AN: Warning - This story takes place between chapters 231 and 232, so at the series' end but before the time skip of the last chapter. Read at your own discretion if you're not caught up on the manga.

This is my first dip into writing in this fandom. I hope I do it, and the pairing, justice. Feedback is welcome.

Bodyguard - Part 1

XX

Xeno pressed his lips into a thin line as he considered the interesting, but predictable, byproduct of their work. While the steps to restore civilization and de-petrify humanity were making excellent progress, the troubles that arose from returning more and more people from stone were becoming more frequent, and more prominent.

Of the many things that had surfaced, there was one in particular being a thorn in his side: Extremists. Not everyone was happy with the work they were doing, and some had …persistent and aggressive ways of making it known.

They started mildly enough, with signs and protests that restoring everyone and everything would have dire consequences. When those signs and protests did not work, they started ramping up their efforts. Mild acts of vandalism, sabotage of equipment… things that were annoying to him, but indicated that they would likely continue until they got what they wanted or were stopped.

The first open threat sent to the researchers had raised alarms all across the compound. Most every scientist, regardless of which project they were focused on, felt unease. And with that event, Xeno was already putting the foundation of a solution in place, knowing this was not going to go away with inaction. However, it was the second threat that promised violence that made him realize they needed countermeasures sooner rather than later.

With that thought, he made some calls.

XX

Senkuu did not have time to worry about the recent attacks, but that did not mean he was ignoring them. He was fully aware that Xeno's solution to have guards on the research compound would be an excellent future preventative, even if said guards took time to recruit, form, and train.

His contribution to the immediate solution was to ensure there were security lights all over the research compound, delegating the development and installation to appropriate teams as necessary. Security cameras would take a lot more time to build, but the designs had already been drafted and the work had been scoped.

The most frustrating part for him was the lowered productivity of the other scientists. The anxiety from the promise of violence had left them disconcerted and distracted. No amount of reassuring them seemed to work, though Gen idly reminded Senkuu his ability to reassure people lacked a proper bedside manner. As if scientists needed such things…

Xeno came to the rescue for that one, advising all of those worried scientists that they would each have an unofficial bodyguard until the formal guard was trained and deployed. Senkuu listened to the declaration with a mildly amused smirk, watching the visible relief on the team as they got assigned volunteer brawn to shadow them. He supposed a buddy system had its uses here, too. Even if the assigned bodyguards were not trained for the job, having someone who could throw a punch was surely a good deterrent.

XX

Senkuu yawned as he walked back towards his quarters on the compound. He had spent the evening in the labs, working through dinner with a few bites around his equations and tests. While every other scientist and researcher had retired for dinner, he, much like Xeno, was perfectly content to work until it was ungodly late. Downtime was not something either of them needed, as long as they were getting sufficient rest and sustenance.

He supposed 'sufficient' was subjective, however. It was nearing midnight as he walked down the empty path, and while he was tired, his mind was still churning through multiple parallel thoughts, though perhaps a tad slower than normal.

Maybe that's why it took him some time to realize he was not alone. The hairs on his neck and arms stood up as he suddenly snapped out of his thoughts and focused on his surroundings.

The path from the labs to the sleeping quarters was well lit with the recent addition of security lights, but outside of that path, darkness enshrouded the nearby trees. There was no one nearby that he could see, either. Frowning slightly, he did not change his pace, giving no indication that he knew he was being watched. He was only about a hundred meters from his lodging, but a lot could happen in that hundred meters.

It almost came at no surprise when the security lamps went out around him, casting him in shadow. The sudden change in light put him at an even worse disadvantage as his vision struggled to adjust to the plunge into darkness. His lip curled as he saw shadows move, hearing the sounds of grass crunching and the rustle of fabrics coming in multiple directions. Apparently the antagonists had decided it was time to make good on their threats.

Senkuu was already calculating the best way to overcome the situation, a hand reaching into one of the many pouches at his waist, when someone rushed towards him from the shadows. He scrambled, trying to put space between them and move himself closer to the security lights that were still on.

Something heavy hit him from behind, knocking him off balance. He let out a grunt as he stumbled forward, and just as he caught himself, another swing sent him crashing onto the path. The blow had temporarily dazed him, but the aggressors gave the scientist no reprieve. He felt a hand fist into his hair, slamming his head into the ground once before pulling him back to expose him to the next wave of assaults.

Wincing from the pain and feeling what he was certain was blood running down his face, he watched as someone else approached. In the darkness he could barely make out the shape of a human form approaching, but what was far more alarming was their hands over their head, holding a sizeable rock that could very well crush his skull in. Senkuu felt the panic set in, even as he continued to fumble around in one of his pouches, searching for one of many tools he could use for defense.

'Oh, I am ten billion percent fucked.'

He barely got a chance to finish the thought when a blurred shape slammed into the assailant holding the rock, knocking them out of the range of view. The really startling part was that the person was moving so fast that Senkuu could feel the breeze left in their wake. There was the sound of a struggle, and he heard the heavy thud of the rock hitting the earth.

The person holding him by his hair yanked him up to his feet, and the young scientist let out a hiss of pain, eyes watering as he struggled to gain some balance. Finally, he felt a familiar handle brush against his fingers. Screwdrivers were not exactly the best of weapons, but the strangled cry from his assailant as he jammed the tip into their leg assured him it did something.

Of course, part of that 'something' included a very harsh throw that sent him crashing back into the ground. He gritted his teeth from the impact, but did his best to regain control, scrambling back up to his feet. He whipped around, screwdriver still in hand, ready to face his attacker once again.

And once again, something flew past him, moving with such agility, such ferocity, that he found his body reacting, calming down and exiting the fight or flight response. It took just a moment for his brain to catch up, and he almost began to laugh as he processed that his body recognized his savior before he did.

The realization of just what was happening left his entire body tingling, and he vaguely processed the pained shout of his attacker, followed by a thud as his body hit the ground.

His eyes had adjusted by this point, and he could vaguely make out the slender shape of his savior standing over the crumpled form of his attacker. The gentle breeze rustled the leaves around them as the clouds shifted enough to cast a modest amount of moonlight onto the scene, giving him a view of pale skin and blonde hair.

Senkuu's lips pulled into a wide grin as Kohaku turned to him. "I did not even one millimeter expect to see you here tonight, Lioness. What a wild turn of events!"

Although he could not see her expression, he could hear the slight annoyance in her voice as she replied, "You could just say, 'thanks for saving my ass, Kohaku.'"

He exhaled in amusement, pocketing away his screwdriver. "As if I would act so out of character." Even as he spoke, he was becoming increasingly aware of how much everything hurt. His head was pounding, and he could feel the sticky sensation of blood drying to his face. His arms burned from what he knew were various scratches and scrapes from the encounter, and his back felt like one big bruise.

The warrior sighed in response, closing the distance between them so she could better inspect his current state. He knew with her vision that she could easily see he looked pretty roughed up, though he had not expected to feel her fingers touch his chin, gently but firmly turning his head so she could assess the damage. Senkuu made a sour face, but allowed her to look him over. "Tch, is this necessary, Lioness? I'm sure it's not that bad."

"Your entire face is bathed in blood," Kohaku replied wryly. "It's too dark to see how bad the cut is, though. We need to get you into light and clean you up."

Senkuu turned out of her grasp and motioned for her to follow. "There's a medical room on the compound. Follow me."

XX

A short time later Senkuu found himself seated on a stool as Kohaku tended to his face. He was certain he could take care of this himself, but for some reason, he let her take control of the situation, watching as she poured her focus and attention into making sure he was okay. With a tempered patience, she carefully cleaned the blood from his face and gently removed the debris around the gash on his forehead. It stung, but he held still, allowing her to tend to him quietly.

Admittedly, he found himself slightly amused that despite how gentle she was as she cleaned the wound, there was an intensity in her gaze that promised she was angry about him being hurt. He could see it in the way her lips pressed together, the set of her jaw, and the furrow of her brow as she worked.

Even when Kohaku was being caring and protective, she did so aggressively. 'Such a Lioness…' He thought with fond amusement.

Finally, the warrior stepped away, wiping her hands on the bloodied cloth and meeting his gaze. "All right. I cleaned it up."

Senkuu turned, picking up the crude mirror that sat on the treatment table and inspected his reflection. The cut itself was not too deep, but the location had been the primary reason for the excessive amount of blood. There was a bit of bruising and swelling around the laceration, and a few minor scrapes on his face, but overall it was not anything serious. "It probably doesn't need sutures, though I'm no medical professional. I think it's fine for tonight, and I'll check in with the doctor in the morning. There's no point in waking him up."

Kohaku huffed softly, "Is it not his job to treat the injured?"

The scientist shrugged, dipping his fingers into a jar of ointment and began to coat the cut, wincing the entire time. "Sure, but you just did most of his work for him, Lioness."

His lips curled up slightly as he saw her stiffen out of the corner of his eye. "I am not a lioness!" Her words were a soft hiss of frustration that pulled a chuckle from him.

Looking up at her, fingers hovering near the cut on his head, he replied, "You look like you wanna ten billion percent rip apart the guys who roughed me up."

Kohaku made a strangled noise and turned her back to him, folding her arms. After a quiet moment of wrestling with her anger, she replied, "I don't like you getting hurt."

Senkuu reached for a roll of bandages and began to cover the cut. Without missing a beat, he replied, "And thanks to you, they didn't. This is nothing compared to what they could have done." He paused, securing the bandage in place. "But that does make me wonder, why are you even here? Your expedition was supposed to last a projected three months, and it's been only two. What made you come back early?"

He watched as the young woman turned back to him, placing her hands on her hips and lifting a brow. "I heard you were in need of a bodyguard. So here I am."

XX

They walked side by side on the way back to his quarters. "I see. Xeno called you."

Kohaku nodded, eyes alert to their surroundings. "He said you needed someone you could trust, who could protect you, but who wouldn't hinder your work."

The young scientist smirked, sticking a finger in his ear and twisting it around. "I suppose you do fit that criteria."

The warrior lifted a brow and spared him a look, "...And someone who could handle your attitude."

The smirk twisted into a full-fledged grin, though Senkuu did not look back at her. "Oh? Not so sure you were the best person for the job then. After all, anytime I call you 'Lioness' you lose your shit."

"Senkuu," Kohaku's eyes narrowed as she glanced around, taking note of the buildings they approached, a series of units that served as accommodation for those working on the compound. "Which of these is yours?"

Senkuu glanced over at her, his smile dropping from his face. "The one at the corner, 8A."

"Is it locked?"

He nodded, pulling a key from his pocket and showing her. "It will take me half a second to open it."

Kohaku glanced over at him, then down to the key. "No, it won't." And without waiting for a response, she snatched the key from his fingers and swooped in, hauling him up over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"What the fuck?!" Senkuu all but shrieked, hands finding purchase on the woman's back as she settled his weight over her shoulder and kept walking. The rush of movement made his head throb momentarily, but it paled in comparison to the flush sprawling across his face and the sudden pounding of his heart.

"Careful, Senkuu-sensei. Any louder and you'll wake up the rest of the compound. I'm sure they'd love to see such an esteemed scientist in such an awkward position."

Senkuu looked like he might explode, but dropped his voice to a hiss as he glared at the back of Kohaku's head. "What are you doing?"

The warrior smirked, patting his calf with the hand holding his room key. "Handling your attitude."

He opened his mouth, before snapping it shut sharply, choosing to instead grind his teeth, accepting his loss in their battle of wits. Kohaku carried on, perhaps a little smugly, knowing she had the upper hand.

Approaching the door to his unit, she took the key and fitted it into the lock, grateful she had been shown how locks and keys worked sometime ago.

"OK, Lioness, you've made your point. Can you put me down now?" Senkuu made sure to not raise his voice too loud, eyes skimming the area to verify they were alone. Unfortunately, just as Kohaku unlocked the door, someone came around the corner. Senkuu's breath caught, body going rigid as one of the American scientists came upon them. Having felt him tense, Kohaku paused, looking around and seeing the man standing a few meters away.

"Whoa… Dr. Senkuu? Are you okay?"

Senkuu sucked in a breath through his teeth, before giving a terse nod, replying in English. "Yes. Things are fine. This is fine. She thinks she's funny. She's not."

Much to Senkuu's horror the American broke out into a knowing grin. "Oh it's that kind of-ah, yup. Got it."

"No, I mean–!" Senkuu felt his voice crack. Did the guy not see his head was wrapped in bandages? Did this look like that kind of interaction? His eyes drifted down to the back of Kohaku's bare legs, reminding him that her usual attire did not amount to much modesty. 'Oh, fuck my life…!'

"Nice one, Dr. Senkuu! I'll pretend I saw nothing. Enjoy your night!"

Just as Senkuu thought it could not get worse, Kohaku twisted just enough to look at the other scientist. His horror grew as she gave the guy a thumbs up and replied cheerfully in English, "We will!"

Kohaku's English skills had leveled up over the last two months, apparently.

XX

"I can't believe you said that," Senkuu moaned as Kohaku set him down inside of his quarters.

The warrior lifted a brow at him, turning to shut the door and lock it. "What? He said 'Enjoy your night', so I said we would. What's wrong with that?"

Senkuu stared at her, before covering his mouth with a hand. "You didn't…" All these frustrated facial expressions were making his head hurt. "Kohaku, he thought we were going to have sex."

The woman had just finished hanging the key on a hook beside the door, and turned to look at him with an unreadable expression. After a long pause, she broke out into laughter, slapping a hand over her mouth to not make too much noise to the neighboring units and leaning against the door.

Senkuu gave her a withering look. Of course she would find this funny. "I'm going to shower. I assume you're staying here to watch over me, Lioness?"

Wiping at her eyes, the warrior nodded, "Full guard duty until told otherwise, yup. I don't trust those guys to give up after tonight." Looking around, she noticed there were two beds, and moved to claim the unused one, tossing her backpack down on the blanket. Looking back at him, she offered a soft smile. "It's good to see you again, Senkuu."

Although he was still embarrassed from her prank earlier, he found himself offering a weary half smile back. "Yeah, you, too."

His half smile froze as Kohaku turned her back to him and began stripping out of her dress. Swallowing hard, Senkuu turned and stalked off into the bathroom, the door shutting loudly behind him.

Groaning, the young scientist tilted his head up to the ceiling and closed his eyes. 'Lioness, you are ten billion percent a pain in my ass.'

'...And I wouldn't trade you for anyone else in the world.'

He sighed, turning on the water and began to undress. It was going to be an… interesting couple of weeks.

XX

AN: I'm still on the fence on if this will become explicit later. If so, a cleaner version will be posted here, and the full content on Ao3. Comments appreciated!