Disclaimer: I don't own . Obviously. I'm just a fan with an itch for more of my ships.

Authoress' Note: This is one I've been tossing around in my head for a bit. I hope that you enjoy!

Fever

Psychogenic fever. A condition in where a person developed a high body temperature, usually without influence from something such as a cold or the flu. A condition that risks presenting itself in relation to undue stressful events. Something that, normally, people wouldn't worry too much about. Taking medication, a lukewarm bath, resting, drinking fluids, taking the time to actually relax and allow for the stress to work itself out... stereotypical things that helped with fevers of all types.

However, in the stone world, the stereotypical wasn't so. In this world, a fever could be dangerous, if not deadly. There was no medication like what the modern world was so reliant on, and you never know what elements of nature could help or hinder the ability to lower one's temperature otherwise. This was something Senku Ishigami was painfully aware of. Emerging into the stone world over 3700 years after the mysterious petrification of Earth, he learned quickly that everything that science had provided over thousands of years that he had taken for granted was no longer available, and that meant he – and the other survivors from the stone – had the most limited of options when it came to treating the ill.

That meant that a thing such as a fever, any type of fever, was a potential death sentence, and it was something that Senku definitely was aware of. While he, along with the rest of the inhabitants of Ishigami Village, had successfully created antibiotics – a life-saving achievement in its own right – it was only one medication, and one that was limited at that. Other types of medication were still out of reach and lesser on the totem pole of necessities that the great scientist deemed necessity for the grand plan of reviving the entire world from their stone prisons. However, there was a subconscious reason behind that as well, although if one were to ask Senku about it, he'd likely agree: the overall health of those that came after the petrification was seemingly well. Issues with the "blurry eye sickness" and Ruri's bout with pneumonia – both of which was now handled due to Senku's influence – were the main threats, and other than the occasional bruise, bump, and cut everyone was healthy and happy, and there wasn't much of a need for any of the general medications, like acetaminophen and aspirin, that would help with some of the more basic symptoms of illness. At least not yet, so why bother putting in the effort to make it so when there was so much more that was needed instead?

And so, that was what Senku did: pushed forward with everything else related to his grand plan, while other aspects was pushed to the background to be handled later. He worked through and through, constructing and following every road map he had set forth, with varying degrees of efficiency but overall successful by the time they reached the end, sometimes pulling all-nighters to reach the goals they needed. It wasn't the smartest move, he knew that, but it was what needed to be done. For science, for the world. It wasn't as though he was unfamiliar with the concept, however, knowing many times where he had done the same thing in his youth back in the modern world. Other than some exhaustion caused by the lack of sleep, nothing entirely terrible has come from any string of such nights, so he had no reason to discontinue them now.

Although, after the third night, Senku began to feel a bit sluggish. He hid it well, of course, because the last thing he really wanted was everyone crowding around him, acting worried and scared and he honestly had no real use for such delays in the process. Occasionally, he would be asked if he was alright, to which he'd brush it off with a scoff or a "never mind", and it would be dropped with suspicion but nevertheless not brought up again. Still, he knew that he was being eyed at every corner, but he ignored it. He was fine. Nothing was wrong. He didn't need their concern or pity over him. Not in the slightest. Everyone could keep their gazes and thoughts away from him, and just focus on what they need to do.

However, no matter what he tried to force people to do, he couldn't stop people from being worried. And on the fourth day, as they had been doing, several of Senku's closest comrades eyed him warily, noticing how much the usually strong and stoic scientist was chugging along. Bags under his eyes, more so than usual at least, a slight slurring of words, obvious drifting off during conversations... Senku was obviously not well, yet all of their attempts to show their concern was met with a rebuff. Still, they watched. Watched as he fought through the exhaustion. Fought back against all suggestions for rest. Fought against all questions about his well-being. Fought back as he sweat harder than what seemed to be normal for such a day and the activity involved. Fought back as he tried to keep himself steady.

Senku didn't need their worries... didn't need their suggestions. He didn't need to sleep, he needed to work. He didn't need to cool down, all he needed was something cool to drink. He ignored every sign of illness, because he wasn't sick. He was fine. He would be fine. He was-

"Senku!"

Chrome's yell was the last thing Senku heard before he hit the ground. In an instant, everything had stopped. Kohaku, Ginro, and Kinro had stopped their sparring session. Kaseki and Chrome had stopped working. Gen and Suika, staying out of the way and chatting about, had stopped their conversation. Everyone had turned towards their collapsed friend, all now feeling different stages of worry and panic now that their worst concerns was coming to the light.

Chrome was the first to reach Senku, followed by Gen. "Senku! Hey, Senku, what's wrong?!" the former sorcerer exclaimed, kneeling down, lifting Senku up under his shoulders, resting his upper body more on his legs than the dusty ground. Both men could see how flush his face had become, covered in beads of sweat. While he didn't seem to react to much of what people were saying, he was still seemingly conscious, panting heavily, brows furrowed and eyes closed. Gen pulled back the sleeve on his left arm, placing the underside of his wrist against Senku's forehead, followed by his cheeks.

"He's burning up," the mentalist stated, "A fever. A very high one, at that."

"A fever? Wait... like when your body gets really hot, like when you're sick?"

"Sick!?" Suika exclaimed, "But Senku seemed okay to me! He wasn't like Ruri or anything!"

"Well, there's different types of illness," Gen explained, "Not all can be as serious as what she suffered from. But a fever is connected to many different things, and sometimes not related to illness."

"But for him to just pass out like this? There has to be a reason for it, right!?" Chrome exclaimed, "You know more about these types of things than we do."

"Hey, that doesn't make me an expert by any means! Our dear Senku knows far more than what I do when it comes to medical knowledge," Gen rebuffed, "What I do know is that we need to find a way to get his fever down, and fast. Otherwise..."

There was that lingering air of fear as Gen trailed off, and everyone seemed realize what he was implying. As people began to bounce off ideas with one another on what to do, Kohaku remained quiet, her body shaking and heart racing. Everything sounded like muffled words to her, her focus on the suffering scientist even though the blocked vision of her friends hovering around him, sea green eyes glazing over with a variety of emotions that even she couldn't filter out which was which.

Finally, she snapped up her head, fists clenched, and a determined expression upon her face. "Everyone, shut up for a minute!" she screamed, her voice echoing through the surrounding trees.

All attention turned towards the lioness, surprised to hear her loud roar, but all knew to quiet and listen. Kohaku would never, out of impulse, shout like this.

"Listen to everything I say, got it?" she demanded, "Chrome, you and Gen get Senku into the lab. Set him down on the floor. Prop up his head on something soft, if you can find it; it'd be more comfortable than just being on the floor. Ginro, Kinro. You both are fast. Go back to the village. First off, tell Ruri to stay away from here if she had any plans to come by. If Senku is sick, who knows if she could stand getting whatever he has. Second, gather as much scrap cloth as you can. We'll need a bunch of it."

She turned towards Suika, "Suika, I need you and old man Kaseki to work together on setting up a fire and a stand for us to place some canisters of water on. Once you get the fire started, start gathering up as much water as you can from the river. We'll need to gently heat up some of it, and you two will be in charge of making sure the water doesn't get boiling hot. It just needs to be lukewarm."

"Chrome, after you get Senku settled, help them out, okay? We're going to need a lot of water. Just keep bringing as much as you can carry from the river. Don't stop until I say so, got it?" she continued, finally taking in a breath of her own, "Now go. Seriously, do what I say! You want to get Senku out of this mess? Well, this is the only way to really do it, so go!"

A unison "right" was shouted out; everyone knew, even the smart mouth Gen, to listen to Kohaku when she was forthright and clear like this. Obviously she had a precise plan; compared to what else the rest of the ragtag bunch of the Kingdom of Science had in mind, it was better than doing nothing. And so, everyone did as they were told. With much struggle, Senku was brought under the shade of the laboratory, Ginro and Kinro made their run towards the village proper, with Suika and Kaseki started work on their necessary fire. Making sure her hair was tied back tight, Kohaku made her way into the laboratory, kneeling down beside Senku as the two men finished laying him down, Gen's overcoat being used as a makeshift pillow to elevate his head slightly.

"Kohaku, what's the actual plan here?" Chrome asked, "Like... how is gathering water going to help?"

"We went through this with Ruri. When she was younger," she replied, "Don't know how our mother knew this stuff, but she did. My father did a bulk of the work. Jasper and Turquoise too. Gathering water, heating it up, using it to help cool her down. Look, I admit, I don't know how exactly it works, but it did. So if it worked for her, then it'd have to work for Senku."

Chrome was shocked; he hadn't heard of such a thing happening to Ruri, but he had no reason to doubt any of Kohaku's explanation. He nodded, glancing once more at his friends, before hauling himself out of the building, greeted by Suika as the two gathered what containers they had available to collect the requested water, leaving Gen and Kohaku alone with the ailing scientist.

Kohaku bit down on her bottom lip, looking up at Gen, who was watching her expectantly for her next order. "Okay... this is the awkward part. We need to undress him," she muttered.

The mentalist cocked one brow, smirking despite the situation, "How uncouth, Kohaku-chan~"

"H-hey, it's not like I want to do this! And I'm sure Senku wouldn't enjoy this either. But we'll need to basically wash him in excessive amounts of the water. And we can't do that if he's still dressed," the blonde stuttered out, ignoring the bright red her face was certainly becoming, "I'll turn around, so if you can, please, Gen? Just... well... cover down there or something?"

Despite the situation, Gen couldn't help but laugh a moment; it was actually a bit cute seeing the usually tough and carefree warrior flustered. However, he knew how dire this situation was, and obviously Kohaku did as well. With deft hands and some small apologies, Gen did as told, carefully removing Senku's lab coat from his body – admittedly glad that he had some sort of undergarment protecting his lower extremities – using the coat to cover his lower half. Throughout the process, Senku made a groaning noise, an annoyed growl over being touched and undressed, no doubt. However, Gen ignored the noises he was making; in the end, Senku had no one to blame but himself for this bout of helplessness. If he had just allowed for people to worry, to allow them to help, the moment everyone knew something was wrong with him, things may not have gone this way.

A stifled sigh came from the lady that was awaiting the word that it was safe to turn around, and dark cerulean eyes darted to her back. She was trying to hide something from all that were around her, but he could see the subtle quivering of her frame. Was she... crying? No, he couldn't imagine that. He didn't linger on the thought for too long; the reaction was more in relation to the overall situation, he thought logically.

"Alright, I'm done," Gen finally stated, allowing Kohaku to turn around.

"Good. Now to just wait for them to start coming back with the water," Kohaku replied, looking around the laboratory, "Hmm... can you check and see for any clean glasses? I'm sure there has to be some here that haven't been used for any of that chemi-whatever stuff they always mess with."

"I wouldn't have a clue on where to even start for that," Gen said deadpanned, looking around at all of the shelves covered with the glass tubes, casks, and beakers, "It's a shame there's no real label system nowadays, because that would make things far easier."

"... Top... left. Closest to the entry..."

The two jolted their heads back towards Senku, watching as his crimson eyes half-opened, his face still flushed and sweaty, but it was a relief to see him more responsive. "Those... I used only... for water," he commented, one arm reaching up to point to the area he spoke of

Gen stood up, grabbing three of the glasses he weakly pointed to, looking through them to check for any signs of dirt or dust. "Ah, perfect! What should I do with them now?" he asked, his question directed specifically at the huntress.

"Bring them outside. Tell Kaseki that, once they return with water, fill them up and bring them in here," she instructed, "Also tell them to keep one container of water separated from the ones we're heating up."

He nodded, leaving the building and Kohaku and Senku alone. The befallen scientist's gaze lingered on the entryway for a moment, then turned towards Kohaku. She had her eyes closed, a hand to her chest as she took in a deep breath, exhaling it after a moment of holding back, opening her eyes again and turning towards him.

"Kohaku... you..."

"For once, Senku, you should probably be quiet," she remarked, the unease of her smile taking out a lot of the bite of her words, "Let us do this for you, okay?"

He panted, closing his eyes as Kohaku brushed back his sticking bangs from his face, opening them up again to watch as she looked around for something, then sighing as she despaired over the lack of ability to find that something. She mumbled something unintelligible before she turned back towards him, using the back of her hand to try and wipe away the sweat from his face.

Senku was a bit taken aback by her gentle touch. He had never known this woman to be anything but a fierce protector, although of course she has shown her softer side on many occasions as well. However, he was surprised that those warrior hands were so soft. Not in terms of the way she carefully caressed his face, but the skin... he had expected her hands to be calloused and rough from all of the time she had spent holding her weapons and honing her talents. Actually... this was the first time he's really noticed her up close. Even after all this time, he never really took much time to actually notice her. But why would he? There wasn't a reason to. Although, a small part began to wonder if that was a mistake, as maybe if he had known...

He chuckled, despite his condition. "Out of all things, huh...?" he questioned, a weak smirk stretching across his lips

Kohaku blinked, confused, her hand hovering over his face, "Senku?"

He didn't answer, shaking his head, trying to turn his focus to steadying his breathing; he knew what was wrong with him, and while he was conscious enough to be in control, he had to do what he could. As much as he hated the doting of his companions, he knew that he was in no condition to push them all away now. Kohaku watched as he closed his eyes, and she sighed, wiping her hand off on her dress. She tried to look around again, getting up on her knees, making the motion to stand up.

The moment her body made that motion, she was stopped by fingers wrapping sternly around her wrist. She stopped, looking back to see those half-lidded scarlet eyes on her. He didn't say a word, but he didn't have to. Her lips parted, surprised by what he had done. Swallowing down the lump in her throat, she settled back down, taking Senku's hand into her own, grasping tightly to it, ignoring the little thump-thump in her chest when his fingers wrapped around one of her palms.

"I'm here, okay? Everything will be alright. I promise," she whispered, "Just rest and get better, okay Senku?"

Through the strain, he smirked at her words, closing his eyes again as he tried to rest. As he settled down, Gen returned, stopped for a moment at the sight of Kohaku hovering over her, his hand in her own.

"Well, isn't this cute?" he remarked, his voice soft but every bit sarcastic as he usually was.

Ignoring it, Kohaku turned her attention towards the returning man, "Are they back yet?"

"Not quite yet. The fire was started pretty quickly, though. I believe they used some of the fire from furnace to get it going. It's a start," he replied, kneeling back down on Senku's other side.

They were quiet, Gen sitting with his arms crossed, watching as Kohaku gently brushed over his face, clearing the sweat again, her eyes showing great care and kindness as she did, never once letting go of Senku's hand in the process. Her body was still showing that subtle shake, although it seemed as though she was attempting to keep it from being more noticeable than she initially let on.

"Are you doing alright?"

Her eyes darted towards Gen, a cocked brow at his sound of concern. That wasn't something she was used to from the sneaky rat that had found his way into their kingdom under their noses. It wasn't as though he was incapable of emotion, at least not that she was aware of, but like Senku, he wasn't one to actually show it. To see those usually deceitful eyes upon her, asking her with that rare touch... it was an unusual sight indeed.

"I don't know," she answered honestly, looking towards the connected hands between her and Senku, "I know what I'm doing is right. That's not what I'm worried about. But..."

"But?" Gen repeated.

"... When this happened to Ruri, I was just a little kid. And I had to stand back and watch as my parents and everyone hovered around her, not being able to do anything. How everyone acted, how everyone rushed... it made me think that she was dying, and she could have, and that terrified me as a kid."

Both hands wrapped around Senku's, giving them a tight squeeze, "I came close to losing Ruri because of something like this. But this time, I won't stand back and watch someone else I care deeply about suffer without doing a single thing about it."

"Kohaku-chan," the mentalist murmured, eyes widened at her honest admission.

He watched as she brought their clasped hands closer to her face, resting her chin upon them, her expression softening as she watched him, occasionally turning her gaze towards the entrance waiting for someone to make their return. The scene before him was something he had seen long ago in movies and manga, played up for something romantic or cute. But there was no special effects, no glowing bubbles, or music to set the mood. This was raw, powerful, caring instincts, and he was sure that even Senku would be moved by such a scene if he weren't one of the two participating.

Finally, the noises of people gathering outside rung through, with Chrome eventually entering with two glasses filled with water. Kohaku asked for one of them, instructing that the other one to be placed on the table. Carefully, with Gen's assistance, she lifted up Senku's upper half, cradling his shoulders and neck on her arm. "Alright, Senku... try to drink all of this, okay? If you can do it on your own, feel free," she gently instructed, pressing the glass to his lips and lightly tilting it just enough for the liquid to enter his mouth.

He reached up to grasp the glass, Kohaku releasing it to allow for him to intake the water himself, glad that he was able to do such a thing on his own, but her hand remained hovering nearby, ready to grab the glass from him in case he risked dropping it or once he was done. Once again, Gen was awestruck by the scene before him, finding himself unable to really look away until he heard more noise from outside.

"Is that Ginro and Kinro?" Kohaku asked, looking towards the door with a sideways glance.

"I think so," Chrome replied, "What do you need them to do next?"

"Check what they brought. We need it for washing Senku with the water that's heating up. Make sure there's plenty of pieces that can be easily held for that reason," she replied, "Also, make sure to check that water. It doesn't need to be that hot. Just barely warm. Soon as it gets to that point, pull it off the heat immediately. Also, get someone to set up something for hanging the wet cloth on to dry. That way we can cycle through whatever they have."

"Got it!" he replied, "Don't worry, Senku! We're going to get you back on your feet really fast!"

He ran out, relaying the instructions to those on the outside, just as Senku was finishing drinking the first glass of water given to him. He let out a heavy pant as he finished it, giving the glass to Kohaku before wiping the remaining liquid from his lips. She handed the empty glass to Gen as she gently laid him back down, sighing in relief that things were starting to move in the direction she needed it to go. However, she was still apprehensive and fearful; there was a long way to go before she knew that he was out of the woods. The day was luckily half over, the sun making its way down past its peak, but there was still the night. There was not a single part of her that she will allow to relax until she knew, for certain, that Senku's fever was gone and gone for good.

Soon, Chrome returned, bringing in a clay basin of the warmed water with Suika carrying in the ripped cloth, settling both beside Kohaku. With a smile and a thankful greeting, she took the first of the cloth, dipping it in the water, satisfied with the temperature of the liquid, wringing it out a bit before folding it in quarters, handing it over to Gen. "Start running this over him. Chrome, help out with this too. Suika, can you please go outside and help with anything else out there I need done?" she instructed, receiving three unison nods.

As Suika left, Kohaku finished soaking a second cloth, handing it to Chrome, then soaking a third one to use for herself. The three then went to work, each bathing one part of the scientist's body in the water. He groaned, not enjoying at all how many people were touching him, but settled down as Kohaku spoke to him, apologizing profusely and promising to work ten billion percent harder once he gets to feeling better, using his own catchphrase against him. She eventually dismissed Chrome to have him go out and assist the crew outside, but also because she figured that Senku would be more comfortable with less people crowding him. They continued to wash him over, three more times over, before stopping for a bit of time. She called out for Suika to gather the wet cloth to put out to dry, before turning back to Senku, asking him if he was ready to drink down another glass of water.

Gen sat back, just watching the interactions between the two like it was a movie playing out before him. He couldn't deny that part of him that was actually admiring the calm and caring way she was handling this situation, especially now knowing exactly why she was. Given how their first meeting was with a blade at his throat, seeing this maternal side to Kohaku was almost unsettling but also welcoming.

Maternal... that was a funny word to him. Oh, he wasn't wrong in the use of the terminology; it was a most accurate word for the situation. However, he didn't quite think that there was an actual maternal aspect to it. He thought back to the words she said... "I won't stand back and watch someone else I care deeply about suffer without doing a single thing about it."... and he wondered. Could the striking lioness have stronger feelings for the mysterious scientist from the stone? That would explain her excessive worry, her hovering, her desire to stay close, everything she was doing... yes, it would.

He didn't dare ask it now, however. No, Gen was a very smart man; he knew better than to attempt to even imply the idea. He kept the question in his back pocket, something he'll pursue later, once the initial danger was over. Instead, he felt grateful that it was Kohaku that was in charge, given how she was acting. Not unlike the slave driver that was laying out on the floor; he didn't even want to imagine how much work he'd still be forced to do while Senku cared for whomever it was that was ill.

After helping Senku drink down another glass of water, she laid him down to rest again, sighing as she sat herself back against the wall, closing her eyes for a moment. She wondered how long the adreneline running through her veins was going to last before she fell apart herself. No... she wouldn't let herself do that. She raised her head, opening her eyes to stare up at the ceiling for a moment, before turning her gaze to the outside.

"I'm going to step out for a moment, okay?" she commented; while she didn't seem to speak directly to anyone, Gen knew that she namely spoke to Senku.

Taking the two glasses in hand, she stood up, ignoring the cramp in her legs from sitting on the floor for so long, and with one last glance and smile towards Senku, walked outside. Gen watched as she walked out, sighing himself as he leaned back on his palms. "Must be nice, huh, Senku?" he asked, looking up at the ceiling himself.

Senku opened his eyes slightly, tilting his head slightly towards the crafty gentleman, "What... are you on about?"

"Nothing at all. Just commenting how nice it is. To have such a valuable ally like Kohaku-chan taking care of you."

"Heh... it's not as though... I asked this of her."

"Oh, I'm aware."

He looked down at the ailing man, those lying lips of his turned into a toothy grin, "However, it doesn't seem like you're really hating it, does it?"

Senku scoffed, looking away, and Gen swore that his face lit up a bit more than what it already was, "Shut up, mentalist."

Gen chuckled a bit louder than planned, stopping as he noticed Kohaku returning, carrying in the two glasses from before with more water, setting them down on the table as she returned to her spot. "Everything okay?" she asked once she settled herself back down.

"Yes. I think our dear Senku missed you, though. He seemed to call out to you right after you left," Gen replied, teasing the scientist knowing full well he couldn't react as easily in his feverish state.

"I... didn't say..." Senku tried to comment, but was stopped by Kohaku gently patting his hand.

"I know he's teasing you, Senku. Gen, don't be a jerk right now," she responded, smiling at her closest friend before sending a sharp glare towards the other party member.

"Oh, but it's so much fun! But I suppose for now, I'll be nice," he feigned his hurt, shrugging his shoulders afterwards.

"For once," Senku commented sarcastically, making Gen feign a pout while Kohaku let out a small giggle.

His eyes turned towards her, ignoring that little bit of relief in his chest to hear her laugh. Despite how he was trying to focus on healing himself and pushing away all of the annoying feelings that was coming from everyone's unwavering attention, he was concerned with how Kohaku was feeling. While he had drifted in and out of the conversation, he partly heard the story involving Ruri, and felt the emotion as she told it. Not just verbally, but physically as well. Senku was not a man that put much stock in emotions, finding them to be more of a hindrance to his pursuit of science, but it wasn't as though he was entirely devoid of them. While he didn't share her sentiments, he understood. He told himself that this was another reason why he was allowing her to do what she wanted. If it allowed her to feel better, why fight it?

Yeah... that what was he was doing. Letting her do it so she'd feel better. It was better than him admitting, even that little bit, that Gen was actually right. Kohaku caught the glimpse of him staring at her, and she smiled, a faint and soft smile, as she took a cloth to wipe more of the sweat from his face, his eyes fluttering close as she went over his eyelids, opening again after she finished. She pulled back afterwards, still keeping that smile.

"Go to sleep for a bit, Senku," she requested, her voice as quiet as a whisper, reaching out to grasp his hand within her own, "We'll leave you alone while you do. But I'll be right here. If you need me, just tell me, okay?"

He was silent, his eyes lingering on her and that smile, before turning away, sighing and closing his eyes. He could feel Kohaku pulling away, but a subtle curling of his fingers caused her to stay. She took the hint very well, shifting enough for her to lean up against the wall while keeping their connection. Gen watched the scene with eager amusement; oh, he had much to discuss with the green-ombred hair scientist once he was feeling better...

As time went on, and as the light of day turned to the twilight of evening, Kohaku and the others continued their care of Senku. Despite warnings to stay far away, Ruri – along with some of the children of the village – did pay a visit to drop off food, knowing that everyone likely hadn't attempted to eat anything all day and all of them must had been starving at this point. However, she didn't go into the laboratory, allowing Chrome to deliver the food and her well-wishes to the crew inside for her.

By this point, Senku's fever had started to go down dramatically. He was still hot, yes, but he wasn't as sweaty or as flushed as before. He still felt weak, but he was more responsive than he was before. Still, while his progress was a comfort, Kohaku still felt incredibly uneasy. Even as Senku mostly fed himself a little bit of the meal that was brought to him and stopped making disgruntled noises as she and Gen bathed him in the lukewarm water, she couldn't remove the nagging feeling in her stomach that was worrying her. She thought back to what happened with Ruri, how much she had to have suffered, the fear that she wasn't going to bounce back... all of it caused her dread. While she did everything in her power to remain strong, to not show her fear because she didn't want anyone to worry about her while they should be concerned about Senku, it wasn't becoming easier as the night went on.

Eventually, most of the crew had been dismissed, all wishing Senku well before going back towards their homes or resting places, feeling as though what they had done was enough and that he was going to be fine come the morning hours, leaving only Kohaku and Gen caring for him overnight. At one point, the mentalist had nodded off, waking up when Kohaku gently pat his shoulder, telling him she was stepping out for a minute to get some fresh air.

He eyed how slowly she moved, how defeated she looked, and quirked a brow. With a look over at Senku, noticing he was sound asleep and not making any sort of movement or noise, he stood up himself, walking outside himself. The night air was cool with a very gentle breeze, feeling good against his face. It was nice stepping outside for the first time in what had to be hours. However, getting a dose of fresh air was not what he was coming out to seek.

Leaning against one of the walls of the laboratory stood Kohaku, her fingers digging into the material of the wall, her head lowered with blonde bangs covering her eyes from being so easily seen. "Kohaku-chan?" he called out to her, surprising her as she jolted her head back up.

"G-gen! What are you doing out here? I was going to go back in a moment," she critiqued him, brushing over her face with the back of one hand before placing both hands on her hips.

He crossed his arms, tilting his head; she was putting up a front, he could tell, and how she wiped at her face as she spoke was a way to try and hide whatever tears she was shedding. That unnerving gaze that he shot her told her that he could see right through her blustering, and she turned away, crossing her arms over her chest, fingers grasping at her upper arms.

He didn't say a word to her, just stepped to her side, leaning against the wall with her. For a moment, they were both quiet, but that silence was not going to last long and both knew it.

"I think he'll be fine come the morning," Gen started the conversation.

"Yeah... I hope so," she replied.

"He basically owes his life to you."

"He owes me nothing. I just did what I knew needed to be done."

"You don't seem all that relieved."

"I am."

Dark cerulean eyes glanced sideways, "Really?"

She didn't respond, but he could see the subtle digging of her fingers into her skin, along with that uneasy shake she had when this all began. "Yeah..." she whispered, trying not to let the sound of her voice cracking reach his ever knowing ears, "I'm very relieved. I'm glad that he's going to be okay."

"Then why does it seem like everything is still falling apart?"

She looked up at him, her brows furrowed with a small bit on her bottom lip. "You're such an ass, Gen," she mumbled, sliding down the wall, her legs buckling as she fell, bending them to one side. Gen knelt down to keep at her level, not responding to her insult.

"We're doing everything that was done for Ruri. We see that it's working. I know Senku is going to be okay. Come morning, he should be back to his usual, weird self, bossing us all around," she said, trying to laugh through the thought, "But... what if this isn't it? What if the fever comes back? What if he's sick with something like what Ruri was? What if it's something that the sulfa drug can't cure? What do we do then? Without Senku's knowledge, there's no way we could come up with something else that could treat him. What if... what if we lose him because of that?"

Finally, those flood gates that Kohaku had tried to hold back came undone, tears falling down her cheeks, staining her dress and arms. "I was so scared that we were going to lose Ruri back then. But this... if we lose Senku... if we lose the chance to revive humanity, if we lose him after everything we've done so far, everything we still need to get done... all because of something like this?" she continued, her words stilted at times as she tried to steady her breathing, "I don't want to believe any of this, but I can't... I can't put aside this nagging fear. I can't... I can't..."

She looked up, surprising Gen with the sight of her broken expression. "We don't... I don't... want to lose Senku," she managed to get out, covering her mouth as she tried to quiet the sobs that were coming from her throat; the last thing she wanted to do was disturb the sleeping scientist inside with her cries.

She looked away, hiding her face as much as she could, hating that – out of all people – Gen was watching her at her lowest point. Granted, Senku likely wouldn't be much better, but if it was Suika or Chrome or hell, even Ginro, she'd probably wouldn't feel as self-conscious about it. Who knew what twisted things Gen could say to her, even if he didn't say anything right now. But she couldn't help herself now; everything from the day had finally washed over her and now that those gates were open, she couldn't stop, regardless of what it could bring.

However, Gen had no desire to tease or berate her for this. Similar to Senku, he was not one that put stock into emotions, but he was more likely to show and share such things. And as Kohaku fought to keep herself in control, he watched her with an empathetic gaze. The memories of her past and the worry of history repeating itself... that was something that he could understand, something that – while he couldn't recall a moment in time where he could relate – he could sympathize with.

He sighed, reaching out for her, wrapping her up in his arms, embracing her with a gentle and well-meaning hug. Kohaku was taken aback – of all people, Gen giving someone a hug!? Really, what a day! - by the sudden motion, but the sense of relief from the comfort was worth far more than any semblance of embarrassment or uncertainty. Uncovering her mouth, she buried her face into his shoulder, hands resting against his chest and fingers grasping at the cloth of his yukata. For the longest time, they remained like this: Kohaku letting out her sobs, while Gen gently allowed her, occasionally rubbing her back or upper arms in his way to comfort her.

Eventually, she pulled back, her body spent of tears and her throat hurting from all of her sobs. "I'm sorry, Gen. I got your clothes all dirty," she apologized, wiping her face with the back of her arm.

"Not the worst I've dealt with, I assure you," he replied, shrugging his shoulders with that signature smirk of his.

"Still... thank you," she continued, flashing him a smile before she stood up, brushing off her dress, "Whew... Honestly, I had forgotten how tiring crying can make you. But I can't stop yet. Not until Senku feels ten billion percent better."

Gen stood up, motioning with a bent arm and a bow towards the entrance, "I agree. Shall we?"

With a nod, both went back inside, relieved that Senku was still sleeping soundly, although he was a bit disturbed by Kohaku's checking and another round of bathing. He fell back asleep relatively quickly, much to the shared happiness of the duo watching over him, allowing them to lean back and relax themselves, the nice night air and the breeze rustling the leaves of the trees around them setting the perfect mood for hopefully a night of peace and good things to come.

Fire... fire surrounded Senku from all sides. It was hot, unbearably hot, but the heat was the least of his worries. Where did this fire come from? Why was he stuck within its grasp? How the hell does he get out of it?

He gritted his teeth, looking around for any sort of exit, but his watchful eyes was unable to spot a single break in the flame. One arm went to his forehead, trying to brush away the large amount of sweat pouring down his face. There was a way out... there had to be a way out...

At last, he found it! A break in the flames! As fast as he could, Senku ran, following the path as he could, trying to avoid the flames creeping to block his path. There was no way he was going to let something like this stop him, but once again he wondered the wheres and whys. There had to be a reason for all of this, but what could it be...!?

He hit a dead end, once again surrounded with no way to go back or forward. "Damn it!" he cursed, spinning around trying to find another exit. He had to get out of here... had to get out!

"Senku!"

The call of his name forced him to look upward, suddenly blinded by a bright, white light. However, through it came an outstretched hand. "Senku!" the voice called out again.

Desperately, he reached out for the hand, struggling to reach it, fingers barely brushing one another once, twice, before finally! That life-saving grasp! The heat of the flames dissipated as he was pulled up from them, towards the blinding light, and all at once he felt a sense of great relief.

As he was pulled onto solid ground, he felt the cooling breeze of the air around him. It was soft, sweet, and definitely far more enjoyable than the unbearable heat of the fire prison, with the world around him slowly revealing itself to be a field of sunflowers, surrounded by trees and blue skies as far as the eyes could see. Yet... the one thing he couldn't see was the form of his rescuer. Who was this mysterious person? Something about them seemed so... familiar.

He looked around, trying to find them, finally landing upon the figure standing amongst the tall grass and flora. He couldn't make out who it was, the bright light shadowing them harshly, but yet...

"It's okay, Senku. Everything is alright."

Yes, he knew it! He did know! Yet, he didn't move towards them. He wanted to, but his feet felt stuck, planted to the ground. He reached out, desperately wanting to get to them, but yet he couldn't move closer. Why couldn't he move closer!?

A small, gentle laugh... he knew this laugh. He had to move... finally, by sheer will, he took a step... another... one more... his arm still reaching out for the figure. They had their arm out too, with that familiar hand... that gentle, caring, beautiful hand...

"I'm here."

So close... he was so close to grasping that hand again... he licked his lips, mouthing the name of the person before him, but his voice never escaped him... he knew who it was... fingers brushed... yes, it was... he opened his mouth to scream out the name, needing for it to be heard-

… The bright light of the morning poured in from the entrance of the lab and small holes in the ceiling, and Senku groaned as it hit his eyes with that powerful light. Slowly, carefully, he opened his eyes, seeing that ceiling. He blinked once, twice, groaning again as he lifted his left arm to wipe the sandman's dust from his eyes.

Steadily, he sat up, noticing he was still in a nearly naked state, but had a blanket draped over him. Ah yes... last night hit him like a ton of bricks. He had collapsed from a fever, a psychogenic fever. Caused by the lack of sleep and the overworking of his body trying to work through all of the road maps of his planned. Something that he could've easily prevented if he was – dare he say it – smarter. He scoffed at himself, chastising himself for being so foolish to allow himself – after he's criticized several people about the importance of keeping up good health in this stone world – to not listen to his own advice. He was never above his own advice, he should've known, and this was definitely a lesson he'll keep in mind for the future.

With his frustration set aside for the moment, he looked down at his left hand... that dream... that figure... he came so close to touching their hand... yet the dream ended before he could. That annoyed him, but what got him more was the feelings he had related to it. He knew exactly who it was that saved him from the fire, that called out to him. Kohaku... it was definitely her. That was her voice, her hand, her words... He swore he could've almost seen that smile. That smile she gave him and only him.

The entire day and night, he knew she never left his side, taking charge in making sure he recovered. And he couldn't deny the gratefulness he felt for her assistance and know-how, if not even his surprise at how accurate she was in what she was doing, but also he left him feeling very... odd. He actually reached out to her, clung to her, not wanting her to leave his side. He was like a weak child calling out for his mother... no... that was an accurate description, but that wasn't what this was. The way he grasped at her wrist, the way they held hands, the way that she cared and helped and even crawled her way into his subconscious, how he actually felt like he needed her... there wasn't a way to put into words exactly what this meant or felt to him.

"Ah, good morning, dear Senku."

The familiar voice broke him from his reverie, turning his head to meet the gaze of an obviously sleepy Gen. Before Senku could say a word, the mentalist brought one finger to his lips, making a motion for quiet, before pointing down to his lap.

Scarlet eyes looked down, and he understood why Gen was trying to forewarn him to keep his voice down. Laying out on the floor, curled onto one side, was Kohaku, her head resting on Gen's lap with one hand resting right next to her head with the other outstretched towards Senku, her fingers loosely grasping at his right hand. How blind was he not to notice that she was still holding onto him! Even in her sleep, she still stayed connected with him, making sure that he knew, even as they slept, she was still there. Not that he ever thought she truly left his side, even in those few moments he knew she had stepped out for fresh air.

"I'm sure she'll be apologizing for not staying up all night for you, once she wakes up," Gen remarked, "Honestly, I felt as though she would, with how much she worried."

Senku didn't acknowledge his words, keeping his gaze upon that innocent sleeping face of his caretaker. There it was, that extra thump-thump in his chest. Why was he feeling such a thing towards her? Was it because she took care of him? Or...?

"You know, I'm a bit envious of you, Senku."

"Eh?" the scientist muttered, looking up at Gen, although his gaze was not met.

Instead, Gen was also looking down upon the sleeping lioness, deft fingers gently brushing the bangs from her face, the smile on his face as he looked down upon her causing feelings of frustration to boil low in his stomach. He wasn't sure why that actually frustrated him... why does it matter if he was smiling towards her? No, that wasn't the problem; it was the way he was smiling that bothered him. How dare he look upon her like that, like he... wait, where the hell was this coming from?

"I was the one that forced her to finally get some rest. She spent much of the night worrying that you'd relapse. That you'd..." he trailed off, but he didn't need to say the word; they both knew exactly where the conversation was heading.

"To have someone care that deeply for you, to stay up and worry all night for your health, to cry over the fear of things going wrong... You're a very lucky man, dear Senku."

Brows furrowed at Gen's last statement, his gaze going back towards Kohaku and their connected hands. Yeah... he couldn't deny that he was a lucky man. As much as he didn't want to admit, once again, that Gen was correct. He brushed a thumb over her knuckles, gently holding her fingers within his palm. If Senku was ever able to place stock in the illogical sense of emotions, at this moment... she definitely had a hold on him in more than one way. A bright light upon a stone heart... ugh, that was a cheesy poetic line, and he had to cringe at how he even thought to say it, even if it was just to himself.

And yet... he gave her hand a small squeeze, and she shifted slightly, almost as if she was trying to return the affection in her slumber.

"When she wakes up, you best make sure to thank her for all she's done," Gen commanded, that smile switched out for his trademark mischievous smirk.

"Heh," Senku scoffed, smirking himself, "What makes you think that I wouldn't?"

"Because you're Senku and you don't say thank you to anything."

"Wait, when have I ever done that?"

Both went silent as a tired moan rang through, and Gen looked down to see Kohaku shifting to lay on her back, her eyes fluttering open. "Mmm..." she groaned, bringing up her free arm to rub her eyes, her vision clearing as she did, "Ah... good morning, Gen."

"Good morning, Kohaku-chan~ Did you sleep well?" the mentalist greeted.

"I guess... Could've been better," she replied through a yawn.

"Ah, my apologies. I suppose a lap doesn't make for the most comfortable of pillows."

"It was better than a wall, so I thank you very much."

"Of course~"

She smiled at him, and that annoying feeling in Senku's stomach returned. Although it didn't last for long as she sat up and turned towards where he was sitting up. Those sea green eyes opened wider than he had ever seen them, and her lips parted as she stammered, "S-senku!"

"Good morning, Kohaku," he remarked, smirking at her.

Quickly, she got up on her knees, crawling over to him, placing a hand to his forehead, "You doing a lot better today? You don't feel hot anymore... you really alright? No more fever? You don't feel faint, do you?"

He sighed, grabbing her wrist and pulling it away from his forehead, but didn't let it go, "I'm fine. I'm tired as hell, but I doubt whatever sleep I got would've made up for multiple all-nighters. As for the fever, it's gone. And it'll stay gone."

"You can tell? It's not from illness or anything?"

"I'm fine. I promise."

Now it was Kohaku's turn to sigh, this time in relief as she brought her free hand to her chest, closing her eyes as she finally – finally – relaxed. The danger was over, Senku was safe. Everything she had done, everything they had done, it worked. It worked... and she had to do everything in her power not to cry. He was okay... Senku was okay... that was enough. That was more than enough.

Gen watched as the two interacted, laughing to himself as she fussed over him. It was amusing, seeing this now with Senku as an active participant. However, as they both went quiet, he knew that was the moment in which he should leave. He could tell by the gaze Senku had fixated upon her that he had something to say to her, but Gen knew that he wouldn't say it as long as he was in the room.

And so, he stood up, stretching as he did. "Ah... that feels good. Well, now that I'm awake, I think I'll step outside. I'm sure Chrome will be waking up soon, and the others. I'm sure they'll all be pleased to know that you're okay," he commented, waving the two off as he moved past Kohaku, her scooting up the floor a bit more for him to pass by, and out of the lab.

They were now alone, once again, but this time... Senku's hands squeezed Kohaku's wrist, and her attention turned back from the entrance way to him. Their eyes met, and Kohaku could feel a lump in her throat forming. Why... why was he looking at her like this? Like... she couldn't describe it precisely. Obviously there was still remnants of exhaustion, but that wasn't as dominant as the emotions he was also reflecting. Never once has she seen him look like this... what was it?

"Thank you, Kohaku."

She blinked; was that gratefulness? That was something she wasn't used to from him, although she knew that – even if he didn't say it – he was very much thankful for all of the work that everyone has done to help him achieve his ultimate goal. "Of course," she replied, tilting her head slightly as she smiled, "After everything you've done for us, taking care of you when you really needed it is the least we can do."

"No, that's not what I mean."

"... What then?"

His hand shifted from her wrist to her hand, grasping so tightly that it send a small shiver up Kohaku's spine. "I mean... ugh, this is why I hate this sort of thing," he tried to continue, going into a mumble as he rubbed the back of his head in sheepish embarrassment, his gaze turning away as his face heated up with a light blush.

A blonde brow quirked upward, "Senku?"

He sighed, turning back to meet her gaze. His free hand went behind Kohaku's head, pulling her forward as he leaned to meet her, their foreheads touching. A whispered "eep" came from her lips, her face now turning pink, her heartbeat racing and she swore he could hear it. "S-senku?" his name came out in a breathless squeak.

"Thank you, Kohaku," he repeated his initial words, but this time the tone was completely different.

He was thanking her personally. Not just for this, but for everything. Everything he's been able to do has all been because of her. Without her, there would be no Kingdom of Science as it was now. His plan, while he would find a way as always, would have never got as far as it already has if not for that day they met, that night when she offered to take him to the village, the day they stood upon that ridge and peered down upon her home together. Everything he had now, everyone he had now, was all thanks to her. And, with every fiber of his being, he wanted her – no, he needed her – to know exactly that.

She swallowed the lump in her throat, lips parting, eyes widening... then a smile, eyes closing, shoulders relaxing. She understood. She understood the weight of his words, the meaning behind them. Their grip changed, fingers intertwining with one another, that one gesture meaning more to either of them than words could express.

"Of course, Senku."

For awhile, the two sat like this, eyes closed, hands together, their minds and hearts and body at ease, eventually pulling back to smile at one another. The moment passing, the two became innately aware that Senku was still nearly naked, despite the blanket that was draped over him sometime in his slumber. While nothing obvious was showing, Kohaku became a blubbering, shy mess, turning around quickly as her face heated up so badly that Senku nearly thought he saw steam coming out of her ears. 'A most amusing thought,' he mused as he grabbed his lab coat and slid it back, covering every part of him again.

Once he was done, Kohaku was able to turn back to face him, although she was still obviously flustered by the realization. However, her grumbles turned into a yawn, which she tried to cover with the back of her hand. "Oh... I guess I must still be pretty tired," she mumbled to herself, before sheepishly looking up at Senku, "I know we probably have a lot to catch up on today, but maybe I'll take a half-day. Get some more sleep. Actually, you probably should take a half-day too. More rest will do you some good too."

He scoffed, that trademark smirk that Kohaku enjoyed so much more now stretching across his lips, "Yeah, you're probably right."

She let out a small giggle, brushing back her bangs before making the attempt to get up herself. After all, the day was just beginning, so she figured first things first was- "Eep!"

Before she barely had one foot planted on the floor, a large amount of force grabbed at her arm, pulling her back down on the floor, her head hitting the softer fabric of Gen's overcoat still folded into the makeshift pillow. Her eyes shut tight upon the impact, opening wide as she settled down. "What the...?!" she exclaimed, cut off by Senku's teasing smirk.

"Go to sleep for a bit, Kohaku."

She pouted, not enjoying the sound of her words being thrown back at her, but she wasn't truly mad. Honestly, the idea of sleeping sounded really good...

Grabbing one end of the blanket, Kohaku pulled it up to cover up to her upper torso, one arm resting atop the blanket while the other rested near her head. Senku settled himself back down as well, one arm under his head, the other atop the blanket like hers. While she closed her eyes rather quickly, his gaze remained on her for a few moments, before he let out a small "heh", smiling as he closed his eyes, reaching for her hand and holding it within his own, receiving an acknowledging squeeze in return.

As they fell asleep, the noise outside grew louder, but the two remained oblivious to the shouting and cheers as Gen relayed the information of Senku's recovery to everyone that started to gather with anxious desire to know about his condition. Eventually, the mentalist made his way back inside, with the intention of telling the two to come outside for everyone to see for himself, stopped in his tracks by the sight of their sleeping forms.

He couldn't help himself but to laugh, hiding his mouth behind the sleeve of his yukata, before turning around to leave, a lingering gaze upon them before stepping back out to inform everyone that everything was alright and to allow them both to rest just a little while longer.

'Good night, sleep tight, young lovers.'

-end-