Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“There has to be something I can do.” A voice, focused and sharp as he swapped through medicines and prescription bottles in a pharmacy. The lights flickered in an unsettling manner, screams and loud booms echoed outside. 

“Senku..There's not enough time, we'll figure it out– but we need to leave before-”

A loud crash rang out from across the store, making the three in the aisle freeze. Then they heard grunts and struggled breathing. 

It was one of them. 

If there was one thing that Gen would never say out loud to anyone, and he means ANYONE, it was the fact that he was afraid to be alone when he inevitably expires. 

But like I said, he wouldn't admit that to anyone. 

Here he laid awake, unable to go back to sleep after he was jolted awake by an unknown source. Senku slept beside him, very light snoring you couldn't hear unless you strained your ears. 

He didn't particularly feel anything bad, he felt perfectly fine. Yet, why did it feel wrong? I mean, he knows why but..well, he shouldn't feel well. Shouldn't he..I don't know, be going batshit crazy already? He doesn't know the actual time it takes for the host to be completely taken over by the cordyceps, but considering how fast it spread throughout the globe, it shouldn't take nearly a day. 

Or did it depend on where the bite was? 

Gen felt for the bite on his right arm, just shy of hitting his shoulder. He had made the quick decision to throw his favorite purple hoodie (rest in peace) and a shirt he wore under in favor of a clean and new shirt and zip up jacket. Senku had eyed him weirdly, but it otherwise went unsaid. 

And of course, he cleaned the wound as best as he could, given the scientist was always checking on him. He only managed to get torn cloth and gauze on his arm before the other appeared behind him in some abandoned company building. He had questioned what he was doing but Gen waved it off as nothing. 

He didn't feel even a twitch in his body, no itch for blood, no urge for violence. Could it be a mutation? Does it just randomly hit? But he had noticed before outbreak day his audience had twitching fingers, stiff as a board, so it had to be a gradual and slow take over. It just made the ‘host being aware’ theory that came from Senku all the more terrifying. You could only watch as the infection made you kill your friends and family, and there was nothing you could do about it. It was like a form of torture. 

From what he gathered from the news on his TV, it took at most 2 days for someone to completely lose control. 2 days.

Gen glanced at Senku's snoring figure, the feeling of dread pooled in his gut. Would he watch as Senku fought him after finally putting some trust in him? Would Senku yell at him as he fought? He pressed into the bite wound, the achy pain grounding him to reality with a silent hiss of air. 

If that were the case, then why won't he leave so he can keep Senku out of danger? 

Gen can't answer that. 

Senku groaned as he awoke from his slumber, instinctively moving to stretch sore muscles out with a wide yawn. The fire they had going before they fell asleep was out, the ambers already snuffed out. He turned to his left, seeing Gen's figure lightly rising and falling in rhythm with his breathing. 

A small smile graced his lips. He was still there, he didn't leave. 

He's still here. He's safe. 

A deep breath. 

Gen isn't going to leave. 

Senku's racing heartbeat calmed, sitting up and letting the sleeping bag's blanket drape down. Gen did look tired, though. His face was grimacing in discomfort, furrowed brows twitching. A nightmare? Or was he still adjusting to the fact that he doesn’t have a comfortable mattress? Whichever the case, it was clear he had struggled to sleep. Was it worth letting the poor magician sleep some more? Or should he wake him up and make sure he’s okay?

Senku hummed to himself, deciding to just get their stuff together while he slept.

Their stuff. Their.

The scientist admits, it was strange having someone with you after a decade of forcing himself to be alone. Now that he kind of looks back, it was stupid; even if it did indeed work out for him. He still sorta felt weird about his new predicament, but he can’t say he’s disappointed with his new travel partner. 

As much as a voice in the back of his head shouted and shouted that this was wrong, he couldn't help but tune it out. It was strange. People have tried the same thing that Gen was doing. Tried to get close to him, tried to break down his walls. Yet Senku has never let anyone in until now. What made Gen so special? Why did he stand out? Maybe it was this small part of him that knew that he wasn't only doing it for Senku, but himself as well. He had been pretty much on his own till now, hadn't he? 

Gen stirred a bit as Senku roamed around their small camping area, but never awake. Instead, he shifted onto his other side, where a small bloodstain appeared on his shoulder. 

The scientist froze at the sight. It was small, probably insignificant. But was it Gen's blood or something else that he had scraped by while walking yesterday? Senku brushed it off for now, he'd ask later if he remembered. 

Once he finished packing their things, Senku nudged Gen with his foot. “Hey, mentalist. Wakey wakey, let's get moving.” 

Gen whined, pouting as he woke up. He grumbled something incoherent as he sat up. “That's not how you wake someone up, Senku-chan.. Such a meanie..” He stated under his breath. 

Senku narrowed his eyes at the magician, it was clearer than ever that he didn't get much sleep. The dark circles under his eyes and his lazy-like movements were enough to attest. But the scientist didn't mention it. “Hah? How else am I supposed to wake you up? Pick you up and cradle you like a baby?? I could've just kicked you, y'know? Now get your ass up, we gotta get moving.” 

Gen grumbled once more but got up anyway. 

“Senku, I don't think there's anything that can-”

“There has to be something–! This can't just be it. No–there has to be something-”

The astrophysicist flipped and flipped through pages of books on fungi and medicine, trying to find some sort of solution. 

His friends, Taiju and Yuzuriha, stood teary eyed behind him, clutching their bitten wounds. “Senku…” Taiju muttered. “We don't fully grasp what this is just yet.. Maybe-!” Yuzuriha brought a hand to the taller one's shoulder, giving a sad frown. “Senku, we don't have much time..” She placed down a stolen handgun on the desk Senku was reading on. “I know it's going to be hard, especially going forward after this. But-”

Everyone in the room freezes as they watch Yuzuriha's hand uncontrollably twitch. She had a sad smile on her face. “Ah, I guess that confirms it, huh?” She knew what was going to come. 

Senku tenses and grits his teeth, ignoring the gun beside him and buries his face back into the textbook. “No! This has to have a fix to it! This can't just be the end–”

Taiju made a gagging noise, as if struggling. The two looked behind them, wide eyes as they saw blood gushing from his nose, out of his mouth. He was hugging himself and hunching over, like he was fighting against something. “Taiju..!” Yuzuriha gasped, lifting a hand to her face. 

Senku narrowed his eyes to the bite on Taiju's neck, how the veins seemed to bulge, was it infected? Well, a human bite always has a significant chance of getting infected, but this quickly?? They only got bit an hour ago. 

Whatever battle Taiju was fighting, it was clear he lost, looking up at the 2 people in front of him, vulnerable and delectable . It was clear he didn't want to, he was visibly still fighting against it. Senku grabbed the gun before anyone could act, pointing it directly at his taller friend, as if predicting how this'll end. 

“Taiju..”

A strangled scream.

“I'm so sorry..”

Bang! 

Thud. 

The sky was clear, a stray cloud here and there. The sun was at its peak, beaming down on the 2 that walked side by side. 

Gen was drooping, nodding his head as if he struggled to stay awake. The sleep he had gotten was minimal. It took him hours to fall back into slumber, only for him to be nudged awake by Senku's foot. 

Senku walked- still with a slight limp, but Gen wasn't entirely focused on that. The scientist huffed at the awkward silence that fell between them. They hadn't shared many words today, only small conversations while scavenging and looting whatever they could find, or when they heard something and needed to hide. 

It was a fairly boring day. 

“Gen.” Senku called out. 

Gen only hummed in acknowledgment. 

“You didn't sleep well last night, huh? Didja have a nightmare?” He asked bluntly, pursing his lips slightly in a small pout. Gen gave a noise in thought. “Woke up in the middle of the night. Couldn't sleep.” As if to prove his point, he yawned loudly. Senku nodded silently. 

Then he thought back to the bloodstain. “Gen?” He called, making the other perk up at the sound of his name. “I know it’s probably nothing but while you were still asleep, I noticed some blood on your jacket sleeve. I was just wondering if that was something that I should be worried about.” A slight pause. “I know it’s probably just some blood that happened to get on you, but uhh..I couldn’t really help this nagging feeling in my chest.”

Gen stopped himself from tensing, casting a very normal and casual look at the scientist besides him. He pushed down the instinct to run and hide, he used every fiber of his being to sound like he normally did. “Awwee, is Senku-chan worried about me?? Are you turning into a big softie, huh?” He played, lifting his hand to cover his grinning mouth, poking Senku’s shoulder with the other.

Senku flinched away, turning away to hide the heat rising to his cheeks. He had this fluttering feeling in his chest, but he pushed it away, chalked it up to embarrassment. “Tch..Don’t push it, mentalist. I just don’t want anything to slow us down.” He huffed, crossing his arms. Gen only giggled, which ticked him off more but he didn’t let it show. 

“I’m not saying being a softie is a bad thing, Mr. Scientist . In fact, I find it endearing.” 

Oh, yeah.. Senku could feel the fluttering going into his stomach. With a gulp, he grunted in response, not bothering to argue. 

With that, they walked in silence for approximately 20 minutes before the magician opened his mouth to speak again. “So, why’d you pick astronomy?” It was a sudden question, one that the scientist was not prepared for. 

But he relented and answered anyway, God knows why.

“All of the science here on Earth has already been discovered and understood. Yet..out there…” He looked up at the sky above them. “Out there, we’ve barely scratched the surface. There’s galaxies upon galaxies out there, there’s no end. Black holes, nebulas, stars. So much charted, yet such a large quantity hasn’t even been caught on our top telescopes.” 

There was a spark in Senku’s eyes that Gen could not put into words. He simply looked star-struck– He looked alive .

“Just think of what could be out there. Unique to their own solar systems, alien life, anything could be out there, waiting for us to discover it!” There was a small, barely noticeable smile on his lips, like he rediscovered his passion. 

And Gen was the one that unlocked it. For the first time in a while, he had a genuine, authentic, yet so indescribably soft smile on his lips. There seemed to be an entire universe of galaxies and stars in the other's eyes, as if he shone brighter than all the stars in theirs combined. The tug of his lips as he spoke with such interest. His hands making wild and random gestures in hopes of creating some sort of visual clue to what he was talking about. 

This..This was the real Senku…

Gen felt the butterflies fluttering gently in his chest, it almost made him lose his composure. The feeling indeed startled him, he ultimately knew what it meant. Yet, he pushed it away, leaving it to be contemplated when both of them were snug in make-shift beds and catching the Z's. 

“What are you looking at like that, mentalist?” Senku called out after a moment without Gen responding, making the other jump in surprise. “Huh? Oh, nothing- Just admiring the clouds~” He said casually with a whistle after, quickly averting his eyes with a slight blush of embarrassment on his cheeks. Senku cleared his throat. 

“What got you into ‘magic’ ?” He asked, bringing his attention to whatever the magician decided to share. 

“Magic? Please, I'm a mentalist.” Gen’s smile dropped ever so slightly, almost completely invisible, but Senku saw it, however subtle it was. It was clear the magician was hesitating just a bit before he opened his mouth once more. “My mother and father never got along. How'd they get together and have me? I have no clue but..I grew up learning how to keep them from each other's throats. But if you must know, it is how I ended up choosing my career.”

It was numb to him at that point. It happened so long ago, so why should he care about it? There’s nothing he can do about it but remember and think about it. 

Senku gave a sympathetic look, understanding the hidden lines that were left unsaid. “For what it's worth, psychology is something I'm well-versed with and interested in. My career is well over, so I wouldn't exactly say I'm a magician anymore.” The other slightly raised a brow in question.

“If you can do crappy ‘magic tricks’ then you're 10 billion percent a magician.” The scientist said, now looking ahead of them, their steps were synchronized. “Psychology may just be a pseudo-science, but it’s completely respectable in its own right.” He finished, lagging behind Gen to take out a water bottle from his backpack pocket and taking a sip. The magician only pouted. “You do realize that small qualifications can make anyone a magician, right?” He remarked, but Senku only chuckled. “Would you care to see a magic trick?” He asked teasingly, placing the tip of his pointer finger on his chin in question. Senku only gave him an unimpressed look. “Absolutely not.”

The other sighs at the rejection.

“Oh well, I didn’t bring my magician kit anyways..” Gen whispered to himself, unaware that Senku absolutely heard and pinned a note inside his mind.

Gen picked up a snack bar he found buried in a broken vending machine, looking at the wrapper and the brand. Snickers, of course. He sighed, Snickers were more of Senku’s thing. Where are the Kitkats? Granola bars? The magician heard his companion rustle through things behind him, making small grunting noises when he had to move something on the heavier side.

It’s been about 3 weeks since they started traveling together. While Gen agrees that it’s nice to be outside and seeing the world again, Senku has tested every patience of his entire being. He was so terribly stubborn, reckless, and absolutely batshit crazy. He wondered how the scientist lived up to this point in the apocalypse. 

“I found you another Snicker bar, Senku-chan.” He said numbly, a heavy pout on his face. Senku hummed, and then he heard the rustling stop. “Did you find something-”

“I just found you something a whole lot better, mentalist!” Senku exclaimed unusually excitedly. Gen turned and watched as the other struggled to grab something on the top shelf he’d been climbing. “That’s great ‘n all..but I got a question-”

“Don’t do it, Gen.”

Gen grinned. “Oh, come on, it’s just a tiny, itty-bitty question~” He teased, leaning against the shelf rack behind him that leaned against the wall. After a moment of silence, he asked slowly, “How’s..How’s the weather up there..?” He snickered silently as he heard Senku grumble as he climbed down the tall metal, something in hand. “Very humid if you’d ask me.” He replied, using a hand to fan some air in his face. 

Gen only softened his smile. “So, what ya found for me that’s so much better than a snickers bar? ” 

Senku gave a wide and confident smile, offering to drop something from his hands. Gen cupped his hands under his, closing his eyes for the surprise. It was like a little competition for them. They’d compete on better gifts, and snicker bars were on Senku’s top 3. A snickers bar on hand is always a guaranteed win. So what could be so much better than his snickers bar?

He felt something be dropped in his hands, something smooth. He felt around, finding its shape to be rectangular. When he got to the shorter angles of the shape, he felt a way to open it. Gen snapped open his eyes, looking down at his hands to find a deck of untouched and completely clean cards. “Senku-chan–How did you-?” 

“I spotted it through the metal wires. No idea how it got up there to begin with but whichever the case, I won.” The scientist grinned proudly, crossing his arms as if he won a battle to the death. Gen looked closer at the deck, looking at the brand, the suits, the quality of the thin cardboard packaging around the cards. “I thought these would've been lost in the rain and in shreds by now..” He muttered, opening the deck and letting his finger glide through the slightly sharp ends of each individual card. “They're all completely untouched, how peculiar.”

Senku gave him an exasperated look. “We're in a run down factory that a single soul hasn't been in for probably years, of course some things would be left untouched.” He sighed, his prideful face from earlier turned into a deadpan. Gen chuckled. “Ahh, but don't you remember that storm from last year? Surely, this place should've flooded.” He slyly remarked, teasingly winning at the other besides him. Senku rolled his eyes. “It was on the tallest shelf, mentalist. The water probably rose to the second row.” He argued. “Does humidity not exist anymore? These had to have been placed recently, otherwise the humidity would have made this a comfortable habitat of mold.” Gen waved the deck around. “Not complaining regardless. My old deck was worn out before I left, this is like an upgrade.”

He took the deck out of its packaging, tucking it gently into his armpit and fidgeting with the cards. “Thank you, Senku-chan. It's wonderful.” He muttered, hoping the dim lighting of the area around them wouldn't give away the blood that rushed to his cheeks. 

Senku glowed at the praise, huffing like he'd accomplished a cure to the black plague. “Try to top that!” He challenged lightly, walking forward with a smirk. He had a confident-like demeanor as he walked. Gen couldn't help but find it adorable. 

“It might take me some time but surely, I'll come back to the top~” The magician's tone held mischief, a dark grin on his face. “Do you want to see a magic trick, dear Senku?” He asked, starting to shuffle the deck as he followed behind the other. Senku groaned, looking behind to shoot a glare at Gen. “Maybe when we're settled down for the night.” The scientist answered, brushing loose strands back. “I don't know about you, but this place gives me the creeps. Maybe we can find an old neighborhood with a decent house still intact..” He put a hand to his chin in contemplation, configuring some kind of plan once they headed out of this rusty old factory.

And he wasn't lying either, the factory was indeed very creepy even to his standards. He isn't usually spooked so easily. Maybe it was the way the place was visibly and audibly falling apart. The creak of old metal rusting away and struggling to hold the place together. Who knows what this factory produced. Anything and everything was looted a long, long time ago. Senku decides to push that thought away, focusing on making their way out of there. 

“You think any of the houses might have any mattresses, or good beds..?” Gen asked hopefully. The question was entirely predicted and even expected. “You and your damn mattresses.” Senku barked, placing his hands on his hips, irritation written on his face. Gen only snickered. 

After that, they walked in comfortable silence. The only sound that echoed throughout the open supply room-other than the creak of rotten metal- was the shuffling of cards and their footsteps. As they walked out of the factory and looked back at the building, the company name was worn out, only able to make out the letter ‘C’ on the edge of where the logo should be. Senku's uneasiness still hadn't settled, maybe it was the general area of the factory that set him off. He scrunched his nose before he set off once more, knowing Gen would follow behind. 

It was oddly comforting. Knowing there was someone having your back. It was like extra security. Senku still struggled with trusting Gen with certain things-like cooking or check listing their food,- but it was nice. Gen was nice. 

Gen was…home.. 

But Senku wouldn't ever admit that out loud. 

With that conclusion in mind (with a hidden, yet soft smile,) they walked to a nearby neighborhood that was just a couple of blocks from their previous destination. 

Gen splayed onto the mattress with a gleeful whine. Nuzzling into the definitely dusty and dirty fabric that would surely make his skin itch. “This is for sure the greatest find in history~” He claimed, clutching the sheets like it was a match made in heaven. 

Senku only stared with an unimpressed look. “Seriously, I swear you care more about mattresses than me.” He sighed, rolling his shoulder in an attempt to ease the tension. The magician was always fascinated by the mattresses. It was all he complained about when they sought a place for shelter. To say it irritated Senku would be an understatement. 

Gen gave the other a pointed look. “What? Ya jealous?” He teased, smirking smugly and snuggling deeper into the sheets. It wasn't as comfy compared to the bed he had back at his apartment, but it was more comfortable than his most recent sleeping conditions. 

It was a king size bed, big enough for the both of them to sleep snugly. The sheets were covered in soot, but they've literally slept on the muddy ground, on concrete floors, you name it. The blanket was tossed onto the floor half-hazardly, it was in intricate and traditional Japanese designs that the both of them could recognize. It was puffy, clearly meant to trap heat that came from your body. It sounded heavenly against the chilly night. 

Senku huffed. “You wish.” He answered, kneeling to the floor and going through their stuff. Checking through their supplies and writing down in an old notebook of their rations for the week and several unrelated notes while Gen got comfortable on the bed. He had pulled the blanket back onto the bed and snuggled into the silky fabric. “Don't stay up too late. Make sure to actually get some sleep, Mr. Mad Scientist.” He muttered, a yawn slipping through his lips before he closed his eyes and drifted to sleep. 

“Yeah, yeah..” Senku muttered from the floor, chewing absentmindedly at the eraser of his pencil. 

He's been thinking a lot lately. About his friendship (it still felt odd calling it that) with Gen. It's not that he was bad or anything, he actually enjoyed the others' company. Senku hasn't felt this kind of joy in years . It felt surreal, it panged him in the heart in a way he couldn't explain. He still felt dread whenever he and Gen would talk about something from their past, or someone personal about themselves. Though, he's since learned to push past it. 

Senku is not a sentimental person, regardless of who he's friends with even before the outbreak. He just wasn't that kind of person. 

Gen saw that and accepted it, never pushed any further than simple teasing questions between their bickering. He never pressured him, let him go at his own pace. Senku appreciated it. He was unimaginably grateful. He’s glad he went into the apartment complex, he's glad that Gen decided to follow behind despite his looming threat, and he’s so fucking glad he didn't decide to shoot Gen in the face-he was definitely tempted to-

But despite that, Gen was patient. He listened, gave reasonable feedback. 

And while he wasn't able to keep up with most of Senku's ramblings, he asked questions-and not stupid ones either. Gen always seemed to know exactly what Senku needed, or if not, what he wanted. He knew when to shut up and when to speak up. 

As irritating as it was, Gen also would stop him from staying up writing down crazed and spiraling notes about theories on the cordyceps. 

Again, Senku wouldn't admit it out loud, but Gen was his home and his medicine. 

It eased the scientist just a bit, knowing that someone cared about it regardless of how he treated him in the past. 

Senku wrote the last of his notes, packing the notebook back into his bag and stood up, stretching out his back and legs with audible cracks of his bones. A shudder rippled down his spine as he relaxed and made his way to his side of the bed. He (playfully) snags some of the blanket from Gen, earning an annoyed groan. 

“Rude.” Gen whispered with furrowed brows, never opening his eyes. “Says you.” Senku retorted, getting comfortable. A huff was the only warning before the blanket was tugged, leaving the scientist's shoulder slightly exposed, making him shiver. “if there's not enough blanket, we could just scoot closer, y'know? Shared body heat is beneficial as well.” He suggested, turning into his back to look at the other next to him. Gen just slightly waved his hand as if to say ‘whatever’ and snuggled deeper into the blanket. 

Senku took that as permission to move closer, sitting up and using his hands as leverage to scoot him closer towards Gen. He stopped and laid back down just shy of touching the others back, pulling the blanket back over his shoulder and closed his eyes. 

For a while, it was silent. Crickets and cicadas-as per their usual nightly melody- chirped outside. No matter how hard Senku tried, he felt restless. Tired, yet his mind refused to rest. He groaned quietly, pulling the blanket higher to his chin. 

Senku cursed to himself, his face scrunched up in frustration. He didn't want to shift too much in case it bothers the sleeping beauty behind him, his body itched to roll over. Yet, he forced himself to lay still. 

Then Gen shifted, as if turning around. Then he felt an arm wrap around his waist and something nosing at the back of his neck. Warm breath chilled through his neck, making him shudder against his will. 

As unexpected and shocking as it was, Senku doesn't move away from it. He wasn't one for physical touch, he actually despised it. But for some reason this was okay. It was..weirdly comforting. He felt secure, safe. It's entirely unexpected. 

Senku didn't know what he was feeling-or well, he did, distantly, but he didn't get it just yet, - the warmth that spread through his cheeks, the fluttering in his chest, he didn't know what to make of it. All he could get was the fact he was slowly drifting off into sleep, warm under the blankets with someone he trusts. 

Tomorrow..

..Tomorrow I'll tell him… 

Heavy panting filled the empty supply unit. Senku sat back on his chair, a hand in his hair as he held back the tears that threatened to spill. Yuzuriha quietly sobbed beside him, a hand over her mouth to muffle said cries. 

Taiji was limp on the floor, blood pooling from his head and slowly rolled the scientist's way. 

It was stupid, really. That he thought he could give them time, if not save their lives. But he only prolonged their suffering. He could hear his friend next to him choking- whether on blood or her cries is unknown to him. Senku couldn't bring himself to look Yuzuriha in the eyes as he raised the gun at her, a tremor in his hand. 

“Just do it, Senku. I want to at least die while I have free will–” she coughed violently into her hand, blood trickling through her fingers, down her hand and onto the floor. 

Senku could barely bite back the sob that forced its way through his throat. 

“Yuzuriha..” He whispered, an underlying and unbearable pain woven intricately into his voice. Yuzuriha looked up at Senku with a sad smile, blood pooling in her mouth and spilling past her delicate lips. She said nothing, only clutching her stomach, but that silence was louder than any scream she could muster before another shot rang out once more. 

“I'm sorry..”

Bang! 

Another thud to the floor. 

Just like that, Senku was the only live person in the room. He tried to keep his composure, his arm shakily lowered onto his lap. Then the tears came out before he could stop it. 

And then a sob, then another. 

The gun thudded on the ground and Senku brought his hands to his face, a desperate whimper resonating in the strangely empty room. 

He was alone; truly and utterly alone. The thought was terrifying. He didn't like how silent everything was around him. The streets were empty of life. Cars either parked or crashed. Debris from the destruction that happened during the chaos. Shattered glass from windowed shops and cafes. It was unnatural and scary. 

The two people he cared about the most; the two most important people in his life–lied dead by his very hands. 

When did it all go wrong? Just last week they were having dinner and chatting, talking about their careers and reminiscing about their high school years– Yuzuriha and Taiju were talking about having children.

Senku lifted his face from his hands slightly, glancing at the gun on the ground. The gears in his head that were constantly moving suddenly stopped. 

There wasn't a point, was there? There's no cure, no vaccine. This fungus that used to be completely harmless to people suddenly evolved to such a monstrous path of destruction and pain–what was the point of continuing onward? 

Civilization is gone. The technology that took so long to improve throughout the years was gone. No more rockets, no more computers, no more television. Every joy that Senku had was violently ripped away from him in the span of a few aching and awfully slow days. 

He picked up the gun without a second thought, staring down longingly at the shiny material. His finger methodically fiddled with the trigger, biting his lips as another tear rolled down his cheeks. He slowly raised the barrel of the gun to his head, his breathing growing ragged. He closed his eyes and swallowed, taking a deep breath before trying to squeeze the trigger. 

Thud! 

The gun crashed to the ground. 

Of course he couldn't do it. He was a coward. An undeniable and utter coward. 

Senku grabbed strands of his hair, clutching his eyes shut and making a noise in frustration. His sobs and grunts filled the eerily quiet room. 

Maybe he deserved it. Maybe he was condemned to this fate. Forced to live with his best friends lives on his hands. Maybe he deserved to live on while they were left behind to die and rot into the dirt. 

Senku got up and threw the surprisingly light chair at the wall before he even processed it. 

Yes, he was alone. He'd keep it that way. 

By the time Gen awoke, Senku was up and at it-as he usually was. He groggily sat up and let the blanket sag onto his waist. The fabric was warm and comfortable at night, but during the day when the sun was out left the house hot. He felt disgusting, the sweat made his hair and clothes stick to his skin and he didn't like it. 

“Mornin’ mentalist.” Senku muttered. He had the cap of a sharpie in his mouth as he wrote something in his notebook. “We're not in a rush to head out, so don't worry if you want to sleep in a bit more.” His voice was slightly muffled from the plastic in his mouth, but Gen understood him just fine. He only hummed in response, laying back down and hugging his pillow.

“What's the plan for today?” The magician asked, snuggling his face in the soft pillow. Senku stopped writing and responded. “I was thinking of checking out his school a couple miles out. I looked around the house while you were still asleep and found a map of the city. All schools have an emergency food supply in case of disaster. So, I wanted to see if maybe they still had that supply. We may not be that low on food, but I'd rather have an access amount than barely enough.” He went back to writing again, probably about the plan. “However, we have no idea if it was used as a refugee camp during the beginning of the outbreak, and there's always the possibility that someone lives there or some thing lays dormant in there.”

Gen felt a shiver run down his spine. A school? Which kind of school? High school? Elementary?? Junior high??? Be more specific! “A school, hm? Is it like a high school? Junior high??” He questioned. He didn't even want to begin on what Senku meant by something lurking in there. 

“It's a high school. Seems to be about 2 or 3 stories high. If we can get in and find the layout of the school, then we could potentially find where they kept emergency supplies and see if it's still there. I'm more just worried about what could be in there..” The scientist rambled. “The worst case would probably be spores. I only have one gas mask, though. So, we’d have to go find you one before we get there just in case there are indeed spores..” 

The other listened intently, sighing into his pillow. “If there were people there, we should be able to tell since people tend to set up defenses around their respective territory. However, I doubt there would be. Whichever the case, we’ll stop by a police station about halfway there. There’s usually masks there.” Senku wrote down the rest of his supposed plan before capping the sharpie and tossing it in his bag. “Alright, time to start getting up. We’ll eat and go.” He stood and patted Gen’s shoulder and walked out of their one-night bedroom. 

Gen only sighed in discontent and sat up. Yeah, he still wasn’t a morning person. Senku wakes him up bright and early every day. You’d think he’d be used to it by now. With a big stretch he got up, rolling his shoulders and letting out a big, loud yawn. There were birds chirping outside, the rays of the sun glazing through the dirty window, the curtains long since fallen. The room was oddly liminal, forgotten and lost in time. 

Gen left the room, looking to find Senku in the kitchen. Two cans of Chef Boyardee’s Spaghettio’s were laid out from the counter by their bags. The scientist leaned on the counter, once again writing down onto his notebook. He was concentrating on whatever he was writing down, not even looking up as Gen walked in. 

He thought it was weird, but brushed the behavior off and grabbed his can and the clean fork that was laid out beside it. He opened the thin metal covering and dug in, slightly cringing at the taste. It was much better when it was warm but he kept shoving a fork full into his mouth and chewing it down. They lost their small portable cooker a while back to use it as a distraction to sneak past infected-which Gen still shivers at the memory of the clicks of those ‘clickers’ as they scream into random places to find their next prey,- but they had to make due with what they had. Even if that meant Gen had to suffer through cold and weird-tasting food. 

The sounds of barn swallows chirping in the background distracted Gen enough from him to get the food down his throat. The kitchen was clearly worn down, the corners of the floor had dust and dirt, plants growing through the gaps and cracks in the floorboards, a few sticking up from being broken in half. The magician doesn’t want to know what was in the sink or the fridge. He basked in the morning glow; it was strangely beautiful. For just a minute, Gen could forget that he was..bitten.

“Alright mentalist, let's go.” Senku said beside him, startling the other back into reality. “ Senku-chan~~ ” Gen drawled out. “You haven’t even eaten your food!” The scientist looked down at the can as he moved to put away his notebook and zip his bag. “I can eat on the way, you didn’t have a problem drinking your food 3 weeks ago.” He teased, slinging the bag onto his shoulders and picking up the can. Gen pouted at the tease, but made none of his usual remarks, which made Senku give him a side glance. “Something on your mind?” He asked, lightly poking him with his elbow. Gen only shook his head. “Nothing of importance. So, that police station, yeah?”

They walked side by side, closer than it was normally called for. Strangely enough, it was Senku who had initiated their proximity but Gen didn’t dare question it. The sun was barely in the sky, clouds were a dusty orange and pink. It was beautiful. “What will we do if this high school is indeed inhabited by..anything?” Gen suddenly asked, scratching his elbow and biting his lips in anxiety. He wondered even, could he breathe in spores and be fine? Or was this bite just a dud? There were so many questions, so many different possibilities. Admittedly, he was not qualified to make any conclusions of his mysterious immunity to this fungus. He’s sure Senku could, maybe even turn his immunity into a miracle vaccine- maybe even a cure- but the idea was pretty farfetched, it was better to keep this to himself.

“If it’s filled with infected and spores, we could put our masks on and eliminate what we can quietly- if not then we can sneak around,- and find our way around. If it seems too risky though, we’ll turn back. It wouldn’t be worth it.” Senku says simply. “If it has people inhabiting it, then we’ll just leave them alone. Like I said, we’re not actively low on food, it’s just nice to have lots on hand.” He took out the map he found at the house and looked over a few buildings. “We could also search through this shopping center. From what we’ve seen already, this town has been dead silent for a while, no life in sight- other than the occasional animal, of course. If there was someone here, this neighborhood would be the perfect place to set up. Most of the houses are intact, the rest are easily fixable. Plus, it has fences surrounding the area, they could easily make it hard for infected to get in. Although I guess the school would have a lot more space and freedom to work with.”

Gen nodded along, humming to indicate he was listening. “It would be easier to fortify a school. Lots of rooms, typically a lot of space to grow crops and maybe even build stables for cattle. Although, if it’s riddled with spores and infected, I guess all that space becomes essentially rendered useless..” He replied. Senku nodded in agreement. “Let’s just hope it’s empty and move on with our day.”

They walked silently for 10 minutes before Senku thought back to his declaration last night. He was determined to open up, finally speak out about what's been weighing down on his chest for so long. He was never the type to wait for a good moment, just blurt it out. Giving the warning just makes him dread the next words he’d mutter. So, he does just that. He blurts it out with no warning.

Senku took a deep breath. “I had to kill my best friends.” He said- rather bluntly, but he doesn’t mean to sound so neutral about it.- Gen shot him a look, his frown deepened just a bit. The magician wasn’t judging him–no, the exact opposite, he looked concerned. “As concerning as that confession is, why admit that so out of the blue?” He asked, slightly confused at the random confession. Senku kept his eyes ahead of him, his face showed no clear sign of emotions other than the subtle look in his eyes. “Their names were Taiju and Yuzuriha. We were childhood best friends. They got bit trying to protect me–They were so confident that I was going to make some kind of cure or vaccine. But it’s just not..possible. I got desperate, so I tried to see if I could do anything to stop it-slow it down, but Taiju ended up losing control–”

“Wait–Wait, Senku-chan. Slow down–” Gen shouted, clutching his sleeves. “I know I said you can talk to me, but you can’t just drop it onto me. Have you ever heard what trauma dumping is?! ” The magician sighed after his shouting. He doesn’t get Senku’s thought process, did he even consider warning him before dropping all of this on him? That jerk!

Senku looked down, seemingly thinking deeply before he spoke. “I don’t think I’ll be able to say it if I don’t just say it. I just..wanted to get it out all at once..” He looked up to Gen, his expression was once more devoid of emotion, but there was an emotion in his eyes that Gen could not put into words. Grief? Mourning? Sadness? It felt completely and entirely vulnerable, like he laid completely bare in front of him. It struck Gen in his heart, blooming into a pleasant sensation around his chest. Senku was putting all this trust in him, he was being vulnerable…with Gen.

“..Continue then..” Gen turns to stare into the sky in the distance, determined to listen intently. Senku gave a grateful nod before he spoke once more. “Taiju, he lost control. He was going to charge at us and attack us. He’s a big guy, so it definitely would have caused some damage if I let him be.. Yuzuriha- I have no idea how she did it- stole a gun, placed it next to me and told me they didn’t have much time. To just do it. I shot him before I could even process the situation.” The scientist breathed out through his nose. “Yuzuriha went next, not long after she started vomiting blood.” 

Gen listened thoughtfully, his heart sinking with each and every word. So, the two people he mentioned killing..were his best friends. He had tried to find a cure for them. He was trying to help them, save them. He could almost feel his grief. Yet, Senku’s voice betrayed no emotions.

“Yuzuriha..She…” Senku paused his steps, his lips curling into themselves into a sour expression. “She gave me this smile, as if she was saying it was okay before I shot her. She was clutching her stomach..She was…” He shakily took a deep breath. “She was pregnant."

Gen paused shortly after Senku, turning sharply towards him, eyes wide. “Gods, Senku. I’m so sorry..” He said, not exactly knowing what to say. “I’m guessing that’s why you were so determined to be alone?” Senku nodded. “Right, great. That’s perfectly understandable. The most logical thing to not experience that again is to make it so you can’t . Which for you meant to completely isolate yourself.” He said out loud. 

The scientist sighed, straightening his back before he began walking again. “Well, I’m not alone anymore. You’re here, and that’s enough for me.” He said, hoping Gen was busy enough thinking to not notice the slight blush on his cheeks. The magician stared holes into the back of his head before following behind. “I’m glad to hear that..I enjoy your company too, Senku-chan.” He says softly, a small smile on his lips. 

“If we’re being so open, I guess I’ll start talking.” Senku gave him a look, turning his head in question. “I already told you my parents didn’t get along. I called them a day before the outbreak.” Gen shook his bangs out of his face. “I usually called them once a week, despite them being complete and utterly assholes. A lot of people don’t have the luxury to be able to talk to their parents, I was pretty lucky. That day, their fighting was especially bad. I had just done a difficult and stressful show. They just kept shouting at each other, the mic picked up every second of it. I wasn’t there to stand between them, but even then I still had to play their little mentalist and resolve their problems.” Senku stayed silent in front of him.

“I had missed 20 calls from them the day of. I was about to eat some cake I had gotten from the convenience store, then the news had that emergency broadcast. Next thing I know, there were screams on the streets, explosions in the background..My parents were in the area that was bombed because of the overflow of infected.” Gen continued walking. “I know I said I didn’t really lose anyone. Honestly, I don’t feel anything towards their supposed deaths. They could still be alive for all I care, but that last call stuck with me for quite some time.” He brought a hand to mess with the longer strands of his hair. “They told me that I was better off dead. That my career choice was a shame to the family name. It stuck with me because they had never gone so far as to..comment on my mortality. It planted something in my stomach that grew overtime since I was so alone. The more I thought about it..The more I thought that they may have been right.”

Senku sharply looked towards Gen, eyebrows furrowed in concern. The magician immediately backstepped. “I don’t think about it anymore! After half a decade, I figured there was no point in dwelling on it. They’re probably dead anyways, why should they occupy my thoughts when I could be doing something more productive. That’s when I took the hobby of cleaning the entire building. Which is why most of the building was pretty much spotless when you found it. I was in the process of cleaning the third floor. I had gone to take a nap in my room when I heard you come in.” He folded his arms unceremoniously. “Up until then- other than the occasional stray in my direction- I was truly alone..I had never felt so lonely when I came to the realization that I had no one to turn to. The only ‘friends’ I had were for my public image or for my own benefit to get my props out right.” Gen walked slightly faster to get next to Senku once more. “But now, we have each other.”

Senku gave him an eye, a small smirk on his face.

“And that’s all I truly need.”

The bite on Gen’s shoulder stinged slightly at that declaration.