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The summer the ship was constructed was hot, and incredibly busy.
Gen personally spent most of his time people watching, driving back and forth between the village and the work site (the former Empire of Might headquarters), and trying to find time to lean over Senku’s shoulder. It felt wrong to be too far from their scrupulous leader after months within arm’s reach of him all winter. What if Senku had to say something delicately? What if someone lied to his face? What would he do without his Mentalist?
Not, of course, that Senku couldn’t handle lies. Senku had seen right through him immediately, after all.
So, when Gen is spending the night at the village and notices that the observatory roof is open, telescope moving with precision and intent, he hops up that ladder gleefully.
Senku looks most at ease with his eye up to that scope, notes in his lap. Gen is only happy that his almost impulsive gift of a real telescope, calibrated as best as a non-scientist can, made the bizarrely-haired man as happy as it did. Three days, and the help of the village, and the birthday present of an observatory had been the perfect thing to lighten Senku’s stress over winter.
“Now what would you be looking at tonight, dear scientist?” He sat, dropping his coat from his shoulders. Maybe he’d just spend the night up here.
“-Vega.” Senku didn’t look away.
Gen wanted to pout, but by now he knew exactly what kind of person Senku was and always had been. Instead, he sighed, pulling his hand out from his sleeve to inspect his nails casually.
He used to paint them. Black, mostly, but also white or a color that matched his costume for the evening- doing close-up magic meant taking care of every detail of your appearance, masking any imperfection to enhance the performance. Distracting someone with your hands is ever so slightly easier when there’s contrast for them to look at- polish or rings or similar.
Not here.
Here, it was all skill that let him do the slight of hand he was so known for. Even if, personally, he considered the tricks all a means to his real end- manipulating human behavior.
While Senku worked, he could probably take advantage of the bed roll and floor space, get some real sleep. But he didn’t exactly want to lose this time to sleep. Time in the proper place, time to talk to Senku and share thoughts Senku seemed to already understand when he said them.
Gen looked up from his nails to see Senku’s eye, just one, looking back at him over the younger man’s shoulder.
“So how’s Vega~?” He asked cheekily, tucking his hands back into his sleeves quickly.
“Out of alignment at the same shift as everything else, as predicted. What’s wrong with your hand?” Senku set his notes down and turned fully.
Gen put his hands up in an appeasing gesture, “-Nothing, nothing! I was just lost in thought!”
With the same directness Senku always had, he crawled over and stuck his hand up Gen’s sleeve to pull his hand loose, quickly inspecting his skin for cuts or bruises. Senu knew that a magician’s entire career started and ended with their hands, so naturally, he was concerned.
And what hands they were- Gen’s fingers were unlike the rest of his appearance. While his pretty face and slender body were almost feminine, graceful, his hands were strong- the only muscles that had any development to them- and more masculine, his knuckles prominent. The skin of his hands was as silky smooth as the rest of him, of course, but they hardly matched his carefully constructed vibe. There was a reason he hid them, after all- in sleeves now, but with the contrast of polish or even in gloves, once upon a time.
Gen could feel that Senku’s hands were even further something else- rough callouses, cracked and browned, dry skin from harsh chemicals and washing his hands so frequently to remove them, just as strong and manly as any, from years of delicate machine work, with nails that were uneven and much too short in equal measure. Warm, strong hands anyone would be happy to be touched by. Hands that would rebuild humanity and keep building into the future. He liked Senku’s hands.
His own, though… they were useful.
“I told you, nothing is wrong, you’re such a worrier sometimes!”
Senku looked over Gen’s nails next, how perfectly neat they were, trimmed evenly and filed on a rough stone, then into his eyes. He didn’t let go, but loosened his grip.
“Let’s sleep.”
“Done staring into space for the night, Senku dear?” Gen didn’t pull his hand away.
“For tonight, yeah. I’m heading back up to look for that oil deposit tomorrow, so I’d better be alert enough to spot it.” Only when Senku turned to grab the bedroll from its spot in the corner did the moment break, and Gen could pull his hand back into his sleeve.
“I was going to say, didn’t you almost fall out of the basket on that first flight? We’d better make sure you can keep your footing.” He chuckled, then prepared for bed.
In the heat of this summer, it was better to shed some of his layers to sleep. In winter, he had been all for cuddling up and staying bundled tight, but now it was simply too hot for that. Off went his lilac overcoat, then he untied his belt and shed the yellow robe, too. Only when he was down to his undershirt and pants did he crawl under the light blanket with Senku (who had only had to untie the bag from his hip).
They left the roof open, mostly for ventilation, but partially for the view. It really was a good place for an observatory, so many stars, so close. Gen could imagine reaching out and touching them.
“-on the cover of your book your nails were black.” Senku interrupted his thoughts with a fact.
Gen had to think back to the photoshoot he’d done during touring, where they’d taken the photo from. “Yes, I liked to keep my nails colored. A shame we don’t have nail polish anymore, right?”
Senku’s eyes were so red, they almost glowed in the darkness on the pillow beside Gen.
“It would be frivolous and unnecessary to make any, anyways.” Gen continued, stretching his arms up and then tucking both hands under the pillow. It was only when they were lying down that he ever noticed the few centimeters he had on Senku in height- though, part of that was that it was easily concealed in his absurd hair.
“Right.” Senku turned onto his back and looked away, finally.
Gen was used to being the center of attention. Being the center of Senku’s attention felt like something different from a crowd entirely. A crowd adored. Senku studied. Gen didn’t enjoy feeling like a lab subject if he wasn’t getting anything out of it.
“Speaking of unnecessary~ Do you think you could make another batch of Cola?” He teased, closing his eyes.
“Not a chance, mentalist.” He could hear Senku’s smile in his voice.
And it was a good night.
When he woke completely alone in the observatory, the roof closed, a gentle rain singing on the roof, he groaned softly, rubbing his eyes and sitting up. Senku must have closed up and left before first light. A shame really- Gen enjoyed sleeping in and cuddling with plausible deniability whenever possible. Senku’s chest was without the padding of fat or muscle, really, but his heartbeat was strong and nice to listen to- not to mention his voice, resonating through it.
Gen stretched and then set about getting ready. Putting up the bedroll, putting his layers back on, and heading out to see what he could do around the village today.
The balloon was gone, a group was down in the mine, the fishing nets were just cast, and it was set to be a gentle sort of day- as gentle as the rain that continued to fall. What the balloon team was seeing through the overcast sky was beyond anyone’s guess, though.
Gen helped the gem sisters with some gathering, catching up on the gossip on this side of the road, while he waited for the car to be loaded up with materials they’d need over at the ship site.
He got the chance to talk with some of the elders, and play with the kids, making little lumps in the mud and splashing in puddles. Even in the stone world, children were laughing and drawing silly faces with sticks in wet sand.
By the time evening set in and he was invited to eat with one of the grannies, the balloon was coming in for a landing over at the lab. While he wanted to join the elders for dinner, this particular old woman saw the look in his eye and told him to go join his friends.
He thanked her before heading out to the science clearing, humming to himself.
Ryusui and Chrome were hungry, and Francois had made some more of their latest bread experiment for their master, and Ryusui, while greedy, was also generous, and quickly shared. He seemed happy to see Gen, even clapping him on the back. But Senku was missing.
“Chrome, where did our fearless leader wander off to now?” Gen decided to pry.
Through a mouthful of bread, Chrome replied, smiling like a little kid, “Oh! Senku’s in the lab!”
Naturally.
Star charts, sleep, all day mapping, and right into the lab. Never a moment to spare for their resident mad genius.
Gen knocked on the lab’s door frame to announce his presence, but didn’t wait for a reply as he stepped in. Suika was there, with Chalk running a tight circle around her feet as she grabbed onto the table to peer curiously at what Senku was mixing.
“With some crushed seashells, and some vinegar, we can make the base solvent. If we had access to the miracle cave, we could make some Nitrocellulose, but for now, mixing a vinegar with acetate- from mixing our ascetic acid with some Potassium- is going to make our serviceable cellulose acetate buterase, which will make the lacquer shinier when we’re done. This, plus some Camphor from these weeds you brought me, some dyes from these flowers, and the lacquer you produce here in the village, and we just need one more thing… do you know what wood sorrel looks like? It’s also known as cat’s foot.”
Gen smiled and leaned on the wall, watching Senku mix his strange concoction.
Dyes, lacquer, shininess… what, was he working on some kind of paint?
“I know what wood sorrel looks like.” He offered, “I can help Suika gather some, if you’d like? How much do you need?”
“I’ve got it! The little yellow ones, right?” Suika jumped, then bounced right out the door, screaming something about making herself useful.
“-what did you say you were making?” Gen tilted his head, then peeked at the glass table.
The leaves and stems of the flowers Senku had evidently torn apart in the pursuit of this paint didn’t really leave many clues, though they looked familiar- Gen was better at recognizing flowers with their petals on them, thank you very much.
Whatever was in the beaker was nice and red, at least.
“It’s a surprise.” Senku grinned.
Sometimes his smiles looked like that of a sadistic taskmaster, or a creep, but this smile was all cheeky and playful in a way that made Gen’s heart do a double-take. Who cared that Senku wasn’t one for romance, that Gen’s as-clear-as-a-career-liar-could-be confession this winter had been met with stone walls, Gen would die for this dense asshole. More than that, Gen would live his life in service of and dedicated to this brilliant, beautiful mind.
Even if it meant he was just going to pine forever.
“Awe~ not even an exception for the master of surprises~? You’re so cruel, Senku-chan~” Gen fawned, leaning and tilting so his head was almost the height of Senku’s shoulders.
Senku clearly couldn’t care less, picking in his ear with his pinkie finger, but he laughed anyway.
“No, not even for you. Go finish dinner.”
“If you insist~” Gen had to leave Senku to it. Really, far be it from him to pull the scientist from his lab, “Be sure to eat something, too, dear Scientist.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Senku waved over his shoulder dismissively, already back to swirling his concoctions in their vials.
Gen shook his head as he left.
The rest of the evening flew by- dinner with the boys (and Francois), checking on the car’s wheels and engine with Chrome, just to be certain it was ready to go for tomorrow morning, and finally, returning to the observatory to sleep.
He could just go to one of the village huts, but he liked the observatory. He’d designed it to be comfortable, with plenty of room to stretch out. The large window could be opened to ventilate it and see the stars. It was safe, and relatively private, if you ignored Chrome’s snoring from the science shed below. Senku was there sometimes.
Emphasis on sometimes.
Gen was pretty sure Senku had a problem with insomnia. Some nights, he would stay up charting the stars. Others, he’d be in the lab all night, or at the ship site, working on the machining of more delicate parts with Kasegi. Tonight, he wasn’t at his telescope, and that’s all that Gen knew. It was too cloudy for stars anyway.
Stripping once again down to his under layer, Gen rolled out the bedroll and crawled in.
Was it creepy if he said the pillow smelled like Senku? Probably. He didn’t really care, though, just took comfort in the familiar scent of sweat and chemicals and bloody leather. It mixed well with his own scent of dried flowers.
He didn’t know how long it was before he was woken by someone messing with his hand.
A rough, warm hand held his close, while something gently stroked over his fingers. He pretended to sleep, just to try to make sense of the situation. If someone had come in here with ill intentions, he’d do best to hide that he was assessing things. But there was no grim intent. It was just slow, methodical… gentle strokes over his nails.
So when he opened his eyes to see a green haired menace painting his nails, he wasn’t particularly surprised.
Senku’s face was firm with concentration, a scowl set as he carefully turned Gen’s hand to hold his thumb. He was trying to do this without any light at all, though they had a light bulb in here. Gen let him keep working until he finished that hand, then got up, turning the switch.
That was nail polish alright. Bright orangish red, shining like a freshly washed car, painted with the neat precision of a scientist trying to make something pretty.
“What’s this for?” Gen compared his painted nails to his other hand’s plain ones, a smile creeping onto his face.
“No real reason.” Senku propped one knee, leaning on it as he dipped the tiny brush back into his little bowl of polish, “Like you said, it’s frivolous and unnecessary.”
Gen settled back down and stuck his other hand out, “It’s been thousands of years since my last manicure, you know. Do you mind finishing the job?”
With a soft puff of air, Senku took his other hand and started painting his pinkie nail.
“Try not to bump anything with them tonight, this isn’t as sturdy as modern polish. It might stain your nails, too, even after it flakes off.” Senku spoke almost to distract himself, “-It’s not black, sorry, but it’s a little hard to find a good black pigment that wouldn’t disrupt the formula.”
Gen stared as those strong, practical hands helped make his back into works of art, barely listening as Senku started on the different chemicals used in the process again, continuing his lecture where he left off with Suika earlier.
When he stopped, Gen looked into his eyes, and their gazes caught like a fire on clothes.
“Red’s good too.” Red was more than just good.
“-I know it was really a silly gesture, but if it’s something as small as nail polish, it’s not that hard to make. We’re reinventing the whole world, after all. Small comforts are important too.” Senku turned his hand to paint his thumb nail last, as precise as ever.
Gen wanted to kiss him, but he didn’t move.
He didn’t kiss Senku as he closed up the nail polish’s little dish and put it up on the shelf by his star charts, and he didn’t kiss him after they’d turned the lights off and crawled into the bedroll together. He probably never would.
Instead, he simply cuddled in, resting his head on Senku’s chest and listening to that heartbeat he wanted to hear every day for the rest of his life, feeling Senku taking deep, sleepy breaths.
“Thank you.” He finally said, not just about the nail polish.
“Of course, mentalist.” Senku’s hand found its way to Gen’s hair, gently stroking both tones.
And Gen slept, his nails the same shade as the eyes on his favorite person.