"I'm saying you're right. I wanted to see how well you could lead others because... because I think you should stay here. After we leave Japan."
Y/n's eyes widened as he confirmed her fears. Everyone she knew, leaving? For possibly decades? Senku included? How... How could he ask that of her? The betrayed look on her face was proof enough of what Senku obviously predicted: she would never agree to that.
"Before you get upset, just listen," Senku sighed. "You're the only person who I think is capable enough to hold down the fort while we're gone. We don't know what's out there, and on the chance that we don't come back, we need someone to be able to lead humanity to a bright future. Besides, it'll be helpful to keep part of the team here in Japan."
"'Hold down the fort?'" Y/n interjected, her voice wavering. She wasn't even upset at what he had said, she was angry that he hadn't seemed to learn. This situation felt very similarly to a few they had been in before, much to Y/n's dismay. "'Chance that we don't come back?' Senku, do you even hear yourself? You expect me to sit by while you go off doing dangerous shit when you know how much I hate it? I don't know how many times I have to say it for you to finally get it through your thick skull: I don't need you to protect me. I'd rather be risking my life with you than be a sitting duck driving myself insane wondering if you're still alive or not. If you can't tell me there's a good chance you and all the others will survive, then maybe you need to reconsider the importance of all of this. Maybe we don't need to find the source of petrification if it'll just kill all of us."
Senku was staring at the ground, which made Y/n feel a twinge of guilt. She knew he only did it because he cared about her safety, but she was tired of it. He needed to see how hypocritical he was being. Running off to danger while he left her behind. He didn't reply for a few more seconds, but when he did, his voice was void of emotion except for a sense of urgency.
"I'm not trying to protect you, Y/n. The fact of the matter is, we're up against an enemy who we have no information about. We don't know what this being is or if its even alive, but we do know that that is what ended humanity the first time, and we also know that this could be our last chance. So yes, we need to find the source of the petrification, and then we need to figure out how to stop it," Senku took a deep breath, this was all taking a heavy toll on him, even if he refused to show it. "If that doesn't work and we don't make it back for reasons other than being petrified, you and the rest of Japan would be our next best chance. I obviously don't like it as a solution either, but that's just how it is."
Y/n thought about that. He made some good points, but they didn't add up. She took a deep breath to calm herself down, stressing Senku out more with her emotions would just increase the burden he had to bear. The ship was still a long way from being complete anyways, it's not like they were forced to decide anything right now. Neither of them needed to be as tense as they were. That logic worked-- she was still uneasy, but she could think clearly now.
"Maybe you're right, but you've forgotten: if I am humanity's next best chance, as you so lovingly put it, who's to say I have to physically be there to guide them?" Y/n gave him a small smile, trying to be reassuring. "Books are nice because they retain information for centuries, given they're properly maintained. I'll make you a deal. I still go with you, since I clearly definitely have indispensable skills that will be of use to you, and in return I write a survival guide of sorts for the people we leave here. Containing any sciencey information you deem to be useful, as well as general tips on how to stay alive without killing each other. We have a ways to go before we actually leave, so there's plenty of time to get it on paper."
Senku stared at her a moment before turning back to face the window, exhaling with amusement. He looked more relaxed than before, and Y/n was glad the intensity of the situation had diminished somewhat. Y/n grinned and continued.
"And before you say it'd still be better I stayed because I'm just so amazing, I do know several languages. Which! If I recall correctly, are essential for international negotiation," She clicked her tongue, as if she were indirectly telling Senku 'Gotcha!'
"Well... I'll think about it," Senku chuckled. Y/n groaned, more out of disbelief that he didn't immediately accept her proposal.
"You're still going to tell me that staying here is the better option when I logically proved that it isn't?"
"You didn't prove anything," Senku pointed out. She crossed her arms.
"Uh huh! I speak several different languages, you are going across the world to revive people who speak several different languages. Proof!"
"Fine, but it'd still be better for people to have a leader to look up to."
"They will! Books!" Y/n exclaimed happily. Senku sighed, but it felt more lighthearted. He was smiling again, that was a good sign.
"I meant a person. Y'know, an alive one. You'd be safer here."
"So you are trying to protect me!"
"Well--"
"Nope!" Y/n cackled, puffing out her chest proudly. Senku was letting emotion interfere with his decisions... maybe. "Your argument is invalid due to emotional bias! Anything you say from now on won't be backed by logic!"
"...I literally backed up my reasoning with sound logic--"
"And I countered that with better logic."
Senku huffed, it was pointless to argue with Y/n. She smiled at him smugly before flipping her hair and hopping off the table, deeming this fight to be her victory. Walking over to the door, she stopped and turned back to Senku, who hadn't moved. She debated whether or not she should say what was on her mind, but then she decided to go for it. Life was too short anyways... if you called 3700+ years short.
"Also... I'd miss you way too much if you left me for that long," the words passed her lips like a whisper, barely loud enough for him to hear. She cleared her throat and turned back to the door, opening it. "I'll be downstairs, come join us when you're ready."
She then proceeded to go back downstairs, joining the rest of the group. Everyone was talking and laughing, which made her smile. Despite the previous interaction, this was still a happy night.
***
The next day, after leaving her newly unpacked and organized room, she bid those who were going back to Ishigami village goodbye, and proceeded to get started on her next big project: writing lessons. She needed to write a lesson plan, make practice sheets, and organize sign-ups so that the village people could learn to write, and the modern day folks could learn English. She could introduce other language classes later, when the petrification ordeal was over. She had enough to do now anyways.
It was a tall order, but Y/n figured she could reward herself with the freshly baked bread that Senku and the science team would be making with the newly harvested wheat. Fall was upon them, and they'd need to stock up food for winter. Instead of just the two of them, there were now roughly 150 people that needed to be fed.
For the rest of that morning, Y/n proceeded to outline lesson plans for the lessons she wanted to start in the next week. Sign-ups could come after, and she could improvise some of the lessons along the way. Around mid-afternoon, she went to the meeting room where the phone had been set up, waiting for Senku's daily report.
A small realization hit her. She hadn't spoken to Senku since last night, and the last thing she said to him... how embarrassing. She hoped he didn't think too much of it as the phone rang, which she let ring once before picking it up. Her fears of the situation being awkward with Senku were quickly squashed as she heard two voices screaming at her from the other end.
"WE NEED TO WAKE UP A PRO CHEF!!" Senku and Ryusui harmonized over the phone, making Y/n wince and almost throw the speaker across the table.
"Holy shit, chill out!" Y/n snapped, her poor ears aching. "You're going to blow my eardrums out. What the hell do you want a pro chef for? Are you seriously telling me you failed to make bread that badly? The things our ancestors made with ease? Seriously."
"STOP LECTURING US!! I WANT A PRO CHEF!!!" Ryusui cried over the phone, and Y/n sighed in defeat. There really was no compromise with this man. Y/n heard a shuffle form the receiver-- Senku had likely snatched in from Ryusui.
"He's right. Unless you somehow have extensive baking knowledge, we're going to need to wake someone up. There's no way any of us know how to make bread that'll last long enough for the trip, and even if we do, it'll be so low quality the crew will die of low morale."
"You're exaggerating," Y/n pointed out, but part of what he said was true. She did not have extensive baking knowledge. "But you've made your point. We don't have any revival fluid though..."
Y/n remembered her own small jar of nitric acid, but that was for Val. She still hadn't found the time to find and revive her, but she swore she would before she left Japan. There was a short pause on the other end, Senku had likely recalled this too.
"Alright, then we need to find someone who does have it. Oi, calm down!" Senku barked the last sentence at Ryusui, who was still having his meltdown over not having high-end pastries. She heard the receiver being snatched again, with some distant protests from Senku.
"Surely there has to be someone so vile, so evil, they'd hide some for themselves~" Ryusui's voice was slightly hoarse from yelling, and Y/n could only imagine his ironically comic expression as he said that.
"Seriously Ryusui, calm down. We'll figure something out," Y/n pinched the bridge of her nose, a slight headache growing. "Alright, I'm gonna go. I'll call again if I find someone who had revival fluid."
Senku faintly said something from behind Ryusui, but his words were indistinguishable as he didn't have the receiver. Y/n hung up, making her way downstairs to find the only other person who could possibly have revival fluid: Minami. The reporter was in charge of reviving people when Tsukasa reigned, so she had to have a spare dose of nital... right?
After wandering around the Empire and occasionally asking others if they had seen Minami, she eventually found her with Gen, and both seemed to be enjoying lunch. After chatting with them while they finished eating, Y/n brought the two back to the library meeting room, where she called Senku again.
"DID YOU FIND SOMEONE?" She was unfortunately greeted by Ryusui's impatient voice, but this time she was wise enough to point the speaker away from herself.
"Yes, now calm the hell down and listen!" Y/n handed the speaker to Minami while Ryusui explained what he wanted. Minami looked at Y/n quizzically, but something about her demeanor seemed... fake.
"Revival fluid? There's no way I'd have something like that."
Yup, it was definitely a lie. Fair enough, though. Y/n wasn't willing to give up her own stash, but she wondered who Minami wanted to revive. Maybe it was no one, but revival fluid was valuable now, and Minami was smart. She wouldn't give it up for free.
"Hah, don't play dumb with me, reporter!" Ryusui laughed madly, which seemed to worry Gen, who was just now catching wind of how desperate Ryusui really was. "You were in charge of reviving people, no? You must've stashed some away for yourself!"
Minami denied yet again, and Gen smirked, gesturing for her to give him the speaker. After a few seconds of listening to nothing (though Minami wouldn't know the difference, Y/n knew better) he gasped loudly.
"Really, Senku?! You're going to make her that? It's only the most essential tool for any reporter, right??" Gen was clearly making it all up, but it seemed to fool Minami, her eyes went wide as a doe's. "It would make an amazing gift for the well renowned reporter Hokutozai Minami!"
Her face flushed, the desire of this so called tool exciting her. Without another word, she lifted her headband and handed Y/n a small jar of what she assumed was revival fluid. Gen confirmed with Senku that they had the revival fluid, and began discussing who they would revive.
"I've only got one dose of this left," Minami said, but she looked ecstatic. "I'm assuming you'll be reviving a three michelin-star chef?"
Y/n turned to Gen as he hung up, giving them the location of the next person.
For the rest of the afternoon, Y/n, Minami, Taiju, Nikki, and Gen set out to find this person Ryusui had described. Gen filled them in on who this person was.
"They're apparently Ryusui's butler, one of the top ones in the service industry... Francois, I think it was? Francois or Francoise~"
"So... which is it?" Y/n asked, puzzled. Francois was a man's name, whereas Francoise was a woman's name. Not that this mysterious butler's gender mattered, it was a simple conundrum which piqued her curiosity. Gen shrugged.
"Ryusui himself didn't remember."
"Not even their gender?!"
"Apparently not."
Soon enough, however, Y/n could see why Ryusui didn't know, as careless as it was of him. Once they found the person named Francois, Y/n found that their petrified state looked completely androgynous. Taiju averted his gaze, just in case, and Y/n had to resist the temptation to look down to quell her own intrigue. Nevertheless, she poured the revival fluid on their head as Nikki held out clothes ready for them.
Quick as a flash, the clothes were grabbed from Nikki by a small hand with a star-shaped petrification scar. Instantly, Ryusui's butler was fully dressed in a dark blue jacket and pants, looking sharp. They took one look around and got on one knee, strawberry blonde curls framing their face as they bowed to everyone.
"I give you my deepest thanks for the clothes and everything else you have provided for me," Francois said politely, and Y/n was surprised. Even their voice sounded ambiguous, a perfect mix between masculine and feminine. Well, she supposed their gender didn't matter anyways, which is what Ryusui must've thought as well. "But I must ask, do any of you know Master Nanami Ryusui? I must find him immediately."
They even prioritized him before they knew of their situation, they must be one of the best butlers in Japan, no, the world. It stunned Y/n that someone could take a job so seriously. When Taiju and Nikki earnestly explained their situation, Francois set off, walking in a random direction, presumably to find Ryusui. Gen and Y/n chased after them, panicked at the fact they just wandered off without even asking for directions.
"Wait, do you even know where you are?! At least let one of us guide you, geez!" Y/n ran after Francois, who didn't stop.
"That would be immensely helpful, thank you."
And so, for almost two days straight, the three walked.
And walked.
And walked.
And walked.
Y/n had plenty of time to fill in Francois about everything going on, from their current situation to why they were awakened. By the end of it, Gen looked about ready to drop dead, and Y/n felt the same. With minimal breaks and rest, the hike was hell, but Francois seemed unaffected as they finally reached Ishigami village, to the shock of the others.
Gen dropped to the ground, exhausted. Though Y/n was a bit more athletic than he was, she wasn't too far from collapse herself.
"We walked... almost two days straight," Gen gasped, being somewhat dramatic as he fell on all fours. Senku laughed, psyched at how Francois already lived up to everyone's expectations.
"Well, if there isn't any bread, let them make it from wheat, or however the saying goes," Senku grinned. Finally letting herself sit down, Y/n raised a hand.
"It's 'Qu'ils mangent de la brioche,' or 'Let them eat cake,'" she said weakly, correcting him even in her exhausted state. "I'm just gonna sit here a while..."
While Y/n recuperated her stamina, Francois looked at the attempt to make wheat bread... to put it kindly, it closely resembled charcoal. Stifling a gag, they put a handkerchief to their mouth and turned away.
"Please tell me you didn't serve this industrial waste to your guests..."
"Yeah, we did!" Ryusui cackled, back to his happy-go-lucky demeanor after getting his top butler back. "So, what's on the menu?"
"Well, that depends," Francois's brow furrowed, wracking their brain. "Senku, what kind of bread do you need?"
"Something long lasting and that can fill up our crew," Senku explained. "Most importantly, something edible."
"That's not what I meant. How long do you need it to last? Be as specific as you can," Francois began tying an apron around their waist, slipping on gloves in the process. Ryusui chimed in.
"Generally, with voyages that last over a year, the crew gives out before the food does," he snapped his fingers, "So around ten months. Sound good, Senku?"
Senku thought about that for a moment before nodding. "Yup, ten months is good."
"Ten months. Understood," Francois reaffirmed before giving them all a little bow as they presented their idea. "Then, in that case, today's menu will be goat-blessed stollen."
<><><>
HI!!
To everyone's surprise (including myself haha) I didn't just disappear after uploading a single chapter! Summer is really boring right not BUT that's good because I have more time to write for you all.
Also, you guys have no idea how hard it is to write Senku showing emotion like damn :''D I've been analyzing his behavior to try and predict the most accurate way he'd react to more emotional situations since there aren't many similar ones in Dr. Stone. From what I gathered, he's someone who hates talking about his emotions outright, and will only show the ones he wants people to see through his actions. The ones he doesn't want others to see are more subtle, but they show anyways bc he's still only human.
I'm bringing this up because in most x Senku fics I've read he's usually very ooc (which I can't blame the writers for bc Senku and romance just don't mix :"D) so I wanted to at least try and stay as true to his personality as possible when dealing with romance. Hopefully this also helps anyone who wants to write a Senku fic of their own!!
Before I go to sleep (it's around 2 am here ahaha) I just have some cute headcanons for you all :)
Senku's giving love language is definitely gift-giving. After rereading the manga I kept noticing that he'd always make things people needed/wanted while conveniently integrating it into his own plans. He just likes to make things using his knowledge for other people, it's his own subtle way of showing he cares.
As for receiving, I'm leaning towards quality time. He forms bonds with people in the show/manga by creating things and working with them to reach a common goal, so I think it fits him really well!
Anywaysss apologies if any of this A/N is a bit incoherent, I'm not going to edit this part haha. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, stay safe, drink water, and I'll see you all next time!! Ily Bittercups <3
-Bitter