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“Ughhhh,” Gen closed the hotel door behind him.
It was another day of being a diplomat and having to negotiate with a group of people. All different morals and ideals. Gen had to keep up the act of being calm and collected but with the weight of his job, when he was finally alone, he just flopped on the closest bed or couch.
Gen fell face first from the foot of the bed into the mattress below him. It didn’t cushion his fall and was a bit hard but it would make do. Weeks being in a convention in America representing Japan with his fellow diplomats from other countries was not something he saw himself doing when he was younger. He was exhausted from weeks of negotiations, roadblocks, and arguments. It was lucky the last day before he could go home. The hotel room felt nothing like his home back in Japan. Felt like he was just staying somewhere. It didn’t feel like home.
3 weeks and 4 days.
Gen wished he could sink deeper into the bed. That’s how long he’s been away from home. Few things made Gen feel at home here. (Not that people didn’t try.) Gen turned on his back and looked up at the ceiling. He held his hand up to the ceiling light and spread out his fingers out to get a better look at the ring resting around his ring finger. The ring was a seemingly basic silver band with an engraving of a nightshade on the side. But when you looked closer, instead of the diamond that would normally be there, there was an actual rock from the moon. Senkuu’s ring was mostly the same but had a rocket engraved on the side. A persona; commission from Senkuu.
Gen turned his head to look at the time on his phone.
8 pm, that means it’s 9 am back home.
Gen unlocked his phone and went to his contacts. Under “S” for “Scientist husband,”. Gen hit the call button and let the phone rest by his head. After two rings the person on the other end picked up.
“Hmmmgh yeah?” Senkuuu’s groggy voice greeted.
“Sorry, did I wake ya?” Gen asked.
“Before my alarm even went off, mentalist,” Senkuu snickered a bit.
“Sorry about that,” Gen half apologized.
“Ehhh it was going to go off in like 10 minutes anyway,” Senkuu dismissed.
“Oh no how I dare I intrude on my exhausted husband’s rest,” Gen said with his dramatic flair.
“Yeah, poor me having to wake up to your over the top personality,” Senkuu teased but Gen knew he meant none of what he said.
“You’re the worst you know that dear Senkuu,” Gen chuckled. “You were the one who proposed to me,”
“You’re the one who confessed first,” Senkuu replied.
“You accepted,” Gen pushed back.
“Heh whatever mentalist,” Gen won. “Did you call me just to taunt me?”
“Awww come on Senkuu, I just missed talking to you,” Gen playfully sighed.
“You’re coming home tomorrow aren’t you?” Senkuu questioned.
“Yeah,” Gen shrugged. “Still can’t meet me there?”
“I don’t think so,” Senkuu sighed as well. “The time machine is taking a lot of my time,” Senkuu confessed. “Ku ku we’re entering new territory I don’t fully understand. So far it’s a lot of taking theoretical stuff and putting it into practice. A bunch of theoretical scientist all trying to figure out the very fabric of our universe,”
“Don’t say it,” Gen joked.
“Say what?” Senkuu snorted a bit.
“You know, the whole “get excited,” thing,” Gen hummed.
“Pfttt when was the last time I said that?” Senkuu challenged.
“Oh come one you say it all the time,” Gen protested.
“Name one time recently,”
“Ohhh haha,” Gen scartically laughed. “The time-...,” It hit Gen suddenly. Senkuu was right. It had been a while since Senkuu had said that. “Oh god, I’m getting old,” Gen groaned.
“Relax mentalist,” Senkuu laughed a bit. “You’re like 30 something,”
“I’m still 29!?” Gen scoffed. “You’re 27 Senkuu,”
“Give it 2 months,”
It was the same stupid kind of banter as always. Gen even forgot he was exhausted. It was nice just talking to Senkuu like they always would.
.
.
.
“Thank you all for your input. Dr. Senkuu, Dr. Chrome and myself appreciate your time,” Xeno thanked the fellow scientist on screen.
It took a second for some translators to translate what Xeno said. Everyone thanked Xeno and logged off and left Senkuu, Chrome, and Xeno in the conference room with a wall of blank screens in front of them.
“Ughhh we’re getting nowhere,” Chrome groaned. “I’m so tired,” Chrome rested his head in his arms.
“ Patience ,” Xeno reminded. “Plus this is the world you both fought for,”
“It’s just a bunch of people arguing ,” Chrome groaned. “And all of it is just theories,”
“We’re talking about the very thing that moves our universe,” Xeno replied. “Even back in the old world, we didn’t fully understand how it works,”
“And now we’re attempting to bend that very thing to our will more than once,” Senkuu cracked his neck.
“Yeah I guess so… but shouldn't you be more upset too Senkuu?” Chrome asked. “This is so we can save the original austnounts right?... and you know, you’re father,”
“Geeez man,” Senkuu sighed. “We could be well dead before we fully understand. But that’s the amazing thing about science. It lives on,”
Chrome looked almost surprised by such an answer. “I mean yeah, but I refuse to die before I see the next step in science,” Chrome stood up from his seat. “We’re finishing this thing in our lifetimes,” Chrome hit the palms of his hands to the table and stormed out of the conference room in a determined huff. “Sai!”
“Does he ever learn?” Xeno asked.
“Heh, I’d thought you'd be grateful,” Senkuu jeered. “He is the reason there was a return rocket for your husband to come home on,”
Xeno gave Senkuu a side eye before sighing. “I guess you do have a point,” Xeno had a small grin. “Speaking of Stan, I think I’ll be taking my leave. My plane leaves in 2 hours,” Xeno stood up.
“Alright then,Senkuu stood up as well to leave the conference room.
“Care to join me on my way to the airport?” Xeno asked.
“Huh?” Senkuu sounded.
“Isn’t Mr. Gen coming back today?” Xeno asked like it was a question but he already knew the answer. “Our meeting was shorter than expected and I’d thought you’d want to meet him there,”
Senkuu thought about it for a second. “Ok, but if you try to kill me again,”
“Never letting that go huh?”
“Nope,”
The wheels on the plane touched down on the runway and the plane slowly came to a stop. Gen leaned back, yawning into his hand. 18 hours later and he was finally home. The lights of the runway illuminating the night sky. From the small windows on the plane Gen saw the airport come into view.
I just want to go home. How the hell am I going to drive like this?
The plane slowly moved into it’s slot and stopped.
“Thank you everyone for riding with us. We have landed in our destination, KOS city. Hope you all had a pleasant flight and will be flying with us again soon,” The pilot's voice said over the speakers. “We will be unloading shortly. The time is currently 10:20 pm,”
Gen put away his laptop and gathered his things. Even on the plane he still had work to do. He was ready just to go home and rest for the night.
Beow.
The buckle sign above Gen turned on. The rows in front of Gen got out of their seats and headed out the plane. Gen took his carry on suitcase from the overhead bins and filed out with the row next to him. The lights in the airport were a lot brighter than in the plane. It took Gen’s eyes a second to adjust. The airport was mostly empty already. Just a very people walking around trying to find their flights and-
“Senkuu?” Gen noticed Senkuu sitting in rows of seats.
“Took you long enough to notice mentalist,” Senkuu snickered.
“But- but I thought,”
“The meeting was cut short. We couldn’t agree on anything,” Senkuu stood up from his seat. “Plus Xeno was already leaving to go home so I tagged along. Oh plus Chrome-,”
Gen was only half listening to what Senkuu was saying. He was just happy Senkuu was there. Same stupid hair and dumb grin.
“One of these days-,” Senkuu paused.
Gen rested his forehead in the crook of Senkku’s neck. “You can keep talking… just let me rest here for a minute,” Gen yawned. “Or an hour,”
“Geeez mentalist,” Senkuu put his hand on the crown on Gen’s head. “That bad?”
“Yeah,” Gen groaned. “We were able to work some things out but I’m already having to plan my next trip,”
“Sounds like we both had a fun time at work,” Senkuu sarcastically said.
“Hehe I guess so,” Gen held himself back from hugging Senkuu. “Hey Senkuu?”
“Yeah?”
“Can I hug you?” Gen normally asks because of how much Senkuu disliked of PDA.
It took Senkuu a second. “Yeah ok,” Senkuu responded.
Gen pulled Senkuu into a hug. It felt nice to hold Senkuu again after almost a whole month. Gen was even more surprised when he felt Senkuu hug him back.
“Senkuu?”
“It’s been a long day ok,” Senkuu mumbled.
Gen was more than happy to embrace the affection. “I’m back,” Gen felt stupid as he teared up a bit. It was probably the exhaustion.
“Welcome home Gen,”
“Awwww look at you being so sweet,” Gen moved his face closer to Senkuu’s.
“Alright enough,” Senkuu pushed Gen’s face away while Gen still held onto Senkuu’s waist.
“Awww come on dear Senkuu. It was cute,” Gen laughed.
“Do you want to drive yourself home?”
“Awww come on I’m teasing,” Gen put his hand over Senkuu’s and moved it to his cheek. “Plus, can you blame me? I’ve missed my husband,” Gen kissed Senkuu’s palm and put on his most loving look.
“Maybe I’ll just let you walk,” Senkuu deadpanned.
“Nooo~,” Gen groaned.
Gen rested his head on the car seat's headrest and let himself relax. As Senkuu drove to their home Gen couldn’t help but think about how different things were since when he first woke up. Gen himself was proven about how things changed. He wasn’t the manipulative self severing 19 year old mentalist anymore. Gen appreciated the modern things Senkuu and others had granted him. It was getting back to the old world and Gen appreciated the lack of manual labor but… that didn’t stop him from missing how things used to be. Call it exhaustion, call it nostalgia. The street lights flickered by Gen’s face as they drove. The first Christmas with the kingdom of science… He’ll never forget the tree Senkuu lit up for the villagers. Or the day they got back from defeating Ibara and the party they held.
“You know, the whole “get excited,” thing,” Gen hummed.
“Pfttt when was the last time I said that?” Senkuu challenged.
When was the last time Senkuu said that?
“Hey Senkuu,” Even the name Gen would call him changed. He used to call Senkuu ‘Senkuu chan’ to tease him. When did he stop doing that?
“Yeah mentalist?” Though Senkuu’s stayed the same, despite the fact Gen was no longer a mentalist.
“Can we actually stop at the observatory?” Gen asked.
“Like.. the one you made me for my birthday?” By the tone in Senkuu’s voice, it was clear how long it had been. “I thought you were exhausted,”
“Feeling a bit nostalgic I guess,” Gen shrugged.
Senkuu was stopped at a red light in a right or forward lane. Senkuu turned on his right blinker. The light turned green and Senkuu made a right to go onto the old trail. It was still a road but not as new and polished as the one they were one.
With time the old headquarters of the kingdom of science wasn’t used anmore and was kind of left out in the woods and something just there. Senkuu pulled off on the side of the road and there it was. The old Observatory. The old lab was right next to it to. The sign in the front, while weathered, still read “laboratory,”. The first floor of the observatory was still Chrome’s old shed with his minerals moved out. Off in the far distance the village still stood with the same straw roofs and bridge connecting the island.
“You coming mentalist?” Senkuu walked up to the old Mineral hut.
Gen swears he almost saw Senkuu’s lab coat as his old deer dress.
“Yeah I’m coming,” Gen joined Senkuu on the climb up. The latter was a little more rickety than he remembered but it got both of them up. Gen was almost amazed at how similar it looked from the last time they had been there. The was a Senkuu cola bottle on the ground. Their old bed roll tucked away. The bamboo telescope Gen had made still pointed north.
I really am getting old huh? Missing the good old days huh?
“What are you thinking mentalist?”
“Huh?”
“You got that look on your face like you’re thinking something,” Senkuu pointed out.
“It’s dumb really but I was just thinking… with how fast everything has changed it’s just nice to be back here,” Gen had his hand over the old wooden walls. “You know in the car ride that I’d stopped calling you Senkuu chan? Hell, even thinking about it more, I stopped using pig latin,” Gen recalled. “And how you stopped saying get excited,” Gen looked over at Senkuu expecting a grossed out face from all the sappy shit he just said.
But no, Senkuu looked somberly at the telescope. “Ku ku I noticed that one day too. At first, I thought you were mad at me,” Senkuu confessed. “But you just called me ‘dear Senkuu’ instead,” Senkuu shrugged. “Though time from time I still half expect you to call me ‘Senkuu chan,’”
“I guess 10 years of being together can do that,” Gen laughed a little.
“You know the funny thing though?”
“Hmh?” Gen turned to look at Senkuu.
“I still love you the same,” Senkuu stated so matter of factly. Like it was some scientific fact.
Gen almost didn’t register the romantic nature of Senkuu’s words. “Geeez Senkuu chan, you didn’t need to say it like that,” Gen felt stupid still blushing at his husband’s romantic gestures.
10 years they’d been together and still, Senkuu could make Gen’s heart skip.
“See you said it,” Senkuu pointed out.
“Haha,” Gen chuckled. “I guess I did. I swear I almost tried to put my hands in my overcoat too,”
“You’re in sweatpants and a hoodie,” Senluu pointed out. “Far from what you used to wear,”
“True but I think I look pretty attractive in my hoodie and sweatpants,” Gen flipped the white side of his hair.
“Sure mentalist,” Senkuu sacatislly teased.
“Hey, you said you still love me the same and you can’t take that back,” Gen snickered. “Plus,” Gen stepped closer to Senkuu. “I love you the same too,” Gen put their foreheads together. “Dear Senkuu,” Gen finished.
“How do you do it, mentalist?” Senkuu asked. “Make me feel such illogical things?”
“Oh? Whatever do you mean by that?”
“Just get over here,” Senkuu playfully rolled his eyes.
Senkuu put his hand to cup Gen’s cheek. “Ahh Senkuu, your hands are freezing,” Senkuu’s freezing hands tickled a bit.
“Oh do they?” Senkuu grinned.
“Don’t you da- AHHH!” Senkuu slipped his hands under Gen’s hoodie. Senkuu placed his cold hands on Gen’s once hidden skin. “Ahh you a- ass,” Gen laughed. “He- w-w ait until we-we’re home and not in the freezing cold,”
“It was your idea to come here,” Senkuu teased.
“Yeah but I didn’t want you to freeze me to death!?” Gen joked.
“You know I never studied the effects of Hypothermia for myself…,”
“I think that’s enough Nostalgia for one night,” Gen quickened his words. “Let’s go home,”
“Fine, fine,” Senkuu shrugged.