Chapter Text
[Chapter 5: Seen as more than a soulmate.]
Senkuu hit his fist against his forehead a couple of times before letting his hand drop on the lab table. He couldn’t focus on any one thing. He had plenty of things he needed to work on but each time he tried to focus,
You say that but I don’t think it’s going to change.
I can’t promise you that.
Senkuu must have looked at his cut string 100 times but it didn’t change. It still dangled from his finger.
Just think about it later.
Gen had not returned to the observatory since last night. He knew at least they should talk. They can’t live in the village together and just avoid each other. Gen was still one of the five generals and Senkuu still needed him. Senkuuu felt guilty about going to bed but pushed that aside and promised himself that tomorrow he would for sure talk to Gen about it. Ya tomorrow for sure…
Creak creak
Something was making the wooden floor beneath Senkuu creak.
“Who’s there?” Senkuu asked in the darkness. No response. Senkuu sat up from his bedroll. There stood a mentalist. His purple robe barely visible in the moonlight flooding in from the window.
“Gen?” Senkuu asked, still a bit tired.
“I know what you’re going to say Senkuu, but I’m just here to get some of my stuff,” Gen whispered.
“For?” Senkuu asked, getting out of his daze.
“I’ll tell you later,” Gen replied softly.
“Gen-,”
“Senkuu chan,” Gen spoke over him, “What do you think of me now?” Gen’s voice softened again. “You know since we no longer soulmates anymore,”
“Even if our string did snap, the village still needs both of us,” Senkuu replied quietly.
That wasn’t the full truth. Senkuu really wanted Gen to stay with him but he had no idea what Gen wanted or was even thinking, so he went with the safest bet. Senkuu waited for Gen to say something in return but it was quiet.
“Yes... of course,” Gen hesitated to break the silence. “Well, then goodbye Senkuu,”
“Night,”
Creak creak
Crap! Stupid wooden board. Always creaking at the worst time.
“Who’s there?” Senkuu asked in the darkness.
Just go back to sleep.
Gen heard the blanket move. Gen had his back to Senkuu but he knew Senkuu saw him.
“Gen?” Senkuu yawned.
Gen fought back the urge to go rest by Senkuu’s side. Even with his coat on he still had chills running up his body.
Damnit Gen. You’re a mentalist. Just get your stuff and go.
“I know what you’re going to say Senkuu, but I’m just here to get some of my stuff,” Gen whispered.
“For?” Senkuu asked.
“I’ll tell you later,” Gen replied softly.
What am I thinking? Going to Europe with Ukyo and Ryusui, without even telling Senkuu. When I leave without even saying goodbye that’s going to hurt him so much… and then what do I do when I get back? Act like I didn’t just run away without saying anything.
“Gen-,”
Senkuu...
“Senkuu chan,” Gen spoke over him, “What do you think of me now? You know since we no longer soulmates anymore,”
It was a question Gen still had.
“Even if our string did snap, the village still needs both of us,” Senkuu replied quietly.
The village… right. I appreciate the thought, Senkuu but I don’t want the village to need me. I want you to need me.
“Yes... of course,” Gen hesitated to break the silence. Gen felt something getting caught in his throat.
You don’t need me here.
“Well, then goodbye Senkuu,”
“Night,”
Goodbye Senkuu chan.
Something about that phrasing made Senkuu’s skin crawl. Gen agreed they had to work together despite not being soulmates anymore but still Gen kept a distance. He didn’t even walk past the lab or come close.
Maybe I should go talk to him-
“Umm earth to Senkuu,” Ukyo’s voice interrupted Senkuu’s thoughts.
“Hmh? Oh ya what is it?” Senkuu asked.
“I’ve been trying to tell you that the planes are ready for take-off soon,” Ukyo told him.
“Huh? Why’re you telling me this?” Senkuu queried.
“So you could see Gen off,” Ukyo looked confused as Senkuu.
“Gen didn’t tell me he was going with you,” It was starting to click. Why he came for his stuff last night but Gen wouldn’t say goodbye if it was just for a small trip. Gen hated saying goodbye unless he meant it…
“Damn it, Gen,” Senkuu groaned.
“Did something happen?” Ukyo asked. Senkuu raised up his hand to show the cut string on his finger. “Oh.. how long ago did it?,”
“3 days ago. Honestly, I don’t blame him for wanting to get away. Losing your soulmate-” Senkuu felt something bubbling up in his chest. Gen was leaving… and he didn’t even tell him, but to be fair Senkuu hadn’t been open with Gen either.
“For someone so smart you can be an idiot sometimes,” Ukyo’s voice broke Senkuu’s thoughts“Gen would always talk about you. He talked about the world of you. When we first asked if he wanted to go he said he wanted to stay because you might need him. I doubt we saw you’re as just a soulmate… and I hope you see him more than that too,”
More than just a soulmate.
“Geez how dumb am I!” Senkuu groaned before getting out of his seat. “By the airport right?” Senkuu asked.
“Last I checked Gen was going into the observatory to get the last of his things. Said he couldn’t get them all last night,”
“Got it. Thank you,” Senkuu told Ukyo.
“Even if our string did snap, the village still needs both of us,”
Always on and on about the village. Stop being logical for a second and just say you need me. The village doesn’t need me here… They already fully trust Senkuu.
Gen had placed his bag on the floor and just took a second to look at the molded glass cola bottle in the corner of the room. It was the first Cola bottle Senkuu gave him. Even though Gen didn’t think Senkuu would make him one, Senkuu surprised him. Senkuu would always surprise him.
“Baking soda… right,” Gen jokingly scoffed to himself.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,”
“After all these years it’s still here,” Gen smiled but tears were threatening to flood his face.
“Gen we need to talk now,” Senkuu said.
“Hmh? Are you on break right now?” Gen was ignoring the statement.
“Gen,”
“We should talk about this tomorrow. You should go back to work and-,”
“Gen,” Senkuu cut off Gen. “You’re going to leave on that plane and you weren’t planning on coming back,”
Oh, he knows.
“Ya,”
“Fine, but before you go can we at least talk?” Senkuu asked.
Gen didn’t dare let himself cry. “Sure. You start,”
“I have been an inconsiderate asshole,” Senkuu stated “I got so used to having you by my side through so much I didn’t think about how you felt,”
“Ya, you didn’t,”
“Also you were right. I was trying to do everything by myself and shutting people out. I should have listened to you more, and I’m sorry,”
“You also didn’t spend enough time with me,” Gen added. “It felt like you didn’t need me anymore,”
“Ya, I’m the worst,” Senkuu commented. “I’m sorry it took you almost leave for me to realize the whole soulmate thing doesn’t matter. From the moment the string snapped to right now I still loved you Gen, and I’m sorry I didn’t say this last night but I also need you,”
“Senkuu… you know you really hurt me right? Last night, it felt like you were just trying to make things work for the sake of the village and not our sake,” Gen confessed. “Why do you need me?”
Gen could hear Senkuu take a deep breath.
“I don’t know how to put it,”
“Try,” Gen blurted.
“Whenever Ukyo told me you were leaving... I just didn’t want to be here without you. These last few days I feel comfortable knowing at least you were still here but hearing you were going to leave and not planning on coming back… I didn’t want that. Gen, I appreciate and value you a lot. More than I have shown in the past few weeks. You make a horrible day into something I can manage just by being there. The amount of just unconditional love you give me always surprises me. You’ve always been there and are so patient with me and I’m sorry I took that for granted . If you still want to go I’m not going to stop you I just wanted you to know I’m sorry,”
“Senkuu chan,” Gen started “We’ll come back, but just for a few days… come with me?”
“Yes,” Senkuu replied without wasting another second.
“Yes?”
“That’s what I said,”
“Haha,” Gen weakly laughed. “Ya, you did,”
Senkuu put out his hand with a broken string dangling down. Gen rushed into Senkuu’s arms.
“That’s all I wanted to hear,” Gen beamed. “I love you too Senkuu chan,”
Senkuu pushed Gen closer. Gen raised his head up from Senkuu's chest to look at him. Senkuu put his hand on Gen's cheek. Gen snuggled into Senkuu's hand. Senkuu didn’t realize just how much he missed his lover's warmth and being intimate like this, but like hell, he was going to say… screw it,
“I missed you,”
“You keep saying stuff like that my heart will explode… I missed you too, dumbass ,”
The two's lips connected in a chaste kiss. Gen could feel his's and Senkuu's heartbeats slow. Whatever anger was left was quickly replaced with relief and love.
Zipp!
No way….
Gen and Senkuu must have had the same idea because they both pulled away from the hug. There on both of their fingers, strands of their string reconnected. Not completely but the string was starting rebuilding itself.
“Well, would you look at that,” Senkuu chuckled.
“It’s reconnecting,” Gen added.
“Ya, it is huh?” Senkuu smiled. “This has to be the plot to some cheap novel,”
“Ehh I don’t know. I would buy it,” Gen hummed.
“Of course you would,” Senkuu scoffed, reaching out his hand again.
“And I would read it to you over and over,” Gen happily took Senkuu’s hand.
Their fingers interlaced together.
“Ok enough with the cheesy crap mentalist,”
“What? I still had so much to say,” Gen pouted.
“Write it down for later. We got a plane to catch remember,” Senkuu reminded him. “We can make Ukyo and Ryusui hella uncomfortable in the plane ride,”