Work Text:
Working on the rocket has been their hardest project yet. If Senku wasn't eating or sleeping, we was in the lab, looking over the blueprints, thinking of modifications, working with Xeno. And naturally, many people of the kingdom of science wandered in just to marvel at the confusing mess of equations, sketches, and notes.
Right now, Senku was once again hunched over the workbench, staring a hole into the blueprints in front of him. However he wasn't alone this time around, as he had his close friend Kohaku beside him, also leaning over the workbench, asking questions every chance she got. And Senku answered them patiently, yet enthusiastically.
The two were known for how close they were, and of course came with it rumors. However they simply brushed it off, not letting anyone else dictate what they were. Kohaku also deflected a lot, saying they were just friends and nothing more. Though, she did often find herself hoping...
She glanced to Senku, who was explaining something specific, pointing to the blueprint with one hand, the other resting flat against the workbench. She nodded, humming along as he buzzed, but she kept an eye on his hand.
A once again familiar feeling was creeping up on her. Just him being in his element was enough to make her feel fluttery. She clenched her hand beside her, hesitant. Quickly though she stole herself, deciding to place a hand over his, masking her movement by asking a follow up question and pointing to the place in the blueprint.
Senku seemed to pause, stiffening slightly. But as quickly as it came, he relaxed and kept explaining, making no movement to pull away from her.
He found himself to be extremely comfortable around Kohaku, more so than anyone else he's known. He wouldn't want to say it to himself, but he knew what this was. What he was feeling. At first, it brought him great frustration, but eventually he came to be at peace with it. It was only natural as a human being to connect in this way.
He hoped she felt the same. Well, hoped was the wrong word. He felt it would be natural for her to feel the same as him with how long they've known each other.
Kohaku stole another glance; He was calm, like he didn't even notice her hand atop of his. As he was finishing explaining her other question though, he glanced to her with a knowing smirk. Her lip quivered upward slightly, glancing away. Was she really being that obvious? Did he really not mind? Rolling her eyes, she glanced back to the blueprint, pointing to the end of the diagram, asking what they would need to build the component. And as he listed off supplies, she took another opportunity.
Sliding her hand over his, she tucked it under his hand, gently squeezing to hold.
Now that seemed to stop him in his tracks, his sentence finishing quietly, straightening his posture a tad. His eyes less focused and more pleasantly surprised.
She froze, glancing away from him, anxiously waiting for a response. Instead, she felt his fingers grasp around her hand, squeezing back.
Her breath almost caught in her throat, eyes widening a tad. She gulped silently.
The two let their hands connect and comfortably settle into each other. The warrior and scientist were glancing away from each other, almost bashfully. Senku had one more thing on the blueprint to explain to her, but this time his voice came out slow and precise, like he was trying to ignore the electric energy shooting through their held hands. For a moment Kohaku tried to focus on the information, hoping that by the end one of them would have let go.
But finally, when the two straightened up and took a step back from the workbench, they turned their heads down to see their hands still held. Kohaku spoke up nervously, wanting to inquire about something unrelated to the rocket.
"Senku..?"
Senku spoke out casually, watching her glance back up to him. "What is it lioness?"
That made her expression scrunch up, muttering about how she wasn't a lioness, granting a chuckle from Senku back.
Kohaku shook her head, continuing. "Remember what you said about love? About it being illogical?"
He nodded.
She quirked a brow, genuinely curious. "... Is it really?"
"It can be. Most of time, it can cloud your judgement, make a person act irrationally. Unrestrained, it could even cause chaos with the wrong headspace." Senku answered rather quickly, stealing a quick glance at their still held hands, but with no intention to slip out of the hold unless Kohaku let go first. Like he was afraid to let her go.
The only person he ever allowed physical contact from.
She too also glanced back down to them, giving a light squeeze, almost as a respectful counter. "But then.. how can you explain all the great things it's done? How can you explain.. me?" She glanced back up to him as she said that last bit.
Senku tilted his head slightly, open to listening to what she had to say. "What do you mean?"
Her free hand came up to her heart, balling up into a fist. "With every action that I take, I feel it could all be pinned down to something done out of love. Or, at least, something close to it." She went on, keeping her carefully intense eyes on him. "It was was out of love that kept me going back to the hot springs every day to help Suki. Out of love that I experienced all that science has to offer. Out of love to follow you into the exploration of science and the creation of the kingdom of science in general. And that caused those who love me to follow. A lot of us are here out of some type of love of some sort, right?"
She smiled, honesty dripping from her next sentence. "It's out of love that I stand beside you now."
The implication and impact stunned Senku, surprise glossing over his calm irises. Kohaku finally realized what she had just inadvertently confessed, eyes widening and a very noticable pink blush painting her cheeks.
He himself was holding back a blush, a smirky smile turning into something more sincere as he brushed his free hand back through his hair. "I.. suppose I was being too rigid when first explaining my opinion on love to you. Perhaps it's also changed a bit since then."
Absentmindedly, he put a finger in his ear, speaking matter-of-factly. "I have been passively collecting and observing evidence on the matter actually." He held said finger up to explain. "While there is still detriment to it, and I still agree with what I've stated before, there's numerous advantages as well."
He set his free hand down, squeezing their held hands tighter. "Love is a strong bond maker. It heightens determination, loyalty, even situational awareness in some cases. Morale can be stronger and higher in communities because of it. It keeps most of us sane in this world. Maybe humanity wouldn't have lived so long without it. The best creative endeavors have either been made out of pain or love. Or both. And that keeps curiosity going. Curiosity is the backbone of science."
He held back a nervous chuckle that was bubbling up his throat. "It seems I've found that it all connects in such a strange, weird way. Logic and emotion have to live alongside one another for humanity to really thrive."
He glanced down briefly, coming up with an explanation that made sense to him. "Love.. is like a constant in a science or math equation. There are times it can cause problems.. but there's always a solution. And it's always there, no matter what."
He locked his gaze to her, a small smile growing across his lips. "Kohaku... You proved me wrong all those years ago."
Kohaku's eyes shined as she felt him take her other hand, sure. She was a mix of awe and surprise, the happiness building up inside at his own little subtle confession. She gazed into his ruby red eyes to check if he was joking. He was not.
There was no shame in his eyes. There was relief, assurance, maybe a tad embarrassment, but nothing in his expression or stance to say this wasn't the honest truth. His smile got a little wider. "Logic worked with love to prove I'm wrong. And damn it, I couldn't be more content to hear that you've stayed my by side in the name of science..."
The emotion in his face was unmistakable, softening immensely as he let the blush from earlier flourish, dusting his cheeks just faintly. "And in the name of love."
The loving grin that drew across Kohaku's face was one Senku wasn't going to forget in a long time. And for a moment they just smiled at each other.
Until the smiles faded into something smaller. She blinked, scooting a bit closer. Senku knew what she was thinking. He was thinking it too. And for only a second, he debated whether or not to. There was only one logical conclusion.
He stepped closer, and let his eyelids fall as he pressed his lips against hers. Being met a second or two later with the same press back from her lips.
He kissed her softly, gently, carefully, like she would dissolve away from him if he didn't. And she showed that same love back, the two acutely aware of how nervous they were. However that did not diloude anything from this, this which was so perfect, so sweet, so imaginably unreal yet so real and true. Senku let go of her hands to let one wrap around her waist and the other to caress her cheek, delicately. Kohaku's hands went around his back, reaching up to his collarbone. She let out a sigh against his lips, causing him to repeat it back, relaxed and content.
After a long moment, they had to depart for air, but neither of them leaving their shared space.
Noses brushing, Kohaku whispered.
"Does this mean?... Can we be?... "
The answer was easy. No good reason to complicate it.
"Yes..."
He captured her kiss again, her hands wrapping around his neck and shoulders, bracing herself against him, almost trapping the genius in her grasp. Senku didn't seem to mind, he just deepened the kiss as the hand on her cheek slid down her shoulders to her back keeping her close but with a way out if she found it to be too intense. Lucky for him, Kohaku loved intensity.
After another long minute they finally broke apart to properly breathe, and let the moment simmer down.
Senku placed his forehead against hers, smiles little and intimate.
He spoke, letting the dopamine flood his system. "Thank you."
Kohaku chuckled, flicking the back of his head with a finger, serious in her words but playful in her tone. "Just keep that genius brain of yours intact, and I think we'll all be just fine."
He chortled back, self assured in his control. "I can do that. Let's call this an ongoing study into the science of love itself. But for right now," He spun her around, taking her over to an empty workbench, leaning her against it. Taking her back into a deep and flush embrace, Senku smirked, leaning in. "It's just you on my mind. And I haven't finished this experiment yet."
Kohaku giggled; gods he was amorously cute. Settling a hand in his hair they fell right into a make out session, sure of themselves, and this crazy little constant in their lives.