Chapter Text
A week passes as Senku dozes in and out of tormented thoughts.
The nights are restless, too short sleep phases sewn together by the crimson thread of bad dreams. He often wakes up to a choking sensation, cursing his brains for denying him the well needed rest.
There was so much to do during the day, from drawing blueprints for more advanced ship apparatus, to supervising the workforce and the agriculture team. He accomplishes all of these tasks brilliantly, scantily balancing himself on the fragile yet determined string of his sanity. Whatever may have happened, Senku is very much alive and with a goal to pursue.
Senku holds onto that goal of reviving all seven billion humans like a lifeline.
His impairment with deep waters put aside, Senku feels like he is faring with life pretty well, and the routine around campsite is sensibly the same as it was before the incident - except for Tsukasa's new whim of not allowing him to help with the physical labour, not that he would complain about that.
If anything, Gen seems to be somewhat jealous of Senku's forced rest.
" Ah, Tsukasa-chaaan ~ I feel so weak too, I need a break ~ " Gen's forced high pitched voice sings, and the taller man glances at him with an irked expression before resuming his work.
" Who's weak ? " Senku snarls, and he flicks the back of the white and black head sat next to him.
" You ! You are, and you're so mean at that..." Gen all but dramatically whimpers, and the scientist glances up from the copper wires on his lap.
They've been working with wires and coils again, an easy task that even the kids could help with. It was simple, repetitive, and downright boring - a perfect task for a tired and unfocused mind such as his.
" Fine by me. Keep on working. " Senku commands, and Gen rakes his rear along the grass until he's sat real close to his friend, knees touching each other.
" So. Tell me, whatever happened for you to be banned from the construction site ? " He mutters with a sly grin, and Senku doesn't even want to know what weird hypothesis could be born from his comrade's wicked mind.
" Got hit in the head by some flying planks. " Senku shrugs, and the glint in the mentalist's eyes shows that he is not satisfied with the answer.
" Oh, what a terrible, heartwrecking story, Senku-chan. But what about the real reason ? Tsukasa-chan seems pretty worked up too, don't you think ? " The shady man chirps as they both glance at the brunette's silhouette a few feet away from them.
To any normal person, Tsukasa would appear to be the same as usual : stern, dedicated to his task and wrapped in a slightly menacing yet mesmerizing aura. But Gen knew better : the fighter's strong movements didn't look as wide and carefree as of late, and his eyes would often scout his surroundings until they found a spot of white and green hair.
" So ? Whatever happened between the two kings of our small kingdoms ? "
Tsk, Gen's tone is openly teasing and overly sweet, and this time around, Senku smacks him in the back of his head.
" Don't try to switch topics and focus on our task, you sorry excuse of a mentalist. "
He deserved it, Senku thinks. He deserved it for bringing up the memory of Tsukasa's hand in his hair, and his heated body behind his naked back. Not that he wanted to share that little moment they had with his friend.
" Meanie ~ " Gen pouts, and Senku smiles.
" Asagiri Gen. Just the man I wanted to see. "
Tsukasa calls from behind him, and the latter's hair spikes up. It's not that he fears Tsukasa anymore - the petrification marks drawn with charcoal on his face were Gen's own doing after all - but his presence can be intimidating, and he wasn't expecting him to corner him alone.
" Why, hello, Tsukasa-chan. Whatever do you want from weak little me ? "
The day is slowly coming to an end, and it has been a peaceful, albeit uneventful one. It is quite a feat for each and every one of them, Kingdom of science and Empire of Might members alike, to actively work together on such a difficult task as building an even bigger and faster ship.
When they revived Tsukasa after their expedition on treasure island, Gen had been worried. In spite of Tsukasa's men behaving during his absence, they didn't really have a choice nor a leader other than Senku to follow at that point. Now that the charismatic idealist was back, Gen had half expected some of them to pick up their weapons and wage a war against science once more.
It didn't happen.
Senku simply had this way of wrapping people around his finger with acts alone, and coaxing them into helping him pursue his over the top plans. Moreover, Tsukasa had made it clear upon waking up - if the Kingdom of science would accept him despite his misdeeds, then he would gladly lay his life on the line and follow Senku.
Now, it seems that everyone around here is an ally, with or without Tsukasa to lead them. Gen sometimes wonders if someday, they might part ways again, and he prays to the skies above that it won't happen.
" I'd like to ask for your help with something, if you don't mind. "
Gen remembers the day Tsukasa had revived him, and how he had ordered him to look for a certain dangerous scientist named Senku.
Today, it is a just simple request between two comrades, one that wouldn't have him killed if he refused.
" I'm listening. " Gen drawls, purple oversized sleeves draped over two delicate hands.
" I'd like it if you could pry a few informations out of Senku, without him getting suspicious..." He says, and Gen's mouth stretches into a mischievous grin, his interest piqued.
Whatever Tsukasa is scheming, it will definitely spell more work for them and for once, Gen doesn't shy away from it.
" These ones are Daucus Carota. " Senku declares as he separates the foliage from the long white root. " The roots can be cooked and taste like the carrots we had back in the day. The leaves have medicinal properties too, but I don't think they'd sit well in any meal..."
Not that François couldn't cook exquisite refined dishes from scratch, though.
Today, Senku has been roped into gathering food with Suika and Chrome, and they're now emptying their loots from a straw basket plaited by Yuzuriha's deft fingers.
Senku and Chrome are laying out the different types of plants over the table, and Francois puts himself to work. Behind them, the hunters team for the day is slicing a wild boar open, their knives drawing disgusting wet sounds as they cut through the fresh and bloody flesh.
" Uh, not that one." Senku frowns at the plant that he cautiously holds between two fingertips. " That's Conium Maculatum, also known as hemlock or poison parsley. One bite of this plant and you're 10 billion percent dead." He chirps with unconcealed fascination, and not an ounce of worry.
Behind them, the sound of a fire being started cracks in the air. They're getting roasted boar tonight.
François looks up from the vegetables he's cutting.
" Is that the poison Athenians used for executions ? The one Socrates drank ? " The butler asks, and Chrome has no idea what Athenians or Socrates are.
" Yes, 10 billion points for you, François ! This plant has been used for millenniums, and, 3700 years after our civilization, it's still around ! " Senku beams, and it doesn't really make sense for anyone to be so gleeful over such a dangerous thing, science or not.
Sometimes, Senku's love for anything remotely scientific borders on the unhinged, and, behind him, Chrome grimaces.
" Dude, put that away. "
Suika tugs on Senku's elbow.
" Senkuuuuuu, does that mean you're gonna die ?! " She asks with tears in her eyes already, and Senku laughs.
" Haha, don't fret. This doesn't go through skin, don't worry. I'm definitely gonna thoroughly wash my hands tho..." He pats her head (or at least the carved watermelon over it) with his clean hand, and throws the toxic plant into the embers.
The night is slowly setting as the Kingdom of science, old and new members alike, gather around the fire. They don't always eat together, but when the hunt has been good and the mood is light, they do share a copious meal, courtesy of one unrivaled butler. How does François manage to cook for so many persons at once is a mystery Senku doesn't bother to solve.
The warm air of the clement summer night is filled with laughters and enthusiastic projects as bowls are passed around, and when Yuzuriha puts one in his hand, Senku stills.
He hasn't really been hungry as of late, but he knows better than to not eat - he needs the strength and energy for months of struggle to come. So he reluctantly takes a few bites in between the small talk with Chrome and Kaseki, but he feels quickly satiated and he puts the bowl down.
" You're not hungry ? " Yuzuriha asks, a sliver of worry in her sweet voice.
" Na, I'm full, thanks." He says with an apologetic smile, and he wouldn't want to make his precious friend worry over his health, but if he eats any more than that he might just throw up.
" I'll fetch some tea then ! " She says, and Senku knows better than to refuse.
" Sure."
She turns around and swiftly walks back to the kitchen tent, and Senku resumes his conversation with his peers.
" We should be able to sail in a week. Maybe two, if we want to maximize the numbers of food supplies we take with us. "
" Yeah. The crops are almost ready for the second harvest ! " Chrome exclaims, burning with anticipation.
There is a collective cheer going through the crowd like a wave, and Senku grins. Yeah - they're almost done with the boat repairs, and then all they have to do is to pack as much processed bread and grains as they can.
" How long will it take to reach America ? "
Senku gazes up from his sitting position on a trunk, and he needs to stretch his head backwards so much it almost hurts, to be able to meet the eyes of the man standing behind him. He hadn't heard him approach.
" Hm. More than a month, definitely. I'd say, 40 to 50 days."
Senku talks with his neck still outstretched, and his Adam's apple vibrates under the skin of his exposed throat. Tsukasa looks down at his sitting form, from his awkwardly bended neck and pale throat to the red eyes gazing back at him. The scientist is very vulnerable in this position, and yet he's talking to him perfectly relaxed. He trusts him, and that simple fact is so precious that Tsukasa almost feels burdened by it.
He had deemed himself unworthy of Senku's trust and forgiveness, but that enigma of a man was subtly proving him wrong on a daily basis.
" Here's your tea ! "
Both men are torn away from their thoughts as Yuzuriha walks up to them, a steaming hot cup of tea in her hands. Senku whips his head back in a more natural and comfortable position, and accepts the hot beverage.
" Thanks, Yuruziha."
It smells good, Senku thinks as he hums over his cup. He can make out the floral notes of the jasmine they had brought back from treasure island, along with other herbs whose scent he can't really discern.
" So, 40 to 50 days, uh ? That'll be a long travel. And to think it used to be a dozen of hours in a plane back in the days..." Tsukasa muses as he comes to sit next to Senku.
The latter cocks an eyebrow, an amused smirk plastered all over his cheeks, reddened by the hot steam of the tea he just sipped.
" Oh ? Nostalgic of good ol' science ? "
Tsukasa straightens up at Senku's snarky remark.
" Absolutely not. Forty to fifty days are just fine. We don't need to go around the globe so often anyway. "
Senku glances up from his half empty cup, and he can see it - the rift between their ideals and goals, and the both of them are standing on a frail wooden bridge over the unforgiving pit beneath them. It's a fragile balance, and there was no telling who would die first if the bridge were to collapse.
Senku trusts that it just won't, because they're working hand in hand to make it sounder, day after day.
" Ahah, alright, Mr. Ecologist. You - "
Whatever Senku was going to say dies in his throat, and the scientist's eyes narrow. There is a bead of sweat trailing down his forehead, and the cup falls from his trembling grasp. It shatters on the dirt floor, and all his friends' eyes jump on him.
" Senku ?? "
It's Taiju and Yuzuriha, their voices in sync, as they often are.
" Are you okay ? " Taiju asks with an hand on his shoulder, and Senku meekly pushes it away.
" Yeah. Yeah, I... just burnt my hand, is all. " He says with a reassuring smile, but it's easy to make out the uneasiness behind it.
Senku's distraught eyes wander around him, from overly worried faces to overly worried faces, until his eyes meet Tsukasa's alert ones.
Yeah, that will do.
" Tsukasa. There is something I wanted to talk to you about... in private." He says as he hastily stands up and excuses himself, and, if anyone notices how sluggish his movements are, nobody dares to point it out.
He makes a beeline for the deserted kitchen tent, Tsukasa on his heels. There, he finds it - the teapot, still whistling from being heated up a few minutes ago. Senku hastily grabs it, then he empties the whole content on the ground floor. Heavy notes of jasmin cloud the air, and Tsukasa doesn't understand. Senku opens every drawers in search of the herbs they use to make tea, and when he finally finds them, he throws them away into a trash bin, hidden under other wastes.
" Senku, what's the matter ? " Tsukasa asks, and he just knows that something serious must have happened.
The scientist wouldn't act so fidgety otherwise, and, when Senku discreetly slips out the back of the tent, motioning for him to follow, he is downright frightened.
The white head scouts their surroundings to make sure that they are alone - they can hear the laughter and cutlery sounds from afar, but nobody has followed them away from the fire.
" How are my eyes ? "
Tsukasa is taken aback by the uncanny question. Senku's eyes ? Oh, there is so much he could say about them. They're beautiful with their unique shade of promegranate, and dripping with intelligence and a strong will alike - they're nothing short of mesmerizing, and Tsukasa has recently discovered that he loved gazing into these eyes, could do so for hours on end.
However, it's not what Senku is asking.
" They're... red, I guess ? " Tsukasa says, still puzzled by the weirdness of the situation.
" No, not like that." Senku shakes his head, and that simple gesture almost makes him fall. " How are my pupils ? " He insists, looking straight into Tsukasa's own worried eyes.
It's too dark for him to see such a detail, and the brunette leans into him with renewed scrutiny. He grabs his chin and tilts his head up, and they're only a few centimeters away and - oh.
" They're... They're so large I can barely make out your irises. " He mutters, and he hates the thought that forms at the back of his head.
It can't be...
And yet, when he gazes into the blown wide pupils, and notices the wobbling lips and the sweat on his forehead, it all clicks together.
Senku curses under his breath.
" Shit. I think I've been poisoned. "
Tsukasa's blood runs cold, and he freezes altogether, his thumb inadvertently digging into Senku's chin and cheek.
" Uh, don't put your panties in a twist. It was probably my mistake. But I thought I threw the hemlock into the fire..." Senku muses to himself, lost deep in his thoughts.
It doesn't make sense.
Yuzuriha had been the one to prepare the brew out of their dried herbs, so unless some hemlock got mixed into them before, then...
Senku shivers. No. He must have made a mistake when sorting out their harvest from earlier, there was no other tangible explanation.
Heck, it doesn't even matter now - he can feel his limbs getting heavier by the second, and his heart desperately wants to pace furiously in his chest, and yet, it's nothing short of an abnormally slow rythm.
" Hemlock ?! Senku, what does that mean ?! "
Tsukasa is losing his temper, that much Senku can tell. He's pressing a palm against his forehead as if to check for a high temperature, but there is none - only cold yet moist skin.
" Listen. Help me get back to the hut. I could maybe make an antidote, but... Honestly, I don't think I have enough time. " The scientist explains, fighting against himself to keep his mind cool and alert, lest he might frigging panick.
Senku doesn't like the effets of panic on himself, nor does he like the sight of it on Tsukasa's face.
Bless him for being so reliable, though - as soon as Senku words his request, a strong arm circles his waist, and offers him support as Senku tries to take a few steps. He manages to cover half the distance separating him from the lab, then his legs buckle and Senku collapses altogether.
He's swiftly hoisted up in the air, and his limbs are so heavy and his mind so drowsy that he can't even spare the energy to scold Tsukasa for picking him up from the ground and carrying him bridal style.
" How does that poison kill ? " Tsukasa inquires, and he tries to keep his voice calm and collected in spite of the fear creeping inside him.
He takes hasty steps, then he's running, and Senku's head lolls against his shoulder. The smaller man is a lightweight easy to carry around - his heaving form in Tsukasa's arms is the heaviest thing he has ever carried nonetheless.
" Progressive... paralysis. " Senku articulates with difficulty. " It will slowly... paralyze every muscle in me... until the respiratory muscles stop and... I die. "
Tsukasa grits his teeth so hard they almost shatter.
Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck.
No, the last thing Senku needs is for him to succumb to the pain in his heart and be useless.
" Hang in there, Senku ! We're almost here ! " Tsukasa pants as he keeps on running, and yeah, he can see the lab.
Senku doesn't move in his arms, and the brunette realizes that he just fucking can't. He's nothing but a slack rag doll, with barely enough forces left to breath. The movements of his chest are much too wide and much too slow, and it is clear as day for the both of them - it is only a matter of minutes, maybe even seconds, before they stop altogether.
Tsukasa plunges into the hut and almost rips off the curtains as he does. He lets Senku's body slide from his grasp and guides him to sit against the wall with delicacy.
" What do you need ?! What do you need to make the antidote ?! " Tsukasa asks with urgency, and it's almost a yell that flies over Senku's head as he slouches against the wall, and his chest is barely rising anymore.
Fuck. Distressed brown eyes wander over the shelves on the wall, stacked with dozens of rocks and liquids that he doesn't know. There is nothing he can do, and, sadly, nothing Senku can do anymore either.
" Tsukasa..."
His attention is drawn back to the dying scientist. He can see his lips moving, but his voice is too faint for him to hear. Tsukasa kneels down in front of him, into him, and it takes every last ounce of Senku's strength for him to seize the other man's hand.
" Senku..."
Red eyes bore into him, and it's still there - the intensity of his gaze, only now it is an insanely deep abyss of fear.
The brunette's mouth runs dry. Now, with his face so close to the other's, he can hear his voice.
" Tsukasa... I don't want to suffocate. Not again."
It's a plea - one that mercilessly guts Tsukasa on the spot, and if he didn't have to act now, he might have just stood there, trapped within the grasp of Senku's fear and pain and begging voice.
But, alas, there is something that he has to do. He is not letting Senku experience the dawning terror of drowning again.
The thin line of Tsukasa's mouth wobbles, then settles into a devastated yet determined face.
" Alright. I got you. "
The corners of Senku's lips curl ever so slightly, and the hold of his fingers relaxes around Tsukasa's arm. The latter's fingertips brush along the soft skin of Senku's wrist then along his palm, dripping with affection as he reluctantly pulls away.
With heavy steps, he walks to the safe where the Medusa is kept, and grabs it. With steady fingers, Tsukasa presses the device against Senku's barely beating heart.
" One meter, one second. "
Their voices dance together around these four words and, for the second time in the short span of a week, Senku turns to stone.