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Senkuu slowly woke up when he felt a strange cold wind blow on his arms. Senkuu reached for the blanket to pull up but didn’t feel any on him. Senkuu shivered and goosebumps ran up his body. Senkuu slightly opened his eyes to see what was going on. Senkuu noticed a few things when he did.
- It was much colder than he remembered
- The blankets were off of himself.
- His boyfriend, Gen Asagiri, had had all the blankets but was still shivering.
“Hmmh Gen?” Senkuu groaned as he sat up.
Gen was still asleep but was breathing a lot heavier. Even though it was freezing, Gen was sweating.
“Het mentalist wake up,” Senkuu started to shake Gen awake.
“Hmgh,” Gen closed their eyes tighter.
“Hey come on, stop taking up all the blankets,” Senkuu continued to shake Gen.
“Hot..,” Gen muttered.
“Yeah cause you have all the blankets,”
“Ughh?? Senkuu chan?” Gen groggily asked.
“Morning mentalist,”
“Mhmm why is it so hot?? It’s winter,” Gen glassily looked at Senkuu.
“Are- are you kidding, It’s like freezing,” Senkuu pointed out.
“Ohh is it?” Gen started to get up but stopped to grab the side of their head. “Sat up too fast,”
Senkuu raised an eyebrow. “Hey mentalist?”
“Hmm?” Gen faced Senkuu.
Senkuu put the back of his hand to Gen’s forehead to feel his temperature. “Geeez you’re hot,”
“Heh I know~,” Gen sang in a hoarse voice.
“Not now Gen,” Senkuu sighed. “I’ll need a thermometer to be sure but for now just stay here,”
“I’m fine Senkuu chan,” Gen protested. “Just the season change,” Gen tried to explain.
“Hmhh,” Senkuu sarcatislly hummed.
“Just say here,” Senkuu pushed Gen back down onto the bedroll.
“And if I don’t?”
“I’ll get Kohaku too,” Senkuu replied.
“Waiting! Got it!,” Gen caved in and back under the blankets. “But Senkuu, aren’t you forgetting something?”
“Huh? I don’t- oh right,” Senkuu turned to Gen and kissed them on the forehead. “Good morning, now stay here,”
Senkuu got out of the bedroll and got on his jacket and arm wraps and left the hut to head to the main island.
“Ahhh morning Senkuu,” Kohaku waved when she saw him walking up.
“Hey dude!” Chrome joined in.
“Come on, come on!” Suika called.
Senkuu waved back and joined them in the laboratory with the other generals besides Gen.
“Huh? Is the rat not with you?” Kohaku asked, referring to Gen.
“They’re not feeling so well,” Senkuu explained.
“Ahh, must be the temperature change,” Ukyo pointed out. “I swear It was like 60 degrees last night,”
“A sudden cold front,” Ryusui pointed out. “It’ll pass soon,”
“Probably,” Senkuu sighed.
“So! What’s the plan today,” Chrome beamed.
“I think I may have to leave this to you guys, with Gen being sick and all,” Senkuu explained.
“Huh? Can’t one of the vil-,” Chrome was about to finish his thought when Kohaku smacked him in the head.
“Ruri nee is also sick so I and Chrome need to look after her, right Chrome?” Kohaku hissed.
“Huh? Why me?” Chrome questioned.
“Sounds go to me,” Ryusui snapped. “I’ll make Francois fix up some soup,”
“101, yeah definitely a fever Mentalist,” Senkuu pointed out.
“Noooo~ I’m fine,” Gen groaned. “We have things to do after all,”
“Ehh it can wait a day or two,” Senkuu shrugged. “In the stone world, even the simple flu can be deadly,”
“Awww you do care,” Gen cooed.
“Well duh,” Senkuu snicked.
“What do you mean duhhh?” Gen playfully hit Senkuu in the arm.
“No shit I care about you,” Senkuu explained.
“You say that like it’s sooo obvious,” Gen groaned, dazed.
“Huh? What do you mean?” Senkuu genuinely asked.
“Well you can be so busy sometimes and we haven’t got to do any romantic couple things recently,” Gen moaned. “It’s confusing some days you know?”
“Gen I didn’t-,”
“I’m not madddd or anything,” Gen sang and slumped down into the bedroll. “Just miss you, that’s all, but this is not what I meant,”
“Kuku, well, you got my attention now, mentalist,” Senkuu snickered.
“This is not a date,”
“Sure sure sure,” Senkuu wet a towel and put it over Gen’s forehead.
“I would think it’s sweet you’re taking care of me if my head didn’t feel like a drum,” Gen chuckled.
“And it’s only going to get better,” Senkuu teased.
“orrible hay,” Gen groaned.
How Silly Gen felt. Senkuu finally had time to spend with them but it was only when he was sick and feeling like shit. Senkuu’s work always took up so much of Senkuu’s time now. Somehow Gen was starting to feel jealous of the others for taking up so much of Senkuu’s time. It was silly, and old-world Gen would have laughed and how silly that sounded.
“Like it’s so obvious it hurts even me now,” Senkuu rolled his eyes.
“Well, that’s Chrome chan for you,” Gen sighed.
“I don’t even think he knows,” Senkuu commented.
“And if you know, you know it bad,”
“Hey!”
“Awww come on Senkuu chan, I love you but it took a whole observatory and a confession,” Gen rolled his eyes playfully.
“Well excuse me for not picking up on your signals Mr. ‘I’ll join whichever side will win’” Senkuu raised an eyebrow.
“Awww come on, you knew I was going to join your side,” Gen putt.
“Ohhh ten billion percent. No one can resist the allure of science,”
“Or the handsome cabbage trying to sell me on the idea,”
“Someone is being rather canned today,”
“Ehhhh too tired to lie,” Gen tried to smile but their head kept pounding over and over.
“Try to get some rest,” Senkuu told Gen. “Simply put, sleep helps to boost your immune system,”
“Yeah but you just feel worse after,” Gen complained.
“That’s your immune system trying to kill off the bacteria by cooking it alive. It’s actually a pretty interesting process-,”
“Senkuu chan,”
“Right,” Senkuu snapped out of it. “I’ll tell you about it later,”
.
.
.
Gen definitely felt worse. His eyes barely wanted to stay open. Their throat felt like sandpaper. And the pounding in their head just felt worse with every small sound.
Didn’t help when the door opened and in walked Senkuu with some bowls of soup. The creaking of the floor, Senkuu’s footsteps, and the door.
“Well, Francois finished the soup. They said it was chicken noodle soup, but I’ve never seen it look so fancy before. Are those dills?”
“Ughh not so louddd,” Gen was trying to yell but his voice was too hoarse to.
“That bad huh?” Senkuu whispered.
“Sleeping was a bad idea,” Gen groaned, scratching their head.
“It’s helping,” Senkuu sat next to Gen.
“Tell Francois thanks” Gen was so tired they forgot to add “chan”
“I will, but sit up. I don’t need you spilling the soup in our bed,” Senkuu pointed out.
“Right,” Gen groaned as they sat up. Gen opened their mouth and waited a second.
“What are you doing?” Senkuu asked.
“Feed me,”
“... what?” Senkuu deadpanned.
“I’m too tired to move so feed me,” Gen deadpanned right back.
Senkuu looked down at the bowl and back at Gen. “fine fine,” Senkuu took the spoon from the bowl.
.
.
.
.
Senkuu had put Gen to sleep and Senkuu took that time to clear his mind with a small walk.
“Well you can be so busy sometimes and we haven’t got to do any romantic couple things recently. it's confusing some days you know?”
Senkuu thought about Gen’s words. Senkuu was the type to not need that kind of thing but Gen had always said things like that was something they enjoyed.
Note to self, work on communication skills.
“Oho Senkuu,” A voice caught Senkuu’s attention.
Senkuu looked behind him to see where the voice was coming from. “Ahh hey old man,” Senkuu greeted.
“You know you could have more respect for your elders,” Kaskei huffed.
“Ehhhh,” Senkuu grinned.
“If I wasn’t in a good mood you would be getting an ear full from me right now,” Kaskei rolled his eyes. “Anyway, how’s Gen?”
“You’ve really got a soft spot for them huh?” Senkuu teased. “And they’re fine. I was able to get them back to sleep,”
“That’s good to hear. I checked with Kohaku and she said Ruri was doing good too,” Kaskei smiled.
“Tchh yeah, I bet Gen’s enjoying all the attention,” Senkuu half joked.
“ Well, I bet. You’ve both seemed so busy lately,”
Senkuu sighed. “Yeah Gen said the same thing,”
It was quiet for a bit. “Well it wasn’t really my place to say anything but sometimes it’s good to just spend time with the people you love,” Kaskei told. “While you have the chance you know? Before you become an old man like me,”
Senkuu already understood what Kaskei was talking about. Small memories of Byakuya came back. “Yeah, I know what you mean,”
.
.
.
Gen tossed and turned a bit when they realized their bed was too hot.
“Hmggh,” they groaned. “Please don’t still be sick,” Gen slowly opened their eyes to look around. Their throat was still sore but the headache and drowsy feeling was gone. “Oh thank god,” Gen brushed the hot covers.
It was still cool in their hut but not freezing like last night.
Hmmh Senkuu chan must have slept in the observatory.
Gen sat up and took off the wet towel from their forehead. Gen stretched a bit before really looking around. A figure caught their eye. From the faint light from the moon, Gen noticed Senkuu leaning up against the wall sleeping.
That idiot…
Gen got up and walked to where Senkuu was resting. “Heyyyyyy~ Hey Senkuu chan,” Gen swatted next to Senkuu. “Ake wayyy,”
“Hmm?” Senkuu hummed under his breath.
“Wake up Senkuu chan. It’s already morning,” “Huh?!” Senkuu’s eye shot opened.
“Pftttt,” Gen laughed. “How did you fall for that Senkuu chan?” Gen continued to laugh.
“Looks like you’re feeling better,” Senkuu sarcastically remarked.
“Ohhh definitelyyy~,” Gen sang.
“Remind me why I love you again,”
“Because I’m the best boyfriend in the world?”
“Ohhhh? Is that what you call being so needy when you’re sick?” Senkuu teased.
“Oh please, I was ying aye,” Gen exaggerated.
“Seem fine to me,”
“Well I’m now,”
“Glad to hear,” Senkuu smiled. “Now can we go to sleep? I think I might have messed up my back more,”
“What were you even doing?” Gen asked light-heartedly.
“Making sure your fever didn’t get worse,” Senkuu replied.
“Awww how sweet,” Gen smiled. “Thanks dear Senkuu chan,” Gen cupped Senkuu’s check.
“Can’t have you dying on me mentalist,” Senkuu smiled.
“Yes, that would be quite bad for the kingdom of science won’t it?”
Senkuu rolled his eyes playfully. “I meant I need you,”
Gen instantly flushed. “Did I say something while I was delirious…?”
“Nah, just thought you should know,” Senkuu shrugged.
“Well… Thanks Senkuu chan,”
“Hmm? I’m just saying the truth,” Senkuu got up from the floor. “Also we should sleep in the observatory. We’ll wash your sheets tomorrow,”
“Oh yes of course,” Gen got up.
The two walked to the observatory. Senkuu rolled out the bedroll so the two could sleep.
“You know I don’t think I’ve slept here with you before,” Gen pointed out.
“I guess you’re right,” Senkuu tried to recall, rolling out the bedroll.
“I know we always sleep in my hut but this is much nicer,” Gen got into the bed too and marveled at the open ceiling. “Is this what you see all the time? I’m so ealous jay,” Gen sang.
“Yeah it’s nice,”
“Nice? Senkuu chan it’s beautiful,”
Gen felt Senkuu’s arm go around their waist and Senkuu leaning their forehead on Gen’s back.
“You could move in if you wanted,”
Gen swears their heart was going to stop. Gen turned around so they could face Senkuu. “I’d like that,” Gen moved one of Senkuu’s bangs out of his face and behind his ear. “Ahhh I feel like my heart may explode,” Gen could help but smile.
Senkuu’s heart felt like it was going to jump out of his chest. Gen looked so beautiful in the moon’s light. “I love you,”
“You’re vil eay,” Gen was tearing up. “I love you too Senkuu,” Gen pulled Senkuu into a hug.
“Hmh,” Senkuu contenily hummed.