Hi everyone! This is my very first Dr. Stone fanfic. It features Kohaku and Senku. I hope you guys like this :)
This fic contains spoilers if you haven't caught up with the manga just yet. So please read at your own risk.
The island was in high spirits. Everyone from the village gathered around a campfire, cooking a feast and celebrating the return of the rightful leader of their kingdom. Even Kohaku's group were mingling merrily with the local villagers and eating their own fill.
She could see Ginro acting like the sleazebag that he was with the women of island while Matsukaze stood beside him, dutifully guarding his 'lord'. Kohaku shook her head, she felt bad for the guy for watching over Ginro of all people.
Yuzuriha, Kirisame, Amaryllis and Nikki were helping Francois prepare whatever she needed to aid the villagers in preparing more food. Of course with Yuzuriha helping the food preparation, Taiju helped.
The men of the Kingdom of Science were gathered in one side of the campfire; Chrome and Old man Kaseki were talking about the repairs they needed to do for Persues and eventually Ryusui, Gen, Ukyo and Senku joined them.
She could hardly imagine what their discussion was about. Most of the words they mentioned were unknown to her until she actually saw them first hand in Perseus so she remained standing outside a hut designated for the women of the Kingdom of Science.
To say that a lot happened while they were in the island was a huge understatement. More than half of the group were petrified, she had to go undercover and got petrified; not that she regret any of it. She'd gladly do it again to save her friends. They had fought with everything that they had to obtain the petrification device. In the end, they were victorious and of course she had to hug Senku after every emotion that she felt in the entire ordeal overloaded and her body moved on its own. As if the kissing incident wasn't absurd enough.
"Ugh." She tapped – slapped – her cheeks with her hands and shook her head. There was no point overthinking about what happened. Not like he was going to notice nor was she expecting him to notice. She could bare herself – literally – in front of him and he would think of a scientific explanation for it. She wouldn't be surprised at all.
The Kingdom of Science had a lot to achieve, more things to plan and focusing on her feelings of all things was selfish of her. Everyone's giving it their all and it would be an insult to her friends if she focused in her feelings – feelings that she had denied over and over for the span of a year but could never truly let go. She needed to focus on training so she could protect the people she cares about in her own way.
The brisk sea air tugged at Kohaku's skirt, loud cheers from the campfire echoed all over the island as she remained standing outside the hut. Sighing, she opted to head to the beach and have a moment to recover from making herself miserable and contemplate about her failure in protecting her friends.
She headed back into the hut and changed into her regular dress. She was more comfortable with her regular clothing and it was proven with her fight with Kirisame. Though she had to change back after training, she did promise Yuzuriha to use it during the feast.
With that out of the way, she grabbed her dagger and with haste, she dashed towards the shore leaving the merry celebration behind.
x
Waves rolled back and forth along the shore, only the moon and the stars illuminated the surface making it flicker and shine. The crashing of the waves muffled the noise coming from the village. Perseus remained anchored near the side of the island and idly floated with the waves.
Slipping off her sandals, she stepped on the sand and shivered as her toes sank into the cool, moist sand. Water tickled her feet as the wave crashed on the sand, moving yet back again and repeating the motion over and over.
She strolled further until the water reached her knees. Pulling her dagger, she closed her eyes and steadied her breathing. Ignoring the drag of the sea water, she swiftly and precisely executed her training routine.
She steeled herself against the cold splashing water, changing her stance from offensive to defensive. She took a deep breath and flipped herself up into the air, hair almost falling unbound and landing perfectly on her feet. With a soft huff, she placed her dagger on her thigh and bound her hair tightly this time.
"You're getting drenched."
She turned around and saw Senku standing inches away from the lapping waves, obviously a calculated move with a single brow arched and arms crossed over his chest, a bundle of clothing tucked under his right arm.
Kohaku shrugged. Right when she cleared her mind, he had to come and appear in front of her. Sometimes she thought he does these things in purpose. For what reason, only Senku's brain knew.
Unfolding his arms, he moved back and placed the cloth on the sand. He sat down and stared at her then patted the space beside him.
Now it was her time to raise an eyebrow. Warily, she headed out of the water. The hem of her dress dripped and water trickled down her legs. She stared at Senku who continued to pat the area beside him while staring at her.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, a voice whispered to her that he probably wanted to spend time alone with her but then she squashed it down, for sure it was Senku being Senku. Might be something about surviving the cool breeze from the ocean or something along that line.
She sat down carefully beside him. The moment she did, he wrapped another piece of cloth around her shoulders and let it pool on her lap. Grinning, he fluffed the cloth nicely and settled his head on her lap.
Looking down, their eyes met and she didn't realize that she needed to close her mouth. He was still grinning at her and she had to look up before she does something stupid like deliberately kissing his stupid lips without an excuse this time.
"Shouldn't you be celebrating with the villagers?" She asked.
"Goes the same for you. But you're here." She focused all her strength mentally to stop herself from looking down because she could feel that his gaze was still on her.
"They prepared a bed for you in one of the huts. It should be more comfortable and warm."
"I'm ten billion percent sure I couldn't sleep for even a second. I say it's more comfortable and peaceful here."
Kohaku sighed. She had taught about telling him what she exactly feels, in a way, she did want to know what he thinks about her – outside of being a gorilla or a lioness – just so she can finally settle down. Not knowing the answer gnaws her everyday but trying to find out the answer and getting rejected was in a sense, terrifying.
No, it shouldn't scare her. Nothing scares her. But the thought of knowing that Senku knew exactly how she felt but those feelings will never be reciprocated was daunting. He would probably act the same way he always did around her, the same interaction, working together, spending time with friends.
Could she do that? Act like nothing? It wasn't as different as to her current situation but at the same time, it was. Wouldn't it hurt more if he knew?
She sighed again. It would.
Could she get over it? She could… should. But just thinking about it made her heart squeeze. To think she had kept teasing Chrome with Ruri. At least those two liked each other, it was just a matter of when they're going to confess and be all lovey-dovey. Meanwhile, she was in a deep mess.
It wasn't like this at first. She never saw Senku as someone she could potentially fall in love with. Yes, he saved her. He was interesting at first. He cares more for other people than himself, it was endearing watching him help the villagers and act as if it was all according to his plan. She saw right through that façade and the more she observed the more she realized what a great man he was.
Why didn't the ancestors leave something that could help her with this problem?
"You sound like a real gorilla right now."
And whose fault do you think it is Senku?
She looked at him and frowned. There was no point getting agitated over it, no matter what she did, he will still call her that.
He was staring silently, as though studying her features. It took a couple of seconds to realize that Senku's fingers were touching her right jaw. It should bother her but her own body was betraying her and wanted to lean into that touch.
How on earth had she gotten so weak? For Senku, of all people.
"Tch. Where'd you get this bruise?"
"Eh, really?" She was about to touch and poke it herself to see if there was really a bruise when her hand was moved out of the way.
"Knowing you, you're ten billion percent going to make it worse by prodding it."
Okay, now that was rude and uncalled for. While she might be strong and sometimes act careless – she hated admitting that –, she wasn't going to cause more harm on herself. After all she needed to be in top shape so she could keep protecting her people.
His hand gently caressed her cheek. Caressed, really Kohaku? She bit her lips, reprimanded herself that it was just a simple touch to check if she was hurt. Nothing but a simple human courtesy. There should be a limit to her wishful thinking. This was getting embarrassing.
"You ought to take care of yourself more. You're watching over everyone and thinking of yourself less. People care about you too, lioness. Don't forget that."
He then covered his eyes with his free arm. "I said too much, that actually made me shiver. Until now, I couldn't really imagine doing things like my old man, "he sighed, "Let me borrow your lap for a while."
With that he fell asleep almost instantly. There was nothing she could do but freeze and gape.
She concentrated in listening to his breathing, making sure that he was really asleep. His chest was slowly moving up and down with his breathing, now if only her heart beat would follow suit.
Even with the moon, the stars and Perseus as her witness, she knew that her cheeks were red and burning. The night may be chilly but this was enough to warm her heart.
She remained stiff while staring at him sleep. She was being creepy, totally creepy. She could make more out of this. But she felt like becoming Ginro for taking advantage of someone sleeping.
Senku continued to sleep, turning on his side and facing her stomach oblivious to her misery. She groaned. "Why are you doing this?"
Lamenting, her hands hovered over his hair. She sucked in her breath. The dim light of the moon made it even more tempting, strands appearing to glimmer in the night. After what seemed to be an eternity, she finally snapped and gently placed her hands on his hair.
Running her fingers through his hair, she was surprised with how soft they were. It must be the work of that 'shampoo' Yuzuriha poured on their heads. Her eyes slid close, fingers enjoying the comfort she was feeling while touching his hair. This was enough, more than this would make her feel guilty for taking advantage of him. Like perhaps, touching his cheek.
"I'm an idiot." Why was she making herself more miserable? She went away from the celebration to have some time for herself but it ended this way. She was burying herself deeper and deeper and sooner or later she would never surface anymore.
She should be cautious as to why she didn't almost mind that at all.
As she continued being a sleazebag and touching his hair without his consent, she didn't notice someone walking towards them.
"Ah. I was right."
She almost bolted up as he heard Gen spoke but Senku snuggled closer to her, arms and body almost curling around her.
"Don't mind me dear Kohaku-chan. I was just minding my own business, enjoying the breeze of the sea and happened to stumble upon this heartwarming display. I do admit, you two look good together. Well not just me really, everyone in the kingdom thinks that too."
She remained quiet, what could she possibly answer to that? Just because everyone thinks that way didn't mean that their relationship would magically level up. It does take two to tango and with how things were progressing, it'll always be one-sided. Even following one of Senku's roadmaps would be easier than this.
"Oddly enough for our Senku-chan, he was obviously worried that you weren't in the celebration. I had enough of him looking around and looking for someone. And who else wasn't with us? So I had to step up and accidentally told him that I might've seen a blonde blur running off to the shore. And of course, I'm a good person so I had to check on both of you but I guess that wasn't necessary. I see it didn't need my wise intervention for things to lead this way."
He stared at where her fingers were and grinned. "Anyway, I didn't see anything. Do come back sooner if possible, Francois' did prepare a lavish feast for all of us. And Kohaku-chan, do something about that man's pinning would you? It's absolutely freaky when he does it, even Taiju's getting blindsided."
"Pinning?" She frowned. She knew Gen's good with talking but what on earth was he blabbering about?
He clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Oh dear. And here I thought Senku was oblivious. You're worse. With your instinct and over powered eye sight I thought you'd be able to see it. "
He stepped back. "No, no. Not that face. I'm not insulting you. I know what you're capable of and I'd rather keeps my limbs intact. What I'm saying is he L.I.K.E.S you more than a friend, an ally or a substituent of his kingdom. It should be obvious by the way he acts around you."
Kohaku scuffed. "He acts the same with everyone else, Gen. Nothing special about me."
"Nothing special? Is that really what you think? Or is it you clutching desperately into that sense of denial and not seeing what's clearly in front of you."
"I- ," Was it really that way? Had her assumption of her feelings never getting requited lead her blind to Senku's actions? Was she the one putting a barrier between the two of them all along? Was she being rational or was this another episode of her wishful thinking?
Gen quickly glanced at Senku and flinched. "Ahhh, talking too much made me feel thirsty. I need to rehydrate myself with some cola. I'll see you both at the village while I try to entertain everyone else so they don't end up looking for you two."
And as quickly as he arrived, Gen vanished from her vision leaving her dumbfounded with the words that came out of his mouth.
She sighed. What was she supposed to do with that information? Were all those even true? Not like Gen was going to blatantly lie on her face when he knew she could send him flying over the cliff if she wanted to – not that she would, of course.
Shaking her head, she continued running her fingers on his hair. Really, she just wanted to clear her mind, was that such an impossible thing to ask for?
Senku grumbled against her stomach. She couldn't help but smile. She traced his eyebrow and finally landing her hand on his cheek, tenderly pinching it. He can be cute when he wanted to and that was lethal for her heart.
"Stop being cute or I'll end up kissing you." She said absentmindedly.
Suddenly Senku rolled, facing her this time. Grinning and wide awake.
"I wouldn't mind, really."
Kohaku gulped. "O-oh. You were awake. Wait. How long were you awake?" Why didn't she notice that? She shouldn't really let her guard down around this man. She'll blame that sneaky mentalist for this.
"For a while. That mentalist isn't exactly a fine example of a quiet person. He just couldn't shut his mouth."
"I see." She looked around everywhere except for Senku's face. She doubt she could. He'd see through her and would find out everything – again not that she was hiding it, assuming he would never see her that way – but now that she had the chance, she was out of her comfort zone. She was fine looking from the sideline wasn't she? Where wishful thinking was just wishful thinking. Nothing more.
The weight on her lap disappeared and she could hear him shuffling beside her, grunting as he sat up, cracking his bones on the process. "Hey, lioness."
A vein ticked in her forehead, she faced him and said, "How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not a lio –"
Last thing she saw was Senku leaning towards her and the next thing she felt was his lips onto hers. They were unexpectedly soft. Kohaku closed her eyes and allowed herself to relax. She felt his lips turned up at the corners. He snaked his arms around her, almost pulling her into his lap for a hug. She could hear and feel his heart beat thumping against his chest.
The kiss was brief. Yet she was content. He continued hugging her, inhaling her scent. She looped her arms around his neck and idly played with his hair and ending up on his nape.
He flinched back, creating a space between them and for a moment she thought he regretted what he just did. "Shit, that was cold."
He just ruined a moment but she didn't have it in her to get mad. He wouldn't be Senku if he didn't otherwise.
He grabbed both of her hands, covering it with his. He leaned once again, this time pressing a kiss on the bruise on her jaw. "I wanted to do that since earlier."
She felt her cheeks heat up. Was he always this shameless?
He stared at her longer than she was comfortable with, his gaze landing on her mouth then back to her eyes. He sighed. "You're even more beautiful when you blush."
She groaned covering her face with her hands. "Stop that."
"Nope. I'd say that every day if I have to."
"You're so cringy. Stop it."
"Oh well, sucks to be you. I won't be stopping anytime soon. This is way beyond what science could explain and it really is cringy but I'm ten billion percent sure nothing would happen if I don't bluntly say it to you."
He pried off her hands from her face and smiled when she opened her eyes. "I like you, more than most people I've known in my 3700 years of existence. It took me a while to find a logical reason behind it but when it comes to you, somehow, even science and logic doesn't apply. You're strong, your heart is bigger than anyone else I've met. Not literally of course because that would be impossible."
Kohaku chuckled, almost getting teary. This dork.
"You're hotheaded to a fault sometimes but you do it out of protecting the people you love. That sense of protectiveness is amazing. You're amazing. And –, crap this is cringy. I don't know how people do this."
Kohaku laughed. "I know."
"Just –"he held her face and leaned in again for another kiss.
"I got a feeling you can actually say it but you'd rather not in order to get another kiss." She smiled, she never knew she could be this happy and content.
"That's my lioness. See, quite observant too."
She rolled her eyes. "You're never gonna let that go, do you?"
He grinned. "Nope. Not in another million years."
Somehow that seemed like a promise. If it was someone else, she'd have a hard time believing it but when it came to Senku, she had no doubt about that.
He sat beside her this time, sharing the cloth he had draped over her and letting her lean her head on his shoulders.
They remained silent, enjoying each other's warmth and company but there was something gnawing her mind. "One question," she said.
Senku hummed. Even moving closer. He must be cold, she thought.
"Why didn't you say that… that you liked me sooner?"
He scratched his head with his free hand and answered. "This wasn't exactly a part of my plan of rebuilding the entire civilization. I never expected to fall for a half American, half Japanese lioness – ow that hurt! Please mind that you're crazy strong and a simple pinch might injure me more than you think."
"I'll never get used to this side of you. So overdramatic. Is this a side-effect for bottling all your emotions for ages?"
"Only when around you."
"Yep. Never gonna get used to it."
He chuckled and continued. "Well, it puzzled me at first. I tried being rational, must be those damn hormones but no matter what I did, they never disappeared. I was planning on it after the war with Tsukasa's kingdom but a lot happened. And of course, Gen that meddling mentalist had to open his damn mouth.
Kohaku hummed. That she could understand. But she felt bad thinking about her feelings when Senku was saving her village.
"I'm ten billion percent sure that face says you're thinking of something stupid."
"Well, I feel bad. You were out there protecting everyone and planning everything and all I could think of was how you wouldn't look at my way. I feel stupid and petty and selfish."
Senku chuckled. "You're not the only one. You think it's not hard for me let you go and face the enemies on your own? I know you're strong and skilled but it hurts that I had to let you go and endanger yourself. I want to keep you for myself but I know that's impossible. I don't want to clip your wings. You wouldn't be who you are without it. So for my sanity, take more precaution before you dive in and go berserk on any enemy."
She smiled, she felt like her heart might explode with an overwhelming love and respect for this man. She leaned closer and kissed his cheek then snuggled on his neck. "I'll do my best."
He placed a soft kiss on her forehead. She was surprised that he was this open but it felt nice knowing that he felt the same way.
"I know. You always do."