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It’s been a long while since he last saw Senku; in all the chaos, he had long lost him. Gen doesn't know why he was at the front lines, but that seems so far away now.
Gen was bleeding. He had been bleeding for a while now; his once purple coat had been dyed red, leaving traces of where he had been.
You see, normally, he would mind; his skill sets sometimes include not being seen, having a visible trace with no purpose, and leaving evidence, which would have horrified him enough to correct it.
But he had just watched his friends being gunned down one by one, their lifeless bodies.
He remembers shaking Taiju’s cold, lifeless body, asking no begging for him to wake up.
He remembers hearing the bombs go off, the gunfire all around, and he remembers backing himself against a wall and, in a fit of desperation, tearing at his leather coat to create a white flag, only for it to be shot down.
He remembers seeing Senku being shot down as he pushed back with Chorme against some soldiers.
He remembers being shot where his heart should be; he remembers hearing Stan shouting.
No, demanding over the gunfire, why was he still alive? Ashes of smoke curled around him, as he reclaimed his gun at him once again, only for Gen to rush on ahead regardless.
All of this didn’t matter; it no longer did.
They won.
He knew they won, they did it, his comrades all the way in America finished the Medusa, and he let out a smile.
The kingdom of science will prevail
Looking at the horizon, the trailing plumes of smoke, he knew he still had a few seconds before the beam… and there was only one place he wanted to be.
Crawling over, blood trailing behind as if a veil was dragging behind him.
He reached it, there he was, a lone scientist lying on the ground, a puddle of blood surrounded him like an aura that was slowly getting bigger.
Senku had a faint smile as he stared at the youngest of them with pride and a tinge of guilt, Suika, the small child who followed them everywhere, even to war.
He was now at Senku’s side, kneeling, and he reached a trembling hand out towards the gaping wound in Senku’s abdomen, only for it to be gripped back.
Eyes widened, he snapped out, looking away from the wound.
Ruby red eyes gaze at him, showing a soft light that normally was reserved for when it was they are alone in the dead of night amongst the stars.
“Hey, mentalist?” He whispered.
Trying his best to sit up, Gen in the end had to help him up, trying his best to seal the wound using the remaining of his coat to do so.
Only for Senku to bring their foreheads together, he could see the blood-stained face of his lover, his partner, his soulmate.
I love you, thank you… Where would I be without you, Gen?
“Yeah, scientist?” Gen could feel himself relaxing despite the situation; he let himself finally meet Senku’s gaze, letting the love he normally hides shine through.
You are the other half of me. I can never deny you… But you know that, don't you, Senku?
“Let’s meet again in hell”, he won’t say he loves him, he doesn’t believe in pretty words, but he believes in that vow they made under the stars.
“See you soon, my love” The tears started flowing again.
Gen cracked a broken smile, letting Senku cradle his face.
He tilted his head a bit so he could kiss that hand, and he laid a reverent kiss on that hand that created, that holds his blackened heart, one filled with love and despair, even knowing they would likely survive, Gen still couldn't get rid of the dread.
He went in for a hug, and tears flowed endlessly from his eyes.
Closing his eyes, he could feel their hearts touching; he could feel Senku’s slowing down.
Oh my darling—
Bang…Bang
Gen felt pain; he felt agony in his chest.
He froze.
He had felt something, broken his skin, it stopped before entering his heart, but that was not what filled him with dread.
Vaguely, he noticed that Stanley had a truly sadistic grin on his face; maybe that was the cause?
But no, he knows it was not; the bullet should have exited, not embedded, so with trepidation, he looked down.
And he wished he hadn't, he couldn't hear anything, he was no longer on the battlefield, all he could see, all he could know was that there was a gaping hole in Senku’s chest where his heart was.
He could see the light start to fade from Senku’s eyes.
He tried to shake him, but he was unresponsive; he ignored his own injury, it didn’t matter now, he was sure the tears that had long since been flowing from his eyes never once stopped.
But still, Senku was smiling even as he stopped seeing, as if their promise was set in stone, as if they would really meet again in hell.
Looking at Senku’s dull eyes, all he can feel is no more, looking at the image of himself reflected in his lover's dead eyes.
He can only see a broken man staring back at him.
He could feel himself fading from blood loss; he didn’t know, but as he watched, the green light rose from the horizon.
He smiled, he felt warm, and he hoped.
Hunching over his Scientist as he felt himself turn to stone, he thought.
Senku… your science, I believe… You wouldn’t want to break your own promise after all.
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It has been days since they created a base, and everyone has been busy creating traps and fortifying it.
Gen had been keeping morale, but it was hard and not as effective as it had once been, with zero progress in the Medusa and the ticking bomb that was Stanley and his crew.
Gen needed a break; walking around in the forest wasn’t possible, and as the main source of morale and the right-hand man of their leader, he couldn't be seen in the dumps, so he took the next best option.
Climbing up the tower meant to place the Medusa.
As he reached the top, he paused, noticing someone else was up there.
It was Senku, the leader of their kingdom, Gen’s lover and only 19 this year, as he was about to descend.
Senku jerked up, catching Gen’s grey eyes, looking shocked for a moment before furrowing his brow as if thinking about something, before he had shifted enough so there was space for Gen.
Gen let out a sigh at the unspoken request.
He really can never say no to Senku, not when he looks so adorable, and they both have been so stressed.
A chat would be nice.
Climbing up fully, he took a seat next to Senku and joined him, looking at the stars.
The longer he was with him, he could feel the ever-present stress and anxiety start to fade away for now.
Yeah, just being together makes it all feel better…We should do this more often once this is all over.
Turning around so he could stare intently at Gen, a finger picking his ear, Gen couldn’t help but wonder what this was about.
He knows what Senku mulling over has to do with their personal relationship since Senku is picking his ear, a clear tell that he was nervous.
After a moment of silence, Senku's eyes sharpened, his ruby red eyes boring into Gen’s soul.
Gen could feel himself heating up as he tried to avoid his gaze.
They may have been dating for a while, but Senku was never the one to start.
After what seems to be an eternity, Senku spoke up, “Hey, Gen, do you want to get married after this?”
Gen could feel himself having a mental screech, he couldn’t help himself as he blurted out “Ehh?! What are you saying!?”
Before he could start scolding himself for that verbal misstep, he was interrupted.
Senku could help but snap a bit annoyed, with a blushing face, he grumbled back, “Stop shouting, I’m just asking it’s okay if you don’t want to…”
Calming back down, Gen managed to gather back his metaphorical bearings as he replied, “No, I'm just shocked, that’s all, yes, I would love to, but what brought this on?”
In the end, he couldn’t help but ask; there had been no indication that Senku was even interested in marriage in all the time they were together.
In fact, Gen was sure Senku thought it was pointless, and Gen would agree, but still, deep in his heart, his thoughts say otherwise
Who doesn’t want to marry their lover? I just never thought he would be interested, and I was fine with that… Letting me stand by your side was always going to be enough.
Senku looked away for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts.
This was important; it has been on his mind for a while now, and he doesn’t want to screw this up.
Taking a deep breath replied, “I know we have been putting our relationship on the back burner more for my sake than yours…”
“You know I don’t mind”, Gen couldn’t help but add quickly.
Senku was only 19 and under immense pressure, with the only person who was an adult who could have taken part of the load being a maniac hell bent on world domination.
Gen didn’t want to force Senku to feel he had to do something for his sake; if he could, he would have taken all his burdens, but he can’t do what Senku could.
So the least he could do was to ensure that he took the parts he could, and make sure Senku knows there will always be Gen there to catch him.
Senku could see what Gen was trying to do; he always tells people he is only doing stuff for his own sake.
While he does everything he can to delight, in helping him, to sacrifice himself all to make Senku breathe a little easier.
He knows Gen was a selfless person, he knows Gen loves Children, that Gen hides his love in acts he can tell people were for selfish reasons.
As if the fact he cared was a weakness, they haven’t talked about it all, but the parts he had been told had made him, at times, want to revise his all-reviving statue ideal.
Surely he can make an exception for Gen’s parents; his mentalist doesn’t need them in his life.
Gen deserves someone who sees for him, to not hide him, to show their care for him openly, who doesn’t fault him for all his flaws, as they only made him more beautiful.
Senku wanted to be that person, so with that resolve, his spine straightened, his eyes softened, and he lifted a hand to cradle Gen’s cheek, moving so that he could examine Gen’s lovely ash grey eyes.
He spoke so softly it was a lover's whisper, “Yeah, but I do, I love you, and I don’t want people to not know, and I want to be with you for the rest of our lives”
At that, Gen flushed, burying his face into Senku’s shoulder.
He couldn’t help but give a chuckle at that before turning his face, he murmured directly into Gen’s ear
“Besides Menatist, you said you are going to hell with me, don’t tell me you want to back out now,” shifting even closer now with his arms around Gen’s waist, pulling them closer together.
Gen made a muffled noise against Senku’s shoulder, “Mmf…” ignoring that they were basically cuddling at this point.
Raising an eyebrow, he teased, imitating Gen’s usual tone at the end, “Hmm… what? I can’t hear you~”
Lifting his head, revealing his wet eyes, he glared at Senku and answered with a pout, “I said yes.”
Chuckling, feeling lighter than ever, Senku leaned in to kiss that pout away, kissing Gen’s Cheeks, his eyes before leaning back.
Noticing now Gen was furiously blushing, Senku let out a beatific smile before leaning in to give him a proper kiss, ignoring that adorable squeak Gen made.
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The first thing he noticed upon his revival was Senku’s stone from underneath him; he had a Gentle smile, his stone eyes gazing up to him.
The second thing he had noticed after he dragged his eyes away was how much older Suika was; he could still see the child she had been.
He could see the dark rings around her eyes; he could see the way she was constantly looking over him as if he would disappear the moment she looked away.
He felt his heart break at that, spreading his hands, she dove into a hug, he could feel how she was just too thin for her age and height.
She let her tears flow in his embrace, the first human skin she had touched that was not her own for the first time in seven years.
She missed everyone, but she missed him, Senku and Kohaku the most
Gen had always liked children, but Suika, in particular, he and Senku had treated her as their own.
He fed her, he bathed with her, he and Senku taught her their tricks, she literally grew overnight, she was no longer that small child who would look at him or Senku for praise.
She grew up all on her own, all alone.
He felt her knees give out, and he went down with her, letting her cry out, letting her express all her grievous at being the one to be all alone all this time.
Slowly, as her hiccuping slowed down, she told him why he was the first to be revived.
“Gen… I saw everyone but you die… I didn’t know if they…” she murmured out, pausing at every other word as if she was fighting through the pain the loneliness to say it.
Gen couldn’t take Suika's obvious distress any longer. He knew what she meant; he had already the first moment he noticed that only he was awake beside her.
Gently, he stopped her, “I know, no need to say more, I understand.”
“I still have a bottle of fluid left, do you think… Senku?” That’s the question he doesn’t want to hear, the question that had been plaguing him even in stone.
He knows the Medusa can do miracles, but there was a hole through Senku’s heart.
Can it even mend something that was not there?
Still, he calmed down.
He was second in command, a mentalist who had walked into situations where a toe on the wrong line would have rendered him dead.
He was not going to allow Sukia to burden herself with this any longer.
“Let me make more before we try… on them, let’s just revive Luna first, she was a medical student, in case of post-revival complications, she can deal with it,” he answered, letting his hand out for Suika to pass over the instructions.
She looks at him in confusion for a second before a look of understanding passes through her face.
Digging into her robe, she fished out 3 crumpled-looking papers.
Looking at them, he felt melancholy. He knew that Senku had written long ago, not with this purpose in mind; no, it was meant to be a lesson plan for Chorme.
The thing about science that most of the other revivals ignore is that anyone could do it, provided they have the instructions.
Gathering the materials, he sighed and knelt.
It is not magic.
He could feel Suika’s eyes on him as he slowly made a familiar-looking set-up.
It is actually very simple.
He knows the reason Suika struggled so much was because they hadn’t gotten to fully teach her to read.
Even if you used trial and error, the result will always be the same.
Not to mention the fact she her lens where not only broken but unchanged throughout the 7 years she had been alone.
Her degree had been bound to change.
And while Gen prefers his own magic more, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t understand how science works.
Squinting at the instructions, he couldn’t help but smile, looking at the doodles Senku made, but still, he didn’t stop.
Setting up the Bunsen burner, he knows he is not the best, as he typically gets lower yields compared to Senku and Chrome.
But as the first drop of nitric acid drops down, he let out a smile.
Not to mention, on occasion, when Senku and Chrome were busy, he would be the one to help out with the chemicals.
Soon, the two of them had enough to revive everyone.
There had been a few spills and mistakes, but it took them a few days longer than he knew Senku would have taken.
They had since revived Luna and Chelsea, as the only two truly uninjured, therefore the most likely to be fine.
There could have been plenty of others to test reviving before risking Senku.
But Suika had been hearing the whimpers and nightmares that Gen had been having; she could see the return of the dark circles that she had thought long gone away, the moment.
That Gen had joined the kingdom of Science all those years ago, he and Senku were the closest she had to parents, and she couldn’t watch him wither away from stress.
So she marched him over, gently pushing a jar of revival fluid into his hands, squeezing him, eyes downcast to hide the trepidation.
As Gen knelt in front of Senku’s stone form, he looked up at where Suika had been,
She had long since left, wanting to give their leader and his right-hand man some privacy
They deserved that at least.
Looking at the sky, observing the clouds as they floated by, he felt his eyes tearing up.
He couldn’t stand that gentle look in Senku’s face, as if telling him everything would be okay even though it might not be.
“Please… wake up,” cradling Senku’s cold, hard cheek so unlike what it was, he whispered as tears fell from his eyes, dropped and splattered onto Senku’s unchanging stone face.
“I don't think I can still be whole if you don’t,” burying his face into Senku’s hard chest, he begged, but Senku’s stone vestige remained unmoving.
Unaware that the love of his life, the man he fell for, was on his chest, begging, sobbing, experiencing heartbreak, despair.
“I will never forsake our dream… but you would have to wait for me longer in hell…” Despite Senku never answering, he continued.
“Please, I beg of a god that never cared,” finally, he closed his eyes as he gave a solemn prayer, he would never tell Senku he prayed for him
He knows what his scientist would say, but this once, he wanted to believe.
Sitting up, wiping his eyes, plastering a smile, he took a deep breath, uncapping the revival fluid, and he poured, eyes unblinking as he stared.
The words were already at the tip of his tongue.
As a bright light shone, Senku's hair broke free.
As he was greeted with a teasing smile, the words never left his mouth.
This time, the tears in his eyes were not of heartbreak; as they flowed down, he felt a finger slowly wiping his eyes.
He couldn’t see from all the tears, but he felt a forehead against his own, as a deep rumbling voice sounded out.
“My mentalist, my partner, my lover, my equal, the one that completes me the same way science does, my husband, have you waited long?” Gen couldn’t answer; he was still sobbing.
He felt himself being kissed, and he returned it, throwing his hands around Senku’s neck as if it was the only thing holding him together.
The only thing he felt was bone-deep relief.
Leaning back, seeing the way Senku’s hair caught the sunlight, he couldn’t help but giggle.
Senku looked confused before he understood him and joined him.
Not long after, they both like a pair of magnets, went back to kissing this time interspaced with giggles and affirmations laced in.
They would be alright.