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Earlier today Senku had noticed a phenomenon.
Gen had slung his arm around Senkus shoulders and for the first time it had occurred to him that he didn't mind it.
Thinking back Gen did this regularly and Senku had perfect faith that should he have had a dislike for it Gen would have noticed and stopped doing so ages ago.
This of course led to the conclusion that he hadn't minded it previously either.
He considered this a phenomenon because he generally was used to minding and he wasn't really sure why this was different.
He was used to prolonged touch from people being generally unpleasant, even coming from Taiju or Yuzuriha. He'd spent their school days together avoiding any more than a high five or a short pat on the shoulder and he had cared about them a great deal (and still did) even if he'd been even worse at expressing it as a teen. They'd been his constant companions through his childhood and his best and only friends.
Of course he was somewhat better at admitting to these affections these days, willing to call people his friends out loud if needed. Though he had to admit only somewhat as he'd still much rather avoid the embarrassment.
So maybe a bit less of a dislike for physical contact too was simply a result of aging.
That was the most likely hypothesis.
He bit his thumbnail as he thought.
When was the last time anyone other than Gen had touched him affectionately for more than a few seconds?
It had actually been quite a long while as his friends were all aware that he preferred if they didn't.
Still, this was easy enough to prove right or wrong.
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The first person who he'd tried this out on was Kohaku, simply because she had been the next person he'd seen and she was as good a first subject as any of his friends.
First because two samples did not make for a statistic of any kind, no matter the first outcome he'd have to get more data to be sure.
She'd given him a weird look but put her arm around his shoulders without any questions, he truly appreciated her practical nature.
She had now been too close and he was being touched and he'd not enjoyed it at all.
Ruri's grip was less strong which he thought maybe helped a little bit but the result was much the same.
Chrome noticed that his request was odd and he had to explain what he was testing as well as having to promise to tell him the results later before recieving his participation.
He seemed very exited when listening to his reasons and Senku wasn't really sure why.
Maybe he was simply hoping to get hugs in the future?
He got a very precise side hug alongside an expectant look.
His brain was rhetorically asking him why there were hands on him *again* already, in other words this was not better.
After Senku had been released Chrome seemed smug about the result for some reason.
That was a mystery for some other time.
This experiment was beginning to get on his nerves already, it was too much touching for one day.
He paused and continued it the next day for no ther reason at all than having a clear baseline.
The idea of any kinds of hugs from Luna was nauseating which was a sufficient result of its own, he felt content to go past her to look for Taiju and Yuzuriha not mentioning anything.
He could't find them but he did manage to ask both Ryusui and Ukyo for their input.
The outcome continued to be that touch was as unpleasant as ever though he was pretty sure he'd at least made Ryusuis day.
Being told this had been a one-time thing did not make the man any less delighted to have been included in the testing.
He decided that he could discard his first hypothesis and would have to come up with some new ones.
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Since the whole thing was more complicated than previously expected he got some paper and made a list of other options.
1. It was something Gen was doing differently that he hadn't taken into consideration.
2. -
"Are you well?" Tsukasa asked him.
How was the man this quiet? He didn't even do it on purpose.
Senku turned with his chair to face him.
Tsukasa was looking at him patiently the way he usually did when he was concerned for Senku.
He was really a very patient person in general, outstanding incidents aside.
Patient and reasonable and steady and clever.
Having Tsukasa on his side had been vital for his sucess but more than that having the others friendship had been a relief, Tsukasa had wanted to be his friend and having to fight him had been painful in a way he only appreciated in retrospect.
Maybe that was why Senku suddenly felt like he should be included in the test results since he was already around.
Tsukasas eyebrows rose as he was told what Senku was testing, he didn't voice any doubt but his face still communicated the distinct impression that he thought Senku was requesting something odd.
Odd didn't seem to mean objectionable though.
Tsukasa leaned down to place his arm around Senkus shoulders with the utmost care.
Ah right the back of his neck, well he hoped the other didn't feel too bad anymore since Senku was very much over it.
He braced himself for the same old sensations of too-much-touch and hands-on-him-why.
It didn't come.
Tsukasas touch was just. There.
It was a little bit warm through his lab coat which wasn't unpleasant.
He waited another moment.
Now it was beginning to slowly feel a little much but still much less unpleasant than any of the other results had been.
He carefully waited out the time until it became genuinely unlikable before requesting his friend let go.
On the positive side him and Tsukasa were confused together now.
On the negative side this was confusing.
He'd crossed out the hypothesis he'd written down before the interruption "It was something Gen was doing differently that he hadn't taken into consideration" as this had been very different from the being-hugged-by-Gen experience.
But everything that turned out negative was one thing off the list of possiblities and this actually didn't mean he was back at square one.
Tsukasa was a new data point and Chrome had some sort of idea that he could consult with.
Tsukasa, Senku was sure, also had a lot of thoughts but he seemed unwilling to share them, informing Senku that he needed to put said thoughts in order first.
Senku wished Gen was here to tell him if the other was happy with the outcome.
Senku thought he was, as Tsukasa had smiled and from what he could tell seemed to derive genuine deep joy from the information but he'd also seemed startled.
Once Senku had the other points off his to-do list he was consulting Gen.
Maybe he should have done that in the first place.
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He couldn't really find an overlap between Tsukasa and Gen that would be relevant for hugging but didn't apply to his other friends.
So Chromes input next it was.
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Senku wished he hasn't asked.
Chrome had informed him very kindly that he maybe should rethink his conclusion of being aroace as it sounded like he "had a crush" on Gen.
Which was gross.
And didn't sound right.
And matched the data better than anything he'd come up with so far, so he couldn't hold the hypothesis against Chrome.
Or simply put it aside.
Attractions could change over time but Senku had always been rather secure in his knowledge that he didn't do sex or romance.
He'd figured out his distaste rather young and had never had any reason to doubt his results.
Which was why his first expectation had been that the way his autism reacted regarding touch had changed over time rather than his queer identity.
But that was now ruled out.s
Then there was Tsukasa. Was he even a point for or against Senku being? ...Gay? Maybe?
That still sounded entirely incorrect.
People could be polyamorous of course. Having Ryusui around made that impossible to ever forget.
He noticed he was spiraling.
This too could simply be checked against.
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Gen had already been expecting to see Senku from the way people had been looking at him, keeping anything hidden from him was rather hard.
However he'd had no idea what the conversation would be about.
"While I'd be absolutely delighted if you did" Gen said, cheeks pink "I don't think that's likely"
He was being focused and serious upon hearing Senkus question and and reasoning, but also very much flustered, swinging his legs as he talked.
"Though i have to say..like you said I was aware of course that you didn't mind my ouching-tay as much, but I didn't realize just how special i should consider myself. It's..flattering to say the least you know?"
For lack of a good answer Senku shrugged. Yes that's why he was here and why he'd felt so stressed. Though hearing Gen dismiss the idea so easily made him realize that he may have gotten worked up over nothing.
"But Senku-chan being distressed at the idea of having a crush is very aromantic behavior" Gen continued as if reading his mind.
A fair and excellent point. He should really have talked to Gen from the beginning, expertise in different subjects was what made the kingdom of science work well and he'd neglected that.
Though psychology was a soft science the mentalist was much more familiar in it than him.
That still left fact that Gen was different.
He voiced this and Gen tilted his head before eying him in consideration.
Most people would have thought him perfectly calm but Senku was too used to him not to notice the facade.
That and his ears were turning pink to match is face.
"If you do think you like me we can check you know?"
And Senku would have expected the idea of that to be upsetting, but it wasn't really, which was the point of the whole matter exactly.
"Do your worst mentalist"
"That's very much not the plan no."
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Gen opened his arms wiggling his fingers threateningly.
Senku rolled his eyes but stepped into the reach of his embrace regardless.
His first observation was the predicted lack of inconvenience, being closer to Gen did not have any negative effects at all.
He patiently waited for the acceptable time to pass like it had for Tsukasa.
By minute two of just standing there with Gens arms wrapped around him the likelihood of that being the case any moment seemed to move farther and farther away.
This really wasn't so bad.
"Senku-chan?" Gen asked next to his ear.
He could feel the words vibrate in the air.
Now that he was paying attention to him he felt how Gens chest was rising and falling as he breathed.
He was warm.
This was pretty good actually. Slowly he lifted his hands from his sides and placed them against Gens back.
Warm.
Eventually Gen was the first to let go, looking at him smiling quizzically. "Thats a fun result."
Senku frowned. "So that's a yes after all?"
"Would you like to date me if i told you yes?"
Ah, there it was, the feeling of his skin fitting badly all of a sudden.
The face he was pulling must have gotten it across pretty clear because Gen shook his head.
"Definitely not no. You just like me differently for some reason. Human feelings all all messy and omplicated-cay."
While that was true it was more unclear than Senku would have liked.
"Partner-in-crime-feelings" Gen declared cheerfully.
Senku hoped he sounded as deadpan as he felt. "That's not a thing"
Gens grin didn't fade. "Well if you find something new you get to name it. Now you get to feel like it's sorted away orderly"
That was...fair Senku supposed, and it wasn't ike he had any better ideas.
Also it felt like it encompassed their relationship quite nicely, something he hadn't realized he'd wanted.
It was already what he regarded Gen as and he supposed in a way that made them a kind of established set in a way outside of his other friends.
If it was a relationship did he have to ask Gen for it first?
He thought not since it was different from a romance and while he kind of wanted to the concept was unbearingly, disgustingly cheesy.
Except now that the thought had popped up he really, really kind of wanted to.
This process leading to the new category he'd sorted Gen into was causing to all kinds of new realizations way too fast.
But he found out a way around this new issue rather quickly at least. "You're an excellent partner in crime mentalist"
He still thought he could see Gen melting. "You too Senku-chan."
They did agree that this new type of feelings warranted more study, mostly since the hug had been very nice and maybe there were other things Senku had never seen the appeal of that were different with his Partner in Crime. The title made him somewhat. He was unsure if he should label it flustered but it was nice too.
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"So what do I say to Tsukasa?" Senku asked Gen a few days later as the mentalist moved his hand across Senkus arms testing for acceptable and unacceptabe touch areas.
Gen stopped and looked at him in question. "Tsukasa?"
Oh. Senku had forgotten to mention that part.
He explained and watched Gens face pull into a scandalized grin.