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People were surprisingly okay with him being there.
He had expected hostilities wherever he went and he wouldn't have blamed anyone for them even one bit but aside from the occasional glance or snide but, he thought, possibly not even cruel joke at his cost everyone had simply accepted his presence.
He had been fit into the kingdom of science far too easily, his input accepted and even welcomed.
He would have had to find a way to make himself heard otherwise, the horrors of the previous world couldn't be repeated.
Except he wouldn't have been sure how, brute force had brought nothing but harm and even the first time he'd tasted nausea on his tongue more than once.
He couldn't do something like that again no matter wether or not he thought he might have to, not without breaking himself.
But he simply didn't have to now, he could just talk and be listened to.
In summary people acted like he belonged.
Including Senku.
In a way Senku and Gen made more sense than the others.
Gen being infinitely more kind than Tsukasa had expected as well as likely making sure Tsukasa fit in for Senku and the kingdom of science.
Senku was just incredibly practical.
Thus Tsukasa harboured no delusions that the scientist might have simply forgotten.
Despite this the ease with which Senku treated him still brought up the mental images of what could have been.
The friendship they could have had in different circumstances in which Tsukasa didn't mess it all up.
The man was not just brilliant but also meant well and wanted to help where he could.
Apparently, no, of course to a degree where Tsukasas input was something he would listen to since it was needed.
That's what Tsukasa had assumed.
And then today Senku had had a chart on which he was documenting his reactions to his friends hugs apparently with negative results (at least that part was unsurprising).
And he'd asked Tsukasa for one as well.
As his friend.
Senku had simply sat there, utterly calm, utterly unafraid of him.
But he'd stood like that when Tsukasa had killed him too.
He could still hear the sickening crunch of Senku's neck breaking, the feeling of it giving way under his hand.
Tsukasa had tried to keep his arm around Senkus shoulders as still as possible, trying not to remember, irrationally afraid of crushing the other.
And then Senku hadn't immediately asked him to remove it the way Tsukasa knew he had with Kohaku, and Ruri and Chrome and...
He'd seemed confused but comfortable.
And Tsukasa had suddenly been forced to review their entire relationship based on that.
Because somehow he was Senkus friend and Senku trusted him.
Wanted Tsukasa to touch him rather than the others.
Or well, maybe not wanted but was alright with it.
He didn't know what to do with this.
Neither did Senku apparently but as far as Tsukasa could tell for no other reason other than not having expected any of his friends to elicit different outcomes anymore.
For some reason Tsukasa was his friend and his friendship was special.
Also Senku seemed to think Tsukasa might have thoughts as to why.
As if all of his reality hadn't made yet another shift to the side just moments ago.
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The result of all this was Tsukasa had walked enough of a distance away from everything and everyone to stand in silence.
There was still enough stone world left that when he went far enough he'd leave all sounds of civilisation behind and surrounded by trees could just breathe for a while.
Breathe until he could maybe accept the idea of being genuinely wanted around and his chest stopped hurting like his heart and lungs were being clenched in a giants fist.
The sky was impossibly blue and Senku wanted him to be his friend.