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Usually, the idea of a long, soaking bath was something that was incredibly boring to Senku. Sure, he could understand the relaxing prospects of sitting in warm and bubbly water, surrounded by candlelight and music, closed off from the world for an hour or so and recharging one's batteries, so to speak, but it wasn't something that appealed to him. Relaxation, for him, came in the form of successful experiments and creating road maps and blueprints for scientific projects.
But tonight, the idea of being able to take a long soak in the gently flowing and shallow river just outside of Ishigami Village sounded incredibly enjoyable, and so he made his way, dressed solely in his undergarments and his footwear and carrying a kit with his folded up clothes and belt, soap, two scratchy makeshift towels, and a bucket that held it all. He knew he'd have privacy for his bath as well, given the late hour and knowing that many others in the Kingdom of Science had already made their ways for the evening, leaving Senku to his own devices. The man was overly excited over the prospects of his evening plans. It had been so long since he took such time for himself, as well as doing something more than a quick rinse and clean whenever he became too dirty.
However, as he reached the river and the spot he wanted to claim – the area where he and Chrome had playfully jumped into the water on the first day of gathering the black sand needed for magnets – he realized that he wasn't alone. Someone else was in the same area, splashing about and making noise that broke up the simple sounds of the flowing water and the nocturnal creatures. At first, he wasn't sure who it was, the higher rocks that surrounded the river hiding the person from view, but the closer he got, he could see signs that hinted to the person's identity tossed onto a large boulder. Specifically, the sight of a very familiar tattered blue dress and a shield with the insignia of the Kingdom's flag set within the metal, with stone sandals at the base of the stone.
He froze in place when Kohaku made her way out of her barrier, entirely naked and uncovered, with her blades in hand. Her hair was down from its usual wildflower state, wet blonde locks floating about with her every move and avoiding sticking to her skin. She seemingly glowed in the full moon light, moving with the flow of the water in every fake attack she unleashed with her blades.
At least until she realized that she was no longer alone, her vision picking up that she had a visitor watching her from the sidelines. “S-s-senku!” she screamed, throwing her weapons towards the shore near her dress and shield, crouching down into the water and hiding her naked form from his peering eyes, her face turning bright red although it was harder to tell in the darkness, “Wh-what are you doing here!?”
Senku didn't flinch or react physically to her sudden change in attitude, although he internally laughed at seeing her become entirely flustered. He had never seen her react in such a way, although it wasn't an entirely unrealistic response. After all, this was the first time he had seen her entirely unclothed, and likely other than her family no one else had seen her in such a state either, so to have an audience to her current state was a definite shock.
Still, the scientist shrugged his shoulders, not really disturbed by the sight. “I was going to take a bath. Didn't know you had the same idea,” he explained simply, twirling a finger in his ear as was his habit, “Or that you wanted to do some sort of weird training exercise.”
Kohaku grimaced, still feeling embarrassed from being caught, “I was doing the same thing, but thought I'd sneak in some training while I was here.”
She relaxed her shoulders, realizing Senku's own state of undress and the objects carried under one arm. “I didn't mean to intrude on your plans, though. If you give me a few moments, I'll get out and leave so you can have your bath alone,” she explained, feeling strangely guilty over the entire ordeal.
Likely because she also knew that this was a rare thing for Senku to do. Him, taking an actual bath? When a quick rinse usually did well enough so he didn't have to stop his work for too long?
Senku waved off her concerns. “Nah, don't worry about it. You enjoy yourself. I'll come back another time,” he replied, hiding back his slight unhappiness with not being able to go through with his plans for the evening, but he wasn't about to force the huntress to change her plans to suit his needs.
“No no, it's fine!” she insisted, “I'm just training now, and I can do that anywhere. You rarely get a chance like this, so you should take advantage of it.”
“You were here first, and it's not that big of a deal. I'll get a chance later.”
“Senku, it's fine.”
“Yeah, it is fine, Kohaku.”
She hummed in annoyance over her friend's obstinance, although he was equally annoyed with her insistence. He turned on his heels, preparing to head back to the village. He'll just do another quick rinse tonight and try again tomorrow. It sucked, but it was what it was. Still, as he turned his back towards the huntress, she didn't give up.
“Okay, fine. How about this?”
She turned around in the water, her back now towards him, although she was looking over her shoulder at the moment. “I'll stay here and soak, and keep my back towards you the entire time. That way you can bathe without an audience, and we both don't have to give up anything. Will that work?” she asked, all of the flushing from earlier gone now that she was settled down.
Senku stopped in place, looking over his shoulder back at her. Honestly, the idea was the best sort of compromise, given that they were both being stubborn over the situation. Still, he had to give it some thought. He never bathed with anyone, with possible exception to doing so with his father when he was a baby that he couldn't mentally account for, but in particular he never bathed with another woman. The thought gave him pause. What if someone else decided to make their way towards the river and saw the two together like this? The amount of rumors – not to mention the risk of her father then insisting on the two marrying to account of their “compromising” position – would be impossible to avoid. However, he knew the likelihood of such event was practically zero, given that no one knew of his plans. Certainly no one knew of Kohaku's plans either, given her earlier reaction.
However, the huntress gave no sign of hesitation or regret in her choice, turning her head around and wrapping her arms around her bent knees, staying in that position. And Senku sighed heavily, realizing her seriousness. He resolved his thoughts and turned back around, walking towards the shoreline and pulling out his clothes and towel from the bucket and placing them near Kohaku's things. He removed his footwear first, followed his undergarments, and tucked the fabric within the bundle of his coat, bringing the rest of his kit into the water with him. He settled himself down with several inches of space from Kohaku's form, the bucket floating in the water and keeping nearby thanks to the ingenious thought of tying a connecting rope from the handle around a large boulder near the edge of the shore.
They were silent, although not awkwardly so, as Kohaku sat in the gently flowing water, her attention focused on the night sky while Senku splashed as necessary to wash his form. They kept their backs towards one another, keeping to their word, the worries and awkwardness fading away. Senku lathered up with the soap, scrubbing with his hands to rinse away the dirt, grime, and sweat that had built up since his last rinse. He couldn't deny how good it actually felt to have such a deep clean, smirking to himself in the amount of delight he was taking from it. He avoided using the soap in his hair, however, not wishing to deal with the greasy feeling of soap remaining on the green-ombred strands, but instead he used the bucket in order to gather and pour water atop his head.
A bit of it splashed on Kohaku's back as he did this, but the only motion she did was a small flinch in surprise.
He let out a relived sigh once he was done with everything, now also choosing to sit and soak for a bit. He brought one knee up in order to lean a bent arm atop it, the other casually laying over his lap beneath the water, glancing up at the stars himself and taking in the ethereal glow of the Moon. The huntress shifted a bit herself, her legs sliding down a bit from their tighter hold.
“Hey, Senku... can I ask you a question?” she broke the silence at last, and the scientist quirked a brow her way without turning his head.
“Yeah, what?”
“... What were weddings like in your era?”
Kohaku tried not to laugh at the struggling sounds in his throat as he tried to get over the shock of the initial question. He cleared his throat after a few seconds, “That's a pretty random question... why are you even asking?”
“Just something I've been thinking about, I guess. You know that Chrome and Ruri have a lot of feelings for each other, even though Chrome is seriously oblivious to the whole thing, and thanks to you, there's no longer a need for a Grand Bout to determine who she'll be marrying.”
She glanced in his direction for a second before returning her lapis eyes towards the sky, “I'm sure once we're done with reviving humanity, they'll have the chance to confess to each other and I just know that they'll get married one day. Our customs are pretty simple for getting married other than the Grand Bout – the couple goes through a whole courtship ritual to prove that the man can provide for his future bride, and then when he does, they have the village chief give his blessings for the union – but I've been curious how the modern world did them. Were they just like ours? Or was there more to it?”
Senku chuckled, “Yeah, there's a LOT more to it. A lot of ridiculous and superficial crap, in my opinion. There's dating first, then there's the proposal. Then there's all of the expensive things, from buying rings and fancy dresses, finding the right place to get married in, the right person to marry the couple, inviting all of the friends and family to attend and planning a honeymoon, and... well, it's basically a lot of work for what amounts to one event on one day.”
He sighed heavily once again, smirking all the same, “But they always seemed to make people happy in the end, so I suppose the effort was worth it.”
Kohaku didn't understand much of any of what he said, all of it sounding like his usual modern mumbo-jumbo, but she picked up on the last line and she smiled as well. “I see...” she said softly, almost humming at the end as she trailed off.
She shifted, feet sliding across the sandy bed of the river. “Well, I'm not sure what all will happen by the time we get to that point, but I wouldn't mind seeing the two marry in a modern ceremony. Ruri would already be a beautiful bride, but I bet she'd be even more beautiful if she wore a fancy dress,” she complimented, her mind coming up with images of how elegant such an outfit might be.
She's seen some of Yuzuriha's modern designs, so to translate that into something that would be fitting of a fancy event like what Senku described... she could barely imagine how wonderful her sister would look in such an item. Senku rolled his eyes as he chuckled, “Yeah, well... don't start imagining such things yet. We got a long way to go before we get to the point of reviving all of humanity. Plus, don't go counting on Chrome to confess anything. Ruri's going to have to take the initiative, and pretty sure she's too demure for such a thing.”
“Ha! You're not wrong, but don't go thinking my sister is just some shy woman, either,” Kohaku warned playfully before the mood turned wistful once again.
She sighed softly, toes wiggling about in the grit. “But you're right. It will be a long time before we get to that point. And honestly, they probably wouldn't even be the first ones to get married. Pretty sure that will be Taiju and Yuzuriha. I mean, they had been waiting over 3700 years already,” she continued, laughing gently at her last comment, “I bet they'll have a really pretty ceremony, too, given her craftiness.”
Senku scoffed, “Yeah, no doubts about that. Wouldn't be surprised if she had her entire wedding planned out in her head. Lots of ladies start thinking of that stuff when they're little kids. But for Yuzuriha, I'm sure she's more excited about designing everything versus actually getting married.”
“I look forward to seeing what she may have planned for that day. And when that happens, I'm sure that may inspire Ruri. And probably a few others too,” the huntress remarked, a faint trace of something sad within her grin, although the scientist saw or heard nothing that gave indication to this feeling of hers.
She brought a hand up to her head, twirling a semi-wet lock around one finger. “Pretty sure I've heard a few rumors about some other romances going on. Not that I actually looked into it or anything; I've just heard things while we're working. But if it's true, I'm sure we'll have a whole bunch of weddings in the future. I think Yuzuriha is going to have her work cut out for her whenever that happens,” she commented with a tiny pout upon her pale lips.
Once again, Senku scoffed, “Yeah, I'm sure. The way you're talking now, though, makes me wonder if you have some sort of wedding fever or something. You got a secret lover that's yammering in your ear about pretty things or something?”
At first, Kohaku didn't say a word, just smiling that same grin, but this time there was a small wave in her expression. Her hand fell back down into the water, releasing the curl and the wisps bouncing as a result, wrapping her arm back around her knees.
“Ha!” she exclaimed, “I know that I'm never going to get married, Senku.”
Senku hummed in surprise at her statement, but it was less with the words and more with the tone that she spoke with. She seemed to be making a joke, but he could tell there was something further beneath the surface of her words. It gave him a strong moment of pause, turning around enough to gaze slightly at her back, noticing the short slump in her shoulders and how she appeared to be looking down at her feet through the water.
“Oh?” he inquired safely, hoping she may explain her reasons, “You're not?”
She darkly chuckled. “Well... yeah? How could I?” she asked with a shrug.
Her head lifted again, gazing out over the forest, hearing the sounds of a large bird rustling through the trees. “You all know how much I hate being called a lioness or a gorilla, but it's not as though I don't understand why I'm called those names. Compared to Ruri or Yuzuriha or Minami... I'm not at all like them,” she explained, trying to keep as much of her sadness out of her tone as to not alert her companion, “I'm a fighter, and stronger than almost every man in the Kingdom of Science, and I don't have the same beauty as what they have. There's also my anger. I know you always comment on how fast I react, and how I have to be held back so I don't do anything rash or stupid.”
She grinned painfully as she went through her rant, and although Senku couldn't see it, he knew it was there. A dreadful pit formed in his chest.
“I can't think of a single man that would want to court me, let alone marry me. Not when I can outhunt and outbattle him, or one that wants to handle my rage. A man is going to be more interested in a beautiful, innocent and shy woman instead of someone like me.”
Senku turned further, making noise in the water signaling his shift, now sitting sideways compared to her, staring at her back still. She didn't acknowledge the eyes that were upon her, too wound up in her twisted feelings. That pit felt even harsher with the heavier heartbeats.
“Everything I dream of for Ruri... I know will never happen for me. But that's okay. As long as I can see her get married to the one she loves most, that'll be okay with me.”
She laughed softly, grimly, “Honestly, like what you said to me when we first met, a brain full of love is nothing but trouble.”
Senku swallowed down a lump that formed his throat. He was ready to call out her name, but the words stopped on his tongue.
He caught sight of her fingers shaking as she brushed back a bit of her locks behind her ear, matching the shake in her voice.
“Love, marriage, having kids... I just know it'll happen for Ruri and Chrome. But I'll be alone. Forever... Well, I guess my father could arrange a marriage for me, although good luck in finding a man that will--”
The rest of her loathing blended into a gasp as she felt a hand grip her shoulder fiercely, forcing her to turn around, the sound of splashing water echoing just as loudly in her ears as her racing heartbeat. Lapis and scarlet met, the huntress' lips fell agape, blonde brows raised and lids opened wide as Senku stared at her intensely, a swirl of emotions in his irises that she couldn't quite place. Irritation, although not quite anger. Perhaps pity as well? But there was something else there, something else she wasn't sure how to describe. Her bottom lip quivered as she swallowed down a lump in her throat, unable to find the courage to look away.
Senku, by comparison, was calm and collected, taking the quiet seconds to analyze Kohaku's shocked expression. He knew how this had to look to an outside party, if one was hiding, but he paid it no mind as he continued to stare at her. Her arms, slowly moving as if doing so subconsciously, raised to covered her breasts, but more so in an attempt to steady her racing heartbeat.
After a few moments of quiet, Senku chuckled, letting go of his grip on her shoulder and settling himself down, running wet hands through his hair to continue what he was doing to rinse out the dirt and grime from his locks. “You're discounting yourself too much, lioness,” he spoke, not watching her expression but knowing that a vein was pulsing on her forehead from hearing that beastly nickname.
She didn't yell at him this time, settling for an annoyed growl that didn't do her much favors, wanting to hear more of what he had to say versus hashing out the same argument. She curled her legs back in again, having had dropped them during the force of the turn, brows furrowing as he continued, both in conversation and his soak.
“I'm not one to subscribe to the whole notion of soulmates and there being a perfect person in the world meant to be with you and only you. However, I do find the idea that there isn't a single person in a population of seven billion that would balk at your qualities to be an impossibility.”
“Senku...” Kohaku whispered, her cheeks feeling a bit warmer, agape lips closing and forming a soft but wavy smile, “... Ha... I guess so. I guess I forgot about that, somehow.”
She turned her gaze to her left, looking out into the forests and beyond, where so many statues of petrified humans remained frozen in time. “Still... what will the odds even be of finding someone like that?” she mumbled, not quite wanting Senku to hear but knowing that it wasn't plausible for him to have missed her question.
“Want me to do the math?”
“No thanks. I'll be all wrinkly by the time you get it figured out.”
The scientist chuckled, not taking offense by her statement; she was correct that it may take him a bit of time to come up with exact numbers. The night air was starting to become a bit chillier, and they would both need to exit the water and reach a place of warmth if they wished to avoid any ill effects from their baths. He gazed over at her, seeing Kohaku resting her chin down on her folded knees, staring at her wiggling toes beneath the water's surface, the mixture of wistful sadness plaguing the contours of her face.
He frowned for a moment upon seeing the expression, then sighed, finally following through with a mischievous grin. “Well then... I can offer you an answer that is ten billion percent will work out, if you don't wish to wait for a chance.”
Kohaku glanced upward, one brow raised curiously, “What's that?”
“We'll get married.”
Air caught in the warrior's throat and she sputtered, practically falling backwards into the water as she choked and coughed. “Wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-WHAT!?” she stammered between coughs, “Wh-wh-what d-d-do you m-mean by th-th-th-that!?”
Senku was unperturbed by her outburst, understanding it completely. Perhaps a little too theatrical for his taste, but understandable. He brought a wet finger to his ear, twirling it about in his habit, “If your desire is to have a wedding and to not spend the remainder of your years alone, that's something I'm willing to provide. Much as I find the idea to be asinine, I'm entirely willing to put aside my feelings on the matter for a day. It'd be worth it for the benefits a marriage with you would provide me with as well.”
Kohaku hummed, tilting her head to one side with a curious notion, “Benefits for you? Like what?”
Senku didn't respond right away, standing up in order to exit the water. Kohaku quickly shifted her gaze as to not see anything as what they had discussed before, listening as he walked onto the shore. He gathered one of the towels he had brought along, using it to dry his hair first before patting down the rest of his form, tossing it around his neck as he redressed in his undergarments and footwear. With the most important parts of him covered, he cleared his throat, giving Kohaku the go-ahead to return her gaze and to continue their conversation.
“Surely, as we get older and the further we continue spending time together, others will get on our cases about getting married and all of the other subjects that come with it. I have no desire to pursue a relationship, and by your own admission, you show doubts in this as well. Marrying would keep away the inevitable set-ups from our friends and family, freeing us from all of the unnecessary distractions and alternative paths from our goal.”
The huntress blinked, then frowned with a disapproving hum, turning her head away and going back to staring at her toes. “I appreciate it, but I don't want to just get married to have some sort of fancy party or anything like that. I don't show it, but it's not as though I'm not interested in love. And if I'm going to get married one day, I want to marry somebody that will love me back. Not... whatever we'd be,” she replied dejectedly, “I rather be alone forever than to be in a loveless marriage.”
“Who said it'd be loveless?”
Her breath hitched, her head snapping back to meet with sincere scarlet and a crafty grin, her cheeks turning a rosy pink, her expression mirroring the same bewildered look she had when he had grabbed her shoulder. She couldn't speak, her voice becoming stuck in her craw, her body shivering but not from the chill that was coming from sitting too long in the water.
Senku finished getting dressed as she continued to stare, tossing the soaked towel and other things into the bucket and slinging it under one arm, leaving the other towel he brought on top of Kohaku's clothing. “If you stay in there any longer, you'll have to deal with more than just wrinkly skin. May want to get out and dried off and head back towards camp while the fires are still going,” he spoke, ignoring how she was gawking, not acknowledging further anything that he had just implied, “We're running low on antibiotics, so don't go getting sick on us, lioness.”
“I am not a lioness!” Kohaku yelled despite herself, the vein in her head pulsing yet again out of her frustrations.
Senku waved her off with a “yeah, yeah”, turning on his heels and starting his way back to camp. She watched him as he disappeared into the greenery, standing up and exiting the river once he was gone. She reached for the towel he left behind, drying herself down before getting dressed again, tying up her locks last into a damp ponytail. Her eyes lingered on the towel after she was done, before glancing back towards the horizon and the camp that laid beyond, Senku's offer and his final question echoing through her head. Her fingers grasped tightly to the fabric, putting a stop to the quivering feeling that went through her form.
She sucked in a large breath, releasing it slowly to calm herself down, following it up with another breath that escaped in a burst of laughter. “Geez, Senku... for someone that finds romance to be so troublesome, you sure know how to be romantic,” she halfheartedly admonished, knowing that he couldn't hear her say such a ridiculous thing.
She continued to laugh as she finished placing the rest of her accessories on, double-checking her blades to make sure she didn't damage them when she threw them about before sheathing them back in their place. Making sure her sandals were properly tighten around her ankles and then tossing the towel over her shoulder, she started her own trek back home, her lips curled into a more comfortable smile. She wasn't feeling at all cold, despite the chill in the late night summer air, her body feeling just as warm as she usually felt sitting fireside. She only had to hope that the flames didn't highlight any pink on her cheeks, wanting to keep that to herself.
She felt a feeling of airiness in her step, the weight that bore down on her shoulders minutes ago lessened, sliding off of her like the water that had dripped down her skin. For the first time she could likely recall, she felt almost giddy over the ideals that she thought were out of her reach. Thoughts that she had thought were impossible suddenly seemed plausible. Much like the thoughts she had when Ruri was ill, never thinking that there was a miracle known as science that would come to save her. All thanks to one man that broke free from the stone...
'Might want to be careful offering that up again; I just might take you up on it one day, then you'd be stuck with me for the rest of our lives!'
- end -