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Senku...
Even something as simple as glancing through the window of the laboratory often seemed painful. It hurt you quite a bit to see your scientist bending over backwards to get the smallest of things done, but it wasn't like he was ever going to listen to you--or anyone, for that matter--about how much he needed a break. Not even the bags forming under his tired eyes, nor his frequent headaches seemed to convince him.
At that moment, he was hunched over the table while drawing a blueprint of some sort--not surprising, considering everything he and you had been working on lately. Though, every once in a while, you would see Senku nearly nod off and catch himself just in time before he could faceplant onto the table. It was a rather depressing sight, especially when you saw how frustrated he was starting to become with himself.
Part of you wanted to step inside and try to make him take a break, but you knew such a thing was pointless. Senku seemed indescribably determined to work himself to death, and you weren't willing to take the drastic measures Kohaku often suggested; hitting his head was obviously going to do more damage than anything. You couldn't help but consider giving up yet again and walking away, but you quickly changed your mind when you saw Senku begin to fall asleep.
You watched as the inventor's eyes gradually drifted closed, and you waited a minute to make sure he was fully asleep before making your way into the laboratory. Sure, he was likely going to be pissed you didn't wake him up, but it was obviously worth it for the time being.
Thanks to all the grueling manual labor you had been put through recently, it wasn't overly difficult for you to gently scoop Senku into your arms. A quiet chuckle left your lips as you carried him to somewhere much more comfortable. There wasn't a lot of empty space in the lab to set him down in, after all.
Cautious to avoid waking him, you carefully placed Senku on the messy pile of blankets in the corner, which he often complained about you not cleaning up. You then pulled one of the blankets out from under him and softly draped it over his frame. For a fleeting moment, the corners of his lips had twitched into a pleased smile, though he remained asleep. Senku appeared the calmest and the most content you had ever seen him, both pre- and post-petrification. Normally, he looked either frustrated or focused on something even while he was asleep--not now. With his lips just slightly parted, and with his arms freely spread across the makeshift "bed", he looked as carefree and relaxed as a person could ever be. Whenever Senku exhaled, the locks of hair that draped over his face would blow to the side just a tiny bit, only adding to his serene appearance. Truly, he was heavenly.
"It's okay. Just for now..." you whispered softly as you watched him stir slightly in his sleep. Sure, he might've ended up waking just a few minutes later, but any sleep was great for him at that point.
Regardless of how much you wanted to stay with him, though, you knew you would have to leave soon enough. Your main goal was to help Senku get a break, after all, and that included taking some of the work off his plate. You gingerly moved some of the hair out of his face as you leaned down and left a soft kiss on his forehead.
As you quietly stepped outside, you could hear Senku quietly mumbling something about Steno's principal of original lateral continuity, and you couldn't help but laugh under your breath. You gave the sleeping scientist one more small smile before you made your way back to the laboratory.