Chapter Text
He sprinted for all he was worth, dodging shrubs and branches and launching over fallen trees.
Japan was beautiful in a terrifying way when it was overrun by nature. Tall, twisted trees darted by, vines hanging down to try and touch him, tickling at his skin if his path strayed too close. Once, a long time ago, this thick forest was probably a city- for all he knew, this used to be a place he knew well. Without a single manmade landmark he would never recognize it.
Various animals appeared along the way only to scatter as soon as his thundering steps grew near; some of them he had never seen before in his life, but the curiosity they inspired was nothing compared to his focused drive on following the river. There was someone waiting for him.
Follow the river downstream, Big Oaf.
The simple message had immediately made his heart race and he was turning on his heel before he could even think it over.
Leaving Yuzuriha behind was hard, but for now she was safe and he could afford to leave her alone for a little while longer. I’ll come back! he promised mentally.
A branch scratched at his bare shoulder. He hissed, not slowing his pace.
I’m not alone! He’s here too!
He kept going and going, picking up speed in desperation. The bottoms of his feet were growing numb but still he kept going and going and going-
And then, suddenly, there he was, and Taiju almost slammed right into him.
A familiar smirk, a familiar voice.
“So you’re finally awake, you big oaf.”
Taiju had to skid to a stop just inches away from his friend, then all he could do was stare.
For someone living without any modern technology in the middle of the wilderness, Senkuu looked good- he even had clothes: a strange tan gown with a belt as well as some giant socks tied around his feet that were probably supposed to be shoes.
He also seemed more fit than Taiju remembered, thin limbs corded with lean muscle. In one hand he clutched a primitive axe, in the other a grouping of sticks, taller than he was, tied together with rope. He held the sticks upright, propped on the ground beside him, and leaned against them.
Of course, there was one big thing that was different about him that was causing Taiju to stare. The first question he could blurt out was, “So Gen’s awake too?”
Judging by Senkuu’s surprised blink, that was not what he’d expected him to say.
“Nope. Just you and me.”
Taiju’s gaze lowered once more to Senkuu’s rounded stomach, horrified.
“So you’ve been pregnant for-”
“Three-thousand seven hundred and nineteen years? Apparently.”
“Three-thousand-”
“-seven hundred and nineteen.” Senkuu grinned, cocking a brow intersected by a lightning bolt scar. “Today is October 5, 5738. You slept in for quite a while.”
“H-how do you know that?”
“I counted, obviously.”
Taiju took a few moments to recover from that shock and then edged closer, caught between the impulse to violently hug and delicately coddle. “And how long have you been awake?”
Senkuu slipped the axe into a pouch on his belt and used his free hand to rub at the small of his back with a wince. “A little over six months; I estimate I’m at thirty-five weeks gestation. You depetrified just in time- I need you to do the heavy lifting from here on out. There’s a lot to do.”
His friend walked with just the barest hint of a waddle, leading the way to a clearing not far from there.
Taiju hadn’t been expecting the simple yet sturdy treehouse, the rack of spears, the laboratory… Considering how much his small friend struggled to work around his huge stomach, it was amazing he’d gotten so much built without any help.
Senkuu could still climb the ladder but had to sit down once he reached the platform. He sat with his legs sprawled, an annoyed look on his face as he regained his breath.
He would’ve been in big trouble in a few weeks if he was still by himself, Taiju realized. He may not have been the smartest guy out there, but he knew that pregnancy only got worse until the end. Soon enough he’d bet Senkuu wouldn’t be able to climb the ladder anymore, and- as his friend later explained, citing predators and unfavorable weather- it was best that he stay up there when that happened. He would need someone else to make all ventures down for hunting and supply purposes. In the meantime he also needed someone who could do the more demanding physical work- his already flimsy stamina was totally sapped and Taiju was sure it would be bad for the baby if Senkuu overworked himself.
Of course there was no way Taiju would say no.
“I’ll leave the brainy stuff to you and you leave the muscley stuff to me! You can count on me, Senkuu!”