so women are supposed to grin and bear the books, the comics, the movies, the plays, the tv shows, the stories, the sci-fi, the translated ancient poems, the fucking millennia of men writing about their self inserts torturing women and it being declared as High Art by other men, we’re supposed to read it in our free time, study it in classrooms, include their styles in our own writing, accept their cultural influence as natural, watch it in the cinema, write about it, talk about it, accept it, aspire it, but men can’t tolerate three seconds of female wish fulfilment of a woman snapping the wrist of a creep without feeling personally kicked in the balls.
This reminds me of something I observed in college while I was doing my honors thesis on women in modern horror films. I watched a LOT of horror during that time as part of my research, and sometimes that was done with my family around.
And my dad and brothers? Were deeply disturbed by the movie Jennifer’s Body. I was flabbergasted. It’s not scary! It’s not even that gory. But they were horrified by it. These men who grew up on 70s slashers were legitimately shook by 90 minutes of Megan Fox eating a few teenage boys, mostly off-screen.
Similarly, my all-male reading panel for my thesis? Were so disturbed by my synopsis of the film Teeth that they couldn’t even talk about it. One of them said he couldn’t look at his wife for a week after reading it.
Again, grown-ass men who study and teach media for a living. Who definitely watch and enjoy horror movies. One of whom was a huge Tarantino buff. We watched and read worse in his intro to mass media class! But one movie about a girl whose vag could bite was enough to haunt him.
Then of course you have things like the Gone Girl backlash–men yelling that Amy Dunne is evil and women clamoring to assure everyone that they know she is not someone to emulate–the backlash against Carol Danvers, and, more recently, the griping from MRAs against the upcoming film Hustlers, which is about strippers scamming their Wall Street clients.
My conclusion? Most men–at least most straight, cisgender men, who are both my sample population and most of the ones whining that Carol is a “villain”–are perfectly fine with, and desensitized to, media where men do violence to women (horror movies), or men do violence to men (horror and action movies). They’re even sort of fine when women do violence to women (“ooooo cat fight!”).
But they get intensely uncomfortable when women are depicted doing any kind of violence to men, especially in films that tilt the balance of power to the other side of the m/f gender binary beyond a single moment or scene.
So woman as flesh-eating monster with men as her preferred cuisine? Woman who responds to unwanted sexual contact by biting it off? Woman who frames her cheating husband for murder? Woman whose response to harassment–behavior that many of the loudest whiners know is both creepy and reflective of their own thoughts/actions–is to break something?
Too scary. Unacceptable. Disturbing. These men hate being presented with the idea, even in fiction, that their position of power is socially constructed, that it could easily be flipped the other way. It terrifies them.
In feeling that terror, they experience a tiny modicum of what living, existing, moving, being perceived as a woman in the world is like.
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.
This has nothing to do with anything, but i would love to share a drawing i made about a my little pony oc(more like ponysona honestly) she has no name, or cutiemark, since i don't think i would have a cutiemark either, but she's a crystal pony cuzzz i wanted to make her one
Left to bleed out and die a slow death by his father's hands, Kwei succumbs to the pull of slumber and blacks out. What he wakes up to isn't what he expects.
Kwei x Gn! Reader
A/N: I guess since basically nobody else is doing this, I'LL make some Kwei oneshots.
I've only seen the movie twice and Kwei is very funny to me. He seems so much quieter than Dek, and just… calm for a Yautja in general? I guess it's normal considering the other movies. Seeing him slap Dek around was also fun.
Possibly ooc…?
TW: some yautja blood :3 mc smacks Kwei and gets the intimidation treatment. also mentions of a severed arm :3
WORD COUNT : 5,485 (I got carried away)
Pain was a familiar to Kwei.
He's recalled pain through the stories scrawled and written across his body in scars. Three-clawed slashes from dangerous creatures. Broken skin healed over from traps set by Yautja of other clans, usually bad bloods. Scars from prey that escaped him. Scars from those that lined the walls of his ship's trophy room. He could recall each prickle and red-hot scalding stab of pain he's felt from a single glance. Kwei has felt so much before.
But nothing like this.
The dull, bottomless, helplessly growing ache in his chest that came with holding his own blade against his brother's throat. The same blade that sliced cleanly through flesh and set blood free from the confines of skin and muscle.
His fondness for Dek had done this to him. Had it been any other Yautja ordered to do this, they would've sliced Dek's head off in a heartbeat.
Watching the panicked, almost pleading, disbelieving gaze etched onto Dek's petrified features only deepened the sinkhole that opened in his stomach. His brother's mandibles had flared out in snarls and loud growling shrieks… but Kwei knew better. His growls weren't a warning to Kwei. They were cries for mercy— a concept shown by next to no Yautja. Worthy prey was hunted. Yautja were predators to all.
And above all else, weakness was not tolerated among their kind.
Fragility was not accepted. The frail and feeble were cast aside.
Yet Kwei could not stand the thought of doing the same to his very own brother. Dek, who stuck his neck out for him, even when they were stupid children. His brother, who lost a fang saving him from a deadly children's toy. The one who stood beside him longer than their father had ever been around.
Kwei disobeyed his father. He raised his own blade against him and sent Dek away. Far away— to Genna, where he could hunt and bring back his trophy. He would honor the family. Him. Kwei.
"Bring it back home," Kwei had said, clutching his severed arm to his chest before saving his brother from Njohrr. His memory would be honored by Dek's Kalisk trophy.
Now he was here. Fighting off the call of dhi'ki-de just long enough for him to watch his ship disappear into the sky. It was an honor in itself, wasn't it? He felt that it was. Dek would be safe inside of his ship. The cruel, harsh lands of Genna would test his brother, but that little runt was nothing if not resilient. A good fighter, a good hunter…. a good Yautja. Dek would be a good Yautja. Maybe Genna would whip the stubborn, ignorant arrogance out of him, and whip some common sense in.
An airy chuckle slipped from his mouth. Blood followed shortly after, speckling the insides of his mandibles with green, glowing blood. This pain didn't matter at all. Not when Dek was out of Njohrr's grasp.
Kwei could die like this… really, he could.
He was content knowing he protected his brother.
He was at peace.
The Yautja laid out on the padded medical table is… big, to say the least. But your ship told you that he was rather average for a Yautja. It made you wonder if he was an Elite yet or just a blooded hunter. Unless you could see his trophies, then you'll refrain from putting too many labels on him.
…Armor makes you think of Elite. Just not quite Elder status since he's clearly got some youth to him. That, and the lack of accessories you've seen elders adorned with.
But blooded also makes sense— you're getting off track!
You tentatively glanced at his severed arm. Technically, you could reattach it. What irked you was the damage. It was badly burned. So you were going to do the easier thing and give him a new one. If you kept the lopped off limb in some Weyland Yutani Corporation Regenerative Juices ™, they might make a dent in the damaged flesh.
You hoped it did. You didn't want to be on the receiving end of a Yautja's wrath.
All of his armor was set aside in preparation for your little operation. What he was left in were some plain fabric clothes. Simple enough to protect him from the elements, and practical for his armor.
Plasma cannon! Cool. These were one of the weapons you never got the chance to see up close without the fear of three dots locking onto your form. The metal was smooth to the touch and had an appropriate weight to it.
Your eyes flitted back to the Yautja as he shifted. You held your breath for a moment— had the anesthesia seriously worn off already?
Fortunately, it hadn't, and he settled rather quickly, his head gently lulling to the other side. His dreadlocks fell away to expose the rest of his neckline, where lighter lines alerted you of scars long healed over. The 'hair' on his head interested you more than the scars. They were considerably thinner compared to the thick, hefty ones you've seen in your few encounters with Yautja warriors. Some had them, some didn't. They were just as varied as humans were, in all honesty.
His shoulder guards and arm gauntlets were placed beside it. As were his weapons. In reach, if he suddenly decided to bypass a bunch of drugs meant to keep him unconscious and numb and beat your ass. No point in locking his stuff up— you'd love to keep your head on your shoulders instead of pissing him off.
With all of his things taken care of, you did one final sweep to check his injuries. Most of them healed rapidly thanks to your ship's immaculate medical abilities. You'd be absolutely screwed without them. As you ran your hands carefully over the healed wounds, you took note of how hot he ran. You weren't worried that he was running a fever— more so curious as to why his body radiated such heat. To add onto your many satisfied curiosities, you found that his skin was an odd mixture of roughly textured and smooth skin. Almost like an alligator's hide with a lot more give. The color, a reddish-brown, was deep, with lighter hues around the center of his face.
And his face… he had a strong set of mandibles on him. It felt strange, viewing a Yautja so closely. They weren't a species known for being friendly and outspoken. No, they… they were private. Secluded, only venturing the vast universe for hunts. You heard they reserved their faces for family and, in rare cases, worthy opponents. His fangs were big. A quick comparison told you that they were larger than your pointer fingers.
The Yautja took a particularly deep breath, his exhale lightly shaking his mandibles in his medically induced slumber.
"Excuse me for just a second," you murmured under your breath, removing the last bit of armor he had. It was a simple neck piece that slipped beneath the rest of his shirt, the former of which you promptly whisked away. "I've got to make sure nothing pokes you while you shift around."
His muscles were firm. He could crack your head like an egg with his remaining arm if he wanted.
Then again, couldn't all Yautja do that to you?
Ah, right, you had a job to do. Weyland should've killed you by now for your thoughts. They always had a mind of your own and ran on for far too long.
You gently moved his dreadlocks out of the way so they didn't catch on the metal tools you had set out. But with how heavily sedated he was, and how much blood he lost, you weren't too worried about him waking up anytime soon. Whatever cut his arm off ended up cauterizing some of the marred flesh. It prevented him from bleeding out right away.
A soft sigh fell past your lips, your gaze sweeping over his form.
"Who did you piss off, big guy…?"
You sucked your bottom lip between your teeth, getting straight to work on attaching his new arm. Yautja weapons were no joke. They used some sort of laser technology for a lot of their shit. This clean slice was clearly done by a blade.
It took you hours to connect this refined prototype of yours. The ship's advanced medical systems found the nerves and muscles you could work with. The cauterized wounds had to be reopened for the new cybernetic augmentation. Flexible, durable, and strong. Weyland Yutani lost a good synth technician. Or an insane one. You liked brushes with death a little too much for your own good.
The time it took was worth it. It made you feel better about yourself that you relied mostly on your own handiwork instead of letting the robotic little pinchers take over and do your work for you. You weren't going to be like those assholes at Weyland who could repair busted synths in a matter of seconds. You were human. You made things more complicated for yourself because you could.
Besides, when are you going to get the chance to simply observe a Yautja like this again?
Kwei doesn't wake up like he thought he would.
Last he checked, he was crumpled up and discarded in his desert biome of a home, trying to ignore the call of dhi'ki-de
So, what in Paya's name was he doing on a medical bed?
It was like bags of lead were set all over his body to keep him from moving. Even blinking took more effort than it normally would've. Kwei's mandibles spread out gently, almost like he were stretching them, before settling flat against his mouth. He was able to glance around once his eyes fully adjusted to the dim lighting of the medical room.
It was unlike his own ship. Cooler tones and sleeker designs, although clearly the interior has seen better days.
Kwei's chest rose and fell with heavy breaths. With each second that passed, he felt the weight easing from his abdomen. Whatever made him so numb and limp was swiftly leaving his system.
His yellow eyes landed on a figure's back. Small, too small to be a Yautja. Smooth skin, a body not fit for constant fighting. It was a human. Kwei knew one when he saw one. They were… annoyingly persistent. In the few trips he's made to earth, Kwei had claimed a few skulls for his own trophy wall. They were good prey and good warriors. He's never been disappointed during his fights.
Most traveling humans had translators in their ships, didn't they? The smart ones, if he remembered correctly.
"Ooman," Kwei slowly spoke, his clicks and murmurs taking on a slightly raspy edge. He must've swallowed half of Yautja Prime's deserts from how scratchy his throat was. "Release me."
You glanced over your shoulder at the sound of his voice. It was deep, not that you expected anything less.
"Huh. You woke up quick…" You swiveled around in your chair, arms folded across your chest. "You're not restrained. I'm not trying to experiment on you or anything like that… just wanted to make sure you didn't die when I found you. You alright?"
He failed to answer. Kwei glanced down at his body. True to your word, he wasn't restrained. He also wasn't without an arm anymore, which stunned him. Here he was thinking that he was experiencing the fabled "phantom pain" he's heard from Elders and those who lost limbs during hunts.
He sat up. Quickly— far too quickly.
"Woah, hold on! Not that fast, come on!"
You scrambled out of your chair to reach him, brushing aside the very real danger of any Yautja being approached so rapidly would've folded their assumed aggressor in half like a lawn chair. You might as well be looking death right in the eye while you're doing this.
The only thing that comforted you was that he was still recovering from the affects of your anesthesia. Which means he's going to fall over if he gets up too fast!! Fuck!!
Your hand shot out to steady him, palm pressing against his chest so he didn't fling himself off of the damn table. You didn't exactly have the time to fear the snapping of his mandibles and enraged glower while you prevented him from smashing his face into the other side of the table. Why were Yautja so hard to calm down?!
A deep growl rumbled from him in response to your touch. The message was loud and clear: "Hands Off", which you weren't stupid enough to ignore. You removed your hand from him, your concerned gaze morphing into an annoyed glare. If he kept moving around so carelessly he was bound to damage the goods.
"Be careful," you warned. "I don't want you ripping that thing out after I spent so long putting it on you. I connected it to a lot of your nerves, too."
Once more, he sat himself up, eyes locked onto the new metal arm he had. He saw where flesh met metal, where the material mimicked the appearance of his remaining hand.
Fearlessly, and almost foolishly, you rolled closer on your swivel chair, resting your arms on the busted back where the headrest was supposed to be. You were too focused on his new prosthetic to care. "Try closing your hand. It should work like a normal arm."
Five digits closed into a fist. The sight alone made your heart soar. You did wonderfully.
I'm a genius. And I didn't even need to use the shit they power their synths with. All I needed to use was his blood. You grinned to yourself, leaning closer to get a better look at the movements of his hand and arm. He tested it out and began bending the prosthetic at the elbow. Each digit and knuckle was also stretched and clenched. It barely made any noise at all, which you prided yourself on above all else. It wasn't loud or annoying!
Anyhow, you were glad he was at least paying attention to your hard work. You had already thought about the fact that his weapons would slip from his grasp if the arm was fully metal, so there was added padding around the hand and where his wrist gauntlet was supposed to go. No use in giving him a new arm if it pissed him off.
You couldn't keep your prideful comment to yourself. "Good, isn't it?"
His eyes immediately shot to you when you decided to open your mouth again. What, he didn't like the way you spoke Yautja?
You rested your chin on crossed arms as you regarded him fully. He was strangely good-looking. Pah, you're looking into things too much. You've basically stared at him for the past few hours. Of course you've gotten used to his features.
"Why am I here?"
"Hmph. I found you bleeding out when I was exploring."
He squinted at you, as if silently asking why you were doing that in the first place. With a soft sigh, you elaborated further.
"Yautja Prime has useful plants when it comes to making medicinal ointments. I figured I'd be able to find something more resilient if I checked on the drier regions of this place. I guess I did find something tough…" You shook the thought out of your head before you asked something you could end up regretting. "What's your name, anyway?"
He had a very serious look now that he was awake. Then again, when weren't Yautja serious? He was the picture of a seasoned hunter. Minus the part about being in pieces when you found him. His hardened features, furrowed, hairless brows, and a scowl. That's a hunter right there. A killer.
So how come the heat in his eyes lacked the lethal hostility Yautja commonly held within them? The kind you were used to seeing wasn't particularly present within him. Perhaps he had more important matters on his mind.
Seeing that he wasn't in the mood to go first, you introduced yourself casually after returning to your seat. He processed it, head cocking to the side subtly, mandibles lifting.
You gestured to him. "There, you've got my name. I'd like to know yours. It's the least you could do after I patched you up."
"Kwei," he finally said, posture still stiff and rigid as a board. For a fleeting moment, you wondered if a wrench would break if you whacked him over the head with it.
Uncomfortable? You internally mused, keeping your eyes on him and your thoughts to yourself. "Nice to meet you, Kwei. You're good at recovering."
Your ship, your rules. You're not going to peel your eyes off of him like a fool. You aren't that stupid. Worst case scenario— you inject him with some more sedatives and toss him back where you found him.
Still… I can't blame him. He probably thought he was as good as dead when he got it ripped off of him.
Now he was so full of… life. Square shoulders, broad frame, and a power that was left unspoken. The power imbalance was apparent here. You gave him what he was missing only hours ago. An upper hand. Any human who had a proper sense of self-preservation would've double-tapped him or ran the other way. You liked doing weird things for humans and other humanoids alike. What use was your skill if you didn't spread your knowledge and technology?
"Why did you save me?" he asked, having had his fill of your blatant staring.
Crossing one leg over the other, you told him why you did what you did. You'd have the same answers if you were in his position. "I wanted to. It's not very fun seeing others bleed out on the floor alone."
He then lifted his prosthetic arm, simply uttering a "Why?" through strong mandibles.
"Because I wanted to. I knew I could save you. By the way, if you still want your actual arm, I've got it sitting in some fluids that will hopefully heal some of the damages."
You pushed yourself across the room while in your swiveling chair. It's the most dangerous thing you've actually got on your ship since you never strap it down, meaning whoever sits in it during takeoff is just asking to die.
Kwei watched as you pulled a cloth away from a covered cylinder. Beneath it, through thick glass, was his severed arm, suspended in a thick blue liquid.
You left it uncovered and returned to the side of the medical bed. "Careful standing up. I might have to get you something sweet. Blood loss and all."
He stood up, which you raised an eyebrow at, and started to put his armor back on. Shoulder guards, wrist gauntlet, a sling of explosives, the collapsible long sword— the whole shebang. You'd think he's getting ready to kill someone. Whoever wronged him, presumably.
Watching him suit up was a good reward for all your hard work. He was quick with it, too. So you took it all in. The movements of a Yautja suiting back up. Each movement had purpose. Every strap that was tightened— all the mechanisms locking into place and armor seemingly melding against one another as he got himself all fitted out.
Eventually, Kwei noticed one of his items was missing. He slowly turned to you, and good lord, were his eyes very telling.
You stared right back at him to try and figure out what was missing.
Neck armor. You set it aside since it was literally soaked with that bio-luminescent green blood of his. You reached over to the nearby counter you set it on and tossed it over. "Here. That's the only one I had to move away. Happy?"
He said nothing the entire time he assessed all of his belongings. Checking if you took anything for yourself, if you hid a weapon of his to use against him, all of that petty nonsense. If he had some common sense about humans, he'd know that a lot of them didn't have the balls to mess with Yautja.
There wasn't a need for him to say "don't touch my things" again. That one look from him was your only warning.
Still, you explained yourself. You'd talk for the both of you. You got back to your feet, grabbing a nearby bowl of snacks to eat from while you watched him do his thing. Yautja were so interesting. You'd observe him like a performer on the side of the street at this point. "I had to move it because it'd mess with my scanners. Don't get your panties in a twist. And here, have this for being a good patient."
You stuck a dried apricot into his mouth without much warning, not caring if he swallowed or spat it out. He flinched immediately and snarled at you. You cackled and ripped your hand away before he could grab it and break it.
"Eat it!" You encouraged, popping the dried stone fruit into your mouth to show him it was safe. "We use it to help those who donate their blood. It's the least sweet fruit I've got on my ship right now. Drink some water, too."
You offered him his water skin back. He took it, none too kindly, but the tension in his shoulders you saw before had lessened.
After he drank, he refocused on you. Was he sizing you up? The hell are you going to do to him? Pull on one of his dreadlocks? Slap him?
Kwei let out a sound suspiciously similar to a huff and stalked away, turning on his heel to lean back against the counter you kept your supplies at. He crossed his arms—
Only to let out a hiss of pain. His new prosthetic arm had smacked against the side of the cabinet when he folded his arms over his chest. You approached him again, already grabbing at the metal to see what was wrong with it. Kwei didn't flinch away from your touch a second time. No, he watched. Like you did with him, ignoring his glares for you to keep your eyes elsewhere. Kwei observed it all with those light, opaque yellow eyes of his.
Your fluid movements as you inspected the metal arm interested him. So you did this as a job. You were familiar with it, weren't you?
A pyode amedha who worked with things that made others stronger.
A tender fleshed, pudgy, weak and slippery soft-bellied human was helping him. Why?
You were tiny. Smaller than Dek, even.
The reminder momentarily stunned Kwei, allowing you the ample opportunity to fidget with the arm. How could he let it slip from his mind for so long?
You busied yourself with correcting the sensitivity and rambling to Kwei, the one Yautja you were sort of set on pack-bonding wit. This guy was cool.
"Sorry, sometimes it can get kinda sensitive. I'll fix it."
Dek. He needed to return to where his ship used to be. He had to wait for Dek.
"Lift your damn arm. You weigh, like, a ton."
Kwei lifted his arm only to access his gauntlet. A few taps brought up a hologram of his ship's location. Genna. Destination reached. A mock-up of the planet showed a red dot pulsating on one of its continents, showing him that Dek landed on solid ground instead of the sea. Good. That was good.
"Thanks. Can you shift to the side a bit? I need to—"
"I need to return to Yautja Prime. Now."
You paused at his interruption, staring him down for a solid five seconds. "We never left. You can take a look— we're in a cave. Not too far from where I found you, but I know Yautja like killing things that can fight back."
He strode past you, brushing your hand off of his arm, walking around like he owned the ship. "I must go to where I keep my ship. My brother will return there and he isn't aware I survived."
You tagged right along. Trailing behind a Yautja was fun! You couldn't see past this behemoth's hulking form. Your eyes followed each sway of his fleshy dreadlocks as they brushed up against his back.
"Where's your brother? Is he on his blooding ritual?"
He glanced over his shoulder, the slightest twinge of surprise flashing through his features. "You know of it?"
"Ehh… my company sort of required we know about any humanoid species. Anyway, where'd he go? What's his name?"
Kwei took another turn. "You ask too many questions."
"I saved your life."
"I did not ask you too."
I should break his legs. You let out a loud groan. "Come on, I don't even want a repayment. I'm curious."
A guttural rumbling followed your groan. "His name is Dek. I sent him to Genna."
He spotted the cockpit, which he zeroed in on right away. His steps just barely shook the ground, thudding dully through the narrow hallways of your ship. Kwei was comically large compared to your normal-sized halls.
His words registered a second later. You rushed to his side when he planted his ass firmly into the captain's chair. "Wait, what? Did you just say Genna? You sent him to Genna?"
Is he making sure Genna kills him first?!
Kwei's hairless brows furrowed, one arched up in question at your surprise. "Yes. The Death Planet."
"I, I know what Genna is. I think everyone who knows about space knows about Genna."
Genna reminded you of a company you used to work at.
Your eyes flitted to the barely covered up logo on your stolen ship. Weyland liked plastering their corporation everywhere. It was almost on every wall in the ship, which definitely wasn't yours. It was a miracle and a half that you snatched it up from under the company's noses, but it was only because it was an older model they planned to decommission. You ran away from those fools for a reason.
"He definitely shouldn't be there. That's where my old company is," you quickly said, already sliding over to the nearby screen to look up the planet's current coordinates. Kwei, apparently good as new, followed, easily dwarfing your body in order to see what you were doing. "I previously worked for Weyland Yutani. They use alien creatures for weapons and they've dug their claws into that planet for the past two years."
He grunted, glaring at the pitiful controls of the cockpit's monitors and navigation. What a shitty ship. "He's doing his hunt. He won't care about humans. Many of you are pyode."
"I'm not soft," You lied straight to his face.
His shoulders subtly shook with a huff-like laughter. "We call you soft meat for a reason."
Alright, asshole. It was your turn for your brows to raise. "Alright, you got me. What's he hunting?"
"Kalisk," he clicked back.
Eugh.
This time around, you failed at hiding your grimace. Kalisks. Those things were tough creatures and deadly. Last you heard, that's what Weyland Yutani wanted from Genna. A Kalisk specimen to study because of their rumored regenerative powers.
You brought your hand up to your face, rubbing at your temples. Getting there would be a headache. "If you want to go to Genna to see him, then—"
"No," Kwei swiftly cut you off, leaning over you.
When the hell did he stand up? You thought, tilting your head back to look up at him. Oh my god he's fucking huge from here.
"He has to hunt. He needs to return here."
You stared up at him incredulously. He can't seriously be pulling this tactic. An intimidation show? Really? After you fixed his damn arm and kept him from bleeding out? You should pelt him with rocks for his audacity.
Your fingers hovered over the coordinates the ship automatically supplied to you. You slowly brought your hand back down after hearing his wishes. From what you knew about Yautja, they honored the hunt. Like no other. If he doesn't think his brother needs the help, then you definitely shouldn't stick yourself into their business. You've been testing fate and tempting death since you dragged Kwei in here.
Tongue darting over your lips, you relented, switching the screen back to the diagnostics and scans your equipment retrieved from Kwei. If Dek was coming back home with a trophy, it'd be a nice surprise (and relief) for him to see his brother waiting for him.
"…Alright, fine. I won't interrupt on his hunt… but I'm going to monitor what Weyland is doing."
His hunt is one thing. You don't know him yourself, but if Weyland gets involved with Dek to try and profit off Yautja weaponry, that's when you're stepping in. You know humans aren't supposed to have their technology. there's too many of your kind, and a bunch of synths, who would only use it to "better humanity", when in reality, they'd probably start a war using Yautja-made weapons.
"I'll head there if I find out that Weyland is trying to utilize your kind's tech, but I won't stop Dek from doing anything. Is that a deal?"
"…Acceptable," the Yautja decided, mandibles pressing back up against his mouth. He could still taste the subtle tartness that lingered from that fruit you fed him.He's never had anything so sweet before. And he's never had a human force-feed him. "I will stop you from reaching my brother if the need arises."
"If we even go there."
"I would decide. Dek went with my ship. Yours is inferior to Yautja-made designs."
"It's not my creation. I stole it."
He crossed his arms. His flesh hand settled upon the new, cold metal of his new arm. It appeared to weird Kwei out for a split second, as he raised his fingers from the chill. You hadn't gotten the chance to put the final, protective layer over the prosthetic, which would've granted the arm a slightly more realistic feel. You'd let Kwei decide if he wanted the synthetic feel or not.
He seemed to be focused on other things aside from your handiwork. Much to your disappointment. Kwei had leaned over to mess with your navigation.
"You don't exactly have a ship to go there."
"I have yours," Kwei shot back with a tone of finality. Fine, he did have a ship. "I will remain here until my brother returns with the Kalisk."
You smacked his hand away when he attempted to punch in some coordinates. "Cut that out. I've hidden the ship and I don't need you messing with where we are right after you woke up."
He decided to pull that intimidation shit again and stood right up from the captain's chair.
"I know my home planet."
…Maybe the Yautja figured out how to show off to each other a little too well. The intimidation thing was starting to work. The fact that he could pick you up and throw you across the ship also had your resolver wavering.
This is why I can't keep doing kind things. You sourly sat down in the seat beside the captain's chair. Kwei settled back down, eyes roving over the shiny, brand-new prosthetic you so graciously gifted him.
"Ooman."
You let your head fall back against your chair. "I've got a name."
"Pyode."
You glared. "What?"
"You craft limbs… can you craft weapons?"
Your gaze softened at his question. You nodded, sitting up straighter. It wasn't everyday that people asked about what you did for a living. "Yeah. Synths, limbs, and weapons. Picked up on a bit when I had an actual job. Why?"
He took out his long sword, giving a simple flick of his wrist to unsheathe it fully from its retracted state. The sword, almost fully black, sizzled with red-hot energy on the sharp edge of the blade. Kwei held it out to you expectantly.
"My sword was damaged in my last fight. Fix it."
"Prove your worth," is what he's saying.
You grasped the handle, finding it uncomfortable and heavy to hold. Yeah, you weren't made for combat. You were made to rot in a room and make cool cybernetic shit.
"…I thought Yautja weren't supposed to give others their technology."
Kwei turned to face you. His eyes bore into your own for what felt like an eternity. Another smartass comment died on your tongue, and you wondered if his brother dealt with this. The unyielding stare of an older, experienced, firm blooded hunter.
"Fix it," he repeated.
You held his gaze before lowering it, sighing at your own show of submission. He was too good at staring someone down. This really wasn't the whole "my ship my rules" thing you had going on anymore.
Bored of my head, and i have been playing My candy love, Castiel's my route(I must say tho, i have Lysandro on -65 and Nathaniel on -55, Armin on barely 20 and Ken on 100 ofc), obviouslyyyy, im on High School's life episode 31, out of pa's >>n<<,
This is my first time writing, sorry if it's ultra messy
But i know him enough, soooo..
Here's a few headcanons of how would i think he be with a musician!reader partner(Can be gf or bf) on both HighSchoolLife and University/love life :
Highschoollife Castiel : HSL!Castiel
Universitylife Castiel: UL!Castiel
Love life Castiel : Ll!Castiel
Should i make more?
Yes
Another character(on comments)
Voting ended onMar 26
If something is written wrong, sorry, english's not my native language. (That's also why i write Debrah instead of Deborah or Debbie or whatever form you know her)
HSL!Castiel with musician!reader partner would probably try and convince Lysandro to put you on their band.
HSL!Castiel with a musician!reader partner would invite you to see him practice(or practice with him) at the school's basement at night.
HSL!Castiel with a musician!reader partner would invite you a cigarette if you smoke, if not, he'll just throw the smoke the other way.
HSL!Castiel with a musician!reader partner. If Debrah came back when you two were already dating, he would push her away and reject the opportunity of being in a "real" band.
HSL!Castiel with a musician!reader partner. Trust me, just like in canon, he would start going regularly to class just to sit by your side.
HSL!Castiel with a musician!reader partner. He likes spend time at your house with the excuse of practicing some songs together.
HSL!Castiel with a musician! reader partner. He let you sign his guitar, so he always says "i've got my guitar sign by a future amazing singer/artist, it's probably gonna worth a lot in the future, so do the same"
UL!Castiel with a musician!reader. Has you in crowstorm and always positions next to you. (If you aren't already on a different band or solo).
UL!Castiel with a musician!reader. If you are already on a different band, he's shows himself as a fan in his socials.
UL!Castiel with a musician!reader. If you are a solo artist, he's also a fan, often on collabs if you ask him or featuring in the back of videos.
UL!Castiel with a musician!reader. If you play the guitar too, he wants you to play for him when he's tired.
UL!Castiel with a musician!reader. Is always putting photos of you two together in his socials, and appearing often in yours.
UL!Castiel with a musician!reader. If you are in your own band. He can't bear to see you close with another man in promotional pictures.
Ll!Castiel with a musician!reader. You two aren't strangers to paparazzi, so he tries his best to cover you up from them.
Ll!Castiel with a musician!reader. Is definitely protective of you when it comes to weird questions in interviews made on TV. (You know those weird questions that are often made to women in interviews? The awkward ones that try to push them to reveal their intimate life? Yea, those)
Ll!Castiel with a musician!reader. Is a total hater of your fans who act like you owe them something.
Ll!Castiel with a musician!reader. He avoids weird fans for his and your own sake, he doesn't like being undressed with anyone's gaze. Unless it's you, of course.
Ll!Castiel with a musician!reader. If you aren't already on his band by the moment Zackary betrayed him and his band, he would invite you in to replace him.
Ll!Castiel with a musician!reader. He simply enjoys showing you off to his fans, he doesn't care if they don't like that or if they do.
Anyway, that's all, i got tired halfway up and realized, there's no much to say but, he's not the rude and rough person he seems to be, in any of the three versions of the game he's a softie in the inside, he loves you, he's sightly posessive, but not exaggerating like others do.
I do not like yanderes or ultra posessive despictions of any characters 🥀.
I think Damian should be allowed to be an embarrassing loser.
Can he recite numbers of pi and passages of poetry while his life is in mortal danger? Yes. Can he talk to his crush without stuttering? Absolutely not.
Is he fluent in dozens of languages across the world? Si. Can he communicate his feels and pick up on your obvious hints that you like him back? No. (in Spanish)
Could he win gold in multiple Olympic categories? Yes. Can he hold your hand without having to wipe sweat off on his pants every few minutes? No.
Is he trained to be level headed and composed in the most stressful, world ending situations? Yes. Can he will his heart to stop beating so fast when you're around? No.
Is he just a natural at everything he tries? Apparently not. Your first kiss, he just stood there like a statue, didn't move or breathe until you pulled away and he said, "Was that good?"
Love makes us fools and Damian is NOT the exception.
Duke spent all his childhood and most of his teenage years in a middle class family, so I like to think that he carried these habits into his rich life as well.
Example 1:
Duke: who the fuck is wasting our water? Do you know how expensive the bill will be next month?
Tim: Do you know that even if we had opened all the taps in the manor, Bruce would still have no problem paying for them for at least the next ninety years?
Duke, closing the faucet: yeah, what's your point?
Example 2:
Duke: It's literally a rip-off! Six dollars for a fucking yogourt?! Nah, let's go Cass, bet I can find an analog for three.
Cass, handing him the hundred dollar bill that Bruce gave them to buy two yogourts (he didn't know the price and just hoped that it was enough): ?
Duke, dragging her out of the store: It's a principle now, let's go.
Example 3:
Dick, accidentally dropping his phone: oopsie-
Duke, without thinking: of course, go on and break it. We are all billionaires here, aren't we?
Dick, pretty much confused: well, technically…
Duke: I see you, victim of capitalism.
He also constantly turns off the lights when someone leaves the room for more than 0,5 seconds, because it pisses him off.
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