"I love you Gen…"

Those words took Gen completely off guard. So much so that it made him drop his tea cup, spilling the tea all over the observatory's floor.

"Senku-chan…" He managed to say, "What-What did you say?"

"Come on Gen…" Senku groaned as a blush spread all over his face, "Don't make me say that again…"

Gen did not expect any kind of answer to his abrupt confession back when they unveiled the observatory as a birthday gift to Senku. It was something that just came out of his mouth as he explained how he came to know the exact date. They both played it cool. As it was to be expected… But, never in the mentalist's life, Senku would give him an answer to that. And if there ever was, he was expecting a rejection. Not an actual, "I love you too" response.

"I said, I love you Gen…" Senku repeated himself, as he said it softer than before.

Now Gen's face was just as red as Senku's. He couldn't believe what he just heard…

"You-you do?" Gen stuttered.

"Yes…" Senku replied quietly but still loud enough for Gen to hear.

Gen's heart swelled with happiness. He couldn't believe it, but it was happening. Ishigami Senku, the man that Asagiri Gen had fallen for, had just confessed that he felt the same way.

This was really happening.

And yet...

The room was still filled with an awkward silence.

"But…" Senku began as he turned to look at the observatory window and looked at the stars. "I… I can't…"

"You can't?" Gen was confused by the response. But then a feeling of dread replaced Gen's elation "What-What do you mean?"

"There's so much I need to do…" Senku began, "So many steps to climb up, just to revive all of humanity. Not to mention restore civilization. I…"

Gen felt like he had known Senku for the entirety of his restored life. It was Senku, after all, who had first created the formula that freed him from petrification. And whenever he was alone he would think of Senku and would see his confident, almost arrogant smile, and behind him was the dazzling light that he made from his own two hands. Senku, that stole his heart with his bold words, brash behavior, that sharp mind that moved ten billion steps ahead of everyone else. And yet… it was this same Senku that was now trembling, his words stuttering out of his mouth. Gen had never seen him unsure like this before.

"I… I don't know… how to say this…" Senku bit his lip, "Gen… I…"

In those pauses, Gen had time enough to understand why he was hesitating. Understand what made him hesitate.

"You don't want to be bogged down by these feelings." Gen finished the sentence for him. His tone had shifted to a disappointed one, which took the scientist by surprise. "Or rather… you don't want a relationship to slow down your progress."

It was a brutal and harsh statement. Senku didn't know what to say to that.

"Gen…" He turned to face the mentalist, "I have to put my ten billion percent focus on this. I can't let the villagers down. You, Taiju, Yuzuriha, my dad, those astronauts… they all have faith in me."

Senku then paused and took a deep breath.

"But… you are wrong." He continued as he remained focused on Gen's hurt expression "If that were the case, I would have discarded these feelings long ago. I wouldn't have confessed to you. No… I don't want you to feel left out or unloved because of me. You deserve much more than that. I… I care about you too much to do that to you."

Gen was rendered speechless, he looked up and stared at him back. Senku was more firm and had since ceased his trembling. He had given Gen the most earnest yet softest look he has ever seen in him. He's never seen Senku give that look to him.

"Senku…"

"Once I revive all seven billion people! Once I restore back civilization and even better!" Senku's words became firmer "Would you wait for me?"

"Would you wait for me until then? Until I finish what I set out to do? Are you… Will you Gen?"

Gen blinked.

He blinked again.

Senku began trembling.

That's when Gen began giggling to himself as he stood up.

"Oh Senku-chan…" Gen spoke in between giggles, "How blunt you are… You sound like a shonen jump character."

The next thing Senku knew, Gen had wrapped his arms around his neck and had his head resting on his shoulder. Before he could say anything, Gen hugged him tighter.

"Please… let me have this… Senku…" Gen spoke softly. "Please..?"

"Gen…" Senku could only say as he wrapped his arms around him, and took in the moment.

"Ishigami Senku…" Gen began after a brief pause, "I'll wait for you. For as long as it takes. No matter what, I'll be by your side. I won't force you to do anything, not for me."

"And besides…" he spoke again to try and diffuse the situation, "I knew you were going to say something like that. And you know what?"

"No matter what your answer was going to be. I'm dead set on being by your side. We're going to hell together, whether you like it or not!"

"Asagiri Gen…" Senku spoke softly, "You really are a dumbass…"

"I could say the same to you…" Gen laughed, "Ishigami Senku-chan"

AN:I've been dwelling on this idea for so long and wanted to let this out. This is honestly what I think would be as close to what sengen would be if it was canon. I had an idea to expand this but I have this, so I'll post this and maybe put on the rest later when I get to it.

But for now, please enjoy this...

Special thanks to scratchedkeyboard proofreading and improving this fic! Thank you so much again!