GEN NARUMI X READER
Captain of the First Division harboring a crush on Fem! Reader
Narumi Gen was a force to be reckoned with. He was precise, bold, and powerful. His skills and capabilities speak volumes as he moved with calculated force and proficiency. He was the strongest anti-kaiju combatant of the modern era.
He looked ahead as he watched the angered daikaiju rush to him even after he had blown off its feet, screeching in an ear-shattering roar. He readied his stance, channeling combat power for one last hit with his high powered weapon to finish the kaiju off. With a flash, a massive energy shot was unleashed, tearing apart the beast as its core exploded.
"Nice hit, sir!" He hears his subordinates praise him from his earpiece, it brought him pride knowing he did that.
Gen huffs, "Of course, it's not a big deal—"
"Sir, we have an emergency!" The operations team interject through the intercom. "That daikaiju was actually the mother kaiju, killing her caused all her eggs underground to crack open!"
"Tch. Damn it."
He grumbled, staring at the carcass of the mother kaiju. The realization hit him like a freight train. He should've known that things would've been so easy if that was it.
He let out a sigh before addressing the operations team, "How many eggs, and how much time until they hatch?"
Gen hadn't even heard the answer when the ground beneath them started to quake. Hundreds of 7 feet kaiju emerged from the ground, screeching in the same manner as the mother whom he had just slain. Combatants watched in anticipation the beasts collectively gathered to the mother's corpse and—used their own bodies to revitalize the mother!
The kaiju grew larger in size, more meaner and stronger. Whilst his division frantically ran to ready themselves for another battle, Gen simply sighed... He wished this fight was over.
"Estimated fortitude level 6... no... 7.4!"
Another sigh was all that he could manage while watching the mother kaiju be reanimated by her spawns. His eyes narrowed at the sight of the mother growing colossal in size.
"7.4..."
He repeated the number under his breath. His jaw clenched as he readied his stance, getting into his battle position once again. If the mother was now revived, and with increased power to boot, then it would take more effort and firepower to take her down.
He was really pissed that today's duty hours were dragging more than they should but he had no choice, he was obligated to. Gen straightened himself, attempting to take on the kaiju closely with the tip of his bayonet—
"Sir! We have just received a report of vice-captain L/n's arrival to the perimeter, she is to descend now!"
Gen stilled, his eyes widened at hearing the name pass through his ears. A helicopter emerged from the clouds of smoke in the sky, hanging on the ledge observing the situation were fellow combatants from the second division.
Vice-captain L/n...
Gen could feel himself mentally and physically falter upon hearing her title and name. A part of him almost became nervous at learning the news that she was descending down, and a part of him almost felt excitement.
She's actually here?!
He quickly shook his head to snap out of it. He needed to focus on the task at hand, but at the same time, a part of him really wanted to see her.
He watched as the combatant ordered her troops from above, her long braided (h/c) hair flaring against the harsh wind like dangerous whip. With her weapons in hand and helmet secured, she fell from the height, aiming for—not the kaiju, but to the main hole where they emerged from.
He was curious for her reason of landing there, when his questions were answered as soon as massive flames started to soar from the crater. A distinguishable skill of the weaponzed Kaiju No. 5, the volcanic kaiju.
The second division's vice-captain was the only person that currently wielded it.
Instead of admiring her as he solely wanted to spend his time doing, they shouldn't be standing around if she's the one doing all the work by herself. They have a reputation to maintain!
"What are you standing there for? Assist the vice-captain and finish the job!" Gen commanded his troops.
"Understood!"
The soldiers in his division immediately rushed to help, assisting the vice-captain in destroying the kaiju eggs. He turned towards the direction of the vice-captain, watching her with utmost fascination. She was truly a sight to behold. Powerful and beautiful, a combo that was simply irresistible.
She was so cool!
Gen forgot about the kaiju with his eyes being glued to her. He couldn't take his eyes off even if he wanted to. He wanted to meet her so bad! He wants to get this thing killed as soon as possible—but he needs to show that he's awesome too!
He couldn't hide that smirk of pride and excitement on his face when he bolted from collapsed buildings with great speed and force, slashing through the yoju like a bolt of lightning. The captain left a devastating trail to the mother kaiju who kept regenerating.
Gen vaulted upward, landing on the kaiju's mouth mid-screech with both his feet planted on either sides of its open jaw. The jagged teeth trembling by his force alone as he points the muzzle down. The blade of his bayonet piercing through the tongue before the trigger was pulled. He didn't blink when the kaiju exploded upon the massive burst of energy. Vaporizing the very ground it stood on as blood painted the area.
At last, the task was done.
He stood there for a moment to catch his breath. The adrenaline rushing through his veins made his heartbeat quicken. He closed his eyes momentarily, letting out a shaky exhale before opening them again.
"...What a long day," he yawned.
Gen released a huff before sheathing the bayonet of his weapon. Jumping off the debris to walk over to where L/n was, and the crater was absolutely decimated. Every egg in ashes, kaijus turned to crisps—but no sight of her.
"Captain, look out!" A concerned shout from his division immediately alerted his senses when he spun to see a remaining baby kaiju lunging to him through the smoke.
He was about to kill it himself when a flaming kusarigama came from the side and hit the monster straight to its core. Effectively subdued. His eyes widened in surprise as the weapon retracted with L/n walking past the heavy air.
Gen's heart skipped a beat as he finally saw her. She was absolutely captivating, standing there like an angel with her flaming weapon in her hand. And the way she held herself, confident and poised—
"Vice-captain."
He greeted her with a nod, trying his best to act like his usual collected self. The woman question stopped at a distance, the dark spiked helmet and silence making her look more intimidating than she actually was. L/n pulled her weapon to secure them into the holsters of her suit. She straightened her posture before removing her helmet, revealing the most gorgeous pair of (e/c) eyes he's ever seen.
Y/n L/n saluted to her superior, "Permission to make statement, sir."
Gen was internally fanboying, it wasn't often that they met but he tries to make sure every time they do, he would be in his utter best condition.
"Permission granted." He replied, trying his best to keep his composure even though internally he was going crazy. Every time she was within his view, all he could think about was her, and how truly gorgeous she was— He returned the salute, his eyes lingering on her for a moment longer before returning to his usual nonchalant facade. "Please, make your statement, vice-captain."
She nods, "On behalf of the team, we apologize for intruding in your grounds, sir. This kaiju originated from our territory and has tunneled its way here even after how we closely monitored it... There were issues with the communication, so we were unable to send a notice to your base as soon as we detected movement. We sincerely apologize for this mishap and our incompetence." L/n's tone was formal, yet controlled. Professional and solemn as she took a respectful bow.
She was a year older than him. But sometimes he wished she treated him like she did with her juniors as technically, he was a junior of hers too. And she was especially known to be doting to her juniors.
Gen wishes to be treated just like them—
"No need to apologize," He reassured her, "These things happen. What's important is that we took care of it."
He couldn't help but find her formality endearing, yet at the same time, he wanted so badly to hear her speak to him in a less formal manner. To hear her call him by his name, instead of "sir". Gen cleared his throat, his thoughts still racing as he tried to find a topic to bring up. Then, an idea came to him.
"That was quite the show you put on," He remarked. "Taking care of the eggs to hinder its revival.. Impressive display of power, vice-captain."
He noticed the slight shift in her expression, how she was subtly taken back by his sudden remark before she nodded. "Thank you, sir."
Gen crossed his arms, trying to appear as casual as ever, "I heard they revamped Kaiju no. 5's design, this weapon is truly spectacular."
He gestures to the kusarigama, a traditional weapon of two sickles tied together with a long heavy chain. Gen heard about this being passed to L/n after the previous owner in the North retired from service. It was customized to fit her, and she handles it so skillfully as well.
Though he admits he simply said that to make the conversation last longer.
Her expression brightened at the mentioning of her weapon, a subtle smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Yes, it was recently upgraded. It performs at a whole new level now," L/n replied, her tone still formal, yet he could hear the hint of pride in her voice. She held up her weapon, swinging it once to demonstrate, "The increased power and range is quite useful when taking down larger targets... Though, it isn't as effective as yours, sir. I am ashamed to say I like your weapon of choice more."
He doesn't allow it—he struggles at stopping it from showing but hearing that from her made his insides swell with pride and excitement. Gen resisted the urge to flex just because she said something that tugged on his ego.
"Well, is that so? If you'd like L/n, I can let you have a swing with it." He says rather too excitedly, but on the inside he was panicking that maybe he said that a bit too proudly that it was a turn off.
L/n smiled, coming to politely decline him. "It's alright, captain. Though thank you for your offer, I must refuse as I need to return to the base immediately. I can't be away for too long because Captain Igarashi is at the headquarters..."
Hearing the name of her superior officer, Captain Igarashi, caused Gen's mood to plummet instantly. Jura Igarashi was an admirable woman, though she had the iron-fist of a dictator. Good thing she was at least considerate to her troops, and he knew that L/n was exceptionally close to her.
Perhaps a bit too close...
He struggled to keep a neutral expression on his face, but he couldn't stop feeling the pang of jealousy at the mention of her urgent leave. "Ah... I see.. Yes, maybe it is time for you to leave. Thank you for your assistance today."
"Yes, sir. Thank you as well for your hard work." L/n told him formally but an easy smile rests on her face, it was one of those neutral smiles she wore, reminiscent to their academy days when she was his upperclassman...
It was safe to say that this admiration lasted way longer than it should've been.
They saluted each other. A troop in his division coming to take his attention away as he reported about the rescued citizens. But Gen's gaze lingered at L/n who walked through the wreckage, getting farther away. As she exited, Gen's gaze still trailed after her. He watched the way she moved, her poise, the subtle movements she made, the hypnotizing sway of her long braid. He couldn't help but feel a pang of longing, a desire to spend more time with her. But he knew it was impossible.
As he turned his attention back to the soldier that called for him, he let out a silent sigh, his mind still occupied with thoughts of her.
"..Damn it."
He watched as the helicopter flew over them, L/n already leaving the area. Gen tried to remove his nagging thoughts, doing last minute safety checks and dismissing the troops so they could returned back to base. Dspite his efforts, his thoughts drifted back to L/n, and how he wished he had more time to talk with her. He knew it was a foolish thought, yet at the same time, he couldn't help but wonder if she felt the same way he did.
But that was no way near possible.
She always looked ahead even before at the academy, no-nonsense and surprisingly very determined if she is willing. If she really did feel the same, she would've addressed it already. L/n was often oblivious of the world outside her bubble, she hadn't noticed him after how hard he used to show off his capabilities at the academy.
Other girls did but never her.
It's pathetic to think that there was still hope after she showed him that little smile.
Gen stopped himself before the delusions get out of hand again, he shouldn't think of distractions like this. It was due to his fixation that hindered his senses to detect threats immediately. He couldn't afford to lose face, he had his pride as a captain of the first division!
..... Yet his pride as captain always falters whenever everyone mentions his gaming addiction.
He becomes utterly and impossibly pathetic if he undergoes a lose streak on some game. He'd go insane, he wouldn't accept it. This was one of the only happiness outlets he had, he wasn't willing to lose this much.
Gen drowned himself in his console that night, attempting to distract his mind from L/n with another distraction. The late hours of the night entrapped the captain who was normally alert and composed, the game had him slumped around his quarters with a controller in his hand. He was a mess. Dark circles had formed under his eyes, and his hair was disheveled from running his fingers through it in frustration.
He kept losing game after game, and it was starting to get to him. He scowled at the screen, cursing lowly under his breath as the game over screen flashed. "Damn it... just one win... Just one, come on—"
Gen was at a loss, both with the game and with himself. The universe was putting him up with defeat because every. single. thing in that game reminded him of her!
The flames, red fuel canisters, and an npc that looks almost identical to her—! They were setting him up for failure!
The captain managed to sleep through his distress, the tiredness creeping in way too quickly as he dove face flat onto the bed. Next morning, he wakes up feeling utterly drained.
Luckily for him, today was his scheduled day-off so he could lounge around as much as he wanted to. He decided to pick up a new game at the shopping center, which by the way was something he basically fought for through online reservations.
Gen felt as if a heavyweight was resting on his shoulders as soon as he stood from the bed. The previous night's frustration was still there, nagging at his mind. It was as if every little thing reminded him of her. Hell, even the damn game threw her in his way, as if to mock him.
He shook his head, trying to shake off the thoughts. He wanted to clear his mind, to focus on literally anything other than her.
He got ready as fast as he could, barely even bothering to tidy himself up as the urge to clear his mind was too enticing. Soon enough, he was out the door and heading to the shopping mall to pick up his game. As he walked through the crowded shopping center, he couldn't help but feel a sense of irritation at everyone around him. The crowds were bothersome, the noise was grating on his already frayed nerves, and oh god, even that girl in the cafe looked like her. The resemblance was recognizable.
It's because of those stupid bangs, and unfortunately almost every girl has it..! Is that a new trend amongst women nowadays?!
The videogame store was less crowded today when he entered, it was noon after all. The long line started early in the morning so not many customers were left browsing inside. Gen took his game copy faster than normal, wanting to try it as soon as he leaves. But then he decides to go by the particular section of the store to see if there were other new releases.
He walked over to the aisle, browsing through the shelves to see if there were any new interesting titles. As he scanned the various game cases, he couldn't help but be drawn to one particular cover. It was a game he didn't recognize, but its cover was striking.
A female character was depicted in the foreground, her wild (h/c) hair flying about her face like a menacing storm.
Gen's heart skipped a beat as he continued to gaze at the game cover. The girl on the cover looked like her, from her messy locks of hair, to the fierce look in her eyes. The resemblance was almost eerily uncanny, as if the artist had deliberately crafted this character to look like her.
He couldn't help but feel drawn to it. He picked up the case, studying the cover closely. He knew he shouldn't be so easily swayed by a simple image, after all, it wasn't her. It was just a game character—yet, he found himself reaching for his wallet.
He wants to play it out of curiosity...
Definitely not because it resembles her and the possible voice lines in the cut scenes may be the only time he'll ever get his fanboy interaction with—
"Sayaka! Sayaka!" He heard a young girl excitedly calling to one person nearby, it was the name of the particular video game character. The girl jumps with a wide grin as she hurried to a woman standing near an aisle with long braided hair that looks exactly like the poster behind her.
Gen couldn't believe his eyes, his heart hammering through his chest as his first instinct was to hide behind the tall shelf. Utterly in shock when he found the Y/n L/n in the store!
He felt his heart hammering in his chest as he ducked behind the shelf, his mind racing. What the hell was she doing here? He quickly peeked out from behind the shelf, trying to see if it was truly her.
And sure enough, there she was, standing there with a young girl eagerly calling her name. It was her all right. Her long braided hair was unmistakable, and even the hat couldn't hide the fact that it was Vice-captain L/n.
Gen's heart raced faster as thoughts ran through his mind.
"Oh, I'm sorry—my name isn't Sayaka, little miss." Y/n smilingly said as she crouched over to the girl's height. Then the child pointed to the poster, following her gaze, even Y/n was surprised when she saw the character. "Haha... is it because of my hair? I don't think I'll ever be as cool as the heroine Sayaka though..."
That's not true!
Gen screams internally, he doesn't even know the contents of the game but he's certain L/n surpasses this 2d character without argument!
The mother of the girl soon came in and apologized for bothering her, Y/n shook her head and told them it was alright. She gave a small wave to the child as she leaves with her family. Y/n then turned her attention back to the display table, seemingly focused as she holds two games with the unmistakable cover of "Cosmic Sentinels 2 & 3" respectively.
Gen's mouth went dry as he watched the scene unfold before him. His mind couldn't help but immediately picture her playing those games, and he felt an inexplicable thrill at the thought of sharing a shared hobby.
Did she actually play them? He wondered.
This game was literally so obscure and underrated that only a small population of geeks truly appreciated it!
If she was an avid player, he would've seen her frequent the store since he regularly visits. He knew the only way he could find out is if he goes up to her and ask her himself. But he couldn't, he felt like he would screw it up somehow!
Though—he would never forgive himself if he remains a coward till the very end—he was so nervous for the first time in a long time.
And yet.... his legs started moving on its own, Gen cursed himself a billion times in his head because why the hell wasn't he stopping?!
He was ashamed, grabbing a game display to make it seem as natural as ever. Gen's heart was pounding so hard he swore the entire store could hear it. He adjusted his grip on the display game, trying to look casual—like this was completely normal behavior for him.
He cleared his throat before speaking up in a voice that sounded far more strained than intended, "Vice-captain...? What brings you here?"
Smooth. (Real smooth)
His mind immediately screamed at him: "IDIOT! YOU COULD’VE SAID ANYTHING BETTER THAN THAT!"
Y/n visibly flinched, inhaling a sharp gasp before turning to him with her eyes widened. She instinctively straightened her posture and gave him a salute. He dreaded over how adorable she looked showing him military formality whilst being dressed in that cute frilly blouse.
"Sir—Good afternoon, captain—"
He shushed her before she could finish her greeting, "You're off-duty today, aren't you? No need to do that, Vice-captain L/n."
Gen's lips twisted, trying to stop himself from smiling at how he was really doing this even if he was screaming so much internally. Y/n visibly eased the tension in her movements as she nods respectfully, clearing her throat next.
He let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding as she relaxed slightly. The tension in her posture eased, and for the first time since this entire interaction started, he felt like maybe—just maybe—this wouldn’t be a complete disaster.
He shifted his grip on the display game again (why was it still there?), then gestured vaguely at her hands. "So... you play 'Cosmic Sentinels'?"
He tried to sound casual about it—but internally? Panic. SHEER PANIC WAS FILLING HIS VEINS—
Was that too forward? Was she even into gaming at all?!
She held up the plastic case that contained the game disks of Cosmic Sentinels, "Ah, I don't unfortunately..." she laughs, albeit mirroring the same awkwardness, "It's for my nephew, his birthday is coming up and he kept going on and on about this game... I think it was because my sister has put him on a temporary game ban."
Y/n explained with a little smile on her face as she carefully puts the game back into the display rack.
"H..How about you, sir? I heard you enjoy playing video games..." There was a slight hesitation in her voice, likely still caught by surprise to meet him here in a non-professional setting. In truth, Y/n was just as nervous as he was—she rarely even spoke to the Captain of the first division, and for them to meet as casually as this... she didn't want to appear rude.
Gen's breath hitched slightly when she admitted it was for her nephew. Of course. He should've known—he wasn't some special case where she secretly enjoyed the same games as him.
But then... she knew about his hobby.
His chest tightened at the realization, and for a moment, he forgot how to breathe properly. She'd been paying attention enough to know that detail about him? (It's not like almost the entire corps already knew that but—)
He quickly schooled his expression into something neutral before responding.
"...Yeah," he muttered after a beat of silence, trying (and failing) not to sound too flustered over this revelation. "I do."
A brief moment of silence fell over them, and it was almost painfully awkward. He shifted his weight from one leg to the other, trying desperately to think of something else to say. Just as he was about to open his mouth and say something completely stupid— DAMN IT, no.
"Can I ask you something...?"
"Uh, if you don't mind, sir..."
They ended up asking in unison, the sudden realization made them awkwardly stumble with their words as they told each other to ask their question first. Gen's face burned, he felt like an absolute fool, and yet—there was something undeniably endearing about this entire situation.
He let out a short laugh before gesturing for her to go first with an exaggerated wave of his hand (as if that would make up for how awkward he was being).
"You first," he insisted, though internally? PRAYING she wouldn't ask something he couldn't answer immediately.
She nods, "I was wondering since you seem to be quite the expert in these things—Do you mind if I ask for help identifying the game my nephew was asking for?—If it's not too much of a trouble and—I'm not taking too much of your time..." Y/n asks respectfully, genuinely not wanting to bother him with anything.
His heart hammered, clearing his throat as he began to formulate his explanation in his head. It was his time, to showcase his knowledge for the game contents. BUT not too much that he sounds like an absolute nerd—he wanted his image to be a cool, charismatic guy in her mind!
He cleared his throat, leaning slightly against the desk as he nods toward her, "Sure, no problem...." Gen pushed his glasses up the ridge of his nose and nodded, a confident smile on his face. "Go on."
Gen internally breathed a sigh of relief his response went well—easy-peasy. He'd been playing these games for years and he was certain he could answer this in his sleep. And yet... he couldn't stop the rush of nervousness and excitement he felt. She'd come to him for help, she wanted his opinion. It made his heart hammer.
"I'm not sure... I forgot the one he wants. He mentioned something about saving a golden relic in a... mothership? And restoring universal balance or something? I have little to no knowledge about these things..." She sighs, a frown settling on her face.
But he did! He was willing to tell her the entire story line and teach her the mechanics if it makes her feel better—but that would be too much of a stretch!
She might want to never talk to him ever again! His inner gamer self absolutely screamed for him to launch into an explanation of the game. He could recite the entire plot, from the opening scene to the final boss. He knew every detail of this game's lore. He could tell her every little detail of the game's background, the story behind the characters, the plot, the ending—
But he quickly squashed that feeling down, reminding himself that this was not an invitation to go on a complete and utter nerd rant. He was a smooth, cool, and collected dude, damn it. So instead, he took a deep breath and answered her question calmly, despite internally wanting to absolutely geek out over the game. "Ah, I believe you're talking about Cosmic Sentinels 1: Age of the Mothership."
Her eyes blinked in realization before slowly nodding. "Oh, I see."
Her expression was so fricking cute! He stops himself before he does something embarrassing again. Gen casually adjusted the paper bag he was holding in his hand as he continued, trying to maintain his cool composure despite every nerve in his body screaming to nerd out over the game.
"It's a classic and one of the best in the series," he added, hoping he sounded casual enough and not like a complete and utter fanboy.
"It's got an interesting story—you play as this interdimensional operative who has to retrieve this golden relic before it falls into enemy hands and destabilizes reality." He paused there, forcing himself not go into full breakdown mode. Gen took a deep breath, trying to reign in his excitement. "Classic save-the-universe plot... but it's got great combat mechanics if your nephew likes action."
He hesitated for half a second before adding (way too casually), "I could walk him through it sometime—if you want? No pressure though..."
WHY DID I SAY THAT?!
He expected her to laugh awkwardly and decline but then he heard a small chuckle from her, a genuine smile stretching her lips. "I think he'd love that, captain. My nephew really idolizes you, he thinks you're amazing."
Hearing her laugh did not help him whatsoever, his mind went blank. The fact that HER nephew idolized him?! That absolutely did not help either. In fact, he was this close to just exploding and squealing like an over-exaggerated fan. That means they talk about him often, them being L/n too!
But he managed to keep his cool, only a slightly awkward smile on his face that almost concealed his excitement. "Ah—well... I'm glad... Really?" Gen asks, smiling in false disbelief.
"He watches you live on TV sometimes during your kaiju battles, often calls me to ask if Captain Narumi is in the room so he could say hi..." Y/n smilingly tells him, eyes going over to the other games in display.
He caught how fondly she talks about her nephew, he wonders if he could stretch out their conversation and interaction if he asks more about the boy. With the sole purpose of getting to talk with her more.
Sorry kid, but I'm shooting my shot with your aunt.
It was a personal mental note, and yet, he wanted to drag this conversation as far as he could. This was likely his only chance to leave a solid impression before they part ways.
He did his best to act aloof and cool, but his excitement was so hard to suppress that he felt like he could barely even speak. "Oh really?" He asked, the corners of his mouth lifting in a little smile. "He sounds sweet."
The urge to ask if she also watched his fights was so strong, but he managed to keep his mouth shut. He didn't want to sound desperate or, worse, like some cocky self-absorbed idiot who was proud of his fame and popularity.
Instead, he opted for a more casual (and hopefully less obvious) subject to keep the conversation going: "Does he also like video games?"
Please say yes, please say yes..
"I mean duh—he plays Cosmic Sentinels—but!... What I meant was, do you play games with him...sometimes?"
AAAAARRRGGHHHH!
He stumbled over his words, then and there, he started cursing himself again, nervous of what Y/n might react to his question. He shouldn't have lost composure in front of her, so stupid!
But Y/n genuinely found it quite endearing that there was this child-like excitement in the fearsome captain's eyes. He's normally so stoic and serious in battle, never making mistakes, his movements calculated—he never hesitates. Seeing him jumble up his words like that was kind of refreshing and... cute.
No, that's your superior!
Y/n screams at herself, quickly reminding how she shouldn't have thoughts like this to one of the most respectable figures in their force!
Meanwhile, Gen wanted to just die right then and there. He couldn't believe he just said it like that, so goddamn awkwardly.
But then, it was like a miracle from the heavens happened, because her reaction was way more than he'd hoped for. She seemed... almost pleased, in a way? She'd been smiling this whole time but her face seemed slightly flushed and dear god he couldn't help but feel his heart skip.
Was he really doing it? Was he finally changing the image of himself in her mind?!
"Well, I don't... play video games as often with my nephew, but I do play some! I got roped by my juniors to play Ruglox—you know that online gaming platform? And I find myself enjoying it actually. I log-in during my days off and such..." She tells him with a few small nods, maintain short eye contact before her eyes went back to the displays. Either becoming shy or he's just staring at her too much.
Realizing that, Gen looks down blinking toward the display. "That's cool, I play that as well on my phone, but I normally engage in consoles. I have a BS5 and all..." He shares, inhaling a long breath as he contemplates on his next words, but he really wanted to shoot his shot. It was now or never!
"If you want... I could let you play Ruglox on my PC, maybe I could... have you play Cosmic Sentinels too so you could have like—game knowledge to flex to your nephew."
There it was, he finally said it!
His best (and probably most obvious) attempt at asking her over. Not exactly the most subtle approach, but hell, he was past caring at this point. His heart was hammering through his chest and his face felt so hot it might just start steaming.
Still trying desperately to keep his cool, he waited for her reaction, every second seemed like absolute agony. What if she didn't want to come? What if she thought it was creepy? She probably had much better things to do anyways and—
"L-like...like a date, sir?"
Hearing that made him look up at her almost immediately, his face embarrassingly flushed but only to see that... she mirrored the same as expression he did.
This was the first time he's seen the iron lady of the second division so flustered, the look on her face was softer than any he's seen before.
Does that mean that—what she was suggesting... Does she feel the same way? BECAUSE WHY ON EARTH WOULD SHE BE EVEN SUGGESTING THAT?!
"Okay, maybe not a date—I apologize, I didn't mean to phrase it like that... I couldn't think clearly, I didn't realize I said that—uh... That's not what I meant, Captain! It's..." She trails off, her voice going smaller and smaller until she shuts her mouth out of embarrassment.
Gen couldn't think, his mind an utter chaos as they stared at each other in a long silence, their hearts hammering almost in unison.
Gen was completely lost for words.
He's never seen Y/n so flustered before, so tongue-tied and flustered and—cute.
He knew his own face was absolutely burning, but he tried his best not to seem too shaken up. He swallowed, trying desperately to regain his composure as he tried to piece together a response. But for the first time in possibly his entire life, his thoughts were an absolute mess. He managed to form a few words, spoken quietly, almost hesitantly.
"I-It doesn't have to be a date..." He cleared his throat.
But he knew he absolutely 100% wanted it to be a date.
He was trying to act all cool, but it was obvious that he was absolutely panicking, his heart racing and mind racing like crazy as he mentally cursed himself. Gen cleared his throat, forcing himself to keep going, even though he was certain he was just going to make a complete and utter fool of himself by this point. He was in too deep now, he was way past the point of no return now.
"We can... just hang out..." She nods, "Right. Hang out..." There was a sharp inhale before she looks at him apologetically, "I'm so sorry, sir... I'm quite jittery in situations where I have to speak outside workplace settings... I don't know, I just get nervous around people—I...I'm sorry."
Gen immediately assures her, raising both his hands in surrender. "It's cool, I don't mind. Everyone gets nervous sometimes."
He tries to act calmly about it as if he hasn't been stressing every word and action he was saying to not embarrass himself in front of her. Gen let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, feeling his shoulders relax slightly at her words.
"Yeah," He agreed with a small nod. "Just... hang out."
And maybe I can finally stop being an absolute disaster in front of you.
He hesitated for just another second before asking the question that had been burning in his mind this entire time: "...So, when are you free?"
She paused, her eyes slowly searching to look at him directly. It's like his lungs deflated the moment she smiled at him, like really smiled.
"I mean... I'm off-duty now."
This was the greatest day of his life.
