Chapter Text
It takes everything Gen has in him not to squeal or squirm or make any noise.
He kissed me-
Trying to pretend to be asleep is near impossible. Gen prides himself on managing to stay impassive and relaxed as if he's actually fallen to his slumber much earlier in the night, but once he's sure Senku has actually gone to sleep, he has to remember to breathe. To still his rapidly beating heart. All of those times that the gap between them had been mere centimeters wasn't just a product of his imagination or simply wishful thinking. Senku-chan wants this too.
An oasis had been one way he described Senku time and time again. He initially viewed the other as a spring of hope for survival alone. It steadily became more valuable than that, more meaningful. More personal. But now that some of his thirst has been quenched - well. It's impossible to resist wanting more of what Senku has to offer. Gen is a selfish man, after all. No matter what anyone says about him, he knows what he wants and he knows how to get it.
Now that Senku has toppled that barrier he oh so foolishly assumed existed, Gen has to do something about it. Must. Can't leave this unspoken for another three-thousand and some years while the world keeps moving rapidly around them. The idea that Senku could make an exception for him - could love Gen the way he loves Senku - is captivating. He just has to find a method to make his feelings known in a way the scientist will understand. Which proves difficult. Senku is no romantic, he knows this. Gen just has to think. Step into his shoes and figure out what makes the scientist tick in a way that will strike the right chord within his logically inclined heart. Easier said than done.
The winter weather keeps them indoors most days, busy working away at coiling the wire that they never seem to finish. Gen completes the remainder of the fruit canning alongside Ruri - who thankfully doesn't bring up his apparently obvious feelings unprovoked again. Neither does Chrome, who he sees between breaks on the lightbulb. The nights are spent playing games, telling stories, and all around trying to keep warm. The stoves are completed in the blink of an eye, and save for a few small surface burns he has to treat on hesitant hands here and there, it's uneventful.
It's during one such night that an idea strikes.
He and Ruri are in her hut, playing checkers together peacefully while Chrome and Kohaku duke it out at a separate board much more fiercely. Senku is occupied helping some of the children turn coils of wire, taking a break once more from the lightbulb due to a heavy snowfall. It's grown dark earlier thanks to the season, but no one plans to turn in for the night just yet - dinner is still a ways off. So he tells them stories of the stars. Of celestial bodies and constellations up above, tracing the shapes out with a finger aimed at the heavens outside the open doorway. They all hang on his every word with rampant attention, awe bright in their eyes.
Not even the sound of Chrome and Kohaku arguing can distract Gen from how serene he feels watching the scientist regale his people with such fantastical tales.
Ruri notices him staring, getting distracted from their game, but only shoots him soft smiles. Ones full of understanding, for her heart is in much the same place. Lost within the captivation for the one she loves - who happens to be getting beaten over the head with the checker board by her sister, but that's another story altogether.
The stars.
Gen can't possibly gift Senku with anything that magnificent, he can't harness the powers of the night. Can't pluck the stars out of the sky like persimmons on a branch and hold them in his hands to transform them into something new and sweet and unique. But perhaps he can do something to bring them all just a hair closer to Senku's orbit.
___
"Whaaaa I'm eezingfray to death, Senku-chan!" Gen whines not for the first time.
"Can it, mentalist," he huffs as he ducks under the door flap into the lab, breath visible in front of him. Gen is right on his tail.
"Remind me why I had to come here with you?" he groans, stomping the snow off the sole of his boots before going any further.
"What, did you want me to leave you with Ruby?"
"Haha, very funny!"
"Hey, at least Titan gave up right?"
"Well, sure, but that's only half the oblempray!"
"And here I thought you liked the attention," Senku snickers, walking to the drying racks tucked against the far wall of the lab.
"Only from certain people," Gen says quietly as he buries his arms further into his coat, words, a meaning, that was probably meant more for himself than for Senku's ears.
"Stop yapping, mentalist," Senku decides to say instead of dragging out the conversation about Gen's several suitors any longer.
Normally that kind of thing wouldn't bother him at all. Senku himself understood perfectly well why anyone would be interested in the mentalist, having come to the realization of his own attraction eventually. Especially to someone from the village, Gen is an embodiment of what they once assumed to be sorcery. Mysterious and multifaceted. It's different and attractive in several ways. But Ruby's persistence in particular was starting to rub him the wrong way. It wasn't anything akin to jealousy - that emotion was totally wasted on Senku - but closer to being pity. He might be on the oblivious side when it came to romance, but he could tell Gen wasn't at all interested in her and was growing tired of her pursuit by the day. Why Gen didn't just outright reject her, though, was beyond him. It was probably similar to how the mentalist hadn't acted on his interest in Kohaku, choosing to let it expire with time. Which, to his credit, Senku had noticed the change between them - how now he treated Kohaku much as he did Ruri. With the type of kindness and care directed at a valued friend. Kind of the same way he was towards Taiju and Yuzuriha.
Having loved them both once, he understands how it feels.
It was really nice, actually, to see Gen become close to others and be more open with himself. He still wore his mask expertly, but Senku can see the real Gen peeking behind it more and more every single day. It stirs that warmth in his chest just thinking about it. He has to halt his thoughts there if he wants to remain focused on their current task.
Which is difficult when even the smallest things remind him of the mentalist.
The bouquet of chrysanthemums Gen gifted him has long since died, but each pink bloom has been dried and carefully set aside in a sachet Senku keeps on a high shelf. Their scent still lingers. It brings a homey feeling to the otherwise chemical smell of the lab. As does the smell of fresh paper, thick in the air since it's not as ventilated in here compared to working outside.
Gen is already beside him checking on the sheets, a relatively small batch compared to the others they had produced before the snow hit. Since Gen can't work outside without ruining his efforts, he's had to move the whole operation to the back wall of the lab where it'll stay dry but still out of Senku and Chrome's way. He isn't able to make much, but at least he can recycle the scraps Senku doesn't need anymore to supplement.
"Looks like they're almost dry," Gen remarks as he checks each shelf of the drying racks. "It's taking so long this time though."
"It's the moisture in the air," Senku sighs, turning back to the table. His log book and some blueprints sit on it untouched, but he's been too preoccupied with the lightbulb recently to pay them much attention.
"What a shame," Gen sighs with him.
"It's fine, don't need much right now anyway," he reassures, taking a stool. Gen slides up to the one right beside him once he's satisfied with how the paper is looking.
"So what are we up to now, hm?" Gen questions, perching his chin in his hands. "Escaping my admirers can't be the only reason you dragged me here."
"We're gonna brush up on your Morse code," he grins, noting Gen's pout. "We gotta be ready, mentalist. You have been practicing, haven't you?"
"Well, yes, but that doesn't eanmay I have to like it," Gen huffs. "Where will we start?"
"Run me through the alphabet first, then we'll go from there," Senku says, turning his back to Gen. "Tap it out on the table. And no cheating."
"Aw, you're no fun," Gen hums but starts anyway.
They run through his letters a few times until Senku is satisfied that Gen has the whole thing down forwards and backwards. He's more relieved to know he doesn't have to waste time teaching the mentalist everything from scratch, so now they can focus on creating a shorthand code to make communication roll smoothly. They're at it for long hours, never once looking at each other yet working steadily for every second that goes by. It feels natural, as if Gen has been by him since the beginning of this mess - since he broke free of stone and set on the path to restore humanity, always having his back no matter how perilous the situation. He can't get enough of how exhilarating it feels. Eventually they get to the stage where Gen is telling him whole stories through the constant taps on the glass tabletop, things that draw hushed laughter from him despite trying to keep serious and focused on developing their shorthand code.
It brings into focus how patient Gen is with his craft. Even when tossed at a relatively new task, he handles it diligently. He may complain every step of the way but he still puts his head down and masters what's in front of him - even when he's given little time to do so. The paper is only one such example. The Morse code is no different. Gen finds ways to make it enjoyable and entertaining while still touching base on every aspect he needs to refresh and better improve upon. He's a nurturer, someone who has the drive to grow something from the ground up by hand much the way he might have done with a garden in the old world - planting each seed and tending to it step by step until he got the desired results. It's admirable, even if Gen tries to cover up that part of himself.
By the time they wrap up for the day, his wrist is sore from their conversations but he feels confident that Gen won't falter should they need to rely on Morse code to communicate once they're in the throngs of war. Feels like he can safely lean on the mentalist to effectively get them through this. Knows Gen won't falter for a single second.
"I owe you one, mentalist," he says as he stretches his arms over his head, breaking their silence at last.
"My my, did I do that good a job?~" Gen sings, clearly fishing for a compliment.
"Don't get too cocky," he warns as he turns around to look at Gen again. "I'll make you more cola soon, so knock it off."
Gen grins at him dangerously, that look that makes him feel warm and safe despite being the face of a rampant liar. "Hm, I don't know about atthay.~"
"What, too cold for the weather?"
"I'm craving something sweeter," Gen replies smoothly, standing from his stool and making to leave the lab. He pauses right beside Senku.
"Like cotton candy?" he asks, side eyeing Gen curiously. If that's what he wants, it wouldn't be hard to throw together. They already have what they need. It could make a nice boost in morale for the villagers too.
"Sweeter," Gen whispers, leaning in towards his ear. It raises goosebumps on Senku's skin.
"Then what-"
The words die in his mouth as Gen presses his lips to his cheek. Hardly there, feather light in a way he could have easily imagined. The ghost of a gesture, cryptic yet clear as day.
Then he's gone, leaving Senku alone in the lab.
Wait- wait- he-
Senku whips around to see where Gen went, but he's not in the clearing outside. He's vanished into thin air, leaving Senku alone to sort out his racing thoughts. His heart hammers in his chest in a way he didn't think was possible. Almost feels like it'll pop right out of his body even though he knows it can't happen.
He was awake that night....
The realization makes him clutch at his coat, right over his heart. For a moment he's glad Gen left, isn't sure what to do with himself. If there's a millimeter of chance that Gen feels the same way-
No, not just a chance. He's ten billion percent certain of this. Gen may be an enigma when he feels like it, but Senku knows him about as well as he knows himself. Knows what this means. What it's meant to mean. What he wants it to mean. Can only hope it means.
The lightbulb comes to mind.
Senku never once stopped counting - but the date hits him all of a sudden and he can't believe he almost missed it by a hair. Senku never thought he would have time for anything like this - never thought he would meet anyone that he wanted to have time for, especially amidst perhaps the most dangerous chapters of his life. But he can't miss the opportunity when it's right in front of him. He knows how he's going to show Gen his true feelings. Even if he can't conceptualize the words himself, even if he can't get them to come out of his mouth, he has his actions. That's always been his strong suit.
And the way Gen had looked that day they first met, when the Edison bulb lit up the night sky for the first time in millenia, is unforgettable.
He wants to see Gen's eyes shine with that same hope again.
Wants to proclame how he truly feels. See his own emotions reflect back at him in his mirror. See all the colors this prism has to offer.
It has to happen by this time next week.
___
Disappearing from the lab is perhaps the only thing Gen can manage to do. He hadn't exactly planned to kiss Senku, but the opportunity presented itself and his selfish desires took over. But now he needs time to decompress - to still his heart and his shaking hands. Gen has had plenty of infatuations before, flings and incredibly temporary things - but he's never known love. It's overwhelming in the best way possible. Wants to savor this just as much as it makes his mind itch uncomfortably.
Ruri is the one who gets him out of his head for a while. They twist wire while she tells a new story to the children, and her voice is a calm respite. There's still some hours left till nightfall, and his fingers are sore from all that tapping, but the movements are repetitive and familiar. Gen knows where he stands now. Where he wants to stand. Just has to find a way to make it reality.
"Say, Ruri, could I chew your ear for a omentmay? It seems I've run into a conundrum of sorts…."
If I don't set this in motion soon, I'll be letting my emotions stagnate. That won't do me any good….
___
"You've been different lately," Chrome remarks, hauling a spool of cable over his shoulder.
"Huh?"
"Like, not a bad different. Just different ."
Senku isn't sure how they pulled it off, it feels like a miracle in the making, but within exactly the one week he needed they've finished the lightbulbs that have been troubling him for so many long months. He and Chrome are busy hauling everything they need to the tallest and prettiest and bushiest tree Senku could find in the forest. It's not too far from the wheelhouse, which is how he had noticed it to begin with - from the roof while trying to sort his thoughts and emotions back when he finally accepted how he felt about the mentalist. He knows he's pulling a page right out of Gen's book with this extravagant and over the top display, but part of him can't help it. He wants - no, needs - to see that expression again.
And apparently Chrome noticed it too. "Still don't know what you mean."
"Just different, man, I dunno," his friend shrugs, difficult under the weight of the cable spool.
"Careful with that," he warns, readjusting his grip on the crate he's carrying.
"Yea, yea, I've got it," the other huffs. "So like, is this, ya know, uh-"
"Chrome just," Senku sighs, exasperated. "Spit it out or drop it already."
"Okay, fine, so. You're doing this for Gen? Aren't you?"
That didn't go in the direction he wanted. "No, we're just testing the-"
"The lightbulb, yea, bullshit," Chrome groans, patience wearing thin under the weight of everything he's carrying. "Listen, man, I already know you like him. All that crap about sexualities or whatever didn't exactly help your case."
"That's rich coming from you," he can't help but say. "What about Ruri, huh?"
"Hey that's not-!"
"Watch your step, dumbass," Senku warns as they near the tree, dodging some of its larger roots poking out of the snow.
"Not fair, the mind game thing is Gen's shit," Chrome sighs with relief, finally setting down the cable spool.
"I didn't even say anything," Senku points out with a snicker. Chrome just squaks indignantly.
He thankfully doesn't bring it up again until they have all the long strands hung up in the tree. Which had been a feat of its own, Senku already knows he can't climb trees for shit and Chrome isn't any better off despite being mildly more athletic. It had been plenty dangerous, something he tries to ignore in favor of double and triple checking all of their equipment. Kaseki had helped out as much as he could, but actually getting it all set up fell on them.
"If the kinda life you've talked about before is anything to go by," Chrome says quietly, gazing up at the tree as he wipes beads of sweat off his brow despite the cold air. "I think he'll be mighty impressed."
"Just wait till you see it all on," Senku can't help but smirk.
Just you wait, mentalist.
___
"What's all this about, Senku-chan?" Gen asks as they walk side by side, hanging towards the back of the crowd.
"You'll see," the scientist says with a small smile that Gen can't help but copy.
Ahead of them the villagers chat loudly, taking guesses at where Senku is leading them. Gen has to wonder what's going on as well - there's no particular cause for celebration, it's merely another ordinary winter day. Yet the confident stridie with which Senku carries himself says there's something special waiting for them all out here. He's up to something, and Gen knows whatever it is will be impressive to him no matter how small it may be.
When they arrive at their destination, Chrome and Kaseki are waiting for them underneath a particularly large and robust tree. The villagers all gather around, a hushed whisper falling over the crowd as the anticipation grows. Gen can feel the energy surging through everyone as they wait - for what, he'll just have to wait too.
Senku walks him up to a particular spot and tells him to wait right there, so Gen does as he's told. The night air is crisp and cuts through his body despite how bundled up he is within his fur-lined coat. Just as he's turning his eyes up towards the moonlit sky, the only light offered by nature as there's not a single torch or oil lamp in sight, a snowflake grazes his cheek. In an instant the flurry descends upon them, and somehow it makes the anticipation only that much more whimsical.
"Crap, it's snowing," Chrome says from the base of the tree. "Should we postpone it?"
"Nah. If we can make it happen, today's ideal," Senku says back. It only makes Gen's curiosity grow. He returns his attention to the tree, faintly focused on a small countdown Senku and Chrome initiate only loud enough for the people nearest them to hear.
In the blink of an eye, the darkness disappears.
The night sky lights up, brighter even than the sun. The darkness is quickly chased away by several dozen strands of lightbulbs dangling in the tree, swayed by the winter breeze. The gasps from the crowd send chills down his spine. Before them is an oasis - one a hundred times brighter than that Edison bulb which first sparked his curiosity in Senku.
Gen prided himself on making the impossible believable. On blending the line between reality and fiction. He's a magician at his core. But this isn't magic which steals his breath away. It's science.
In the dry and cold desert of life, an oasis had bloomed just for him - one with green tipped hair and more hope held within his heart than in anyone he's ever met before. Someone who ignites a love within him sweeter than anything he'd ever tasted, sweeter still than cola, that washed down all his fears and sorrows as if they were just grains of sand in the wind.
This time Gen can see the difference between a mirage and a miracle. This is neither. Senku is no untouchable force out of his reach. He's human, with human thoughts and emotions. With kindness that's unparalleled by anyone else who walks this earth. The type of kindness which seeks to gift this stone world with something as simple yet as mesmerizing as light - solely because he can.
"An illumination," he whispers, more to himself than anyone nearby. "All of a sudden....it feels as if we've been transported back….to the modern era, that is...."
"Oho, it took quite a while, didn't it?" Kaseki remarks fondly. "Two months to get to this point....!"
"Nah, not really," Senku says with an excited title in his voice to the older man. "This is all according to plan."
"Ah- could it be- today is-?!" Gen exclaims louder than he intended, eyes drawn back to the tree when the realization hits him. " Christmas-! "
A pang of something familiar works its way through his chest, filling him with warmth against the night. He can't help but gaze at Senku, standing under the tree, bright under the lights as if cast in a halo. A beacon of hope, a bastion of humanity. My real oasis is his fervor for life itself.
When Gen comes back out of his thoughts, Senku has come up right beside him, a wicked smile on his face. He looks at Gen in a way that makes his heart do summersaults, a glimmer in his eyes that's even brighter and more captivating to Gen than the lightbulbs that draw awe from everyone around them. A ten billion watt kind of look that he'll never grow tired of basking in.
"Yea....now that you mention it," Senku chuckles softly, a sound oh so sweet. "What a coincidence."
" Liar.~ "
He did this for me.... Only I could have known.
Gen is too selfish not to want to claim that smile for himself alone.