Chapter Text
The weeks in the Amazon Rainforest had gone by no problem. Currently on their journey down the river, the crew had set up camp along the rapids for the night. As the soothing sounds of rushing water sang over the shore, everyone was fast asleep in their respective huts.
Though frequently, two scientists found sleep particularly hard to find until late into the night.
This time was no exception.
Every night Xeno and Senku would head in early, speaking about what else but science. Interesting bugs they’d come along their journey, potentially useful plants discovered along the shores. They played games of guessing what animal the distant cries belonged to. Until they sat in silence beside each other, scribbling in notebooks the endless thoughts that flowed through their minds.
The two men were not the tidiest housekeepers. Across the floorboards of the tiny shelter splayed tools spilled from packs on their sides, having been dug through for something that was presumably at the very bottom. Dishes from that night's dinner stacked by the door, poised to be taken to their proper place, yet still waiting. Clothes discarded for comfort in lack of proper sleeping attire, for relief from the heat of the humid night.
To an outside observer it was a complete mess, but look closely and there was a sick-semblance of order to the chaos. Every pile of clutter was designated to its own region of the hut. The tools stayed with the tools, the dishes with dishes, clothes with clothes.
Most nights, time slipped by like the memory of killing the lantern’s flame, crawling into the bedding laid in the middle of the hut and falling into a pleasant sleep at each other's side.
But a disturbance threatened to interrupt the two men’s peaceful rest.
A whisper hissed in the dark. “Senku…!”
“Hmm?” the young scientist groaned, the call of his name breaking through his unconsciousness. He nuzzled his nose deeper in the warmth beneath him, not wanting to leave it just yet.
Then came a nudge of his shoulder and another whisper, “Hey, Senku, wake up…!” it said, “Er- Hold on, are you two cuddling?”
Senku flung the blanket from himself, springing up to sit. He stared at Chrome wide eyed, suddenly very awake. “What the hell are you doing in here?!”
Chrome shushed him, “Hey, be quiet, would ya?” He stepped all the way into the hut, settling down to sit on his knees. He flicked on his own lantern to bask a small room in a warm glow and leaned in to speak hushed to his friend, “I’m getting a few of the guys together to hang out at that waterhole I found. I don’t want to wake the girls or-” He gestured to Xeno beside Senku. “-him to wake up.”
Senku glanced down at his sleeping mentor, rubbing the last remnant of sleep from his eyes. “I can’t just leave him alone.”
“Tie him up or something.” Chrome shrugged as if it wasn’t any big deal.
“What?” That absolutely should not be his first resort. Senku let out a long sigh. “Look, some other time we can do something like this, I promise.”
“But…” Chrome lips twisted into a frown, eyes drifting behind his fellow scientist to their sleeping company. “I just wanted to have some fun between us friends- that includes you too, Senku.”
Meeting his friend’s pleading eyes, Senku really did think having some fun sounded- well- fun. And though he ten billion percent would have gone with no hesitation in any other circumstance, Senku had to remind himself- he’s the only one not scared of Xeno. Some of his crew were less scared than others- but still…
Senku brought his fingers up to touch his temple, running through any other possible solutions to their predicament. What would be the smarter thing to do? Certainly not leaving Xeno alone and unrestrained to be left to his own devices with his sleeping friends.
Again, not because Senku actually thought Xeno would do anything bad. Just… everyone would be- completely justifiably- upset if they found out that he’d even put Xeno in the position to potentially do something. Especially since his reason for doing so would be selfish.
He had to make a mature and responsible decision. Not that he didn’t think he had ever done that before, just that he'd never been so aware of it.
This past year, Senku could feel his frontal lobe developing in real time. He didn’t know how else to describe it- he just could.
When he was a kid, he had never actually perceived himself to be a kid. Just a tiny human being who had all the same capabilities as the larger ones, with less of the resources to do what they could. He could make the same judgments, understand the same rationale- give him enough information and he could make the right choice.
In reality, that only applied to science. But he really believed it was the case for everything. It wasn’t.
What a weird thing to realize in the middle of a conversation. In the middle of the night. In the middle of a war.
Senku had to decline, “I know. And I really do want to, man. Seriously, but…” he sighed. “I’m not tying someone up just so I can go have fun. And I’m not leaving him unsupervised either.”
“C’mon, just leave him sleeping here. He won’t notice you’re gone-”
“I won’t notice?” asked a slick voice from the floor.
Both of their heads spun around to the source of the voice.
Xeno, now apparently awake- certainly did not look it. Senku would’ve believed he had hallucinated the voice if Chrome hadn’t been witness to it too. But then Xeno’s dark eyes opened- confirming that he was indeed not imagining things.
Chrome groaned, his plans for a boys night seemingly ruined, “When did you wake up?!”
“The moment I heard your footsteps approaching.” Xeno explained with a tiny smirk. “I am a bit of a light sleeper…”
Following Xeno with his gaze as he rose to sit up, Senku asked, “You wanna come along, old man?”
“-He’s not invited…”
Senku turned back to his grumbling friend. “I don’t get a plus-one?”
Xeno stifled a yawn, “Believe me, it won’t be very fun for me either if I’m not welcome.” Placing his hand on Senku’s leg over the blanket, thumb unconsciously stroking soothingly. “You need a break, Senku. Don’t let me stop you. It benefits me if my captor's in a good mood, after all.” He smiled.
Senku scrunched his nose up playfully. What a cringey old man…
“What if you get lonely all on your own?” Senku snickered.
“I’d rather catch up on sleep than spend my night bathing with a group of men- but if that’s your preference-”
“Hey- don’t make it sound perverted!” Senku flustered.
Xeno put his finger tips to his chest in mock astonishment. “Perverted? Is that not what you’re about to do?” He shook his head disapprovingly with a few teasing clicks of his teeth. “My- what a dirty mind you have, Senku…”
What a sarcastic, ridiculously cringey old man…
“Whatever…” Senku groaned, closing his eyes to conceal an eye-roll. “Y'know, whenever you try to convince me to do something, it makes me not want to do it that much more, right?”
Xeno blinked at him. Not a word from his mouth, his expression spoke loudly to his un-amusement at Senku’s stubbornness.
Now, feeling like an incredibly awkward third wheel to two science-pro’s banter, Chrome injected himself back into the conversation, “I mean, I don’t think Xeno’s too bad but- I just don’t know how the other guys feel about him.” Glancing between the two, he looked for their non-verbal opinions on the matter.
“Well, who else is coming?” Senku asked.
“Ryusui and Tsukasa.”
With a curt nod, Senku pulled the blanket all the way off and got up to stand. “We were weary of both of them at some point, but we gave them a chance.”
Chrome followed suit, hands snapping to his hips. “But it’s not the same. Ryusui never tried to-” He made a cutting motion across his neck with a crisp click of his teeth. “-Y’know?”
“But Tsukasa…” Making his way over to his pack, Senku opened it up and began digging. “He did kill me. That’s way more than ol’ Dr. Xeno ever managed.”
Xeno’s frown went unnoticed by the two.
“I know, but- Tsukasa’s cool now!” Chrome pumped his fists. “And you killed him back- so you’re even anyway!”
From the pack, Senku took out a small bag- containing what he usually brings to bathe; soap, shampoo, something to cover himself with. Scooping up his belt from where it lay nearby, he tossed it on and attached the bag to his waistband.
“Should Senku make an attempt on my life in order for me to be…” Xeno scoffed a laugh, “-Graced with the privilege of bathing with my adversaries?”
“W-Well, no!” Chrome sputtered, "Your guys already want us dead, if we hurt you we’re screwed-”
“-Just go, Senku.” Xeno waved him off and flopped his head back down onto the pillow, running a weary hand over his face. “If I had to assume, my people are most likely at sea. I have nowhere to escape to.”
Hands coming up to rest on his hips, Senku hummed to himself. Xeno was ten billion percent right but…
He actually just wanted Xeno to come along. Plain and simple.
That was the solution and… he kinda wanted to prove to his friends that Xeno wasn’t so awful to be around.
Senku himself certainly thought he wasn’t half-bad.
He looked to Chrome as he walked over to the entrance of the hut. “He’ll be quiet- keep to himself.” Senku assured, slipping into his shoes left there. “It’ll be fine.”
“Ehhh…” Chrome weighed the pros and cons out in his head, then conceded with a hefty sigh. “Erh, fine…”
Picking up Xeno’s shoes, Senku tossed them his way. “That settles it. You’re coming, old man.” Striding over to the older man, he nudged the blanket off of him with his foot. “Look at that, you’re already dressed for the water.” Xeno had taken his slacks off due to the heat, but unlike Senku, he did in fact wear something underneath them.
“Ooh, I’m not going in.” Xeno sat up, removing the rest of the blanket and smoothing out his dress shirt. “I’m only accompanying you- seeming I have no choice in the matter.”
Senku’s eyes tracked Xeno as he got up to put his pants and shoes on. “You've been complaining about wanting to take a proper bath all week- sweating your ass off in that coat.” he huffed, stepping up to pull the article in question out of his mentor's hands as he attempted to pull it on. “Seriously?”
Xeno scowled, yet he made no further attempt to take it back. “Yes, ‘seriously’.” You know I value presentation. Why is it such a point of contention for you?”
“This-” He held up the jacket. “is not practical in the jungle.”
Xeno shook his head with a theatrical huff out his nose. “It’s not a matter of practicality.” He jerked his chin away. “And yes- as strange as it may seem to you- I do care more about the way I look than my comfortability."
“-Okay, okay!” Chrome clapped his hands together to get their attention. “Can you two stop arguing? Let’s get going!”
Piling out of the hut, the three scientists quietly made their way out of the camp. Stepping down the muddy shoreline of the rushing river, soon the white rapids turned to pleasant creaks.
Through the trees radiated the warm glow of a humble campfire, bringing gentle light to the smooth, rocky shore of the quiet waterhole. As they approached, sounds of distant chatter became louder and clearer.
Ryusui’s gruff voice rang through the trees, “...Ah, well of course I’m not a virgin. But that was obvious, am I wrong?”
Tsukasa scoffed softly, wringing out the ends of his long brown hair. “You're not going to be able to guess just from looking at me.”
The three walked into the middle of this strange conversation. Senku scrunched up his nose, calling out to his friends, “What the hell are you two talking about?”
“Ryusui’s taking a page from Gen’s book and trying to profile me.” Tsukasa deadpanned.
The blond chuckled boisterously, “Ah, this isn’t mentalism. This is sailor's intuition!” His hand emerged from the water and snapped. “So, Senku? What do you think? Is Tsukasa a reserved romantic or a deceptively sensitive playboy?”
“Uh.” Senku scratched his nose. “I don’t care.”
Ryusui shifted his attention. He asked, grin unwavering, “Chrome? What do you think?”
Chrome froze in the middle of pulling his pants down. “Hmm. Y’know what? That’s a hard one…” He finished his thought and removed the rest of his clothes. “I’m kidding, it’s totally obvious he’s a total player!” He ran up to the shore and was about to jump in when he remembered the water was only about knee deep. With a slight frown he stepped in normally, wading over to sit beside Ryusui.
Tsukasa’s expression gave no indication if Chrome’s guess was correct or not.
“Alright then…” Ryusui turned his attention to the eldest scientist of the group. “Ah, Xeno! With age comes wisdom, am I wrong?”
Brief surprise crossed Xeno’s face as he wasn’t expecting to be spoken to, and then a twinge of offence at being called old.
“Let me ask you, then. Is my friend here a virgin?”
With a firm cross of his arms, Xeno scoffed, “What makes you think I’m participating in this conversation?”
Ryusui leaned in. “That calculating gaze of yours… it says you’re trying to come up with your own guess.” His wine colored eyes dared him to join. “Why don’t you share?”
Quietly, Xeno brought his attention over and observed the muscular brunet. After a brief moment of deduction he seemed to have decided on his answer, “No, he’s certainly not a virgin.” Xeno hummed to himself. “But he’s only been with one or maybe two people. That’s the sense I get.”
Tsukasa curtly nodded.
Senku glanced between Xeno and Tsukasa. He honestly couldn’t believe either of them were actually engaging in this. But he wasn’t so surprised to see Xeno smirking wide, undoubtedly from being correct.
Senku shook his head, pulling his shower bag from his belt to get ready. “Eh- Why does this matter?”
“It doesn’t matter, that’s the point!” Ryusui chuckled. “Don’t you remember what mindless fun is, Senku?”
Senku retrieved his swimwear from the pouch and raised an eyebrow. “Obviously I do. I just don’t wanna hear about the sex lives of my friends.” He turned away, hiking his tunic up to reach under and tie the cloth around his waist. “It’s gross.”
Chrome dipped his head under the water, swimming closer to the water’s edge. Coming back up dripping wet, he shook his hair out like a dog and propped his elbows on the rocky shore. “I guess there’s no need to guess if Senku’s a virgin or not.” Chrome had succumbed to the urge to participate in the locker room talk with Ryusui.
Tsukasa looked quite unimpressed with the continuation of this topic. Closing his eyes, he sank further into the water, undoubtedly trying to drown out the conversation.
Senku let his skirt fall back down, whipping back around to shoot his friend a wry look. “I have more important things I need to dedicate my time to than that kinda stuff.” he explained, fidgeting with the clasps of his top.
“Don’t have enough time?” Chrome teased. “It only takes like- five minutes.”
Tsukasa’s eyes snapped open. Both he and Ryusui stared awestruck at Chrome for a monumentally long second. “Five… minutes?" they questioned practically in unison.
“W-well. Like-” Chrome waved his hand around to dispel their doubt. “I’m exaggerating! I mean like… ten?” he said, unsure.
The corner of Ryusui’s lips turned up. “Ah, thought you could slip by? You’re saving yourself for that woman you like, am I wrong?” He brought his hand to stroke his chin. “A virgin. A very well disguised one. But not well educated.”
Senku spoke up in Chrome's defense, “Why do you say that like it’s a bad thing? It’s just a statement of fact of whether or not you’ve had sex before.” Shrugging his top off of his shoulder and moving to untie the ribbon, Senku caught a glance at Xeno from the corner of his eye. “What are you grinning at, old man?”
“Nothing.” Putting his fist to his mouth to hide it, Xeno turned away. “It’s just precisely the response I would’ve expected from you.”
Letting the rest of his tunic to fall to the ground, he stepped out of his shoes. “...The hell’s that supposed to mean?” he murmured under his breath. Now left in a small skirt-like garment tied at his hip, Senku stepped up to the water’s shore.
Xeno followed behind, stopping at the edge as Senku continued into the water. Unconsciously going to smooth the train of the coat he was currently without as he crouched on the rocks, Xeno pouted, feeling quite naked without his signature garment.
“Senku isn’t the type of person to do something without a productive reason.” Tsukasa added as he shook out his hair with an air of grace. “It may sound a little strange, but I understand where he’s coming from. There isn’t time to waste when survival is a top priority in this world. I mean that in terms of relationships and fun."
Senku pointed. “Ten billion points to you, Tsukasa.”
Now floating around on his back, Chrome raised a finger high as he argued, “Having fun can totally be productive!”
Senku’s whole body tensed as he gently lowered himself into the cool water. Feeling a chill go through his slender frame, he crossed his arms tight across his chest as he forced himself to get accustomed to the temperature. “I have fun being productive.” he argued through his teeth.
Chrome flipped back into an up-right position, gentle waves emanating from him and crashing against the water's inhabitants. An accusatory finger directed in his friend's face, he shouted, “Yeah, right! The last two months have been the most productive we’ve been since forever and you’ve never been more stressed!”
Senku stared at him dumbfounded for a moment, a slight crease forming between with twisted brows. As the disturbed water had finally settled, he had fully processed the concern his friend just expressed. “Uhg, seriously…?” he groaned. “You better not have planned all this because you were worried about me.”
“Well- duh! Of course I did. Huh! Wait- ” Chrome's eyes darted between Senku and Xeno. “When I got you, Xeno said he wanted you to take a break too and you didn’t have anything to say then!”
Senku sighed, planting his pinky finger in his ear. “He says cringey stuff like that all the time. I expect it from him…”
Ryusui gave a half-grin at Xeno, his expression speaking that he was catching onto something that no one else was. “All the time?” he asked leadingly, swearing that he caught a flash of panic in the older scientist’s eyes.
And his suspicion was confirmed when Xeno blurted a defense before Senku could answer, “On occasion-" He said a little louder than intended. Lowering his voice back down to his usual steady tone, he continued, “I offer him advice on things pertaining to the situation at hand if I find it may be beneficial to myself. He doesn’t take it much, though.”
Chuckling at his response, Ryusui decided not to prod further. He turned back to Senku with a wide grin. “What sort of lessons are you getting from your old mentor even now?”
From beside him, Tsukasa added quietly, “I would assume tips about warfare. Being cruel is one thing Senku can’t do easily.”
“Yeah, being bad’s something Dr. Xeno’s an expert at.” Chrome said, tilting his head at the doctor. “Could you try teaching him how to have fun or do you not know how to do that either?”
Senku chuckled, “You’re acting like I’m some miserable grump.” Cherry eyes glanced to the side, vaguely alluding to the man behind him. He and Xeno definitely had a lot in common- but not that much.
“I’m certain there’d be no point in trying.” Xeno braced his hands on his knees and leaned in, his tie slipped to brush just against Senku’s shoulder. “If I’ve noticed, you all were sure to as well. Senku’s much too stubborn when he doesn't want to do something.” He smirked.
“Yeah?” Senku craned his neck to look up at him. “Ever consider maybe I don’t want your lessons, old man?”
Xeno met his eyes, locked so intensely in them he almost forgot it wasn’t just the two of them. “Ooh, I don’t think so.” His thin lips spread into a mischievous grin. “I seem to recall you overtly asking for me to teach something not too long ago-”
Suddenly, Xeno was yanked by his dangling tie and came tumbling into the water.
Xeno burst up from the water- looking like a wet cat. Surely Senku knew he wasn’t going to actually say! “You-” he was cut off by Senku’s devilish laugh. His look of ire faulted, becoming a mere pout. This only made Senku laugh even harder.
Senku composed himself just enough to speak. “Heh- Woah was that this ‘fuh-nuh’ thing you were talking about?” he said in a dumb voice, with an equally as stupid expression. “You’ve finally got me to understand!”
The four friends fell into jovial conversation. The sulking Xeno had accepted his watery fate, pulling his flooded shoes off and rolling his slacks up, he sat motionless and moody beside his mentee.
Well, Xeno wasn’t truly as grumpy as he looked. He didn’t want anyone to know less his reasons be put into question. On the inside he was smiling.
Not because he was having any kind of fun, but just from watching Senku speak with his friends, joke with them- waste the night away in the way he ought to be in his youth.
Xeno was fascinated by his smile. He was already missing it for when it inevitably will disappear.
Senku was happy. It was bittersweet.
The time had slipped away, the small campfire illuminating the area died down to mere embers without having been noticed. The night was still as the moon emerged from behind the clouds, basking the landscape in a tranquil white light. The area was filled with the sounds of the nocturnal nature, calm waters, and quiet conversation.
Most likely from the amusement tiring them out, soon the chatter had died down and the sound of chirping bugs and distant animals were louder than their voices.
Tsukasa was the first to leave, as he was still recovering from his injury, he needed to get more rest than relaxation. Then Chrome, starting to nod off, decided to head in for the night before he passed out and drowned in knee deep water.
So by the time the morning had technically begun, there were only three.
Ryusui reclined, his back against the flat rock. Eyes shut as he basked in the moonlight, he tried to imagine himself on the beach. Envisioning the sand and waves, conjuring the sounds of crashing waves and seagulls. But all he could truly hear was the sound of the two scientists who remained, chatting away…
Senku had since remembered the actual purpose for coming that was seemingly forgotten about from the others. He’d pulled from his shower bag his bar of soap, offering it to his mentor to use first.
Xeno talked away, scrubbed his face and neck. “I do like this soap you make, but perhaps you could’ve added some natural scents like flowers or pine- that would be nice.” Having been along for the ride with Senku for almost two months now, Xeno was familiar with the way Senku made it. “Ooh and perhaps some moisturizing agent. I've noticed it dries my skin out but it does leave it quite soft. Maybe a lotion to apply afterwards would be useful, hm…?” He slipped the bar of soap down to slick over his broad chest. Having unbuttoned his shirt earlier, the white fabric was clingy and transparent on his arms as he moved.
Senku found his eyes fixed on the motion of Xeno’s hand as he replied, “Did you have all that extra junk in the soap you’ve made?”
“Of course.” Xeno held the bar out for Senku to take, but he didn’t seem to notice. “If I had the resources to do so, why would I not make myself the luxuries of the old world?”
Soap slid from the contours of his torso, from his lean extended arm it dripped, pooling into the water in a murky white haze.
Senku was totally starting to get tired, he couldn’t even muster up the energy to look from Xeno’s chest as he spoke to him, “It doesn’t need to do all that. It's just needed to kill bacteria. Quicker to make if you keep it simple.”
Xeno smirked. “Ah, leave it to you to make the world's most practical soap.” he sighed. Scooching closer, he took Senku’s hand and placed the bar into his palm for him. Slender fingers lingered on soft skin before pulling away. “Same goes for your hair product. Only just decent” Reaching over past Senku to grab the bottle of shampoo sitting on the rock face, Xeno spoke only inches from his mentee, “But at least you bothered to make any at all…”
Senku tilted his chin at him, prodding him with his elbow. “Would you like me to make you some beauty products too?” He looked up at him, gaze filled with a captivatingly attractive mischief. “Maybe some anti-aging cream?”
Xeno shook his head. “You’re going to drive me crazy, Senku…” he groaned.
“You’re already insane, old man.” Senku snickered. “I haven’t done a thing.”
Suddenly, a loud snore from Ryusui turned their heads. His head lolled back against the rock he was laying back on.
Yeah, there was no doubt about it- he was out.
A gust of wind blew through the jungle. Senku felt the atmosphere shift, a nervous- almost excited- tingle bursting through his limbs. Now it was just the two of them.
Just him and Xeno…
After that brief interruption, Xeno returned his attention back to their conversation. “You might be right.” His eyes narrowed. Leaning in, he spoke low, “But you certainly aren’t making me any more sane either…”
From the corner of his eye, Senku could see Xeno’s sly smirk. He returned his own. “What? I was just messing with you.” He turned, nudging Xeno in the shoulder playfully as his looming mentor encroached on his space. “You sound like Luna. You two exchange beauty tips or something?”
“Luna?” A deep chuckle sang from Xeno’s chest as he sat back to rest against the rock edge beside Senku. “Certainly not. Her perception of beauty was always… much too vapid for my tastes.”
“That’s a little harsh, don’tcha think?”
Xeno shrugged. “To look at water, why do we travel to the ocean instead of simply the puddles in the road?” A slender finger to the stars, dark eyes locked him in a warm gaze. “True beauty- elegance- it must have both visual appeal and inner complexity…”
Senku looked down, his lips pressed in thought. Obviously, he knew things could be practical while at the same time looking nice, but he never really considered the looks of something a necessary step.
But it actually does serve a purpose in some circumstances.
For example, when trying to sell a new piece of technology- like a cellphone- nobody would be swayed to buy if it was only marketed on what it does alone. Companies put a lot of thought into just the base shell the components come in. It needs a shiny metal casing, a thin profile, and a sleek logo. But even then, when people buy them, they cover all that in even prettier cases and charms.
If something doesn’t look visually appealing, it makes it that much harder to get the average person on board with its usefulness.
People put a lot of value on looks.
Guess that’s why Senku doesn’t relate. It’s not like he’s never seen something and thought it looked cool or even beautiful, but he’s always considered what it was outside of looks first and foremost.
Senku glanced up, ready to relay his thoughts. But his tongue was caught when he laid eyes on his mentor.
Xeno’s hair was undone, loosely fallen over his face. Elbow propped up on the rock, turned to face Senku. The moonlight reflecting off of the surface of the water gave his pale skin a magical glow. He almost looked like a mermaid.
With a knuckle pressed to his lips, Xeno’s eyes were soft, dazed. He was smiling behind his finger.
Finding something attractive- it's not shallow. The human mind is programmed that way. It can’t be helped.
Judging by that expression, Senku started to think that maybe his train of thought got a little lost. That metaphor wasn’t exactly about the elegance of technology or science.
Perhaps it was about a person.
Xeno broke his gaze. His fist closed and he cleared his throat. Sitting up properly, he popped open the bottle of shampoo in his hands he’d most certainly forgotten about. “Do you talk to Luna much?” he asked casually, the slightest tilt of his head.
“Hm?” Senku blinked a few times as he brought his mind back to reality. “Um, kinda. She thinks I’m her boyfriend, remember?”
Applying some product into the palm of his hand, Xeno ran his shampoo coated fingers though his damp hair, slowly slicking back the loose strands of sandy hair. “Oh. Right…”
With a quiet hum, Senku lathered up the soap between his hands. He’d been fidgeting with it these past few minutes- past time he actually use it. “Well, I actually think she’s figured it out by now…”
Xeno paused, his hands still entangled in his hair. “...Figured out you’re not in a relationship with her or that you prefer men?”
"That we’re not a thing…?” he said slowly. A confused chuckle slipped from his smirk. “What do you mean ‘prefer men’?”
“Um-” Xeno copied his expression so perfectly it was almost as if he was looking in the mirror. “...Do you not?”
Shrugging, Senku raised his hands up to scrub the soap onto his neck. “I wouldn’t say I like guys- or girls more. I like people on an individual basis.”
Xeno hummed, pouring more hair product into his hands. “But… Of those individuals- more have happened to be men?”
Senku sighed, eyes falling closed. “Yeah but- not cuz they’re dudes. What are you not getting?”
“I understand exactly what you’re saying. I’m just explaining that what I initially said wasn’t wrong.”
Senku deadpanned, “But it was.”
“Not wrong, per se…” Xeno defended. He tilted his head, an eyebrow twitching to arch. “Not specific enough?”
Ruby eyes squinted impishly. “I prefer people I like over people I don’t like. Kinda simple concept, old man.”
“Me as well. But I’d still say-” Xeno cut himself off, putting his hands up in defeat. “You know what- I don’t want to argue…”
“Hmph.” Senku huffed. “Still wrong…”
Xeno grumbled something intelligible to himself. Dipping down, he plunged his hair into the water to rinse it out- only the slighted pout on his lips as he did.
When Xeno came back up, he wordlessly offered out the shampoo bottle.
Senku didn’t move. He looked from the bottle, then to just past it.
Watching the water droplets pour down Xeno’s torso from the tips of his hair, he was entranced. Silence fell between the two, now just the sound of dripping water and the wind rustling through the trees filled the atmosphere. The water seemed to go still, as did the whole planet.
A drop of water fell down Senku’s face, tickling his nose- it scrunched like a bunny’s. Other than that, he still didn’t move.
“Hm?” Xeno smiled.
Retracting the bottle, Xeno brought his free hand to gently hold Senku’s shoulder, guiding him forward.
The water parted, rolling through in waves as Xeno slipped behind him.
Senku opened his mouth, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he scooched back, snuggling himself in place between his mentor's bent knees.
His eyes fluttering shut, Senku listened as the shampoo bottle popped open. The sound of it being lathered between Xeno’s hands. And then he felt those slender hands come down and began massaging the suds into his thick locks.
Senku leaned in to the touch. Though parted lips fell a breathless moan.
Xeno was good at this kinda stuff, Senku considered. Senku was also beginning to realize that he kinda liked being pampered by him- as strange as it seemed. Xeno seemed to realize this too. He didn’t even need to ask. He didn’t even know he wanted it.
Delicate fingers made their way down lower on his scalp, scratching behind his ears and kneading the shampoo deep.
Senku leaned even further into the sensation. It was sensitive there.
His eyebrows knitted, his jaw fell open.
He wanted to tell him to stop. No- keep going.
Shit. It felt ridiculously good.
It felt crazy good-
“-I think you're getting hung up on semantics.” Xeno blurted, pulling Senku from his thoughts.
Eyes snapping back open, Senku's expression twisted wryly, a little annoyed that his scalp massage had been disrupted.
“I think you’re getting hung up on being wrong.” Senku threw back.
“I’m not.” Xeno said curtly. The older scientist’s arms retracted and they threaded together haughty. He leaned in close to speak into Senku’s reddened ear, “You’re such a brat, Senku…”
Senku scoffed, cupping water into his hands, he rinsed his hair. “And you’re an asshole.” He glanced over his shoulder.
Xeno grinned devilishly back at him. Up-close like this, Senku could see the faint wrinkle of a smile line.
Then, a slick tongue flicked out to run along his top teeth and a deep laughter crawled from the back of Xeno’s throat. Although it was the same low sound Senku had heard plenty of times before, it wasn’t exactly that same villainous laugh he had grown used to, it was almost verging on… genuine.
But Xeno’s laughter faded as quickly as it had begun. His eyelids lowered, eyes falling to wrap Senku in their rich gaze. Pale lips lost their smirk, pursuing in soft thought as he observed Senku as if he was his favorite dessert.
“Wait a minute…” Xeno began, his voice like smooth velvet. “Did you think I was saying you prefer men in terms of friendship?”
Senku could feel the heat of his breath on his cold skin, the vibrations ringing through his chest from where he was pressed as Xeno spoke. “Well- yeah, old man…” he huffed.
Dark eyes flicked down to watch pink lips squirm into a pout. “Ooh. No, sweetheart…” He cooed, looking up through his top lashes. “That’s not what I was referring to.”
Senku felt dizzy as Xeno’s hand emerged from the water. Slinking under his arm, he took hold of Senku’s waist- locking him in.
To stop himself from gaping like an idiot, Senku chuckled. “Heh- My point still stands. It’s not my fault you weren't clear enough.”
Eyes half shut and swimming with dreadful sensuality, Xeno leaned in even closer, his lips only just grazing the surface of Senku’s cheek. ”Then I’ll tell you bluntly.” A soft sigh fell from his lips as they parted to speak, sending an unexpected pulse of heat through Senku’s chest. And the next words from Xeno’s mouth set a full blown fire, “I meant as in… sexually. If not then what’s the explanation for… all this?”
It was getting a little hard to think. Was Xeno asking about his… sexuality?
Senku’d say he never cared about that stuff. Not all that much.
But really, Senku had never thought about it. At the time he was supposed to be figuring it out, he was much more preoccupied with trying to rebuild the world. It was never his priority. And Senku wasn't even sure how to tell what his sexuality was. Feelings were never his strong suit.
Senku hesitated, but he wanted to tell the truth. No matter how dumb it sounded that he didn’t know. “Wow, you’re more insane than I thought.”
His eyes went wide. Senku froze.
Why did he say that!? That’s not at all what he wanted to say!
Xeno smiled softly anyway. “Perhaps I have lost my mind…” His hazy gaze strayed from Senku's eyes for a moment, fascinated by the dancing moonlight gleaming on the water's surface. “I really think I have.” he whispered, so low it was almost drowned out by the sound of the sleeping wilderness.
After a moment of silence, Xeno retracted a few centimeters and his smile twitched down ever-so-slightly.
And suddenly, he couldn’t pull his eyes away from those pale lips. Senku stared ahead in a daze. He couldn’t speak, he couldn’t think. His mind had been completely shut off.
Then his breath hitched. An overwhelming desire came over him like a wave. He could drown in it. Beneath the water, he found the words he wanted to say.
'Kiss me, old man.'
He still couldn't say it though.
So not knowing what else to do, he squeezed his eyes shut. As if he thought about it hard enough, Xeno could hear what he was thinking. He’d pray for it if he had to. Really though, he was incredibly embarrassed.
His mind raced like his heart.
It was exhilarating.
Xeno broke through his chaotic subconscious with a tender voice. “You’re shivering, sweetheart…” He brought his hand up to rub the young man’s goosebump dotted bicep. “Do you want to head back?”
Senku’s eyes slowly reopened.
A one in ten billion chance- those odds were way too big to overcome.
Turning away, Senku looked down at the blurry image of his hands beneath the water’s surface. “Heh- Yeah. We’ve been in a while, haven’t we?”
With a nod, but without another word, Xeno stood and offered his dripping hand.
The moon swirled in his ruby eyes as Senku gazed up. Xeno’s form was blacked out by the pale light above him. But when he squinted to find his expression, he could make out how tired his eyes were and how his gentle smile weakened.
Taking Xeno's waiting hand into his own, Senku rose from the water.
“Sorry.” The word left Senku’s mouth before he had realized it.
“...For what?”
Senku shook his head. That was a good question. He just had the sense that he’d done something wrong.
“I got your outfit wet.” Senku mumbled, just to give an answer.
Xeno huffed a little laugh. His smile returned to him. “Is that truly what you’re making such a sad face for?”
Senku returned his own half-hearted laughter, his pout disrupted. He didn’t answer.
And then, Senku’s shivering hand was pressed to his mentor’s lips. “Don’t apologize over something as trivial as that.” Pale lips pursed around his knuckle, leaving with the quietest peck. “It will dry.”
He got that kiss he was praying for after all. Not where he wanted. Or when. Or how…
It was cold at first, then warm. As were many things with Xeno.
Senku smiled.
He turned to step up onto the shore, letting his hand slip from Xeno’s. Xeno walked in his shadow. Stepping in wet footprints left behind on the stark rock face.
One day, Senku would like to answer all the questions he could ever have and know everything about everything.
But first- shouldn’t he know who he is?
As with science, Senku just had to take it one step at a time.
The first step… it was to ask the question.