34. I'll Do Anything
09-16-2023
A/N: I forgot to mention last week but thank you for 20k+ reads and 1k+ votes! You guys are so awesome!
I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!
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Q: How are you feeling about the weekly updates so far?
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"Don't start feeling me up, now..."
Homura was looking up at Senku as he was sitting on top of her. The look in her pink eyes had shown that she wasn't content being held down by the scientist.
"Heh...keep in mind who you're dealing with when you try to use lines like that. After we restore civilization to its full, scientific glory, I can play that innocent boy all you want," Senku said smugly.
The woman underneath him had let out an annoyed sigh. The scientist's gaze drifted to you, who stared with hooded eyelids as you cradled a blinded Kohaku in your arms. Homura had no idea what was going on until she realized what the relationship between the both of you was just by the slight tension. "A risk with fire, I see..."
"Heh, she knows that I'm ten billion percent not interested in just any woman, so you can knock yourself out with as many pure-hearted boys as you like. Right, (Y/N)?" He questioned you.
You let out harumph. "Right."
The enemy then stopped talking. Widening her eyes, it looked as though she figured something out. Next thing you know, she was up and about, flipping Senku over on his back.
"HE'S COMPLETELY USELESS!" The villagers cried.
Ginro cried, "That's the power of a water flea for ya..."
"Why the hell didn't I see this sooner?!" You cursed at yourself.
You then saw Homura using her gymnastics to hastily get away from everybody. Nobody except you and Senku knew about her techniques, so it was impossible for them to catch her. You gently laid Kohaku on the ground, who still couldn't see a single thing, and grabbed your katana from its sheath.
"Just what kinda of martial arts are those...?!" Kokuyo wondered as she jumped into a tree and looked down on everybody.
With her squinted eyes, she started listing off names, "Kinro, Ginro, Kohaku Suika..."
"How does she know our names?" Suika asked.
"She carefully monitored us the entire time she was here," you explained to her.
"...Senku and (Y/N). But where's Chrome, Magma, and Gen? You're all here except for the three of them. That's unnatural," said Homura, the expression on her face turning dark with strained fear. "Where are they?"
Not even a second later, she quickly retreated into the forest with no time to lose. She realized the operations team was delivering something, since the village had to go through the lengths of setting up a diversion.
"She noticed. Just as we feared, she's on to the movements of Chrome's cellphone team," Kinro stated with furrowed eyebrows.
"This is bad!" His brother frightfully cried out.
The little melon girl tried getting her puppy, Chalk, to find a trail to Homura using his sense of smell. However, she was long gone before the animal could even find anything with her scent. Some of the villagers went back to their homes after the eventful day. Senku had also quickly left and it was beginning to get dark.
"Chrome's party is heading straight for the Tsukasa Empire, and Homura is going after them. It's only a matter of time before the cellphone is discovered," you explained the situation.
Kohaku, whose vision had returned, added, "If it's destroyed or reported to Tsukasa, we're dead!"
"Don't say that...we worked so hard to make it too...!" Kaseki fretted.
Kinro spoke up, "Our only option is to seize her before that."
Senku came back to overhear everything, then had a smirk on his face as he had a giant piece of technology in his hand. He also dragged along a giant bag with what seemed like a box inside of it. "Kukuku, let's light the last spark of our weapon then. The shocking and surprising scientific item, level 3!"
The scientist then turned the device on and it revealed little lights in different places. It showed footprints and fingerprints in the places where Homura touched and escaped.
"Whoa! It's so shiny!" Your friends cried out.
"But how are we able to see the lights?" Suika questioned the boy.
He replied, "You guys have seen this blue light before. It's the scheelite ground into powder. I applied it to her hands and legs when I was holding her down. But how you guys are able to see it... Slowpoke, can you think of anything that could help you see the invisible?"
You looked at him with surprise, then began to think. An item that can help you see the invisible with the naked eye.
"A black light! You can use it to find fingerprints and other things that you can't normally see!" You exclaimed.
With a smirk, he replied, "Ten billion percent correct! With this, we can find a way to reach Homura before she catches up to Chrome and the others!"
"We need to pack up quickly then because it'll take days to catch up..." Kohaku told you.
"Dont worry, we got you guys covered!" You heard a few villagers speak up. They were holding a pack of supplies and handed it to you. "We saw what happened and we prepared something for you right away!"
You and Senku looked at them with grateful expressions on your faces. Saying your thanks, you and the scientist took it upon yourselves to follow Homura with the lioness and the golden wolf.
~~~
The four of you traveled using the black light as a guide. Using some cloth and some paint, Senku used it to make a map and calculate the distance between your group and the enemy.
"Senku, (Y/N), there's something I'd like to confirm with you both," Kohaku spoke up as she approached. "Homura's movements are anything but normal."
"You mean her gymnastics, huh? It's a technique that doesn't exist in your time. It's a little similar to this slowpoke's dance moves, only it's more flexible," said Senku.
The lioness continued in a firm tone, "Yes, I thought that too. It'll probably be impossible to capture without injuring her. However, if I stop using the back of my blade, beheading her with a single blow is possible. You, (Y/N), of all people should know that since you trained with a weapon similar to this, right?"
You widened your eyes, then looked away with a nod. "Yes, it's possible. A blade as fine as a katana can decapitate a person, especially if someone is trained to use it."
"And are you okay with that? Me killing her with such a weapon...?"
Your (E/C) eyes stared at the girl with conflicting thoughts. You knew that when handling a katana, it is possible to perform a seamless execution to stop Homura from reaching Chrome and the others. But you did not learn the ways of kenjutsu to kill someone. You only learned to use it for defense and protection. You also understood that having a bloodless war is nearly impossible, but you didn't want it to happen. You didn't want your friends, let alone your boyfriend, to be murderers for the sake of saving the world.
Senku placed a hand on your shoulder and you were able to escape your thoughts for just a moment. Glancing back at him, you saw a serious look on his face with a tinge of worry in those ruby red eyes of his. Taking a deep breath, you asked the girl, "Kohaku, have you ever killed another human being?"
She lowered her gaze for a moment to think, then looked back up to reply, "Of course, not! That's precisely why I must kill when the moment arrives. I will surely hesitate and expose my own accursed weakness. In order to erase my momentary doubts. I must give my beliefs dorm with the power of my words!"
You let out a sigh of relief and the green-haired boy just smirked as he added to the conversation, "Relax. When it comes down to it, we might not even need to rely on those dangerous blades. Kukuku, now why do you think we have that crazy big box that we all went through hell together to make? Now that I mentioned it, we need to take it out and signal them with a single ring call!"
~~~
Night had quickly approached after the call was made to warn the operation team about Homura. The four of you set up camp underneath an overpass with a hill above for cover.
As you sat next to Senku by the fire, he spoke, "This race is a double game of tag. But given our relative positions, if we can coordinate over the air, what'll happen?"
You replied, "The operations team can turn back and help us capture Homura from the other side."
"Oh! Then this game of tag will suddenly become a pincer attack!" The lioness exclaimed.
"Kukuku, that's what the information war is all about," said the scientist. "Before the sun rises, we need to get start early so we can find Homura but also contact the operations team to coordinate with them."
"How will that work? Also, the box has been beeping for a little...is that something we should just ignore?" Kinro asked as he looked at the box that the green-haired boy assembled earlier on for the phone call.
"I'm not ignorning it. Just don't mind it for now and I'll tell you tomorrow about it," he said with a smirk, which unsatisfied what you were currently feeling at the moment. "Let's get some shut eye and get a move on afterward.
With that, your group had lied down to rest in their cozy sleeping bags, you listened to them fall into slumber one by one. Soon, they were still, and you were the only one left awake. You couldn't sleep.
As they lay sleeping, you quietly left your spot beneath the overpass to climb to the hilltop above it. Your mind was riddled with a billion different thoughts, ranging from questions, wonder, and random fantasies that you had always had. You needed some time to yourself before you could get some rest.
You trudged through the snow and sat down in the clearing. It was a full moon, so you were able to see the entire sea of trees, and the river cutting through it, sitting before your very eyes. The calm breeze made the forest sway lightly, to and fro. The snow had reflected the moonlight, making it appear as though little stars were sleeping on the white blanket. You sat down and just took a deep breath to take in everything around you.
"Can't sleep, huh?"
You turned around to see Senku trudgging through the snow to get to you. When he made it, he sat down by your side, that familiar softness in his eyes appearing before you.
A small smile adorned your face. "Yeah..."
"You always tend to leave when you have a bunch of thoughts in your head, so I stayed up for you. Want to share your worries with me?" He questioned you.
"I think you already know what I'm thinking about. This race to help Chrome, Magma, and Gen against Homura," you replied as you let out a sigh. The cool air made your warm breath visible. "But I'm also taking this time to be on lookout. You know, just to be safe."
"Well, you don't need to worry too much about that. They wouldn't be moving around too much at night due to the temperature and the need to conserve energy. However, I will say that we will make it in time, ten billion percent," said the boy.
You then leaned over, resting your head on his shoulder. "You got a strategy?"
"Yup. I've been receiving messages from Gen through Morse code, and we came up with one together. I'll fill you in on it tomorrow with the lioness and Kinro. It's like Kohaku had said, this is a pincer attack," he told you.
"Clever...I didn't think you'd be able to communicate with Gen without calling. Is that why the box had been beeping, like what Kinro said?"
"Yup. I'll do anything to make your worries go away."
"'Anything,' huh? Keep showing me what anything is and maybe it'll all go away."
You let out a small laugh, then took his hand and intertwined your fingers together with his. Breathing in slowly, you had come to enjoy the time alone that you spent with him. The two of you sat there together, looking up at the twinkling stars above you.
Just then, a long dash of white light appeared in the night sky, then disappeared. Not even a second later, more appeared and filled the heavens with colorful streaks heading in multiple different directions. You immediately stood up to get a better look at the what was going on, mesmerized by the beauty of the sudden event happening before you.
"Shooting stars!" You breathed out as your eyes tried to follow at least one of the fallen "stars."
"Kukuku, yeah. If you wanna get into the specifics, it's the Lyrids meteor shower," the scientist informed you. "It happens around this time of the year."
"How come we've never seen it together before?" You asked him.
"Because it happens way too early or way too late. You were always sleeping at that time," he explained.
Your (E/C) orbs sparkled as the hues of the sky reflected in them. "Well...have you seen anything more beautiful?"
Rather than looking at the vast colors, Senku was more focused on you and your happiness. At that moment, the only thought that he had was how he had never seen anything as enchanting until he saw your illuminated smile under the dazzling night sky.
The look of tenderness had curled onto his face. He replied as he stood up and patted the snow off his legs, "Yeah...and it's as I expected."
You turned to see him walking up to you and look at him with a confused look on your face. "What do you mean?"
"The glow of the meteor shower suits your smile very well," he said softly.
Senku leaned into your space, clasping your chin between his fingers. He slightly tilted it upward before you suddenly felt a cold, but soft, pair of lips pressing against your own. Your eyes widened as your brain had gone through a short circuit at that very moment. Though the kiss lasted a second, it felt as though it was longer than it should have. Your lips then felt the frigid air the moment the boy had stopped to back away. At the same time, the meteor shower had finished, and the only thing giving you light was the white celestial being above all of you.
"Heh, that was exhilarating. Now you won't have to have those questions and worries in your head," he said, a small blush forming on his face. "Let's go get some shut-eye now since the meteor shower is done."
The scientist started trudging away. Instantly, you rushed to him and pulled on his hood to stop him. He looked back to see that your head was down, and you were slightly shaking.
"What's wrong? I said I'd do anything to make your worries go away, and I also kissed you with no warning like you wanted," said Senku.
You muttered with a trembling voice, "...it again..."
The boy raised his eyebrows. "What?"
"I said do it again!" You looked up at him and nearly shouted, which surprised him. He saw that your (E/C) eyes were gleaming with desire, as well as some other possible, hidden feelings he couldn't exactly figure out. He'd never seen you make that face before. Realizing that you were getting a little too loud, you quieted down. "I...I want to kiss you again. You can't just give me my first kiss and then leave!"
The scientist looked away from you and placed a palm on his forehead, asking, "Are you sure want me to kiss you again?"
You gulped, then replied firmly, "Yes."
He fully turned around to face you, his hands on his waist, and looked down at your figure. "Then, close your eyes."
You immediately closed your eyes shut. You could hear your heart pounding loudly against your ears and feel sweat going down your temples. The only thing you could see was darkness, and the emotions you felt were timidness and anticipation for the kiss he had promised. With those closed eyes of yours, you couldn't see Senku's blushing cheeks. He, too, was nervous about the action of affection despite doing it with no problem before. The confidence he had before had melted away to show that it was just a facade; something that only appeared in that instant.
Who would've thought that a second kiss would bring immense hesitation from him? The same scientist, who hadn't rested from restoring humanity, was actually quite tentative about doing something for once. He was accomplished with everything related to science but was not experienced with the actions he once thought were illogical.
How demure, Senku thought as he looked at your face, flushed lips slightly parted with cheeks dusted with a darkish hue. And how ironic for him to think of you as such, as if he didn't have furrowed eyebrows and a heated visage.
The boy then put his hands on the sides of your face and slowly leaned forward. You noticed how gentle he was to you with those callused hands of his. Soon, a soft pair of lips brushing against your own, and the feeling of breathing tickling your nose. With no thought beforehand, you slightly pushed forward, melting into the kiss.
When the scientist had pulled back, he saw that your eyes opened to be half-lidded and your lips still pursed.
"Senku...I want one more," you told him.
He leaned in for another one, then stopped a second later.
"One more."
You then pushed him up against a nearby tree and grabbed the collar of his jacket. He took his cold hands to grab your face and pulled your lips closer, fulfilling your request.
"More," you quietly demanded.
Senku realized now that you were not demure, especially since you kept pushing for more. In fact, he now thought that you were filled with voracious longing. To be frank, he was fine giving you what you asked for because he loved you. He wanted to show you how much he did through your little requests, and this was one of them.
However, you were taking it too far and now was not the right time or place. The scientist lightly squeezed your face and spoke gruffly, "You're getting a little greedy now, (Y/N). You know we need to sleep and get a move on."
You looked at him with widened eyes, figuring out that you had let yourself go. Letting out a sigh of disappointment, you leaned your head into his hand. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to act greedy. I don't know what got over me..."
"You're reacting to the high levels of oxytocin, serotonin, and dopamine released when kissing...good to know that I also help reduce your cortisol levels too..." Senku explained to you.
"I don't understand what that means, but that means it's good, right?" You wondered. "It was really nice having those happy feelings..."
With a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, he said, "Those happy feelings can be gained through regular kisses, you know. I guess I made you too happy."
"I know, I know! Again, I'm sorry," you apologized once more as you lightly pounded at his chest for his slight teasing.
He let out a snicker, then leaned down and spoke in your ear in a hushed tone, "I'll forgive you if you be a good girl the next time."
Heat immediately rushed up your face hearing those words uttered from his mouth. You never expected him to say something so provocative directly to you, it change the wiring in your brain.
"I-I can't believe you just said that..." you sputtered out with a squeaky tone. "I'll be good. But you gotta promise that you'll give me another kiss when the time is right. But we'll go slower!"
"Kukuku, I promise I will," Senku snickered upon seeing your embarrassed expression, quickly wrapping his pinky around yours to swear. He then quickly turned heel and started walking off. "Let's get going now so we can sleep, okay?"
"Okay..." you said as you followed him.
"Heh, that's my girl," he told you as he took a slight glance at you.
Even though you trailed behind him, Senku didn't dare to look back at you the entire time. His face was flushed red, the color slowly reaching his ears, and absolutely did not want you to see it whatsoever. You couldn't dare to look up at him either; your face was riddled with sweat dripping down and flushed with an elevated heart rate.
The two of you prayed that you would sleep well that night after what happened.
-To be Continued-
A/N: ( ͡°( ͡° ÍÊ( ͡° ÍÊ Í¡Â°)Ê Í¡Â°) ͡°)
I've had a portion of that kiss scene sitting in my WIP for WAY TOO LONG. The way I was EMBARRASSED writing it, and I couldn't even find a good place to insert it into UNTIL NOW. I was contemplating on whether or not this should be the first kiss, but I realized that I needed to give you guys the best, long-awaited, UNEXPECTED first kiss scene EVER.
This may have been somewhat OOC and a little too quick, BUT I COOKED AND I SERVED. I HOPE YOU ALL ATE IT WELL.
I will return to a lovely wholesome pace in the next couple chapters...or will I? HEHEHE. Stay tuned~~~
I sincerely hope you enjoyed this chapter!