anything to celebrate about.
“Oh! I think my eyes are adjusting… I can see a lot more stars now.” You chirped. “And soon, Andromeda!”
Right now, it wasn’t any star or galaxy that held Senku’s gaze. It was you. Senku chalked it to fatigue, too tired to lift his head and look at the stars, so instead he admires the person next to him. Whether anyone would buy that excuse doesn’t concern him. It was just easier than admitting to the whole universe that he found you beautiful, so he tucks it inside his chest with a poor disguise.
Senku can’t actually recall the last time he had properly looked at you like this, too busy looking at microscopes most days.
Time has passed; the two of you, together, for a long time now. You’ve both grown out of your baby faces, developed a few wrinkles and deepened smile lines. Both having respectively gone far in your careers, and have entered a stable spot in your lives long enough for you to say that it has become mundane.
Mundane…
Perhaps that’s why Senku got complacent in the relationship. It was just something he put at the back of his mind, repeating that he’ll get to it later yet making no plans to actually go through with.
He frowns and glances away, finally choosing to look up instead. His eyes immediately spotted the distant galaxy, Andromeda. It was terribly small from this distance.
“Can you see it yet?” The scientist asks only to find you scrunching your face in an effort to squint harder.
You grumble. “No, am I blind?”
He can only snicker, “Idiot, you’re looking at the completely wrong direction.”
You let out a drawn out, “Huuuh?” Senku stands up and moves behind you. He wraps an arm around the back of your shoulder as he crouches near your level and points.
“Focus your eyes on that area.” He instructs. “See that fuzzy thing that kinda resembles a star?”
You let out a small gasp after realizing, “Woah. That’s it?” You question. “It looks so… normal. That’s a whole galaxy? It just looks like a slightly stretched out star.”
Senku smirks, “Why do you think it took so long for the existence of other galaxies to be accepted? It’s only been a hundred years that people started comprehending that the Milky Way was only one of the thousands of galaxies out there.”
“And that’s gonna crash into us one day.” You giggle. “How unthreatening.”
“Uh huh. Let me know if you still think that way when you see it up close.” He quipped.
You hum in thought, “I don’t know… We’ll be old and wrinkly by the time it comes for us.”
“I’ll be surprised if that’s all we’ll be, decomposed is more like it.”
A comfortable silence blankets over them, quietly admiring the cosmos in peace. We’ll be old and wrinkly, huh? Senku found he didn’t hate the thought.
...
“Senkuuu…” You whine. “Wake! Up!”
The man groans in protest. “Ugh.” He lifts up his head and rubs his eyes in frustration. “What.” Senku deadpans. He looks over to you, still clad in your pajamas and obviously looking like you’ve also just woken up.
“Why are you still here? Aren’t you supposed to be at work by now?” You hurriedly question. “It’s already 7’o’clock!”
Senku groans again and falls back to the bed, slightly grumpy from having been woken up. “I don’t have to go in early today, they’re preparing a few training stuff for the people who’s gonna get on board.”
“Oh.”
You scratch your head sheepishly. “Sorry… you usually leave so early, I kinda panicked. And plus! You didn’t say anything about it.”
Too sleepy for a coherent conversation, Senku just babbles a response, already closing his eyes again. “Alright, well, just go back to sleep then.” You say as you move to leave the bed.
Before you can, Senku throws an arm around you. Not totally keeping you in place, Senku’s stick arms being too small for that. “Huh? Why?”
“Silly, I have work.” You blink, confused as to how he forgot.
Defeated, Senku lets out a third groan. It was super rare for the both of you to wake up at the same time. Usually, the scientist had to wake up much earlier in order to immediately get back to work. But now, all he wanted was a lazy morning and you were threatening to leave. It was cruel.
“No one’s gonna die if you’re five minutes late.” He complains.
You laugh, mocking his distress. “Wow. I never thought I’d ever see the great Ishigami asking for morning cuddles.”
Still, the whining seemed to have worked as you slide back under the blanket with him. A win is a win. Senku cheered in his head.
You laid together quietly, warm and cozy. And he was so close to slipping back to dream land when he felt you shift again. “Okay but like, I really do have to get ready now.” You whisper. As much as Senku wanted to protest more, he let you out of his grip now.
He hears the bathroom door open when you enter it and decides to also get up now. Granted, he could’ve kept sleeping. He wasn’t needed at work anytime soon, lest he volunteers himself for physical labor. Still, he drags himself to the kitchen.
Routinely, he made himself his usual pot of coffee and your preferred hot drink. He settles your cup at the dining table while he sat and sipped his drink. He can hear the water from the bathroom has stopped now. You were most likely going to come out of the room soon after getting dressed.
After thinking through some simulations in his head, you come out and walk towards him. He hands you the cup of milk. “Careful, it’s hot.” He warns, knowing you’ll still probably burn your tongue anyways.
And you did, “Ah. Oops.” You stick your tongue out as if that’ll make it feel better.
Senku can only huff in disbelief, “Idiot.”
He watches as you blow air into the hot drink, cooling it down, when an idea presents itself to him. It immediately paints an evil grin on his face. He doesn’t usually do it, but the opportunity is just far too tempting, far too amusing.
You eye him weirdly as he lets out a stream of evil, low chuckles. Senku pays you no mind. “Shouldn’t you get going soon? You were so worried about being late earlier.”
“Huh? Oh, right.” You test the temperature of the drink and after confirming it was at a much tolerable level, quickly gulp it down. “Thanks!”
You move quickly, grabbing the last of your things before heading towards the door. Senku, who was in no rush, places both of your empty cups by the sink. “Are you leaving now?” He calls out.
“Hm? Yeah!” You answered, putting on an extra outer layer of clothes by the door.
Senku walks over, putting his plan into motion. He leans on the wall and crosses his arm, failing to hide his smirk as he was preparing to drop a bomb.
“No goodbye kiss?”
It was amazing to watch you completely freeze in motion, face morphed into horror and warm. “E-excuse me?” You choke out.
Senku holds back his laughter, keeping up the act of composure. “Hm… Just gonna leave me to take care of the house all day for nothing in return?” He teased.
“O-okay? First of all, I sincerely doubt you’re going to do anything productive before leaving for work too. Second! Yeah, you’re not going to be here all day. So, I don’t know what you want, good sir.” You ramble, blurting out words faster than you can think in an attempt to conceal how flustered you were.
And this time, Senku couldn’t contain his laugh. He steps forward, going closer to you. “A goodbye kiss would be nice.”
He thinks that, if you were a volcano- you would’ve definitely erupted from embarrassment by now. “Since when! You’re acting crazy-“
“Since now.” He cuts you off.
You squawk in disbelief. “I swear- they actually did something to you in that lab. A failed experiment or something, and now you’re all weird and crazy.”
He shakes his head. “You can just say no. Why do I have to be dragged into a conspiracy theory?”
He smirks in triumph, knowing he’s won when you couldn’t find any other rebuttal to make. Just quiet, debating whether or not you should take the bait. “I swear, I’ll be the one who turns crazy with how you’re acting crazy lately.” You huff.
You take a step towards him, closing a bit more distance. If Senku’s heart wasn’t beating so loudly in his ears, he might’ve just heard the curses you were spewing under your breath before finally kissing him on the cheek.
“There. Happy?”
Not quite. Senku cups your cheeks before you could move away and presses his lips with yours. He hears your little squeal as he deepens the kiss, and it makes Senku’s heart do a little backflip and a twirl as a landing pose.
When they part, your eyes were so dilated it would’ve been concerning under any other circumstance. Though, Senku doesn’t say anything about it, he was sure he probably looked the same.
They quickly take a step back from each other. Senku letting out a little cough and you were suddenly much interested on what was on the ceiling. “Well, uh… you should go.” He broke the silence first.
“Yeah, I- yup! I’m gonna go…”
You both awkwardly shuffle for a few seconds, Senku moving out of the way to let you out. “I uh… I’ll see you later then.” You croak out, turning to leave.
The door closes and Senku almost keels over right there and then. WHAT WAS THAT!
A kiss was just a kiss, lips on lips. It held no purpose, not even in recreation. The only reason it holds any significance was because humans decided it had one and oh god- Senku was spiraling. In an attempt to calm himself he was now rationalizing what a kiss was. Senku doesn’t know how other people manage to kiss in a relatively casual manner without going on the verge of a heart attack.
But in terms of a trial, it certainly didn’t end as an error. Although he realizes, maybe he should’ve thought about it more before going through with it. After all, when was the last time you’ve had a proper kiss like that?
Senku lets out a sigh as he crashes on the couch, feeling slightly weak in the knees. He can still recall how hard his heart was beating, and was still in fact trying to calm down.
He definitely wasn’t the biggest guy on physical touch as a love language. Physical intimacy wasn’t necessarily scary, no- he didn’t fear it. More like, it made him squeamish? To him, it just came so unnaturally. Hence, never getting any proper “practice” for it and hence, never getting properly used to the act. It was just another pointless endeavor the alloromantic did for the sake of it.
You were the only partner he’s ever had. Every first time he had was with you, and it was something. Which might sound bad to anybody else but, for him- it was just hard to consider special. Still though, what made this “goodbye kiss” so different from all the other times to the point he felt like he was going to burst like a supernova?
When he recalls all the other kisses he’s shared with you, they never really felt like that. Small, quick pecks at the lips that really felt more like formality. Though, he guesses it wasn’t always like that. The closest thing he could compare it to was the feeling of anticipation and uncertainty he felt during the early days of your relationship.
When the two of you were still experimenting and approached love with a curious hunger. So, was it the eagerness to comprehend that made this recent one so explosive? The need to prove something with scientific evidence? Senku admits he initially thought of the plan as just another part of finally being a little more conventional with your relationship with him but…
It’d gone so well it would be a shame to boil it down to just that. But why?
Senku closes his eyes. What was it that makes a kiss so tender and explosive that couples did it so regularly despite not having any real purpose? And what had he been doing wrong before that it became something so mundane to the point it was something he avoided?
When did it become something he just disregarded? And how can he ensure that never happened again?
He was going to need another cup of coffee. Thank god he had a few hours to kill.
...
A few weeks have passed and the launch date was getting closer and closer. So close in fact, that it was going to be the day after tomorrow. And for the first time, Senku was dreading it. He did not want to leave.
He was just starting to really enjoy spending more and more of his time with you. Senku wonders when the distance between the two of you actually grew, memories of being peas in a pod during highschool flooding him. Was it when you both entered college and had gone into different majors? Or was it when either one started getting flooded with work- drowning and sinking deeper into more work that was covered up with the excuse of pursuing passion? Or maybe, it was only ever Senku whom had assumed there was even a distance to begin with.
Because now, as he looks at you and your smile, he can’t find any semblance of a distance. He feels closer to you than he had ever before, and greed whispers to him that he wants to be even closer.
In a last-ditch effort to spend his remaining time with you, he had made reservations for the two of you at this fancy place that had recently opened. You had both dressed up for the occasion, ditching the usual comfy clothing for something slightly uncomfortable in exchange for looking better.
And looking better indeed was his partner standing beside him as they waited for their names to be called. Huh, names… The hostess was going to call out a reservation for his last name and yours once there was a table ready.
Senku snaps out of his thoughts when you tap him on the shoulder. “Are you really sure it was okay to not attend the celebration?” You ask.
The celebration for the launch, it was also being held tonight in order to congratulate those who had worked hard on the project. It would be crowded, with journalists and plenty of flashing lights from photographers trying to get the latest gossip.
“I told you already, no one’s even gonna notice I didn’t attend.” Senku assures, his pinky locating his ear out of habit. “It’s just a bad excuse to sip wine and act snotty.”
You purse your lips, “Well, alright.”
A beat passes. “You’re much better company anyways.” He says, refusing to look at you. His cheeks had a light dusting of pink on them.
“And… you look amazing.”
The compliment slips out of Senku before he even realizes it.
You, who was standing beside him, can only laugh. He pouts, he gives a heartfelt compliment and this is what he gets? “Not even a thank you? Just going to laugh at me instead?”
You snort, “It just feels weird hearing you say it.” You laugh lightheartedly, “I guess, I’m just not used to hearing you say stuff like that.”
And Senku leaves it at that but his thoughts don’t. Why was it weird? Why couldn’t it just be the most natural thing in the world?
Senku can admit though, it did feel weird to do all these things. But it wasn’t bad… Yes, it was still unnatural and foreign to him, but at the same time, it felt like something he wanted to continue. Like a new discovery he wanted to keep studying. It felt overwhelming at times, and he found himself wanting to pause time for a few seconds every now and then just so he could recollect himself. Still, he didn’t wish to leave. He wanted to stay, soak in the moment and replay your laughter just to enjoy it, even at the cost of his dignity.
He'd sincerely wished he’d done this sooner and more often. He’ll be sure to make up for lost time.
Eventually, the two of you are seated and handed a menu. It was certainly a nice place. Despite having the capabilities to seat more customers, the restaurant chooses to give plenty of space between tables instead- making it scarce and each party having their privacy.
You were seated just across the table from Senku, the candle at the table illuminating your features. He watches you skim through the menu, as you purse your lips while trying to decide on an entrée. You look up to catch his gaze and smiles, “Sen? Have you already decided what you’re getting?”
The two of you converse easy, helping each other decide what looked good or not. You flag down the server and state what the two of you were having. The server gives the both of you a pleasant smile and claims they’ll be back with your food before finally leaving the two of you alone again.
You catch Senku’s attention, “Psst, Sen.” You smile when his attention lands on you. “Do you think the food will actually be good?”
He raises an amused brow, “Are you having doubts?”
“I mean…” You drag out the last syllable in ponder. “Isn’t it usually a gamble when it comes to a place like this? It’s either the food doesn’t actually taste good or the portion size is abysmal for its price.”
Senku snickers. “If you wanted to go to a greasy fast food place instead, you could’ve just said so. No need to disguise your picky eater trait by placing the blame somewhere else.”
“I am not!” You pout. “If it does end up good then you’ll never hear me complain again. But if it’s bad, then I’ll have told you so.” You stuck up your nose.
“Besides, it’s your money wasted anyways.” You grin.
Senku crosses his arms at the comment. It was true of course, but what fun would there be if he just let it go? “Oho, why do you even have a job then? If you’re just going to be a freeloader.”
You quip, “For fun! What else?”
The two of you continue to banter, not even noticing the time that was passing as it was quickly filled with smiles and laughter. Still, the food had finally arrived.
The entrée wasn’t bad… not bad enough to stop eating. It was the main course that had the two of you in a laughing fit, covering your mouths in an attempt to not disturb the other guests from their behavior. It wasn’t bad, nor was it good.
The food had been terribly mediocre.
They weren’t even quite sure what they were looking at when it was first served to them. How could food look cooked and raw at the same? The food was obviously cooked but from the lack of anything, it had managed to look raw.
You were holding your stomach from the laughter. “I can’t… I just- WHAT is this…” You poke at the food in emphasis. “It looks like they just boiled everything and called it a day! Not a SPECK of seasoning is on it…”
Senku couldn’t even manage a response, too busy trying not to die from laughter. “Senku! Are you even listening… Pft- I mean, just look at it!”
When he does look at it, he ends up letting out a howl of laughter. “O-okay, stop… stop talking…” He wheezed. “I can’t breathe-“
He wipes off some sweat from his forehead in an attempt to calm down. Trying to help, You pass him a glass of water, which he gladly took and downed.
“I wonder if the water was boiled too-“
And that was it. Senku Ishigami had died from laughter.
The server assigned to your table had eventually noticed the commotion and had come over to ask if anything was unsatisfactory. You, not having the heart to be honest just kept quiet as best as you could, placing a hand over your mouth and hoping the shaking of your shoulders didn’t make it obvious you were one push away from bursting out laughing. On the other hand, Senku whom had been tired out from nearly dying of laughter just waved the server away.
Confused but unwilling to ask any more questions, the server leaves them be.
“What do you say we just leave?” Senku suggests, resting his chin on a propped up hand.
“Awe, but what about dessert?” You pout, feigning disappointment.
He flashes you a smile, taking out his wallet and stack of cash that more than covers the cost of the bill and tip. “We can get something from the convenience store on the way home.”
You giggle in satisfaction. “Sounds like a plan.”
Senku stands, extending a hand for you to take. “Now, come. Let’s go before someone notices.”
Senku was pretty disappointed that their dinner hadn’t gone exactly as he planned. Next time, he’ll be sure to read a couple of reviews before settling on a decision.
...
The two of you were at home by now, still clad in fancy attire, sitting at the couch as you both wind down. You were leaning on Senku’s shoulder, humming a soft tune while scrolling through your phone.
He clears his throat, catching your attention. “Listen, sorry it didn’t work out tonight…” He frowns, voice getting quieter at the end. Scratch that, he wasn’t just pretty disappointed, he was massively disappointed. He had hoped that things would end well tonight as it was essentially their last before Senku had to leave. A disappointing, heavy error that weighed his heart down.
You break away, sitting up straight. “No… it wasn’t even your fault.” You chuckle as a brief memory of what happened flashes in your mind.
You falter for a second before continuing. “Actually, I should be the one to apologize.”
Senku eyes you, confused. “Remember when you had brought it up? About how I shouldn’t have accepted being second on your list?” He winces for a second at the reminder but lets you continue anyways. “Well…”
“Yeah.” You smile gently, looking at him in the eyes. “I’m sorry, Sen.”
“I was just… I always want to be your biggest supporter, and if it turned out that I was ever getting in between you and your passion- it would’ve broken my heart. I want you to reach all the dreams you have, so I let myself come second, I insisted. That’s why when you came to me, suddenly proposing the idea of prioritizing me… I got scared. What if I caused you to slow down?”
Senku mutters your name, brows furrowed. You shake your head, and it makes his heart ache. “And, I always knew that conventional romance wasn’t your thing. That was another thing I would never want to pressure you into. But I guess I was so tunnel visioned on that I ended up brushing it off when you wanted things to change.”
You press your forehead to Senku’s, “And look at you. You’ve proven me so wrong. You’ve treated me so well these last few weeks…”
“It’s been barely anything…” He whispers, emotions welling up at his throat.
You pull away, looking at him. “You should give yourself more credit, Dr. Ishigami.”
Senku’s hand twitches, the urge to cup your cheeks and kiss you silly was strong. But his stomach had other plans, growling from neglect. “Pft-“
“Tsk, seriously?” He deadpans, scratching his neck in disbelief.
You calm yourself down from giggling, “To be fair… I’m also hungry. We barely touched our food earlier.” You stand up, heading for the kitchen. “No worries, I’ll whip us up something deserving of 3 michelin stars!”
He sighs, leaning back to the couch in defeat. “If it has salt- I’m sure it’ll already be ten billion percent better than what we had earlier.”
He almost dozed off while waiting for whatever his partner was preparing in the kitchen, but the moment the aroma hit his nose, he was completely awake. He stands and makes his way to where you were only to find you stirring in the seasoning pack to two cups of instant ramen- ah, a delicacy indeed.
“Wow. Well that definitely has sodium in it.” He remarks dryly.
His partner chuckles, “Oh I’m about to undo all the training they had you do with some bad, bad diet.” You pass him his cup, still steaming, alongside a pair of chopsticks.
He smiles; heart filled with warmth. All those trials and specially tonight’s error had been well worth it. There was no greater reward than slurping instant ramen in the kitchen while dressed in a well-tailored suit with his partner.
It just made the fact that he had to leave all the more bitter. Ironic, considering a few weeks ago he hadn’t given staying at home an inkling of thought.
No, a few weeks ago, all Senku saw was intricate, delicate wirings and calculations of numbers that exceeded him more than he’d like to admit. Now, he bathed in the warm kitchen light, heated from the inside by comfort food and sharing laughter with the person who’s been with him through it all- the same person he now has to separate from.
Yes, it was his decision. One that Senku was allowed to regret but also wouldn’t take back. He looks at you, seeing the same person he would share unhealthy instant ramen back when you were suffering through long nights in your respective majors. You who wanted nothing more but to support him.
It tore him apart. Because now, he just wanted to slow down for once and walk by your side instead of leaving for a vast, empty space. Sure, there were sights out there that no human has ever even seen yet but where was he going to find your bright smile and red cheeks in the endless stars if not right here at home, beside him?
Maybe that was the importance of asking your partner first.
...
Senku left early the next morning. He hadn’t woken you up when he did. He felt bad, you had both stayed up relatively late last night and he had to leave after only a few hours of sleep already. So, he let you rest instead.
The launch wasn’t until tomorrow’s dawn, but everyone involved had to be at the site for all the preparations and precautions that needed to be taken. It wasn’t Senku’s first rodeo. He had already managed to be a part of multiple projects like this one in the past, with his impressive genius of course.
Despite the rest of the city still in slumber, there were already plenty of people at the site running around with work to do. At least, that’s what Senku would assume. Considering there was a party thrown last night, it was also highly possible that a good majority of the team was still recovering from hangover.
See, Senku had made a detour. He figured; it wasn’t like the site was going to go up in flames if he was an hour late and, in his defense, it’s not like he did it on purpose. Not totally anyways. But this antique store had caught his eye on the way, it was the only thing that was open and had its lights on in the desolate streets. And like moth to a flame, Senku had stopped his commute to take a look.
The warm lights that the store used was perfectly highlighting the stock they kept, painting each item in a golden hue. It carried a scent that was comforting and nostalgic, of old books with a hint of dust. Soft music played from, what Senku would guess, a jukebox. It didn’t sound familiar, something that probably would never play in radios nowadays, but not a popular classic either that anyone would’ve known- it was most likely just an obscure song that the owner loved during their youth.
He really should just leave now. There wasn’t really anything here that was worth getting an earful for. Still, his feet remained planted for just a second longer, admiring all kinds of trinkets that the store carried.
It wasn’t until he was about to leave that something had caught his eye. Just a few steps away from the door, there was a shelf he had missed when he first entered. It was relatively empty compared to the rest of the shelves, housing only a few items. One of which was a jewelry box.
The box itself was rather big, holding all kinds of accessories. Though it was an antique store, the other items were well maintained, except for this one. Senku guesses it had been there for a long time now, untouched, the untrained eye probably dismissing it. And he couldn’t blame them, from the first look, most of the jewelry was rusted or in bad condition. Unless people were specifically looking for worn out jewelry or hoping to repurpose the metal, there really weren’t going to be any customer buying anything from it.
Senku exited the antique store, fidgeting with something as small as a coin in his hand. He tried to pay for it at first, but when he brought it to the counter, the old man tending to it just waved him off. It was most likely because the item had been too small or dirty, perhaps feeling a little too bad to charge anything for it.
Senku doesn’t dwell too much on it, just playing with the item as he continued on his way.
...
One would probably think that it gets busy when you’re outside of the Earth’s atmosphere, and it does, but not enough to occupy all the hours. Once the routine of monitoring, maintaining and reporting was done, Senku had just enough time on his hands to wallow in his thoughts.
Senku had spent a good portion of his life looking at the moon, wondering what mysteries it held and the vastness of space beyond it. But now, he finds that he’s always looking back at Earth, relishing its familiarity instead of the unknown that the rest of the universe around him held.
Science had advanced far enough that communication between those in Earth and those outside of it was no longer impossible, but it was still kept limited for various of reasons. Resource management, the occasional delay, risks of interferences and such held him back from talking to you like he would if he was just a few miles away from you.
So instead of risking the chances of getting a scolding for wasting resource and causing delays, he spends his time fidgeting with his new antique when the urge to mindlessly talk with you sprouts. It had a considerable amount of tarnish and built-up dirt that covered its true color.
The spacecraft thankfully had stuff he could use to return it to its full glory. A simple salt bath in aluminum foil had already done wonders for the tarnish, and a bit of elbow grease to get rid of the stubborn dirt stuck in the nook and cranny had it sparkling in what he assumes had been years.
Senku wonders whose hand it had belonged to before him. Perhaps the old man that was attending the antique store he got it from? Or perhaps someone had surrendered it there a long time ago. Did it always belong in that jewelry box or was it just eventually placed there when there was no space anywhere else?
Well, no matter, it was his to give now.
...
The rest of the month that was spent in that spacecraft was unworthy to Senku. After all, the revelations that would come after was what they were going for anyways. Him and the rest of the crew were only there so that once the spacecraft would be fine on its own, everything would go well.
So once word got to them that they were being prepared for return had reached Senku’s ears, he was basically buzzing with anticipation. It was time to go home.
The camera flashes that were getting in between him and getting home was thoroughly irking him, still he tried to not show it too much, good media meant more budget after all. But the exhaustion of landing back on Earth was really weighing him down, figuratively and literally. Gravity felt heavy.
It was important they received an immediate check-up after landing, so while Senku wanted to just insist he was fine so that he can go lay down at home, he gritted his teeth and let the medical team do their work.
Thankfully, someone had finally come to escort them out of the scene, ushering the media away so a path could form. Him and the crew were then brought to a more secluded area, seated in wheelchairs to avoid any accidents in case a disorientation spell was to happen.
Senku just quietly let everything happen, just hoping all of it would go faster. He spots Xeno and other familiar faces monitoring and helping the process go smoothly. Obediently answering all the questions the stationed doctors were asking him while they helped him out of the heavy spacesuit, careful not to shock the body.
Eventually, he’s assisted to a private room where they helped him lay down on a bed. After a more intensive interview about his state, they finally leave him be.
He lets himself close his eyes for a second.
The peace however, does not last long as it’s interrupted by a series of knocks. The door opens and he tilts his head to see who it was.
There you were, carrying a bouquet of flowers in your arm. “Hey, Sen.” You called, softly. “You’re back.”
His eyes widen, certainly not expecting the sudden appearance. He doesn’t let it show for long though, a curious expression quickly replacing it. “And who let you in here?” He snickered.
“I’ll have you know it was Dr. Xeno who invited me here.” You quip, laying the flowers at the bedside table. “What? Not happy to see me?”
The opposite. Senku had such a big smile painted on his face, the expression was one he couldn’t suppress. “I was just about to get some shut eye, you know? Way to ruin my beauty sleep.” But he tries and hide it anyways, relying on his sarcasm as his usual line of defense.
A line of defense that easily crumbles as you flash a smile of your own. “Yeah, well, I think you’re plenty beautiful even with dark circles.”
“Though, the jet lag must be insane. From all the way outside of Earth’s atmosphere to here.” You jest.
Senku lets out an amused chuckle. “Not quite, not like there’s any day or night out there anyways.” He lets out a groan, sitting up.
“Oh… Are you really sure you should be sitting like that?” You worriedly ask.
“You act as if it’s my first time.” He smirks, smugness evident on his face.
You can’t help but laugh in amusement. “Ok genius, we get it.”
Senku was glad that the medical team hadn’t bothered to link him up to a heart monitor, because good god his heart was beating fast now. The weight in his pocket was reminding him of the existence of a certain object. All of a sudden, he felt sick and on the verge of hurling. If it does happen, at least he had the excuse of blaming gravity. It doesn’t slip by your keen eyes though, try as he might to pretend that he was feeling fine. “Are you sure you’re okay? You look pale.”
The scientist prided himself in being able to plan ahead. It was necessary after all, in his field of work, an error could mean death so it was only natural that there had to be extensive planning throughout the whole thing.
However, he was still human. He had impulses.
During the month he had spent floating in space, Senku had plenty of time planning out scenarios on how he would ask the question. Each with its own elaborate details and scripted lines. But now, desperation was clawing at him, specifically his pocket, screaming at him to just man up and do it already.
Worried from not receiving an answer, you offer to call someone in. “I’ll go get a doctor, okay?”
Before you can get far, Senku grabs a hold of your wrist, effectively not letting you get far. Because yes, after spending a month away from you with minimum communication- even just leaving the room felt too far from him.
“No, I don’t need a doctor.” He manages to croak out; his throat filled with anxiety.
He knows it’s sudden, after all this was not the plan. Not even close to it. Plans of waiting for a few months, plans to establish a more stable foundation before even entertaining the idea had been all thrown out the window now.
With a weak push, Senku stands up for a second.
“S-sen! I don’t think you should be doing that- sit back down-“ You panic, holding him by his shoulders in case he toppled over.
Kneeling down was even harder but he eventually manages to get down on one knee, taking all of his strength. Though it did get easier to manage once he found his balance. You shakily take your hands off him, stepping one foot back.
“Senku?” You call out, voice audibly shaky.
His heart almost backflips out of his throat when he couldn’t feel the item on his pocket for a second, letting out a sigh of relief when he finally finds it. His hands were not only incredibly sweaty but trembling too.
Senku wishes he could be one of those people who manages to voice out a whole speech, vocalizing their feelings without any difficulty, but he just did not have it in him. “You already know right?” He lets out a weak laugh as if it’ll mask the fear he was feeling.
Before all of this, he couldn’t even ask you what your thoughts was on him leaving and now, he was asking you to stay with him forever.
He wills himself to stop shaking when he holds out the ring. The same ring he had found a day before leaving, the same ring he had painstakingly cleaned and took care of when he should’ve been writing reports.
Senku could see your tears welling up in your bright eyes, he should apologize afterwards for all the heart attacks he’s been causing to you lately. But not until after this latest one.
“I’m sure this is sudden for you but I had plenty of time to think about it, way up there in space.” He smiles. “And it’s not exactly a space rock but…”
“I do hope you’ll say yes.” He calls your name. “Will you marry me?”
You don’t let him entertain the idea that you’ll ever say no, quickly nodding your head. You whisper out a yes through your tears, crouching down at his level to wrap your arms around his neck.
Relief had washed over him, wrapping his own arms around you.
Unfortunately, gravity was still heavier than what he was used to. He quickly lost balance and the both of you end up on the floor. “Ugh, okay. I might actually need a doctor now. I think I hit my head.” He deadpans.
You let out a laugh, smiling through your tears. “I can’t believe you. I’ll get mad if I find out they’ve actually replaced you with a different Senku…”
He can only huff in disbelief. “The ring is not on your finger yet. I could take it all back if I wanted to.”
You shake your head. “No, no. I didn’t say anything.” You quickly take back your comment. “Give me!”
You wave your left hand in front of him, not minding the fact that the two of you were still very much on the floor. Senku can only laugh at you, sliding the ring on your finger anyways and placing a tender kiss on your cheek. “Here, you better not lose it.”
No errors here. It had gone completely successful, and despite all the trouble he had to go through, Senku would’ve done it all the same. No elaborate plan or scheme would’ve beaten the euphoria he was feeling. He’ll gladly endure tomorrow’s back pain for laying on the floor if it meant holding his future spouse for many more years to come.
Senku unknowingly gets the reader pregnant—HEAR ME OUT...during the South America Arc! But the reader doesn't tell him because they're unsure whether they're actually pregnant, AND because it's quite literally the worst moment for that kind of news! AND the reader isn't on that boat with Senku and the others when the Senku vs Stanley chase begins!
And when the reader does confirm that they're pregnant when the belly bump begins to show, they don't want to worry Senku so they keep it to themselves but everybody in the American colony knows! It's quite difficult to hide a belly bump!
STAY WITH ME NOW! Senku only ever finds out you're pregnant through Stanley, who begins taunting him over the radio or something. Quite literally trying to ragebait Senku into surrendering!
"Didn't take you for a deadbeat, or is it 'cause the child ain't yours?"
PART TWO OF: 𝑯𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚 𝑩𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒉𝒅𝒂𝒚, 𝑷𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝑫𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝑪𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝑴𝒆 𝑨𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏
SYNOPSIS: Two years since the final phone call, you find yourself face-to-face with Senku Ishigami for the first time in three years, as a mutual friend’s wedding brought you both toward a forced proximity you didn’t ask for. Somewhere between old promises, a newly discovered comet, and a proposal you have yet to know of, the distance you once thought had become permanent begins to suspiciously feel temporary again.
WC: 16,870 (Don't even ask anymore)
A/N: I AM FINALLY DONE, thank you all for patiently waiting. I SWEAR IT WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THIS LONG, GANG. I had to do research on comets before I did this cuz I wanted to make it as accurate as I could. PLEASE LISTEN TO "PURPLE RAIN" BY PRINCE ON REPEAT.
WARNINGS: It’s a happy ending, I SWEAR. Xeno playing cupid cuz nobody had the guts to, drinking (game with Ryusui), failed round of Uno, angst, fluff, crack, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.
Some comets take years before they become visible again. An example is the comet Encke, taking approximately 3.3 years to complete its orbit. Yet some take decades, such as the ever-famous Halley’s comet.
They slip quietly into the dark corners of space, far beyond what the human eye can see or follow, only to return brightly upon reapproach—as if distance itself had merely been part of their trajectory all along.
Which, scientifically speaking, was accurate.
Yet despite the distance and darkness that swallow them, they continue moving faithfully along the trajectories written long before anyone could notice them.
It is truly a transcendental experience to catch sight of a comet once it reappears near perihelion with enough brilliance to make humanity look up in awe—you could say it leaves you utterly starstruck.
Senku Ishigami swore his former mentor, Dr. Xeno Houston Wingfield, found the situation far too amusing once the news had reached the mission control center. Senku, currently located at the International Space Station, had accidentally discovered one, a comet, in the midst of monitoring an entirely different celestial object.
“How scientifically elegant, a long-period comet?” Xeno asked through the communication feed, eyes gleaming with amusement as he scanned the data Senku had delivered a while ago after his discovery.
Senku clicked his tongue softly, already running a series of Newtonian mechanics and Kepler’s law of planetary motion in his head. “Yeah, yeah, let me finish the math first before you jump to conclusions.”
Xeno chuckled, eyeing his former student from the screen. “I merely find it interesting how you spotted a different celestial body somewhere between asteroid trajectory calculations and endless streams of orbital data, just because you looked away for a moment.”
He took a sip from the mug of black coffee, nursed in one hand. “You had mentioned minutes ago that it is already brighter than Hale-Bopp’s comet when it was at that stage; shouldn’t you be saying ‘This is exhilarating’ by now?”
Senku laughed at his awful attempt to mimic a signature statement of his. “I think you should just stick to your ‘Science is elegant’. But you're right, it's exhilarating, especially after seeing how it compares to the reference data of Comet McNaught.”
Xeno hummed and nodded along, ignoring the chatter within the mission control room about how this could possibly be one of the greatest astronomical events of the 21st century.
“Yes…comparing it to the reference data of Comet McNaught, it is significantly brighter. Though we should've expected that after you mentioned it seems to be brighter than Comet Hale-Bopp, considering it's current stage.”
His eyes drifted back to the screen once again. “For someone who admits that it is exhilarating, you surely do not sound like it.”
Senku, who had finished comparing the current data he had collected and received back from Earth, snickered. “Save the doting for someone else, had enough of my old man’s already.”
Then quietly, “...I just happen to have a history with comets.”
Xeno raised a brow, an amused smirk resting on his face. A genius wasn't needed to guess what his former student was talking about. “Right, how could I forget that you've been a victim of Eros, considering how painfully obvious your yearning is.”
He took a sip of the mug he had in hand. “The complexity of love certainly teaches you a significant amount.”
Senku had to stop himself from rolling his eyes, out of respect. “What are you yapping about now?”
Xeno shrugged, yet the teasing in his voice was still noticeable. “Nothing. How did you discover it again?”
“Felt like looking away for a moment,” Senku replied flatly, already knowing that his defenses would be useless against him. Hence, he chose not to back up any of his claims.
“The potentially greatest astronomical event of the 21st century will be named after Senku Ishigami, what an elegant alignment of variables.”
Senku paused after hearing Xeno's words. Right, the comet would be named after him, as the official catalog protocols say.
“Does it have to be named after me?”
Before Xeno could even answer, another member of the mission control team beat him to it. “Once reported to the MPC and confirmed, discovery attribution would automatically fall to you, Senku.”
Xeno gaze shifted towards the person, “I’m certain Dr. Senku is familiar with standard astronomical cataloging protocols and institutional naming conventions, no need to remind him.”
Then his gaze returned to the screen. “He must be planning to propose an alternative designation.”
Xeno shrugged once more. “Let him be; he discovered it regardless. I'm sure they wouldn't mind a request from him.”
Perhaps that is why Dr. Xeno had found the entire situation tragically amusing.
Because Senku Ishigami—the man who dedicated his life to moving forward, striving for the future, towards progress, towards the stars themselves—had looked back simply because he thought of you for a moment.
He had Earth—the world—beneath him, the moon on one side; he had everything he had ever dreamed of as a child within eyesight, yet he still found the urge to look back for a moment. As if part of him was instinctively searching for something else.
And at the exact moment, something had decided to approach his orbit. And perhaps that was what made the comet feel strangely fitting. He had, after all, associated comets with you.
Because, despite the years of distance and silence between you two, you had always reappeared within his orbit somehow.
Ironically enough, the first time you had appeared in the orbit of his life wasn’t how he remembered it.
If it wasn’t for Yuzuriha, who told him over a long car ride home as you slept against his shoulder after a tiring day with you and Taiju, he would’ve suspected his whole life that you first met him in middle school, a year before the first successful launch of his homemade rocket. However, his assumption based on suspicion was brought down by Yuzuriha’s confirmation after she had revealed that your trajectory toward him had begun far earlier.
The first time it happened, you were six years old. A delusional six-year-old who happened to be curious about learning new words, as if you were collecting toys.
The playground you were always at with Yuzuriha felt like everything you could possibly need; the sky looked impossibly large above the swing set, and adulthood remained a mythical concept invented solely to confuse children. Or at least, that was how you saw it.
Unfortunately, that was also the age you had discovered the confusing concept of marriage. And you happened to take the revelation horribly.
“Why would people sign papers just because they like each other?” You asked in complete curiosity and disbelief as you kicked the ground, swinging gently beside Yuzuriha. “What if the guy turns ugly when he grows up?”
Yuzuriha blinked at you, surprisingly taking your question into consideration. “I think that's why marriage is for adults…It's so confusing.”
You looked up at the sky, hues of yellow blending perfectly as the sun began to set. “Well, I'm only marrying someone cute, that's for sure.”
The declaration alone should've been enough of a warning for the future that has yet to take place, yet somehow had already been set in stone.
Unfortunately, you have yet to realize that. Neither did Yuzuriha. You happened to be just a child with a dangerous level of curiosity at that time.
You kicked your legs idly once again before your attention drifted to somewhere else completely. And as if the universe had decided to play a trick against you, your eyes spotted a boy around your age, walking past the park entrance with an older man beside him.
You blinked slowly; your attention was inevitably captured. He had red eyes and a hairstyle you have yet to see before.
Suddenly, you felt something you hadn't felt before as a child. Your heart felt strange, though it wasn't the bad type of strange. It felt as if something inside your tiny six-year-old body abruptly did a flip.
“Oh.”
Yuzuriha turned to you curiously. “Hm? Did you realize something again?”
You pointed at the boy with a grin on your face. A very delusional grin. “Him,”
Yuzuriha turned towards the direction you pointed at. “Him?”
You nodded with full determination and confidence. “I wanna marry him.”
There was a brief moment of silence before you heard rustling sounds beside you. Yuzuriha had nearly fallen off the swing.
“What?!”
You smiled brightly at her as she looked at you with pure astonishment. “He's cute.”
“That's not how marriage works!”
You chose to ignore her, eyes drifting towards the boy once again as he continued to walk further away.
At the age of six, you had thought of two things impulsively. One, marriage was still confusing, yet the boy you had just seen made it less confusing for a six-year-old. Two, the boy with the gravity-defying hair was probably important somehow. You couldn't pinpoint why; it just felt like it. As if it were intuition.
Then life continued forward normally after. Years went by, years that didn't include catching a single glimpse of the boy again.
And eventually, he had disappeared from your memory like something half-forgotten from a dream.
Until middle school arrived. More specifically, until Yuzuriha suddenly started rambling about a loud boy whom she happened to find cute. And that loud boy happened to have a terrifyingly smart best friend who was set on building a homemade rocket.
“A rocket…? That's lowkey insane…” You repeated after a series of blinking in disbelief.
“Mhm!” She nodded enthusiastically while walking beside you. “Taiju-kun said Senku-kun has been working on it since he was ten.”
The moment you heard the name, something oddly familiar tugged a feeling within you. Yet you couldn't quite tell what, considering it was the first time you'd heard of that name.
Still, the feeling was drowned by your disbelief. A ten-year-old building a rocket? What kind of ten-year-old does that?
“Forget lowkey, that's highkey insane.” You blurted out, staring at her with a questioning face.
She rubbed the back of her head, “Haha, it's Senku-kun after all...”
Before you could respond, she suddenly grabbed your wrist the moment she spotted something from the corner of her eye. “There they are!”
Your eyes trailed to where she pointed her hand after grabbing your wrist. You spot two boys leaving a convenience store, one of whom is undeniably loud while the other is opening a can of energy drink with one hand.
Your breath caught slightly, between a quiet recognition and a loud awe as your eyes landed on the latter. It felt as if an old memory from years ago was suddenly unlocked.
He had the same questionable hair as he did years ago, same red eyes, though they were sharper compared to the soft, rounded ones you had spotted years ago.
Your footsteps came to a stop unconsciously, making Yuzuriha turn with a confused look on her face.
She blinked, stopping in her tracks as well. “What's wrong?”
“That's him,” You mumbled, eyes never leaving his figure.
“Who? Senku-kun?” She asked as her eyes drifted towards where you were looking, more confused than ever.
You turned to her, a laugh of disbelief escaping your lips as you gripped the straps of your backpack tighter. “...The guy I told you I'd marry back then when I was six.”
Yuzuriha blinked once before her eyes widened in delayed horror, making you laugh louder. “Oh my gosh—?!”
You stared ahead again, eyes automatically landing on him. Your mind was already wondering what kind of trick the universe was playing on you this time. Years of silence, thinking that memory was nothing but a dream— but no, he was suddenly within your orbit again.
Or perhaps you were within his orbit again.
Unexpectedly, his eyes shifted and met yours. You wanted to turn away after being caught burning holes into his figure, yet for some reason, you couldn't, as a warm feeling settled within every fiber of your being.
And still, despite everything, your verdict remained the same, besides one improvement. He was still cute in your eyes, though perhaps he was leaning more into the definition of handsome now.
Your thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Yuzuriha’s laughter as she stared between you and Senku.
“You remember that? No wonder he looked familiar when I first saw him.”
You broke eye contact with Senku to look at her with a grin on your face, “Guess you could say I was very committed to the vision. I did think of him for days after.”
She laughed again, tugging your wrist as a way of telling you to start walking with her again. “You only wanted to marry him because he met your qualifications that time, which was being cute!”
“And?” You shrugged with a smile on your face. “My intuition was already good at that age. I was delusional with a dream and one qualification.”
Yuzuriha visibly sweatdropped at your response while you snorted. “The feeling’s still here, y’know? Feels like it got revived, not gonna lie.”
“A feeling?” Her eyes widened. “Don't tell me—”
You cut her off with a nod, grin widening. “...I think I'm gonna marry him someday. My intuition’s stronger than ever.”
And perhaps that should've been the first recorded instance in history where someone had successfully dared to challenge Ryusui Nanami’s prided sailor’s intuition with nothing but a childhood delusion and an alarming confidence.
⋆⭒˚.⋆
Senku Ishigami had dreamed of reaching space nearly his entire life. The memory of his first rocket launches—which happened to be homemade with nothing but determination and curiosity, along with Xeno’s guidance—still lived vividly in the collection of his memories.
Yet when he had achieved his most sought-after dream, it felt oddly incomplete. No, he felt incomplete.
Because, despite such achievement, it felt muted in a way Senku would've never thought he could even experience.
Every achievement that came right after, the opportunities, the launches, and discoveries that made his reputation far greater than it already was, felt unfulfilling in a way.
It wasn't because science suddenly felt less— Senku could never consider that thought.
But it was simply because he had already lost the first person he wanted to ramble to after each achievement.
You had, after all, forcefully made yourself a veteran of his rambles regarding science and everything else he was passionate about.
And perhaps that was what had drawn him to you far more than his younger self would've thought. You listened to him without complaint, without impatience, and what made him fall harder was the fact that you listened because you genuinely wanted to.
Which was exactly why the silence left behind by your absence felt so unbearably loud most of the time. Even after three years since the breakup, and two years after the final phone call.
During the first year, he could barely process it, despite his terrifying IQ, as others say. His thoughts about it kept him up longer at night than any of his scientific ideas did.
And when he had chosen to let you go for the second time after you asked him to, for days, he couldn't stomach his decision. Regrets swallowed him again, drowning him with the thought of reaching out against your will. And he had to fight every neuron in his head that supported the thought.
Because Senku would rather drown countless times than to ruin you further just because he wanted to be selfish.
His eyes left the telescope, straightening his posture. He looked ahead, into the vast night sky, as if he could find an answer among the stars that stared right back at him.
Yet not a single constellation could. With a sigh, he loosened his tie, his hands slipping off his lab coat as he heard the doors of the observatory he had built into the walls of his house.
Chrome's voice reached his ears before Senku's eyes could even spot him. “Senku! Dr. Xeno said you discovered your own comet— that's so baaaad!”
Senku craned his neck, hand resting behind it as his gaze landed on him. “Yeah? How did you even get in here?”
Another voice appeared, followed by a familiar figure, before Chrome could answer the question.
“Your housekeeper let us in, Senku-chan.” Gen gave him a grin, eyes scanning the spacious observatory. “I must say, they did an amazing job maintaining the house for you.”
Senku chuckled at Gen's remark, eyes trailing to his laptop as the confirmation email regarding the naming of the comet he had discovered. Oh, how he loved maximizing his resources. “They were recommended by François after all.”
Chrome nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, and your house is so baaad, man. Like seriously, a whole observatory? I saw the garden too, it was insane!”
Gen's gaze landed on Senku, a teasing smile on his face. “Ah, he had a muse, Chrome. We shouldn't be too surprised.”
Chrome physically halted when he noticed a takeout cup near Senku. “What are you drinking at this time, Senku? Aren’t you more into energy drinks?”
Gen’s eyes trailed toward where Chrome was looking and spotted a takeout cup, from which Senku took a sip, and shrugged, not bothering to hide the evidence of his crime. That was when the mentalist noticed the printed customized order attached to it.
‘Ah, he must be missing her harder today.’ His eyes softened at the thought, a faint hint of pity. ‘It seems even the greatest scientist on Earth couldn’t be spared by the cruelty of yearning.’
Over the course of three years, Gen had noticed habits that formed due to Senku’s pining—the astronaut didn’t even bother to try to move on, and everyone saw through his silent grieving disguised as habits.
Such as the way he would lock himself up in the observatory of his house, staring at constellations for far too long, as if Orion could give him a direction to navigate his taunting thoughts. Or when he would order your favorite drink during nights he missed you far harder than he admitted loudly.
Or the fact that he has yet to miss a single comet visible from Earth, especially during those three years. Because over the course of three years, Senku had watched each event, photographing it and meticulously cataloging each image with dates and observational notes. As if he were collecting them for someone.
“Why are you two even here again?” Senku asked flatly, ignoring the claims, yet he didn't deny them either.
“Oh, Taiju said to meet up here, the others are on the way, actually. But that's half of why I'm here—” Chrome pointed an excited finger at him. “Senku, tell me about the comet!”
The astronaut chuckled schemingly with a face that made Gen want to run out of the observatory. “About the comet, you say?”
And that was how the mentalist had to sit through a rambling lecture about the celestial body. Gen had already been lost the moment letters became numbers, then numbers became letters; he let Chrome handle that part since he willingly dragged himself into it.
Though there was a fondness in his voice that Gen had noticed. Yes, Senku always sounded passionate whenever he rambled about something scientific, yet this one was different. It sounded the same way he would ramble about the moon.
And Gen had always wondered, what was there about comets that had drawn the astronaut the same way the moon did? Though he has yet to figure out why, since Senku would often dismiss it, and the only other person who knew the reason was Xeno, who refused to answer it along the lines of, “It isn’t my story to tell”.
“Senku-chan,” he called out, earning the attention of both scientists as they stopped mid-conversation. “I thought the moon was your favorite? Had picturing every comet visible from Earth finally taken an effect on you?”
Senku's lips curled into a soft smile, one so genuine that it surprised the two of them who saw it. “Yeah, the moon is my favorite.”
His voice trailed off, not bothering to answer the last part as a memory played in his head. Suddenly, he was sixteen again, hands setting up his telescope on top of a hill as you stood beside him impatiently.
“Hurry up, Senku! What if we miss it?!” You exclaimed eagerly, nearly bouncing off your feet.
He barely spared you a glance as his hands worked on the equipment. “Hah? I calculated the timing, we won't miss it.”
“Are you sure—”
He cut you off softly, moving away from the telescope to make space for you. “Come here and see this.”
With an excited face and every ounce of enthusiasm in your body, you gladly took his offer to check the telescope.
“Whoa, I can see the moon clearly.” You spoke in pure awe as Senku snickered beside you.
“It's a telescope, of course, you can see it clearly.”
You felt an irk mark form on your forehead as you pulled back to smack him lightly. “Okay, wow, thanks, genius.”
He grinned, rubbing the spot where your hand landed. Then he noticed the frown that appeared on your face.
“What's wrong?” He asked, concern was easy to spot in the tone of his voice.
You shook your head. “Nothing, just feels weird that we won't be seeing this comet for another— how many thousands of years again?”
“Six thousand eight hundred years, it's a once-in-a-lifetime event.” You remained silent, prompting him to speak again. “Cheer up, NEOWISE isn't the only comet you'll ever see.”
You looked away from the telescope and faced him with a look of skepticism. “Really?”
“Hah? Of course, really.” He looked nearly offended. “There are thousands of comets as of this year, and the number’s only increasing. Statistically speaking, you've got plenty left to see in your lifetime.”
You huffed a laugh at his response, yet the frown returned right after. “I know, but that number isn't my concern. I don't have a telescope and know many areas where there's a little less light pollution.”
Senku noticed it immediately and clicked his tongue. “Stop looking gloomy over comets.”
He adjusted a knob on the telescope before he gazed at you again, serious eyes looking straight at your doubtful ones.
“I'll show you every other comet myself if I have to.”
The way he said it sounded casual, as if it were more of a fact rather than a promise. Yet your heart still skipped a beat, as if Eros was around again. But then again, it was Senku. And promises came along easily as long as science was involved.
And before you could respond or calm down the sudden pace of your heart, Senku's gaze shifted upwards abruptly, crimson eyes narrowing towards the sky.
He turned to you with a grin, shifting his head as a signal for you to look too. “There it is,”
Your breath caught as your naked eye saw it, and Senku snickered quietly at your reaction. A soft streak of light stretched across the night sky, distant yet impossibly luminous all at once.
“Whoa,” you whispered in awe.
Beside you, Senku adjusted the telescope once more, fingers adjusting the focus and alignment with a precision that showed he had done it countless times already.
“Look through it from here,” he nudged you lightly before crossing his arms against his chest.
You leaned forward without hesitation. The moment your eyes met the lens, your breath nearly left you. The comet was undeniably breathtaking from the telescope.
“It's so beautiful, Senku…” you mumbled in awe, as if you could barely believe you were actually seeing one with such focus. If it weren't for him, you really would've never.
And perhaps it really was. Maybe comets were truly one of the most beautiful astronomical events that you could see during your lifetime.
But Senku barely looked at it—not after he saw that look on your face that made him physically unable to take his eyes off of you.
And before he knew it, the corners of his lips tugged into a soft smile, arms still crossed against his chest as his gaze undeniably softened.
“Yeah,” he murmured quietly as his gaze remained on you. “It really is.”
He really should've known that was the exact moment Eros had struck him. Because from then on, every comet had him thinking of you. And suddenly, gravity no longer felt like a scientific concept, but rather something catastrophic that pulled him towards you.
He couldn't help but wonder, were you still using the telescope he custom-built for you?
Perhaps that had been the problem when it came to loving him—you said it before yourself. His affection bled into science effortlessly, so that somewhere along the way, care translated into invention, and love became something he could build with his own two hands.
Love to the point of invention, or whatever that mentalist said.
And now, comets were the closest approximation of you he could ever observe again. The closest he could ever get to you was in the brief moments of the burning trails of comets as they tear across a space he could never reach.
“You good, Senku-chan? You seem lost in thought,” he heard Gen's voice slice through his reminiscing.
Senku chuckled quietly and shook his head. Yet before he could say something, they all heard loud footsteps before the doors of the observatory opened once more.
“Ha ha! You outdid yourself with the architecture of this house, Senku. Are you sure you don't care about aesthetics?” Ryusui's voice reached his ears as he stepped into the room, followed by Taiju and Ukyo.
Senku clicked the roof of his tongue. “Yeah? And since when did my house become the default meeting spot?”
“I think since you're usually the last to respond.” Ukyo sweat dropped at him as he took a seat next to Gen.
Ryusui ignored his questions and exclaimed loudly once again, snapping his fingers. “That's besides the point. Taiju wanted to announce something in person.”
The said man nodded enthusiastically, fists pumped up. “Everyone, Yuzuriha and I are finally getting married!”
⋆⭒˚.⋆
You should've seen it coming. Taiju, after all, had asked your permission to marry Yuzuriha, your best friend. Yet everything still felt surreal, as if time and growing up still felt like a concept you have yet to wrap your head around, as she tearfully asked you to be her maid of honor.
Everything simply moved too fast; it felt as if time didn't know how to stop, but that's reality, isn't it?
One moment, the two of you were children rambling about crushes beneath the heat that eloped a playground. Then suddenly, you were standing inside an expensive hotel room—thanks to a certain Nanami—struggling to zip up a custom-made dress while your best friend emotionally and mentally prepared herself to walk down the aisle in less than thirty minutes.
Reality truly did not spare anyone. Panic had struck every nerve in your body as you desperately tried to reach the zipper, yet it was stuck.
“Come on— seriously?!” You twisted awkwardly toward the mirror again, fingers desperately trying to reach for the zipper that was stuck halfway up your back.
Yet it refused to budge, and your patience was running thin. An idea appeared in your head. Then, you tried to pull the dress over your head instead—keyword: tried. That turned out to be the worst idea you could think of at the moment, and you questioned if your situation couldn't get any worse. Oh, if only you knew.
The fitted material that transitioned into something flowy once it passed your hips refused to cooperate, thanks to the intricate design and specific measurements of the dress. The moment you tried to force it upward, the carefully pinned curls your stylist spent an insane amount of time perfecting, nearly got caught against the inner lining.
You nearly shrieked in horror. You froze immediately. “Nope. Absolutely not happening after that long session of sitting still.”
If you had ruined your hair now, you would've cried, your hairstylist would've cried harder.
Which is why you were currently physically stuck inside of your own dress, alone inside of a hotel room you shared with Kohaku.
Your phone had unfortunately been inside your purse—which you had asked Kohaku to bring when she headed out after you had insisted she head to the venue first.
“Go ahead,” you told her earlier. “I just need to fix the zipper a little.”
Right, a little. You would've truly laughed if you weren't the one stuck in your current situation, but the universe seemed to be against your favor today.
You had to stop yourself from pressing both hands against your face. You didn't need your makeup artist crying along with you, and your hairstylist before the event itself could even start.
“This is so stupid—” then you heard the doorbell of the hotel room ring.
Your head snapped toward the hotel room beside you, and you nearly tripped on your own dress as you reached out to open the door.
“Kohaku?!” Relief flooded your system instantly as you carefully kept one hand against the front of your dress to prevent anything more unfortunate from happening. For a second, that is as.
Because the moment you opened the door, you nearly slammed it shut again out of pure shock. Standing outside of your room wasn't Kohaku, no. It was Senku. The sight of him was enough to knock the air from your lungs far more than you would’ve admitted.
Your brain had entirely failed to process the fact that he was in front of you while you regretted even questioning if your situation couldn't get any worse. The universe had unfortunately decided that today, you would rival the infamous luck of Senku Ishigami himself.
Three years— three years of not seeing his face properly, besides from the social media posts of mutual friends and news updates about the great Ishigami. Not to mention the photoshoots earlier. It couldn’t have been avoided, considering he was the best man and you happened to be the maid of honor.
And somehow, seeing him up this close felt far crueler than all the accidental glimpses from afar during the pre-wedding photoshoots earlier. If you hadn’t decided to act maturely—emotionally mature—during those photoshoots, you would’ve truly ruined your last line of defense.
Did you mention that the custom-tailored tuxedo complemented him so well? Yuzuriha truly outdid herself with the custom dresses and tuxedos. If it weren't for the fact that he was your ex-boyfriend for more than half a decade, you would've given your younger self a pat on the back for seeing the vision and sticking to it.
Senku blinked before his eyes trailed downwards briefly, then he immediately understood the situation. And as if there wasn't an emotionally gut-wrenching call that occurred two years ago, he had the audacity to snicker.
And that happened to offend you far more than your situation did, as your eye twitched at him. “Don’t laugh.”
“Wasn't planning to,” he tried to cover his twitching lips with a hand—a gold watch adorning his wrist—yet he failed miserably as another snicker escaped from him.
You narrowed your eyes, ignoring his offensive reaction and your quickened heartbeat. “Why are you even here?”
“Gen told me to check on you,” Senku answered casually, too casually, hand sliding back into his pocket. “Apparently, Kohaku got dragged into helping at the venue.”
Your eyes narrowed further suspiciously while you made a mental note to strike at the mentalist later on when you saw him. “...And how did you even know my room number?”
“Yuzuriha.” He answered instantly.
You blinked, mentally questioning if Yuzuriha and Gen had planned something between preparations. ‘Traitors. I'm surrounded by a bunch of traitors.’
You sighed in defeat as you were still half-hiding behind the hotel room door with only your head sticking out, and a bit of your torso, the rest of your body remained concealed inside the room.
An awkward silence settled over the two of you, and you visibly grimaced before clearing your throat. “Uhm…My zipper got stuck.”
“I could tell.” He replied as if it were the most obvious observation ever. And for a moment, you swore he was trying not to snicker again.
You glared at him, which made him sigh afterward, though the amusement lingered on his face. “You gonna let me fix it, or are you planning to miss the wedding?”
Your face burned instantly, and you nearly slammed the door shut in his face. Because logically speaking, yes, asking your ex-boyfriend to help zip up your dress after not seeing each other for three years should've felt absolutely horrifying.
Yet somehow, with a voice so small that tried to conceal any leftover dignity, you asked him. “...Can you help me?”
Senku's expression softened visibly, the amusement leaving his face. “Yeah.”
You stepped aside, allowing him inside as the door clicked shut behind him softly. The front of your body faced the mirror again as you turned around carefully. You tried not to overthink the situation, really.
And suddenly the room felt too small, too quiet. You saw him pause as he checked the situation of your zipper before his hands reached out. The movement that followed came naturally, as if he relied on muscle memory built on repeating the movement countless times. Which, truthfully, he had.
The moment his fingers brushed lightly against your back for a second as he freed the stuck fabric. Your breath got caught in your throat as you attempted not to flinch. You hated how familiar it still felt.
Because for years, you had tried to forget him, even when the sound of his voice haunted you with every memory and traces you had of him left, especially how he sounded that night. The desperation that was evident in his voice, the desperation that nearly made you want to try again.
And now he was standing behind you. Close enough to feel his cold fingers, close enough to smell the cologne he always wore, close enough to realize he was there.
“You got the fabric caught wrong,” Senku muttered as he quietly fixed it. “If you had forced it harder, you would've wrecked the stitching.”
“...Hah, the universe seems to love me today,” you attempted to joke to make the situation lighter and more breathable.
He let out an amused hum. Then, the zipper slid smoothly. It finished within seconds, yet somehow neither of you moved afterward. And for a terrifying moment, it felt as if three years was nothing. Three years of forcing yourself to move on, to which you failed without a doubt.
The mirror reflected you both perfectly, and you hated how your mind compared him to the version preserved in your memories—the last version of him that you still had, the last version of him that you still knew. Not the one you no longer did, the present one standing behind you.
What a painful reminder of love and loss, the past and the present, and the never-ending questions of what was and what could’ve been. It wasn’t fair to your attempts to move on, but then again, the heart sometimes lingers on what once was.
He looked older, not drastically, just enough for you to make a conclusion that he had buried himself in far more projects than he had before. There were traces of change, traces that made your mind question if he was still the Senku you knew.
Then, he took the initiative to move back first. “There, all fixed.”
And somehow, that felt reassuring enough that he still was—or even just a part of him still was—as he has yet again, fixed something for you. Still the same Senku that your heart recognized instantly.
You swallowed painfully, avoiding his gaze. “Thank you…”
“It was inefficient not to.” He replied, and you nearly laughed in a bittersweet manner at how the reply sounded so much like him.
Three years. Three years, and somehow, he still sounded the same, even when there were evident traces of change.
And a painful realization had settled through every fiber of your being. Because seeing him again confirmed something you didn’t want to admit—not because of pride, but of fear. The fear of losing yourself as he constantly chased something else. The confirmation that, despite all the time that passed, all the attempts of forgetting him, loving him had never truly become a past tense thing.
Against your own weak will, your thoughts drifted toward the memory of the final phone call. Etched in the collection of your memories with a terrifying strength. The one with the final birthday greeting and goodbye. The one where you told him not to call again, and he didn’t.
The one that left you both grieving opposite ends of the same loss and future.
You wondered if he still remembered it— no, without a doubt, he did with that absurdly good memory of his, but did he think of it the same way you did? The same way you did on nights that felt quieter and heavier, caused by the constant grieving of what once was and could’ve been?
You wondered if the words exchanged that night haunted him the same way they haunted you in an endless cycle. And the thought hurt far more than it should have.
Senku had noticed the deafening silence that you had as he glanced at his wrist watch. “We should head down before they send someone else to check on us this time.”
You blinked and stared at him for a brief second. Then you nodded, quickly looking away as you fought the sting building in your eyes.
“...Yeah,” you murmured, blinking away the tears that threatened to blur your vision. “Let’s go.”
⋆⭒˚.⋆
The wedding reception somehow felt even louder than the ceremony itself as the after-party bled through the night.
Music echoed throughout the ballroom, while laughter continuously flowed throughout the room, as well as the clinking of glasses and distant chatter from different tables.
There were more people than you thought. You were surprised—at the same time not—when you spotted Byakuya and Xeno talking from a distance before they called you for a brief moment. Stanely was kept occupied by Ryusui, as the younger man kept asking him questions about aviation and aim. Which you found insane, considering it was all for the younger Nanami’s prize possession of games that his older brother programmed.
Honestly speaking, it should've felt comforting. It was, most of the time it was. You've lost count of how many packets of tissues you went through while trying not to ruin your makeup as you cried at the scene of your best friend getting married.
Not to mention the speech you had to say. Though you had gone through a whole glass of champagne before you did, it barely helped as your voice cracked at the first word of your speech.
And after that, a certain thought that you successfully held down throughout the ceremony had broken through your defenses once the after-party started.
The first time it appeared was when you saw him walking down the aisle as the best man. And for a brief moment, you couldn't help but wonder, what if he had been walking down the aisle of his own wedding—your wedding?
He could've been walking down the aisle to wait for you, you could've been walking down the aisle to meet him, toward a lifetime of quiet devotion disguised as efficiency and practicality. Toward fixed problems before you could even notice them. Toward customized inventions. Toward a lifetime of gazing at the stars and astronomical events with him, and promises spoken so casually as if he could make them come through with a snap of his fingers.
And suddenly, all you could think about was the gut-wrenching thought that there was once a version of your life where that could've been real. And that version still haunted you more than the present you were living in.
Perhaps that was why you were aggressively set on proving Ryusui wrong as you participated in a drinking game with him, one filled with rounds of expensive whiskey and a forgotten round of Uno—to which you still questioned who randomly pulled up with a deck.
Still, it ended after a long hour of one round, after Gen tried to change the rules numerous times, after Tsukasa had fallen victim to the plus four cards for a terrifying amount of time, and after friendships nearly ended. Now, the two were a few tables away, watching as Chrome tried to learn a certain dance from some guests all the way from America: Max and Carlos.
Of course, Taiju wanted to join in and learn it as well. Which led to Yuzuriha looking for you and her other bridesmaids.
“You're losing momentum!” Ryusui laughed loudly from across the table with scattered Uno cards, clearly enjoying himself far too much. “What happened to all the confidence earlier?”
You slammed your glass down aggressively, already plotting to ask Sai to hack his games later on. “Shut up, Ryusui.”
Ukyo visibly sweat dropped as he picked up the cards across the table. “This is clearly not going to end well.”
Somewhere within all the noise, Senku remained quieter than everyone else. He had initially been nursing a drink offered to him by Xeno, and refilled by his old man after he was told to loosen up.
Though you had noticed him, and of course, you tried to ignore him every single time you did.
Another cough escaped through your lips suddenly as your hand clutched the edge of the table. Your throat burned afterward, and you questioned if the alcohol was that strong.
Ryusui noticed, as well as the painful lingering glances that were indirectly exchanged between you and his other friend. He pointed a finger at you accusingly. “Oi, you've been coughing for nearly an hour now.”
Your brows furrowed as you stared at him. “Hah? I'm fine.”
His eyes narrowed suspiciously. “You also said that while shivering twenty-six minutes ago.” He turned to Ukyo. “Am I wrong?”
Ukyo shook his head, to which you shot him a glare and mouthed, “I thought you were on my side.”
You then returned your gaze to Ryusui. “The temperature of the event room is too cold, of course, I'll be shivering, considering I’m not wearing full sleeves like you men.”
Ryusui's eyes trailed farther behind you. They landed on Senku, and immediately, the two communicated through eye contact.
You didn't say a word, barely noticing that he was communicating with Senku, not until someone took the newly refilled glass in your hand before your lips could make contact with it.
You blinked, the alcohol fogging up your brain, making a dangerous combo with the feverish headache you were having. “...Hah?”
You turned immediately and blinked again when you saw him stripped from the tuxedo jacket, which he held with one hand while the other held your glass.
“You've had enough.” He declared softly, leaving no room for argument—you tried anyway.
You frowned instantly. “No, I haven't.”
“You have,” he repeated flatly as Ryusui looked far too entertained across the two of you.
Your frown deepened. “Since when do you decide that?”
“Since you started coughing like your lungs were filing a complaint for your liver.” He shot back, hands already reaching out to wrap the jacket around your frame.
Ryusui snorted loudly while Ukyo had to stifle his laugh. You still glared at both of them.
You faced Senku with a determined look on your face. “I can still drink.”
You were, however, completely ignored as he pressed the back of his hand against your forehead. Your entire body froze at the familiar gesture. Far too familiar.
His brows furrowed as he confirmed his suspicion. “You're burning up,”
You shook your head. “No, it's the alcohol—” you were cut off by a harsh round of coughs, your hand instinctively reaching out for the vest around his waist, clutching the fabric for support.
His hands held you in place as you coughed violently, pushing your hair away from your face gently. “That checks out another thing.”
He signed heavily afterward before grabbing your belongings nearby, to which Ukyo gladly assisted him. He grabbed your purse, then your lip gloss that somehow made its way out of your purse, then your smartphone, then the abandoned heels you had removed hours ago after your feet begged you to sit down.
It was genuinely frightening how effortlessly he slipped back into taking care of you, as if three years were merely nothing in the eyes of Senku Ishigami.
“I can walk on my own,” you argued weakly, already standing up. Yet the moment you did, your knees betrayed you, and you reached for the nearest support, which happened to be his arm.
“Yeah…I don't think that's happening.” Ukyo remarked silently beside Ryusui, who was snickering.
“That didn't count.” You argued weakly again. Senku merely stared at you blankly, one hand holding your purse along with your heels.
“Sure.” He replied flatly.
That was when Nikki had appeared with a stern look on her face, though she was tipsy herself. “And where exactly are you taking her?”
“To rest,” Senku replied without sparing her a glance as he adjusted an arm against you.
Her eyes narrowed. It was honestly hard to even consider Senku doing something weird. He was undeniably far from Ginrou, who had tried to flirt with other female guests earlier. Yet still, her concern for you swallowed the thought.
“...You better not do anything suspicious, Senku.”
Senku looked at her with an unimpressed look. If anything, he looked offended, too. “Seriously? She's running a fever of around thirty-eight degrees and can barely stand.”
That was all Nikki needed to hear. And before another argument could start—especially from you— Senku had lifted you into his arms.
You blinked, confused. “...Huh? Aren't you a twink? How?”
And you swore you saw his eyes twitch visibly as Ryusui and Nikki burst out laughing far too loudly than they should've.
“Physics and astronaut training teach you a lot.” He responded flatly as he adjusted his grip around you once again before staring down at you with a softness in his eyes that a somehow sober part of you wished he didn't have. “You're sick, argue tomorrow.”
You felt your face burn warmer than your body as you instinctively clutched onto him, hiding your face into his shoulder blades and definitely staining his dress shirt with your makeup. And he didn't mind, of course, he didn't.
The moment you and Senku had successfully exited the ballroom, Ryusui looked around at the sober parts of the crowd who pretended as if they weren't listening to the whole interaction that had just unfolded.
Well, unfortunately for some—specifically Gen and Yuzuriha—weren’t exactly so slick at it as they somehow appeared at a closer table than before.
With a confident grin, Ryusui declared loudly. “I bet a hundred thousand yen they'll reconcile by tomorrow!”
⋆⭒˚.⋆
The pounding headache arrived before your memories did, as your consciousness finally returned. You felt a relentless ache throb the second you did, followed by a weak groan from your throat. Your body felt unbearably warm despite the cool air surrounding the room, and your throat felt painfully raw from coughing all night.
Slowly, your eyes cracked open as your hand reached out for the bedside table instinctively. However, for some reason, you couldn’t feel it, as if it was farther from what you were used to. Your eyes shifted, and it was indeed farther away.
Then you halted as a realization settled through as your hands touched the bed weakly. The bed was king-sized, and as far as you remember, your hotel room had two double beds since you shared it with Kohaku.
A wave of confusion washed over you as you propped yourself up against the soft pillows; the sudden movement shot pain through your limbs instantly. Instinctively, you grasped the comforter tightly as you took a moment to focus, trying to make sense of the overwhelming sensations and your new surroundings.
Soft morning light seeped through the curtains, painting pale streaks across the floor and the desk near the window. And that was when you finally noticed him. Senku Ishigami sat slumped in a chair, legs stretched slightly on top of the desk as his head tilted awkwardly against the backrest. One arm rested loosely across his stomach while the other hung limply at his side.
And if it weren’t for your baffled and horrified expression, you would’ve nearly grimaced at the sight of the uncomfortable position he was in. How could someone as logical as him just settle for a sweater and sweatpants to protect him from the cool temperature of the room, not to mention the deeply uncomfortable position he was sleeping in?
Bits and pieces of what had unfortunately unfolded last night resurfaced through the haze in your head. The after-party. The drinking competition with Ryusui, that obviously would lead to your doom, yet you were too stubborn to back down. The memory of Senku having to physically stop you before you fully gave in to self-destruction.
Your mortification burned hotter than your fever as you recalled how you nearly vomited on him after a round of painful coughing. Yet based on the memory that returned, he was as patient as ever when it came to taking care of you.
Your eyes lingered on him again, and faint traces of dark circles settled beneath his closed eyes, more visible than usual due to the soft morning light. His brows remained slightly furrowed even in his sleep, suggesting that he hadn’t rested properly at all.
Had he stayed up late because of you?
The thought made you frown as a wave of guilt struck you hard enough to make your chest twist painfully. You were no longer his responsibility, hence why?
Carefully, you tried to move toward the edge of the bed even as pain shot throughout your body. The mattress creaked from your sudden movement. Just then, Senku stirred awake, his eyes snapping open with an alertness built from a restless night.
His eyes immediately landed on you, his exhaustion vanishing almost instantly that it shocked you.
“...Hey,” His voice sounded rough with sleep as he stood up. “Don’t move around too much.”
Your stomach flipped slightly at how fast he reacted, already moving toward you with an undeniable concern that made your grip on the comforter tighten. And for a moment, your heart was speaking louder than your head.
“You’ve got a fever, a terrible cough, and a hangover that could’ve been completely avoided if Ryusui didn’t indulge you in his acts.” He muttered while walking over. “Lie back down before your condition worsens.”
“Senku—” You tried to call out, yet your voice cracked midway and triggered another cough.
The moment you doubled over slightly, Senku’s expression sharpened instantly. “Easy,”
A hand gently held your shoulders to steady you while the other grabbed a bottle of water positioned and untouched on the bedside table—already prepared.
“Slowly,” He instructed softly while bringing the bottle closer to your lips.
You took a few careful sips before finally managing to speak again. You gazed at him with confused eyes. “...Why am I here?”
Senku blinked once while twisting the bottle cap back on. Though before he could respond, you beat him to it with another remark. “This isn’t my room…”
“Yeah, obviously. It’s mine.” He replied, a faint hint of amusement evident in the tone of his voice as he met your bewildered gaze.
You nearly shrieked. Unfortunately, what came out instead was another terrible, violent coughing fit. The pain tore through your throat as your cough happened to be dry.
Senku clicked his tongue immediately as he pushed the strands of your hair that fell and covered your face. The gesture felt so natural it nearly made your heart ache again. “You really aren’t beating the ‘barely functioning’ allegations right now.”
“Why am I in your room?!” You rasped out between coughs as you briefly glanced at him.
His eyes softened as they stared straight at you. “Your room was farther, your condition was and is still terrible, the others were drunk and in no fit condition to take care of you— Do you want me to keep going?”
He crossed his arms; the tone of his voice held a mix of concern and annoyance. Though the annoyance was overshadowed by his concern and the way he gazed at you softly.
“Kohaku got drunk and lost your keycards. Ryusui took time to fix the situation, and my room was closer.” He spoke so matter-of-factly as if the situation didn’t sound absurd at all.
You stared at him. “You could’ve just left me there—”
“Yeah?” he cut in immediately. “And who would’ve taken care of you?”
You opened your mouth, yet nothing came out. You could still recall how most of your friends were too busy enjoying themselves—and you knew how useless it was to argue against Senku when logic was involved.
He moved back to grab the thermometer on the bedside table, which made you curious about where he got it.
Your eyes followed his movement with curiosity. “Where did you get that? Do you just have one lying around anytime?”
He shook his head and sat on the edge of the bed, near you. “Made Gen and Ryusui take a trip to the nearest store.”
If it weren’t for the weight of your current situation, you would’ve snickered at his answer.
Then, he moved closer to check your temperature. “Your fever reached thirty-nine degrees last night after you coughed loud enough to wake half the floor. You nearly threw up on me twice.”
You stared at him in horror. “Twice? I only remember once.”
He softly flicked your forehead, “That’s the alcohol messing with your brain after that nonsense with Ryusui.”
You groaned and buried your face in your hands. Part of it was from embarrassment from the stupid act, and another part was from remembering the reason you indulged in it in the first place.
“Tch. Don’t do that.” He immediately pulled your hands away from your face before you could rub your eyes. “You’ve already got enough health issues, no need to add more to the list.”
The familiarity of the motion has made your chest tighten again, and you couldn’t muster the strength to look at him. Well, not until another realization washed over you.
“...Why am I wearing different clothes?” You blurted out as another horrified look settled on your face. And you swore you saw him pause briefly.
“Relax before your brain starts making dumb assumptions.” He replied with a flat tone. “I called Nikki to bring your pajamas and help you change after Ryusui dealt with the keycards situation.”
The tension in your body dissolved so quickly it nearly made you dizzy. You exhaled in relief as you felt the stress lift from your shoulders. Though there was still a quiet, heavy weight that remained in your chest from the thought that he still cared after all this time.
Another painful reminder of the ache of unspoken words lost to time.
Senku narrowed his eyes at your expression. “The hell were you assuming?”
You quickly shook your head, triggering a painful throb from your headache. And as if it were a chain reaction, that made him click his tongue. “I told you not to add more problems to your list, didn’t I?”
You ignored his scolding as your eyes shifted to the chair he was initially at. “You slept there the whole night?”
He tilted his head, and you pointed at the chair behind him. His head turned before returning to meet your concerned gaze. He nodded casually, “Yeah.”
And before you could ask why, he was already on his feet again. “Focus on recovering first and don’t move too much.”
He walked toward the desk and grabbed his keycard before shoving it into his pocket. “Then, he turned to you one last time. “I’m getting breakfast. Don’t leave the room.”
“You don’t have to—”
“You need to eat something before taking meds.” He interjected firmly, leaving no room for an argument as his figure faded from your vision. And the last thing you heard was the soft click of the door closing.
⋆⭒˚.⋆
If there was something Senku should’ve taken into account, it should’ve been your terrifying stubbornness. Especially when the situation involved you locked in a room, alone with your thoughts that refused to go down without a fight.
You had lasted exactly ten minutes, on the dot. Ten minutes of staring at a television that played the morning news, yet you were barely listening to it. Instead, you were thinking—thinking far too hard for someone suffering the weight of a headache.
Because what exactly were you supposed to do right after this? Pretend none of it happened? Pretend he hadn’t been sleeping upright in a chair just so he could give you the whole bed to yourself? Pretend he hadn’t stayed awake monitoring your condition when the evidence was visible on his face? Pretend he hadn’t somehow made the task of moving on infinitely harder within the span of a single night?
Because how were you supposed to just move on again after this?
The thought made your chest ache far more than your head did.
With a frustrated sigh, you forced yourself to leave the bed even when your body was practically telling you not to by shooting pain throughout your muscles. Your hand reached out for your cardigan that you found on the room's sofa. You had assumed Nikki must’ve brought it last night.
You wrapped your body around it before quietly slipping out of the room, ignoring the voice in your head that was running through the possibilities of how a certain Ishigami would react.
As you made your way to the ground floor with the interest of checking the hotel gardens and everything that appeared in your way—anything to take your mind off of him, really.
The hotel grounds were quite peaceful, which didn’t surprise you since noon was still a few hours away. Most of the wedding guests were either sleeping off their hangovers or enjoying the amenities scattered around the place. Though you could easily guess that the majority of them chose the former.
You found yourself wandering toward the outdoor pool area before you could reach the gardens. You hoped the change of scenery and the far lessening feeling of being caged in a room would help.
News flash, it didn’t. Especially since a familiar voice entered your line of hearing.
“I was expecting you to still be asleep, or Senku-chan was hovering around you like a doctor.”
You nearly jumped, one hand clutching the fabric of your shirt around your chest area as you turned to Gen. “He is a doctor.”
“Yes, in astrophysics and chemistry.” He grinned, eyes scanning your state, which clearly screamed that you were sick. “I meant a medical one.”
Your nerves calmed down as you hit him weakly as the two of you began walking together. “Thought you knew he got a degree in biology too, out of curiosity.”
Gen sweat dropped beside you as he sipped his cup of coffee. “Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten how he wanted to major in all sciences for fun.”
There was a moment of silence that enveloped the two of you as you walked past the pool area, with far more greenery entering your line of sight. The silence wasn’t heavy, unlike your thoughts that refused to remain silent.
Gen slowed his pace to match yours. The last thing he wanted to encounter was having to explain to an overprotective scientist why you’d return looking ready to collapse.
“You shouldn’t be out here, you know?” His voice cut through the peaceful silence.
Your head shifted to stare at him. “I’m trying to escape my thoughts about him and him. Please stop sounding like him.”
He blinked before realization settled over his head. “...You didn’t tell him you went out?!”
Your eyes narrowed at his sudden, horrified reaction. “I thought you knew I didn’t? Do you think Senku would let me leave?”
He waved his hands frantically. “I considered that thought, but I also considered the thought of him letting you get fresh air!”
Then, he tried to turn your direction back to the hotel by grabbing your shoulders, “We should head back before your doctor kills me!”
You pulled away, wrapping your cardigan tighter around you. “He’ll be mad either way since I already left when he told me to stay still.”
Then you looked at him with a tired expression on your face, eyes pleading faintly. “...Just accompany me and do your psychological mentalist stuff, please.”
He sighed before nodding along. “He must be losing his mind right now if he has already returned.”
You hummed; a trace of guilt was evident. “He went to get me breakfast, and I’m sure he went to Francois since he used to have a modified list of foods for whenever I was sick.”
Your hands brushed against the rows of flowers slightly. “It gives me enough time to clear my thoughts about him before returning.”
“And enough time before he sends a full search team?” Gen added with a dramatic tone.
You snickered, “Hey, I doubt he’ll react that excessively.”
Then, with a sudden, serious yet soft voice, Gen spoke, “Can I say something I shouldn’t?”
You glanced at him briefly and grinned softly. “Go ahead, I asked for your psychological mentalist stuff, didn’t I?”
He paused for a moment before smiling faintly. “...I think everyone was shocked when you two ended.”
Your grin faltered as you averted your gaze, casting your eyes toward the expansive view. Gen sensed the shift in your mood and chose to continue carefully after your reaction. “It wasn’t because relationships ending was unusual, that’s normal in life.”
“But because you two felt strangely permanent.” He added, voice laced with nostalgia.
And somehow, the last part made your chest ache once again. Now you were starting to question how many more of those you would have to go through for the remaining time of the day.
You halted for a moment, sensing the emotion in his voice. “The way you say it makes me think you grieved our relationship, too.”
He wheezed slightly, hand covering his mouth. “Hah…You should’ve seen how Chrome reacted to it, especially on the night of Senku-chan’s first birthday after the breakup. He was set on knocking some sense into him.”
A bitter snicker escaped your lips, tinged with sarcasm. The memory of the final phone call burned in your head. “You make it sound like we died, Gen.”
“Maaaybe a little,” He admitted lightly, but the teasing glint in his eyes softened. “You should’ve seen how he was after the breakup.”
You raised a brow, a weak laugh escaping you, laced with disbelief.“That bad?”
He frowned, shaking his head slightly. “Don’t act like it wasn’t for you as well. Yuzuriha filled me in on what happened on your side.”
You abruptly halted, a dangerously suspicious expression settling on your face. “Is that why you sent him to my hotel room yesterday? I knew it, you and Yuzuriha were plotting something.”
Gen merely took a slow sip of his coffee, acting all innocent as you glared at him. “Whatever could you mean? We were just worried about you, you know?”
Your glare intensified, and you lightly jabbed his side. “I also haven’t forgotten that you tried to manipulate your way into changing the rules of Uno last night.”
With an exaggerated shrug, he smiled innocently. “Details, details.”
Then, his voice dropped into something far more serious. “I’ve never seen him so incomplete after you.”
Your gaze softened, yet your fingers gripped the hem of your cardigan tightly, a familiar pang tugging at your heart. “...You give me too much credit, Gen. Senku is still Senku without me.”
For a fleeting moment, Gen was tempted to disagree and argue. Because yes, Senku was still the Senku that everyone knew. He still chased science with the same frightening intensity. He still spent ridiculous hours inside laboratories. Still reached for the future of science with both hands—
But Gen had known and observed the scientist for far too long. He saw the way his excitement barely lingered around the same way it used to, the way his achievements felt more like checkpoints than victories.
Gen saw the way his silence settled in places that used to be filled with your laughter, even when he was constantly moving forward. Constantly moving forward with science, but never from you.
Yet Gen had to swallow the urge to play cupid for now because he saw the way your body was still physically recovering. And he was certain the mad scientist would come for him if he had done something to aggravate your condition.
Hence, he chose not to push further. That was when he looked ahead and spotted familiar figures. “Ah, there they are.”
You mimicked his action the second the golf course came into view. Further ahead, you caught sight of Ryusui and Stanley playing while Xeno stood nearby, nursing a cup of tea.
“This hotel seriously had everything, doesn't it?” You murmured to Gen as you two approached the three.
Gen nodded knowingly right next to you. “It is owned by the King of Greed himself. Of course, he would desire to have everything in his hotel.”
The two of you shared a laugh before reaching the spot where the three were.
Ryusui noticed you immediately and grinned. “Well, well! Look who survived! I was starting to think the alcohol hit you well last night.”
You playfully rolled your eyes as you adjusted your cardigan. “Nice joke, Ryusui.”
Xeno’s eyes studied you briefly before he struck a question. “Tea? It can help soothe your symptoms.”
You tilted your head, wondering how he knew. And as if he had read your mind, he spoke again. “Ah, Senku spoke of them an hour after the after-party.”
Now you were beginning to question just how long he stayed awake last night just to take care of you?
Somehow, you had agreed to Xeno's offer for tea as the two of you sat beneath a shaded area overlooking the golf course. Gen had chosen to stay with the other two to watch their friendly match.
For a while, the conversation remained surprisingly casual. It was easy to talk to Xeno, considering how you had known him since your earlier years spent in high school after you found out that Senku had a mentor across the world.
The conversation circled around the wedding, your current career path, and then the deadly combination of a fever, cold, and hangover.
Until it no longer circled around those, and somehow took a turn into a topic you've been avoiding.
“You and Senku remain painfully obvious, by the way,” Xeno stated flatly while stirring his cup of tea with a teaspoon.
Though his statement made you nearly choke on the tea you were drinking. So much for apparently “soothing” your symptoms.
“Hah?!” You let out a violent cough while quickly setting your tea cup down.
Yet he continued as if you weren't close to choking. “Your pupils dilate every time his name is mentioned or every time you glance at him from across the room. You didn't think you were subtle, did you?”
You stared at him in disbelief before attempting to dismiss his observation. “I don't know what you're talking about.”
His eyes narrowed down at you. “What a poor attempt to lie. Your nervous system doesn't lie, science doesn't lie.”
You let out a frustrated groan, aggressively sipping your tea while choosing to ignore his response.
Xeno exhaled out what sounded like an exhausted sigh. “Truthfully speaking, I can't quite tell if Senku's painfully obvious yearning is worse than yours. It was insufferable having to see it with your own eyes whenever he was in America.”
You blinked, hands slowly placing your tea cup down to your lap. “...Yearning?”
He let out a look of disbelief, mentally questioning if you couldn't get any more oblivious. “You didn't assume he was yearning for you to come back?”
Your face twisted into something taken aback. “Well, I hate assuming unless stated—”
He interjected firmly, “Not even after he nearly begged for you to try again that night?”
Now you were bewildered at his choice of words. “Begged is a strong word, Senku doesn't exaggerate like that!”
Xeno looked baffled at your comment. “I expected that you, of all people, would know the lengths he would go for you.”
He placed his tea cup down with a sigh. “I was aware of it myself, considering he spent quite a long time in America for his doctorate. However, he surprised me further with that comet stunt he pulled.”
Your confusion only grew further, completely unaware of what he was talking about now.
Xeno blinked. “Are you not into comets? I can vividly recall Senku informing me that you adored watching them.”
You looked down silently. “Yeah, I used to— Well, I still do, I just don't watch them anymore because they remind me too much of him.”
You glanced at him briefly. “He was the one who got me into them, y’know?”
He visibly paused. “How tragic…The same goes for him.”
You tilted your head, confused yet again. “Hah?”
Xeno leaned forward, “Say, are you aware of the new potentially greatest astronomical event of the 21st century?”
You narrowed your eyes in confusion. “I'm not updated with any of those. Senku used to be the one making my calendars.”
“Of course he was.” You heard him mutter out before continuing. “There's an extremely bright comet bound to reach perihelion in two years or so. Senku was the one who discovered it.
“At NASA, we follow the standardized naming guidelines, such as naming it after the discoverer.” He then stared straight at you. “Though Senku named his comet after you.”
Your brows knit together instantly, nearly dropping the teacup in your hand. “...He what?”
“He named the comet he discovered after you.” He repeated casually, as if he didn't just drop a bomb of information right at you. “Truthfully speaking, he managed to easily request it after negotiating with the higher-ups. What a romantic way to make use of his reputation, don't you think so?”
You were far too baffled to answer. “...Why would he do that?”
Xeno adjusted his glasses. “You'd have to ask him yourself. Though if I were to hypothesize— he was thinking of you.”
He gazed at you again. “Were you not always like a comet in his life? Disappearing then returning to his orbit after years. He had always considered you as someone who brightened up his days, even when he didn't admit it out loud. It was evident enough.”
“I need you to understand the weight of the information.” Then, he leaned back and took a slow sip of his tea. “He was in the ISS when it happened. He had the world beneath him, the moon near him, the vastness of space surrounding him— and yet he thought of you.”
Your breath caught as your brain was slowly processing the large pieces of information suddenly given to it. Yet your heart was pacing faster than ever.
For the last two years, you had thought he had moved forward with his life after the final phone call. How couldn't you after hearing his name on the news every now and then? He had achieved far greater things even without you—how could you not think he chose to move forward after you told him to?
Your chest ached painfully. How could it not after learning that even after everything, the breakup, even after achieving the dream he had spent almost his entire life chasing—a part of him still curved back to you?
Xeno glanced at you, observing your reaction. He knew his mentee would not be pleased to know that he chose emotional psychological warfare so early in the morning, considering your condition.
Yet what had to be done had to be done.
He paused, thinking over the next set of words he was about to tell you.
“It's such a shame the ring was never used.”
His words hung in the air, heavy and suffocating, and your entire body stilled as you stared at him with something unreadable. You swore you felt your heart falter for a moment as the weight of his words settled through.
“...What?” You managed to blurt out, though your voice was faint.
His eyes narrowed slightly behind his glasses. And this time, he was also confused. It had been almost four years since the ring had appeared in the picture; shouldn't you have known it by now?
“You still don't know?”
The world seemed to stop as every other sound became distant. Everything blurred together, yet your heartbeat didn't as it slammed violently against your ribs.
“What…?” You repeated painfully.
Xeno's brows furrowed as his realization washed over him. You were clueless, genuinely clueless that it caught him off guard.
“You really don't know.” He confirmed loud enough that the three who were pretending not to eavesdrop heard.
You looked back at the other three as they exchanged knowing glances. And that was enough for you to conclude that they knew. They knew information that involved your own life, yet you didn't.
“What ring?” Your voice came out sharper this time. Desperate and demanding for an answer.
“What ring, Xeno?” You repeated desperately as panic began to build up within your nerves.
He paused as he carefully considered whether he should answer your question. Because he was aware that one wrong move could potentially kill the remaining chances of mending what had been broken.
Then finally, he exhaled while silently hoping the decision he made was the right one. “The engagement ring he traveled across three continents to make.”
Everything felt like it stopped this time for real as you stared at him with eyes that blurred from the burning tears that threatened to fall—the burning tears you failed to notice.
For a moment, your brain simply refused to acknowledge what he had just told you. It absolutely couldn't. You had spent years convincing yourself of a different reality, and now you were hearing information that contradicted the whole thought completely.
“He was planning to propose…?” Your voice finally cracked through as you held back a sob that threatened to escape.
Your stomach twisted violently after hearing your own words. Because suddenly memories were resurfacing—memories that connected the dots you failed to notice.
Multiple memories burned through your head, yet the ones that burned the most were his promise to show you every other comet, the news that he built the house you had talked about over what you thought was just a forgotten memory in his head, and the way he sounded desperate to try again during the final phone call.
He was planning to propose, yet you had given up on him before he could.
“...I believe,” he began slowly as he placed his tea cup back on the table. “It would be better if Senku answered that for himself.”
You stood so abruptly that the chair nearly toppled over behind you. And for a moment, the world tilted. The sudden movement sent a violent pulse of pain through your head, making your vision blur for a brief moment.
Your fever and headache immediately protested, yet they weren't enough to silence the burning adrenaline that seeped through every nerve in your body, as well as the violent pounding of your heart that was seeking for an answer to the question Xeno had refused to answer.
“...He was planning to propose?”
Your own question burned inside your head, desperate to be answered, as well as the memory of another question.
“What ring, Xeno?”
Your legs were already moving before your mind could catch up. The golf course disappeared behind you as the garden came into your view once again. The neatly cut grass blurred together with the pathways of the hotel as you broke into a run.
Immediately, your body rebelled against your action as it was in no state for the sudden physical movement. Pain shot through your limbs again, yet you kept running out of desperation.
Out of the desperation for answers—answers that you needed to hear from him.
The other three decided to break their silence as they approached Xeno, who watched as your figure disappeared from his view, as if he was calculating something in his head again.
“Xeno-chan!” Gen’s frantic voice was the first to break the silence. “Why would you tell her that?!”
Stanley lowered his golf club before glancing sideways at Xeno. “Won’t your mentee be furious at you for that?”
Gen whipped his head towards Stanley, “Furious is an understatement! I stopped myself from overstepping because of her condition and the fact that Senku-chan would definitely come for my throat!”
Ryusui couldn’t even tell if he found the situation concerning or amusing. “Seriously! She’s still sick, Xeno.”
Xeno calmly adjusted his glasses, entirely unbothered by the accusations thrown his way. “Exactly, I calculated for these specific conditions.”
They all stared at him with matching confusion and disbelief.
Xeno let out a sigh, as if his answer should’ve been painfully obvious by now. “Senku is currently at peak emotional concern for her condition. Which significantly heightens the probability of honest communication once they encounter each other again.”
“You manipulated the timing on purpose.” Stanley deadpanned as soon as he understood what Xeno was trying to say.
“Correct.” He didn't even bother denying it.
All three of them stared once again as the scientist simply took another sip of his tea.
“You make it sound like you're proud of that,” Gen groaned dreadfully.
“I am. I calculated the timing perfectly.”
“Xeno-chan!”
“What?” Xeno replied flatly. “Would you have preferred another year of this?”
The question silenced Gen because, unfortunately, he had a point. A terribly honest point.
“For three years, they've remained mutually attached to one another.” He began listing with his fingers. “Neither has moved on, neither has entered a new relationship, both continue to yearn for one another painfully without knowing it.”
Then, he folded his arms. “Yet neither of them attempted to resolve the situation. Well, if we don't consider Senku’s attempt two years ago, which truthfully I think he should've tried harder.”
He paused and raised a brow at them. “Tell me why exactly I should continue tolerating that? Though it doesn't affect Senku's work efficiency, it does affect his silence.”
Gen opened his mouth, only to close it after a moment. He opened it again and sighed. He knew Xeno was right; he confirmed it with his debriefing sessions with Yuzuriha every now and then regarding both sides of the relationship.
Stanley gazed upon the hotel, then at Xeno. “Still doesn't explain why you told her about the ring.”
Ryusui nodded in agreement. The expression on his face was suddenly serious. “Stanley's right. Senku hasn't even told her closest friend, Yuzuriha, about it. I doubt Gen and the others would've known too if they hadn't noticed it.”
Xeno gestured for them to sit down. “The comet wasn't enough.”
Gen blinked in disbelief. “You literally just told her he named a comet after her…”
He nodded. “That I did, however, she already knew he still cared.”
“He took care of her the whole night simply because she was sick,” he took another slow sip of his tea. “The comet only supported that idea far greater, as well as confirmed that he still thought of her.”
“The ring, on the other hand, confirmed that he had planned a future with her.” He continued with a scheming look on his face. “The moment she heard of the proposal, every assumption she had built over the course of three years collapsed. Which forced immediate confrontation since she's seeking answers from him now.”
Ryusui grinned at him, though his disbelief was still evident. “Haha! You're insane, Xeno!”
Gen groaned dramatically into his hands once again. “Senku-chan is going to come for you— for us, for not interfering too.”
He turned his head at Xeno. “You told his ex-girlfriend about the proposal he never got to give, he's going to drown us in acid!”
Xeno merely shrugged. “I doubt it. I've already considered his reaction.”
“Once they reconcile, he will be too occupied to remain angry.” Then, with a scheming smile, he spoke. “Or the second he sees her running back to him, crying and demanding answers, he'll significantly have larger concerns than drowning us in acid.”
The silence that followed lasted exactly three seconds. Ryusui was the first to break it as he doubled over laughing. Gen stared in disbelief, wondering how he dragged himself into this, while Stanley fought the urge to laugh, though a smile broke through.
“You planned his reaction too?!” Gen yelled, horrified at the insanity of the conversation.
Xeno merely hummed. “Of course, I had to keep everything precise in order to win the betting pool. And if the latter happens, it gives me enough time to orchestrate a plan in case the worst-case scenario happens.”
“I can't believe you orchestrated that because of a bet! Can’t believe you joined it too!”
“Correction, that's merely forty percent of my reasoning. Truthfully speaking, my main objective was to save both parties another year of watching and suffering their painfully obvious yearning.”
He smiled smugly. “Senku had another two years to improve his emotional intelligence. I'm certain he won't screw this up this time.”
⋆⭒˚.⋆
The elevator ride felt far too slow.
Every second dragged unbearably as your thoughts spiraled for answers faster than your body could keep up with. Your fever still burned beneath your skin, your head still throbbed painfully, and your lungs protested instantly the second you halted when you reached the elevator.
Yet your adrenaline continued to drown everything out. Because all your head could think—all you could hear were fragments of memories: the engagement ring, the proposal that never occurred.
“I’ll show you every other comet myself if I have to.”
“No, don’t say that.”
“I'm sorry I kept making you wait.”
“Will your life be better if I remain out of it?”
“I’ve never seen him so incomplete after you.”
“You'd have to ask him yourself. Though if I were to hypothesize— he was thinking of you.”
“It's such a shame the ring was never used.”
Your hands trembled violently as you stumbled through the hallway, nearly missing the room number entirely before stopping it. And before hesitation could or the pain could stop you, your hand tapped the keycard on the door, and shoved it open with the remaining strength that you had.
Inside the room, a disheveled Senku immediately turned towards the door the second he heard the abrupt sound. He stood beside the desk, phone pressed against his ear.
The relief on his face appeared instantly. So immediate and genuine that it nearly hurt you far more than it should have.
“There you are,” he breathed out sharply, relief overshadowing the concern in his eyes.
His shoulders visibly loosened as if he'd been holding tension in them the entire time you were gone.
On the other side of the call, you heard Kohaku's concerned voice. “Is she back?!”
Senku dragged a hand down his face. “Yeah, she's here already. I'll call you back later.”
Then he ended the call. The moment the phone lowered from his ear, his expression shifted again—relief was quickly overtaken by concern as he took in your state properly.
He noticed your uneven breathing, your flushed skin, your trembling fists as they clutched near your sides. And the tears that gathered in your eyes. He immediately frowned, questioning why there were tears in your eyes.
He clicked his tongue softly, already striding towards you. “What the hell were you thinking wandering around while running a fever and a hangover? Your lungs were still filing a complaint earlier and—”
“Senku.” You cut him with a voice that cracked badly enough to stop him, staring straight at him with eyes that burned with tears.
Your hands clenched tighter at your sides as the emotions and everything else in between felt too much. First, the proximity because of the wedding, the fact that he took care of you the whole night because you were sick, the yearning, the comet—and now, the ring.
You swallowed hard as your heart violently pounded against your rib. “...What ring was Xeno talking about?”
Silence. You were met with complete silence the second the words escaped from your lips. It was almost horrifying when you noticed the way he went still with a slight frown.
Yet before you could say another word, his expression shifted into something else as his focus changed entirely. Because, despite the situation, his main concern was still you.
“Tch,” he stepped forward again, brows furrowing further. “Sit down first before you pass out.”
You shook your head, and your voice cracked harder this time. “No, answer my question.”
His jaw tightened faintly. “Did Xeno seriously tell you that while you're sick?” He muttered under his breath, sounding half irritated and half horrified.
He moved closer until his hand could reach out and touch your forehead, expression turning far more visibly concerned.
“You're burning up again,” his voice lowered. “Did you seriously run all the way back here with your condition?”
You swatted his hand away weakly, and your eyes watered harder. “Answer me first.”
A cough suddenly tore through your throat before you could stop it, making his expression immediately darken as he grabbed a hold of you gently.
“See? This is why you shouldn't have wandered around.” He grabbed the nearest water bottle and pushed it near you. “Drink first.”
You stared at him with disbelief. “How can you still avoid the question right now?!” Your throat burned harder at the sudden rise of your voice.
“Because your condition's getting worse by the second.” He shot back immediately, eyes narrowing at you. “Your fever had already hit thirty-nine degrees earlier, and then you went ahead and wandered around the hotel on your own—”
You fought back the cough that threatened to escape. “Were you going to propose to me?”
He went silent once again, that even the faint trace of irritation on his face disappeared as you stared at him with pleading, teary eyes.
“...Answer me,” you demanded weakly as your breathing shook unevenly.
He remained silent and turned his head away. And that alone shattered you further because he rarely looked away from situations, especially the difficult ones.
“Please,” your voice broke completely. You needed to hear it from him. “Please just answer me, Sen.”
Though before he could speak, another rough cough broke through from your throat. Far worse than the previous ones, as you had to hold onto his arms to steady yourself.
And instantly, he held you tighter as his eyes finally returned to you again
“Easy,” his voice dropped into something softer. “Don't push yourself too hard.”
Your eyes remained locked onto him desperately. Your heart needed to hear the answer from him before it completely tore itself apart. “Were you?”
Then finally, after what felt like an eternity of forcing the answer out of him, he exhaled shakily through his nose.
“...Yeah.”
The single word was enough to destroy you completely; your face crumbled instantly as your tears finally spilled. A broken sound escaped your throat this time, and your knees suddenly felt weak.
Senku caught you immediately, his grip tightening again. “Hey—”
Another cough hit you harshly, followed by a sharp shot of pain through your head, painful enough to make you squeeze your eyes shut.
He clicked his tongue, adjusting his hold on you as panic flickered onto his face. “Your condition's getting worse, you need to lie back down—”
But you clutched onto the fabric of his sweater before he could move you away. Your lungs felt tight, your chest hurt—everything hurt. Because suddenly, the last three years no longer made any sense.
“Why? You cried out weakly. “Why didn't you tell me?”
Senku didn’t answer again as he held you in his arms carefully, as if he could stop you from falling apart completely because of him. His touch bled through the fabric of your sleeves, grounding and painful all at once.
Your hands clutched onto the fabric tighter, enough to wrinkle it. “Why didn’t you say anything? First the house, then the ring— Why didn’t you tell me any of it?”
“When I said I couldn’t do it anymore…The first time, three years ago, the second time, when you called two years ago…” You spoke around another sob. “Why didn’t you stop me?”
His expression shifted slightly, so subtly that most people would miss it. But you didn’t, because after loving him for so long, you had learned every version of his silence.
And this one—this one looked painful.
“Why didn’t you try to make me stay…?” Your breathing staggered. “I would’ve— I would’ve stayed— I would’ve returned back to you if you tried.”
His throat bobbed harshly, and for several seconds, he didn’t say anything. Then, finally,
“...You were crying.” The answer came out barely above a whisper. It sounded raw, immediate, yet honest.
“You were crying so hard you could barely breathe.” His voice sounded rough as his eyes held regret. “All I could think about was the fact that I caused it.”
“You looked exhausted.” He let out a laugh that sounded weak and bitter. “Like being with me was wearing you down.”
And truthfully speaking, it did.
Your chest physically ached when you heard him say that. It triggered another set of tears to roll down your face.
“I wanted to stop you, ten billion percent wanted to.” He confessed, the regret in his eyes mixed with longing.
“But every conclusion pointed towards the same thing.” He continued, voice growing quieter with every word. “If I made you stay…You would've kept pushing yourself past your limit.”
His right hand reached out closer to your face, thumb gently wiping away your tears. A gesture far too familiar.
“That would've been worse than losing you.”
To everyone else, his words would've sounded like another one of his logical solutions, calculated after weighing the variables of the situation. But you knew better. You knew better because you knew him.
You knew what he was trying to say behind the weight of his words. He had let you go, not because he had stopped loving you, not because he thought chasing you was irrational—not because he wanted to.
All you could hear was the confession buried beneath a facade of logic.
I let you go because I loved you too much to keep hurting you.
A broken sob escaped you instantly, and before you could stop yourself, you moved with the remaining strength you could muster.
Your arms wrapped around him desperately, almost collapsing into him from the sudden movement and the sheer weight of everything hitting you all at once.
You felt him freeze as your fingers curled into the fabric of his sweater, your face buried into his shoulders as your body trembled against him.
“For someone so smart, you're an idiot at this.” You cried brokenly. “I would've said yes if you asked.”
Senku inhaled sharply as you sobbed violently on his shoulders.
“I would've said yes even if you proposed even when I was falling apart because I loved you so stupidly that I wouldn't care at all— I would've said yes to you every single time.”
For one horrible second, he didn't move. But then he did. His arms wrapped around you, gentle yet firm, as if restraint itself had snapped completely.
One hand pressed against the back of your head, while the other held your shaking body close against his. The way he held you felt careful, desperate, almost disbelieving. Like a man mourning something he thought he had permanently lost.
For a moment, your sobs were the only thing that could be heard as he held you in his arms. But then, a cough suddenly ripped through your throat again. And immediately, his hold shifted.
He clicked the roof of his tongue. “Your condition's really getting worse.”
You shook your head weakly against his shoulder, hugging him tighter. “I don't care.”
“Yeah, well, I do.” His tone was firm, leaving no room for debate.
And before you could even muster a retort, he lifted you in his arms and strided across the room almost instantly.
“Hey—!”
He sat you down on the chair in the desk area, and that was when you noticed a tray of food with a plate that was covered with a cloche.
“Before you ask again like last night, it's basic physics and training.” He shot flatly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
His hand moved to adjust your cardigan, then to your face once again as he wiped the remaining tears away. And finally, he pushed your hair back from your face, fingers making contact with the skin of your forehead.
“... You're literally burning up,” he remarked softly.
You tried to laugh weakly through tears. “Yeah, you've mentioned that a lot today.”
“Because it keeps getting worse.” His hands moved to remove the cloche, and the aroma of a warm, comforting soup reached your nose almost instantly.
“You're suffering a fever, a hangover, and a cough.” He took the utensils in his hands. “How the hell did you even manage to leave and run back like that?”
Your eyes drifted away guiltily for half a second because you could audibly hear the concern in his voice. “...Adrenaline?”
He stared at you in disbelief before grabbing the other chair to sit next to you. “You need to eat first and drink medicine.”
You opened your mouth to argue immediately. “We still have a lot to talk about—”
“And we will,” he cut you off softly, bringing the spoon full of soup close to your lips after he checked the temperature of it. “After your condition gets better.”
Bonus:
The medicine worked slowly, but enough to bring down your temperature and fade the ache in your head, and your cough had finally lessened.
Senku stood near the desk as you lay on the bed again, covered beneath the comfort of blankets. He had to answer a call after your condition had finally improved.
You shifted slightly after half-listening to him speak to a co-worker, to which you were barely interested besides hearing his voice.
“Senku…” You softly called out to grab his attention.
He hummed and tilted his head as he shoved his phone back into his pocket. “Yeah?”
You hesitated for a brief moment. “...What happens now?”
He remained silent for a few moments as if he was thinking about the question you asked. Then, he replied. “Depends.”
You tilted your head this time, brows knitted slightly. “Depends on what?”
His gaze remained on you. “...Whether you'd still choose me again.”
You blinked for a few seconds before your face twisted in absolute disbelief. “You’re really an idiot…”
And before he could process it properly, a pillow hit him square on the face.
“Oi—”
“For someone with a ridiculously high IQ, you seriously suck at this!” You snapped, tears already forming around your eyes again.
The pillow landed on his foot, and you continued. “You're really asking me that— After all of this?!”
He stared at you silently, genuinely caught off guard at your sudden outburst.
You angrily wiped your tears away. “It was so hard trying to move on from you— Avoided any mention of you at all costs, kept convincing myself ending things was for the better—”
You looked away, embarrassed by how emotional you suddenly sounded again, then looked back just to glare at him. “And you're standing here, indirectly asking me if I still love you? Jerk.”
He stayed still for another second, but then, you heard a soft snort, followed by a laugh. Your anger nearly rose again at his reaction as he walked towards you, hand covering his mouth as he tried to conceal his laughter.
You threw a decorative pillow at him this time. “Stop laughing! I'm literally having an emotional breakdown because of you!”
He caught it before it could land on his face again. Then, he sat near you on the edge of the bed and noticed that there were still tears on your face.
His hand instantly reached out again to wipe them away. With a soft voice, he said, “Stop crying already.”
“I hate seeing you cry,” his knuckles brushed gently against your cheek. “Especially because of me.”
“Glad you're self-aware.” You spat out, yet you didn't pull away from his touch.
He snickered, gaze softening at your words as a smile settled on his face.
Then, a question appeared in your head, making you shift closer to him. “Can I see the ring?”
His reaction was immediate. He stared at you as if you had asked him to travel and inspect the core of the sun— or the edge of the observable universe.
“No.” He replied firmly.
Your face fell. “What do you mean, no?”
He shook his head and repeated, “No.”
Your jaw dropped. “What— Why?!”
Senku looked genuinely offended by your question. “You literally just gave me the possibility of proposing again.”
You felt your left eye twitch. “But I want to see the ring!”
The bastard had the audacity to turn away. “Request denied.”
You gasped dramatically and grabbed a pillow to smack him this time. Yet he barely reacted.
“Xeno said you traveled three continents to make it. I want to see why!”
He clicked his tongue in annoyance. “Xeno told you too much. I'm having a talk with him later.”
You whined and grabbed his arm. “I want to see the ring.”
“And I said no.” He replied, far more firmly this time.
Then, he reached for his tablet on the bedside table. “I have something else to show you instead.”
You moved closer eagerly. “Is it the 3D design of the ring?”
He frowned and clicked his tongue again. “Why are you so eager to see it?”
“Because you were supposed to propose with it. Can't you sense the weight of that?!”
He didn't answer; instead, he tapped on the screen before handing the device to you.
You blinked, confused, before taking it from his hands. That was when your eyes landed on countless photos of comets. Each image contained the comet's name, the date, coordinates, and other observation details.
Your throat tightened as you looked up at him. He was already staring at you with a soft gaze that made your heart falter for a moment.
“I told you I'll show you every other comet, didn't I?”
A memory flashed in your head for a brief moment as you froze. The hill, a telescope, NEOWISE, and “I'll show you every other comet myself if I have to.”
Your vision blurred instantly as you set the tablet down on your lap. “...Hah, and you kept saying I was the sappy one.”
He snickered softly, making you jab his arm weakly as your voice cracked between your next words. “You kept your promise— Gosh, I hate you so much!”
You jabbed him harder this time, earning a small yelp from him. He raised a brow at you, rubbing the spot. “That's what I get in return?”
You glared at him through tears. “You documented comets after we broke just to show me, and then you named one after me, too.”
His eyes narrowed in annoyance. “I'm definitely having a talk with Xeno after this.”
You ignored his statement and wiped your tears away with the sleeves of your cardigan. “I could kiss you right now if I weren't sick and contagious.”
You muttered out, using the term he used to use whenever you were sick back then.
He chuckled lightly before moving closer to cradle your face with his hand. Then, his thumb slowly wiped a stray tear away. And before you could say anything else, he leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss on your forehead.
“You're acting like I haven't shown you comets before, idiot.”
A/N: ARGHH, IT WAS SO FUN WRITING THIS EVEN WHEN I WAS SICK (manifested it while writing this, LMAO) I really hope Senku wasn’t ooc, or the other characters cuz I tried really hard to make sure they weren’t. Anyways, thank you all again for patiently waiting. I hope I've given the therapy to heal the damage I've done with the previous part, mwhehe. Love you guys, mwah! ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡
TAGLIST for those who requested pt.2: @alonelyartist1432 @nanasecrect @auverry1 @readerisbusyreading @coralsands-world @riettyinsanji @alexa24 @kiyocakes @rachel178 @cosmicmonky @syaliscen @choneio @yokokoy @teacup-fics @ranzemn @alorss @4r13y @larisa-post
koro-sensei deserves so many fics omg! and i really wish i could write for senku, but he's is so fucking smart, how am i ever supposed to capture his character! shikamaru is an underrated king.
2. THE MAGICIANS
need i say anything? look at their eyes ughhhhhhhhhhh need more.
3. THE GOOFBALLS
i am still shocked by how few Luffy-centric fics we have. it's just not fair! jiraya is a genuine hear me out, but i think people can relate...right? and for naruto, i mean exclusively adult naruto, i've seen barely a handful :(
stormborns
prguitarman
titsay
origamiaround
izzy806
