30. Moments to Cherish
Aug. 5, 2023
A/N: This fic is officially a year old (on Aug. 11)! We finally made it after one year! I legitimately did not plan this but it's an amusing coincidence!
Thank you guys for all of your support! I literally couldn't have done it without you readers. I'm super grateful!
Q: Do you guys like clichés or no? I personally HATE them unless they're done well or differently!
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"The moon is beautiful tonight...isn't it?"
Your train of thought had stopped in its tracks. You've heard that same phrase before, back when the world wasn't petrified. You had no idea whether or not Senku understood the slang behind those words he had spoken. But everything Gen had said before made you doubt that he didn't know at all. And here you were, planning to confess to Senku first!
You gulped as your mind was coming to a decision to answer. Depending on how you answered, it would reveal to you whether or not he knew. You were afraid, but you needed to tell him how you felt. It was either you confess to get accepted or rejected, or keep it inside until you regret it and die. You remembered the words that Gen told you, repeating in your head, over and over:
Go for it, (Y/N)-chan!
You looked away, then opened your mouth to give the proper response to the poetic words, "Well...it's true, isn't it?"
"I know."
You expanded your vision and looked straight at him. Through those crimson spheres of his, you saw an honest gentleness behind them. It had the same appearance as when the two of you danced together on that day. But he closed them and turned away.
Your thoughts were beginning to run on overdrive. No way.
"'I know?'" You repeated him, making sure you heard him right. He nodded, and then you demanded, "How do you know?!"
"You confessed to me," he told you as he peeked through one eye with his arms crossed.
No wayyy. The energy inside of you was building rapidly. Frantically, you asked, "When did I ever tell you?!"
"The first day you were sick."
NO WAY.
Your face twisted into embarrassment, flushing a red so dark, you could be considered similar to a tomato. Your legs gave way, and you fell to your knees in disbelief. Your arms held you up as you looked at the floor, unable to lay your vision on the boy in front of you.
"So you lied about me not saying anything weird?!" You questioned him.
He gave you a short answer, "Uh-huh."
"And you didn't do anything?!"
The boy shook his head, then leaned over to you. He whispered into your ear before backing up against the wall, "I replied back with 'I love you too, (Y/N). Ten billion percent.'"
You stopped, realizing that your dream from before was reality. The poor boy had to deal with the words spoken to him for days on end, and you weren't even conscious then! Then you looked up to see that Senku's face was also starting to redden. He brought his hand to his face as he sat down, looking away from you to hide what he was feeling.
OH MY F*CKING GOD.
You slowly scooted yourself against the wall next to him, trying to calm your beating heart. You couldn't even look at him; a permanent smile was stuck on your face.
"When..." you slowly started, "...did you realize you had feelings for me?"
He let out a long sigh as he closed his eyes to recollect his memory. The boy replied as he opened them again, "I've always loved you. But the day it was set in stone was when we danced together in the rain."
Your eyes widened as you turned your head toward him; your mouth was in a large "O" shape. That day held a special place in your heart, but you didn't know that was the day it set everything in motion for him. The setting was romantic as hell, so who wouldn't have thoughts about love?
"I always thought that you saw me as annoying...and that science would always be in your heart," you told him, looking away as you admitted those last few words.
"You are annoying. But that doesn't mean I don't care for you. I told you before, science is the only love I have that is not illogical. You're the illogical variable that fills my brain with those irrational feelings," he argued. The scientist questioned you as he stared at the wall across from you two, "So...when did you realize you had feelings for me, of all people?"
You hesitantly answered him, "I'm not really sure...but all I know is that I've been coming to terms with it lately..."
"I can totally see that. What, did you talk about it with Gen or something?" He asked.
You nodded sheepishly. "Yeah...he started talking about it months ago, eventually bringing Kohaku and the others along with him. It was kinda overwhelming..."
Senku clicked his tongue with an annoyed tone, "That damn mentalist, man. But, if anything, we gotta thank him for pushing it. You have no idea how much you mean to me."
Your heart skipped a beat as you heard those words come out of his mouth. "If that's the case... what's going to happen?"
"We can either start something together or leave it as it is now."
It was silent between the both of you. You both knew what you wanted, but the risk of ruining what you had now was also there. None of you could look each other in the eye.
You then asked him, "What do you really want most right now?"
"...for us to stay in this moment for a little while," he replied.
You popped the question as you looked away, "...and...if I said that I wanted to be closer to you, and not just as a friend, what would you say?"
The boy looked up to think, then replied, "I would say that's the most illogical thing to do at this moment. Being in a relationship will put us in more danger than we already are. It puts us at risk. However, I once read that if you want go fast, go alone, and if you want to go far, go together. I want to go far with you."
You didn't register what he said at the moment because you were so focused on the first half. But you immediately shot your head towards him when you realized what he had meant. You opened your mouth to say something, but nothing came out.
"Cat got your tongue? Heh, how amusing," he chuckled.
You blushed once more and furrowed your eyebrows. "Keep playing with my feelings and I might just reconsider."
"Kukuku, we both know you won't," he snickered. "But aren't you happy?"
"Are you?" You refuted.
He softly reached for your hands, holding them firmly as he stared directly into your (E/C) eyes. "Of course I am."
Your heart fluttered the moment those words left his mouth. You were going to pass out right then and there for the number of times he had messed with your feelings. He may have fallen for you first, but you fell harder.
"Senku, does this mean we're official now? This is real, right?" You blurted out.
He raised an eyebrow and had a deadpan expression on his face. There was the girl he knew and loved; the slowness had caught up to her. "What else could it mean? Was this entire segment not clear enough for you?! Yes, idiot!"
"I'm sorry! I was just making sure--"
Senku rolled his wine-colored eyes and tightened his hold on your hands. He instantly leaned forward to place a kiss on your cheek, right next to your lips. He pulled his head back only to be met with your mouth slightly agape, and your cheeks darkening in color. You couldn't even blink due to how surprised you were.
"There, was that sure enough for you this time, slowpoke?" He groaned, his cheeks reddening ever so slowly. The boy has never done it before, so his technique was pretty amateur. "Sorry for doing it without asking."
You felt as though steam had come out through your ears as heat rushed up to your head. The only thing that filled your mind at the moment was how adorable he was. You nodded your head with a squeal, signifying that it was crystal clear to you.
"Now that we've established a relationship, we're just gonna test the waters. Also, just because we're official, that doesn't mean you need to sacrifice your safety, your sanity, and your self-worth for me alone. Be safe, be free, and be you," he stated.
The words spoken to you had resonated within you. You replied, "I promise. That means you have to do it too."
"And I will."
The both of you had endearment within your eyes as you looked at each other, then let out a laugh. The both of you leaned against the wall once more, but kept your hand in his as you sat next to each other.
"I still don't think this is real. To think that Ishigami Senku would have the balls to fall in love, especially with someone like me. How amusing..." you said with a small smile, starting to feel relaxed as your adrenaline was slowly going away. You were beginning to feel tired.
He retorted, "To think you had any to fall in love with someone who, in your own words, would have any balls to fall in love."
"Right, right..." you chuckled, then spoke slowly, "You know...if Byakuya-san were here, he'd be over the moon about this..."
"If he were here, he'd be telling me to ask for your hand in marriage, which would be so annoying," the boy replied as he rolled his eyes.
You gently let out a tiny laugh, quietly admitting to him, "I don't think I'd mind that..."
He raised an eyebrow as he turned his head toward you. "Oh yeah? Thinking big already?"
"It's just a thought, Senku."
"Thoughts can become real, (Y/N)."
You leaned your head against his shoulder, letting out a small yawn. "Well, we'll figure it out along the way. Right now, we should probably rest since you just came back from that mining trip of yours..."
"Kukuku, we're gonna be doing a hell of a lot later, considering how hard it'll be to work with tungsten," he said, then leaned forward and to grab the basket that you brought, taking your music box out. He slowly turned the key to let the music play, watching you listen to the melody.
"I won't mind, as long as we get it done together...wake me up in an hour or so, okay?" you said softly, closing your eyes as you decided to try and sleep next to the boy. "And Senku?"
"Yeah?"
You told him sleepily, "I want to go far with you too...whether it's to the ends of the Earth...or to the days of tomorrow...so thank you for everything."
The boy looked directly at you, gently replying back, "... I should be the one thanking you, slowpoke."
With that, you drifted into slumber with a loving expression on your face. You were so exhausted from making the gift for three days straight, as well as listening to Senku's entire adventure about what happened when he was gone, so you deserved the rest. Even the scientist knew how much work you put into everything. He cherished his time with you, as well as your gift to him. The boy then slowly moved out of your grasp and leaned your head on the telescope.
As he climbed down the ladder to get a blanket and pillow, he spotted one of you friends coming back with wonder and anticipation on his face.
"Senku-chan~ did you enjoy your time with (Y/N)-chan~? Where is she, anyways?" Gen questioned.
He plainly replied as he opened the bottom door to grab the stuff, "She's got no more energy after what I did to her."
Raising his eyebrows, the mentalist had a dumbfounded look on his face. "What?"
"I talked to her about everything that happened and had a long discussion with her, so she ended up falling asleep due to lack of energy," Senku replied, popping his head out.
"Ohhhhh okay, for a second there, I thought of something else," Gen chuckled with a shrug, causing Senku's face to scrunch into disgust.
The boy then added, "So, why'd you guys hassle her about her feelings for me, huh?"
The man widened his eyes with surprise, then shifted it to a proud look. Gen shouted with a twinkle in those orbs of his, "She actually admitted her feelings to you?!"
"Can you be any louder? The slowpoke up there is sleeping and deserves a rest after this stunt she pulled with planning--" the scientist waved his arms up and down to gesture the entire observatory.
The mentalist apologized as he was approaching the warehouse, "Sorry, sorry, Senku-chan, I'm just excited about your character development with (Y/N)-chan~. But you did accept her feelings, didn't you?"
"Character development? What am I, a Shounen Jump protagonist? Of course I did; I'm not stupid like them," Senku replied, starting to climb back up to the observatory.
The boy went inside to see you still sleeping peacefully, and so he slowly lifted your head to put a pillow underneath. He gently covered you with a blanket, and you shifted comfortably in your sleep. Then he sat next to you, keeping an eye on your resting self.
"Well, I'll say that I'm certainly proud of you for admitting yourself into a relationship, Senku-chan." Gen clapped his hands together when he reached the top of the observatory and saw the boy getting close to you.
Slightly rolling his eyes, Senku answered, "Yeah, okay, but with us together, you can't expect us to change how we act around everyone now. It'll be the same, since we're only testing the waters."
"Sure, sure, though it's not like you guys already act all loving toward each other," said Gen with a nod, then added, "Though, I would recommend pushing forward a little more rather than testing the waters, since dear (Y/N)-chan might get bored or will feel a little unloved. Communication and consent is key."
The boy raised an eyebrow. "You think I don't know that already? Why are you telling me this?"
"I'm only reminding you, dear Senku-chan, that even though you're together, we both know that the two of you will focus on the task at hand: stopping Tsukasa-chan and saving humanity," said Gen as he slowly started pacing around the warehouse. He continued, "If you don't set aside some time for each other, who knows what'll happen?"
The scientist stared at him, and clicked his tongue. He couldn't deny that it was a possibility of happening. "Heh. Look at you, giving me dating advice when there's a ten billion percent chance that you haven't even dated anyone."
"How harsh, Senku-chan. Are you saying I'm not capable of getting someone of my own? I could take (Y/N)-chan from you if I so desired to," Gen playfully replied as he sat down in front of the two of you.
"Don't."
"No need for jealousy~"
"There isn't. It's a warning of what she'll do to you," Senku let out a small chuckle as he smirked. "Anyways, mentalist, thanks for that sound advice."
The mentalist responded with his eyes creased, "As your friend, it would really hurt to see my two favorite people having issues. And as a mentalist, it is also my job to prevent you two from abandoning your feelings for the sake of humanity. Don't just test the waters--dip into those feelings that you call 'irrational' and balance some work with quality time."
"Sure. I won't tip the scales."
~~~
Slowly opening your eyes from your slumber, you saw two figures standing in front of the telescope, looking through it. You sat up and rubbed your (E/C) eyes to see that Senku was looking through it, with Suika by his side.
"You can look through it to see the sunrise, but don't stare directly at the sun or you'll go blind," Senku told the young girl.
"Okay! Suika won't look at it!" Suika nodded, then noticed you staring at both of them. "Oh, good morning, (Y/N)! Senku's letting Suika try the telescope before the sun comes up!"
"Good morning, you two...I thought I told you to wake me up earlier, Senku," you said to him.
He replied with a slight smirk, "You needed the rest. After working on this, I'm sure you had little time to sleep. Besides, I didn't want you getting sick again."
You lightly laughed. "How considerate of you."
"You're gonna keep getting that from me from now on. Now, let's go. I want you to see all the tungsten glow in as the sun comes up," he said as he held a hand out for you to grab.
You smiled and gently grabbed his hand, then pulled yourself up onto him. The both of you climbed down the ladder, and you net up with your friends, who were surrounding the basket full of minerals and ore.
"Good mornin', (Y/N)! You're awake just on time to see if these rocks are the real deal!" Chrome exclaimed with wide eyes. "They should be having a badass glow soon!"
You looked to see some of the villagers gathered around the basket, Chrome and the others separating from you to join them. Then you noticed Gen, who was looking at both you and Senku with a smile on his face.
He approached the both of you. "Did you rest well after revealing your secret to each other? How are you feeling?"
You widened your eyes, cheeks flushing ever so slightly. You looked over to Senku, who just had noticed you staring, tilted his head as if he were expecting you to answer the man. Replying back, you told them, "I did. I feel...good."
"Ah, that's good. Senku-chan, you better treat her well or else you know what's going to happen." Gen had a smile on his face that didn't reach his eyes.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'll be a good partner," Senku scoffed as his eyes had laid itself upon you. The mentalist took that as a sign to leave you two alone, joining the rest of the villagers. Soon enough, the scientist spoke up, "You feeling okay?"
"I thought I already answered that question," you said softly.
"No. I'm asking how you're feeling now, considering we're officially in a relationship," the boy reiterated.
Listening to those words made your heart rate slowly rise, and you tried to stop yourself from curling your lips into a smile. "I'm happy...I mean, I'm not saying I wasn't happy before. Being with you isn't new to me, but being with you is. Do you get what I mean?"
"Kukuku, yeah. No need to get yourself all worked up about it," the boy snickered, which calmed your heart a little after hearing him laugh. "This is a little exhilarating, isn't it?"
You nodded, then asked him, "Have you told anybody, other than Gen, about us? I'm glad he hasn't said anything..."
"Nah. They'll figure it out later on. It'll be a hassle if we just say it outright," said Senku as he sighed.
You giggled, "I don't doubt that--"
"Whoa, it's glowing!"
The both of you whipped your heads in the direction of the voices. The basket of minerals began glowing a beautiful azure color as the sun was beginning to rise. You joined them to look closely, and admired the event happening before you.
"It's like a mountain of jewels!" Ruri exclaimed.
"It's not just like a mountain of jewels, it is a mountain of jewels!" said Senku. "Kukuku, we've got ourselves a treasure full of super rare metals!"
You heard Magma let out a grunt. "Hmph, I don't see what's so special about them. They're just regular old rocks; a bit heavier maybe, but that's all. We excavated all we could get."
"With these rocks, we should be able to beat Tsukasa," you told him.
Kokuyo immediately grabbed a rock and had a determined look on his face. He spoke out, "We'll beat him with these rocks? I get it! We'll throw rocks at them! With these rocks, they'll drop dead like flies!"
All of you stared at him with sweat dripping down your temples. Ruri chuckled, "I don't think that's quite what he meant, father..."
"He can't help it. He's from a past era, after all," said Kohaku as she crossed her arms.
"A boomer..." you mumbled. Senku heard it and let out a snicker, causing you to grin.
Gen explained to them, "The opponent we're up against is Tsukasa-chan, a man of unparalleled battle prowess and strength. So we're going to use these rocks to create cellphones and outwit and out-maneuver him in an information war!"
"And for the very heart of the cellphone, we need a metal that won't lose to heat," the scientist added. He grabbed a stone and held it up. "Within this blue light is the strongest heat-resistant metal in the universe, tungsten!"
"But how are we supposed to extract it from inside the rock?" The lioness wondered.
"Ahh, that's where the real demon level difficulty comes in--"
Before Senku could answer properly, you all heard the sound of rocks being crushed by a heavy force. The moment you turned around, a rock had hit you straight in the face, shocking your friends around you.
"AHHHHH!" The blonde screeched.
Chrome screamed at him, "MAGMA, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! YOU GOT (Y/N) CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE!"
"What? We're trying to extract stuff from inside the rocks right? So then we should just smash them apart with a good slam," Magma replied nonchalantly.
"Well, I suppose that works. After all, we need to reduce them to powder anyways..." said the green-haired boy as he placed his hands on your shoulders.
"See?! I WAS RIGHT!" Magma cackled and stuck his tongue out in a teasing manner. He then looked at you. "Sorry, (Y/N). Get outta the way if ya don't wanna be a part of the collateral damage!"
"Sure..." you told him meekly. The brute went back to smashing the rocks as he argued with Kohaku and Chrome.
Your face was covered with your hands and Senku took it upon himself to check your status. "You good?"
You answered as you peeked an eye open, "...I can't breathe through my nose..."
He then pulled you a little ways away from everyone, then took your hands off to look at your facial features. In an instant, he saw blood coming out of your nose. Reaching for his pockets, he took out a piece of cloth and handed it to you to stop the bleeding. Then he grabbed another one to clean your bloodied face; his other hand gently holding your cheeks to stabilize your face. All you did was keep your eyes on him, seeing how careful he was with you.
"I told you to be safe and here you are, a day later, with a bloody nose," Senku lightly jested.
You replied, "It wasn't even my fault this time."
"I know. Make sure you clamp the bridge of your nose shut for about fifteen seconds and lean forward," he instructed. "Don't lean your head back or all of the blood is gonna make you choke. Lean forward with your nose pointed down."
"Yes darling," you joked quietly enough for him to hear.
He raised an eyebrow and had a smirk on his face. "Don't tell me you're gonna use that as a pet name, slowpoke."
You let out a mischievous giggle. "Hehehe...you're acting a little more soft today, hence the temporary name. Besides, you have some kinda nickname for me, so why not try it with you?"
"I don't need one. Just say my name, and I'll always come to you," he stated firmly.
Your face lightly flushed as you responded, "T-That sounds too romantic. You're gonna steal my heart again if you keep saying stuff like that."
"How can I steal something that's already mine?"
"Oh my God, Senku!"
The both of you stared at each other with cheeky grins plastered on your faces, then covered your mouths to hold in your laughter. The two of you didn't notice a blonde boy watching the you carefully.
"...is it just me or are Senku and (Y/N) acting a little more mushy today?" You heard Ginro say, which caused you to flinch.
"Huh?" Some of your friends wondered.
Kohaku looked over with a cat-like expression on her face, causing you to look down immediately. As you did what Senku had said, the scientist had taken a little step back to monitor you to make yourselves look less suspicious. You continued to listen to your friends' conversation.
"Are you sure about that, Ginro?" Chrome asked.
"I'm not lying! Senku was being all touchy with her!" He cried out.
Kohaku, who was a bit disappointed, replied, "Isn't that a little normal though, considering she got hurt?"
"No, no, this is different! You could feel the tension!" The blonde explained, then turned to face Gen. "You're the mentalist here! Can't you tell what's going on with them? Something must've happened last night!"
The mentalist replied and had a calm smile. With a shrug, he answered, "I can't say for sure, but something was different."
With that, Ginro began to think extremely hard, confusing the rest of the villagers. Soon enough, a sleazy, disgusting grin appeared on his face. Before he could even say anything at all, Kohaku took her fist and gave the blonde boy a bump on his head.
"Don't even think about saying what I think you're gonna say, Ginro!" Kohaku scolded him.
Kinro firmly added, "Whatever sleazy thing you're thinking of most likely didn't happen, Ginro."
"Can you guys not talk about us like we're not here?" You coughed awkwardly as tou complained. You took the cloth out from your nose, seeing as it had stopped the bleeding.
"You should do that first! You're having a quiet conversation we can't hear!" Ginro whined.
Senku stuck a pinky in his ear. "Yeah, yeah, not everything is for your ears alone. Now, we gotta get back on track, since Magma pounded all of the material into powder."
"So, what's first on the list, Senku?" You questioned him.
A smirk appeared on his face as he replied, "We're gonna make toothpaste!"
-To be Continued-
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Especially now that the dating arc of this fic has started!
I'll do my best to incorporate romance in these next few chapters because I know that there is a lot of science stuff during this part of the original series!