Disclaimer: I don't own Dr. STONE. This is obvious, but I like doing these for the fun of it, so a disclaimer it remains.

Authoress' Note: Been really on a kick lately with these fics! This actually started to develop with a headcanon that I started to establish with "Fever", but you don't need to read that story to follow this one. Please enjoy!

Triangles

Part One: Dizzy Spell

Gen Asagiri is a mentalist, that was a known fact. He took great pride in his ways of analyzing, deconstructing, reconstructing, and subverting all aspects of the human psyche with his variety of tricks and clever lines. He also took great pleasure in how his methods confuse, amaze, and annoy those around him, twisting people around his fingers to do as he desired and gain what he wanted. In his previous life – in the modern world, before the mysterious green light engulfed the world and turned all human lives into stone statues – this brought him all sorts of fame and fortune, something he desired above all else. However, in the current stone world, his techniques had made him a valuable double-agent for the two realms fighting for control on how to revive the world and reinstate its former glory – the ruthless Tsukasa Empire, whose leader was the one to revive him from his statue state, and the brilliant Kingdom of Science, lead by another man from the stone statues, Senku Ishigami. It was the Kingdom of Science where his loyalties most lied, being brought in by the impressive feats of scientific advancements and discoveries that the genius managed to make happen in this primitive world, sucked in by his charisma, intelligence, and wit, all in pursuit of his ultimate goal.

His allegiance to the Kingdom of Science wasn't just because of his intrigue in what Senku has been able to do and what he knew the scientist could accomplish, but he knew that, by working with this faction he would ultimately gain things that he wanted. Gen was not above admitting that he was a self-serving sort of man, and with Senku's abilities, he would certainly gain back those things he coveted the most from his previous life. Although... he suppose that, despite the massive amount of work the mentalist was put through usually by force, things right now weren't so bad.

Despite himself, he actually found himself enjoying the rag-tag crew that made up the Kingdom of Science. Of course, he hated the large amount of work that Senku – and occasionally old man Kaseki – put him through, wanting to live his life to the fullest with the most minimal effort possible, but at least the company he had wasn't so bad outside of that unfortunate fact. Whenever he wasn't working – and sometimes when he was – he spent much time observing those around him, picking up the little quirks and traits they exhibited. Namely to find ways to manipulate them as he saw fit down the line, but also out of curiosity, given that – other than Senku and himself – they were all born thousands of years after the petrification and the loss of whatever the world had before.

The simplest person to follow was Suika, the little girl with the watermelon head piece that was fitted to be used as glasses, curing her "blurry eye sickness", as it was called now. She was a child, a cute one at that, eager to help out whenever and however she could. She was nimble and crafty, being able to follow him and his subtle clues whenever he had made the effort to find out more about the operations in the Tsukasa Empire, and so Gen admitted that he had come to trust this little one likely just as much as he did some of the others. Although, due to her age, he had to be very careful on some things he would say around her, not wanting to corrupt the child with adult matters. The next was Kaseki, the elderly craftsman that was brought into the Kingdom originally against his will, but quickly warmed up to the challenge. Gen was actually decently intrigued by his work, given how much of what he was doing now he had no idea was something that could've been done. To see what this man be able to accomplish based on Senku's instructions, what he's been able to manipulate and create, was mildly entertaining, even when he was dragged into the work against his own free will.

The next entertaining pair on his list were the guardian brothers of the village and the Kingdom, Ginro and Kinro. The two could not be any more opposite in most regards, although Gen had learned quickly how easily they could be manipulated into doing whatever Senku desired of them, as well as being fooled by his own little tricks. Kinro was the more respectful of the pair, being forthright and too honest to a fault, which was admirable but boring. Ginro, on the other hand, was far more childish, and shared his similar enjoyment for the greedier things of life, although he did appreciate his ability to sober up and become serious when it was needed, showing that there was a level of maturity to him. The mentalist rarely interacted with the two, having no real desire to unless it was for a reason or for something to do, but it wasn't as though they were above his watchful eyes either.

Besides Senku, there were two other people within the Kingdom of Science that he had the most interactions with, and by far the ones he trusted the most out of the villagers, that garnered the most of his curious gazes. The first of these was Chrome, the man that deemed himself a sorcerer before learning that what he devoted his life to was called science. While his depths of knowledge was, not surprisingly, lacking compared to that of Senku, Gen did appreciate the young man's aptitude to understand, learn, and follow, as well as his equally fierce devotion to the plan of reviving the statues. His devotion to protecting another – the priestess of the village, Ruri – was also quite admirable, another thing that garnered respect.

The other was the fierce guardian woman, Kohaku, the younger sister of the aforementioned Ruri. Kohaku was not the type of person he expected to find in this day and age. He was used to women that were more... flaky, for lack of a better term. She was not such a woman. Forthright, strong, had a good head of sense, quite temperamental and quick to anger, yet also very caring and soft... She was not one to fall easily for his little tricks, and he found that to be rather refreshing. It didn't help that she was also rather attractive, a weakness that drew him a bit closer to her, but still made sure to keep his distance to avoid having a blade at his throat. She was the last one to come around to trust him, understandably so. He had heard her often called a "lioness" or a "gorilla", referring to her strength and anger, and that did make him a bit frightened of her, but also respected her for not being a typically demure sort of female. In his honest assessment, if he were to compare her to her sister, Gen did find himself quite a bit more attracted to Kohaku.

Not that he had any intention to pursue her, however... oh no, if anything, he knew he wouldn't have a chance at her, even if he had the opportunity. In all the time he had been within the presence of the Kingdom of Science, there was one thing he had noticed above all else: the connection between Senku and Kohaku. He had heard how it was Kohaku that brought Senku to her home, where he established his reign, and as such became one of the most trusted allies to the genius scientist. Since then, it was obvious that the two shared some strong chemistry, and Gen rarely saw a time when the two of them weren't within close proximity to one another. He had pondered, a few different times, if there were sparks of something more between them, but Senku made it very clear to everyone that such things were illogical, unwanted, and unneeded, while Kohaku was a mysterious book when it came to romantic ideals, at least, for herself. Still, those dark cerulean eyes of the mentalist saw far more than both led on. An extra touch here or there, lingering gazes, smiles and smirks shared with no one else... if it weren't for the ultimate goal being more consuming for the king, surely he would also be befallen by the queen huntress.

As it was every day, Gen watched over the camp with a seemingly blank gaze, despite the fact that he was put to work on a task to create more of the ingredients needed for the ramen that the village became so enamored with, with Suika at his side also doing her best, and her gaze also landed upon the pair in question. Yes, as it always seemed these days, Senku was standing with plans in hand about some sort of invention or craft that they needed to get done, with Kohaku right next to his shoulder, gazing intently over it with ears and eyes all curious about what he was doing, and Senku seemed extremely pleased to have her undivided attention and making no motion to push her out of his personal space. Of course, Chrome wasn't too far away, overly excited over whatever the idea was – something that was never a surprise to the mentalist nowadays – so it wasn't as though he was too interested in what the brunette was really up to.

No, as always, it was Senku and Kohaku that gathered his attention. For a man that was against all sorts of affection, he definitely wasn't against having a close audience, with the blonde bombshell so close that she was practically leaning on him. Gen found it to be amusing every time he saw the two like this. Yet, he also admitted, he was a bit envious of Senku. To have such a beautiful woman so devoted to be by his side, but with none of the connections and commitments of a relationship... Ah, he was a man of pleasure, for sure, and while he did not desire Kohaku's attention all for himself in such ways, it was a simple, envious feeling to be placed – at least in this aspect – within Senku's shoes to have a fawning beauty nearby. Granted, if he truly wanted feminine companionship, he had heard many talks about some of the ladies of the village wanting a handsome man and he could make himself available to them, but honestly, the thought didn't really thrill him as much as it likely would've back in the day. Ah yes, Kohaku was definitely a far better catch, he agreed, and how could dear Senku not notice that for himself? Lady Science must be the best sort of company if he could so easily ignore the woman beside him...

A devilish thought came to his mind... oh, this sounded like much fun! Of course, much of it hindered on his own hypothesis related to the unattached pair – ha, listen to him, acting like a scientist! – but it was something that was growing more and more enticing to enact as he thought it through. It wasn't just that, however, but it was something more to do besides just be some sort of unwilling lap dog to whatever was demanded of him, something that could prove to be a lot of fun. And maybe, just maybe, a little bit of payback for all of that forced labor as well.

But how to proceed... that was the first thing he had to come up with. Obviously, it would have to be a very convincing trick, given who he had to entice, but it also needed to be simple. Nothing complicated, nothing that would draw in a bunch of suspicion, especially from Senku, swearing that the man had just as much skill in manipulation and understanding of the human psyche as he did. His eyes turned very briefly towards Suika... ah yes, involving her would be a smart idea. Both of them had an obvious soft spot for the little girl – not that he didn't have one himself, of course – and it would garner far less questions because her naive innocence would beset some of the risks.

Now for the timing... obviously, he needed to act when Kohaku wasn't devoting her time to Senku's new designs, wanting to draw her attention the most, knowing that it would – with all likelihood – draw Senku's in afterwards. He watched for the longest time – while keeping busy to his work, of course, to prevent any sort of premature end to his plan – waiting for the right moment to finally act. At last, it finally came, when Kohaku made a glance towards the two of them working, telling him that soon she would be making her way to check up on them and see what they have done, likely with the offer to help if they needed it or to allow for Suika to take a break. A smirk to himself... that was the right moment.

He began to act as though he was panting, brushing his brow of sweat – which did exist, but acting as though there was more there than what was visible – those deep breaths drawing the blonde child's attention.

"Gen, are you okay?" she asked concerned and Gen privately laughed to himself... yes, she was so easy to hook because of her gentle spirit.

"Oh, I'll be alright! Just feeling a little dizzy all of a sudden," he answered, trying to wave off the question while keeping up his little suffering act, "It is a bit hot today. Perhaps I'm a little dehydrated."

"I'll go and get you some water!" she eagerly offered, standing up and leaving her work behind, running towards where she had known there was a set-up of clay flasks and purified water for those to partake from during the warmth of the day.

Her running caught Kohaku's attention, and Gen had to kick his plan up another notch. Once again, brushing his brow, he moved to remove the outer violet coat of his clothes, leaving him in the makeshift yukata he had fashioned, placing it in a heap beside him. Like clockwork to his plan, she made her way over to where he sat, eyeing him with a bit of concern herself.

"Are you alright, Gen?" she questioned him, and once again, he laughed to himself... how easily this idea was working out! At least, so far.

"Ah, Kohaku-chan~ I'm sorry, I'll be alright! I just feel a little dizzy, likely from this heat, that's all. Suika-chan is getting me some water; that should be enough," he tried to brush off the concerns, his outward act trying to convince that his words were false, the hope that it would be enough to hook onto that caring instinct of the woman to stay.

She knelt down to be more on his level, a small frown on her lips and a tilt to her head, the whisps of bangs floating in front of her face as she did. One arm reached out, the back of her hand resting against his forehead, followed by each cheek. He was momentarily taken aback by her check-up – not something he expected to happen at this point, but it showed that he had her convinced that something could be wrong – but didn't allow for his brief moment of surprise to distract him from his act.

"Hmm... you do feel a little warm," she muttered, touching her own face in a way to compare the heat she felt, "Well, if you need a moment to cool off, I can handle things for a bit for you. Go get yourself under some shade and cool down."

"Ah, I just might do that, thank you," he commented, making a move to stand, but then feigning a small fall, Kohaku's arms moving quickly to grab at his shoulders, steadying him with a worried gasp of her own.

"Whoa! Gen, are you sure you'll be fine?" she questioned, that maternal tone of her voice heightened by her concern at the man's sudden fall.

"My apologies, Kohaku-chan," he replied, his voice having a forceful, raspy tone in hopes of selling his "fate" to her, "I didn't mean to fall on you."

"Don't worry about that, seriously. If you're starting to feel faint, definitely take a break!"

"Yes, yes... Perhaps for a few moments. But with how I'm feeling, I may not make it to the shade..."

"I can carry you over there?" she offered, motioning to the nearby trees that were offering an abundance of shade.

He deadpanned at the idea. It wasn't as though she couldn't do such a thing, he knew that – how a dainty-looking woman like her could carry a grown man's weight like it was nothing was beyond him! – but he definitely did not want to be seen carried in her arms. That did not fit at all into his plan! With half-lidded eyes, he gazed up at the young woman, wanting to plead to that sense of hers that was wanting to help.

"Perhaps... I can borrow your lap? Just for a spell?"

Blink. Blink. "My lap...?"

"Yes. Just to lay my head down for a few moments, just until this dizzy spell passes. It would be far better than the ground or tree, I'm very certain," he explained, turning up the charm a little bit in hopes of convincing her, knowing she was growing suspicious due to his request, "Of course, if you don't feel as though I'm right, I'll make my way over to the trees. I don't want to trouble you anymore than I already have."

She tilted her head again, her lips in a half-pout of uncertainty, before sighing and moving to sit beside him, bending her legs towards her side while folding up his coat into a makeshift pillow, placing it on her lap before motioning for Gen to lay down. He was beside himself; she was actually complying with his request! Oh, the gears were spinning with delight at how much his little idea had progressed. But steady now... there was still more to go. After all, he hadn't had the chance to look for Senku and seeing if he was paying attention to what was going on. It was plausible, highly, that he wasn't paying attention at all, and much of this was for naught, but first things first...

With a relieved sigh, Gen thanked the young woman before laying down, the back of his head nestling against his coat, closing his eyes as Kohaku's hovering shadow blocked the sun from his face. The moment he had settled in, Suika had returned with the water, causing him to sit up enough to down the cup, thanking the little one as well, before she ran off to grab a large leaf or cloth to try and use as a fan, allowing him to settle back down again.

"Is all of this helping a bit, Gen?" Kohaku asked curiosity, delicately brushing the bangs from his face to check his forehead again.

"A little bit, yes, thank you. Just a few moments more, if you please? I'm very sorry for disturbing you. I'm sure dear Senku has a lot of work for you."

"Don't worry about that, Gen. What's more important is that you don't collapse on us. We don't want to spend more nights taking care of you like before," Kohaku replied, making a joke about the night that Magma had attacked him, thinking that Gen was the "sorcerer" trying to corrupt the village, "So just rest; it's really not a big deal."

"Ah, yes... I'm not sure if I ever fully thanked all of you for that," he remarked, a bit of sincerity echoing in his voice, "Truly, I appreciate the care you all gave me. Especially with not knowing where my loyalties lied."

"Yeah, well... Senku seemed pretty trusting, so if he believed in you, I supposed we should've as well," she remarked, looking up towards the sky, "Although, I was ready to kick your ass the moment we realized you ran back towards Tsukasa, if Senku didn't stop me first."

She looked back down at him, flashing the man an unexpected smile, "Glad that it turned out he was right to trust you, though."

Despite himself, Gen felt actual heat to his cheeks; she was being stunningly honest in this moment, and he wasn't expecting that sunshine-bright smile of hers. She was very cute in this moment, almost too cute, he inwardly commented. However, he coughed slightly, covering his mouth as he tried to refocus on what he was doing, "Well, yes... thank you for that."

Kohaku chuckled, her little joking mood getting the flustered reaction she wanted; after all, with him feeling a bit under the weather, it was a good time for her, as well, to mess with him as payback for all the times he had messed with their heads. She didn't pick up that he was faking all of this, thinking that he was truly dizzy, which was good for him, as he was sure if she had realized he was faking his illness she wouldn't be this honest with him, and would be pushing very hard to the ground with a screaming fit about him taking advantage of her kindness as well as a hit or two to the head. Luckily for him, Suika returned, kneeling down on his other side, fanning him down with a ripped piece of fabric she had found.

"... Don't you look comfortable."

Three sets of eyes turned towards the voice, belonging to the green-ombred haired leader of the bunch, standing before them with a bemused smirk and arms crossed over his chest. "Senku!" Suika exclaimed, "Gen suddenly started to feel sick, so we're trying to help him feel better!"

"And I'm very grateful for the help," Gen remarked with a feigned smile.

Senku wasn't convinced, and that wasn't actually a surprise. Given the amount of times Gen has tried to weasel his way out of doing work, any little act of his would be met with a great amount of criticism and cynicism. "Oh? Really?" he asked with that questioning tone of his, "With what?"

"Just a little dizzy spell. It's quite hot today, and I'm sure I hadn't properly hydrated myself. Been so busy with all of the food preparation and all of the other tasks you've graciously put me in charge of," Gen commented with his usual dry and sharp wit, "I promise, I'll complete them all in a bit! Just needing to rest my head for a moment."

"Uh-huh."

"He did feel rather warm, Senku."

"I'm sure he did."

"Really think he would fake such a thing?" Kohaku questioned, one brow quirked and Gen was feeling a bit uneasy as his plan started to unravel.

But this was the great Gen Asagiri! He knew exactly how to play this game, especially against a worthy opponent like Senku. Despite all of the walls and barriers he attempted to put up, the mentalist knew that he had a couple of weaknesses. One was obvious: his love of any and all thing science-related. However, this situation didn't play to that desire, so he had to play off of the second weakness: the feelings of his closest companions. And Gen knew that Kohaku was one that he cared most about, even if he didn't admit to it at all.

"Fine, fine. I'll get back to work," he said with a sigh, staggering himself to try and get up, keeping up his act of feeling faint, but he didn't get far before a gentle hand pressed on his chest.

"It's okay, Gen, you don't need to get up right now," the blonde coaxed before turning her attention back towards the questioning scientist, "Senku, I don't believe that he's faking."

"How do you figure?"

"I checked him myself. He feels rather warm."

"He's really been working hard, I swear!" Suika added, "I've been working with him, and he's done a lot! And it is pretty hot today, and if he's not drinking enough water, that can make you not feel good in the heat, right?"

A vein in Senku's forehead twitched. He was, ten billion percent, sure that Gen was pretending to be ill to get out of doing the work he was given. He wasn't too surprised by Suika's defense – she was naive to a lot of Gen's trickery – but he was surprised by Kohaku's defense. Out of all people, he figured she would easily see through one of his games. Yet, here she was, with the man laying upon her lap – of all things! – fighting against Senku's better judgment.

"Just give him a few moments, okay? It won't do any harm for him to rest a bit. The work will still get done. I'll make sure of it," Kohaku reasoned, a bit of a threat in her tone as she spoke the last words, making both Gen and Suika mildly shiver.

Senku clicked his tongue, still frustrated with the whole situation, but it wasn't worth his time to fight. "Whatever," he relented, waving off the group as he made his way over to Chrome and getting back to the work that he wanted to get done today, "Do what you want."

Gen was relieved to see him walking away, but also satisfied with what had happened. He had definitely got under Senku's skin with his little act, and that was more than what he expected to happen with this little experiment. He sighed, turning his head back towards Kohaku, who was still eyeing Senku's back, "Thank you for your assistance, Kohaku-chan. And of course, for yours, Suika-chan."

"You're welcome! Do you want me to get you another cup of water?"

"Yes please, I'd greatly appreciate it."

"Okay!"

Suika did as told, standing up and taking the empty container back with her towards the purified water, leaving Kohaku and Gen alone again for the moment.

"So... are you faking it?" she questioned, that voice of her thick with suspicion.

"Hmm? O-oh, definitely not, Kohaku-chan! I do feel rather dizzy today!"

Kohaku gazed down at him with lips curled into a half-smirk, and Gen swallowed the lump in his throat. He was going to get hit in the head, he just knew it! Ah well, the victory was nice while it lasted... He sighed and smiled, closing his eyes before he resigned himself to his fate. Yet no pain came to any part of his frame. Instead, he felt the cloth that Suika had held placed upon his face, patting away the sweat from his brow. Eyes opened again, lips parted, obviously confused.

"Kohaku-chan?"

"I'll give you two more drinks before you have to go back to work. Got it?"

The mentalist blinked, then laughed both out of relief and embarrassment, and she also chuckled before turning attention back towards Suika, who had returned with the water, now a bit confused as to why the two adults were laughing. They didn't explain it to her, telling her it was just a private joke, which seemed to sedate the child for now, going back to fan the befallen man.

From where he was working, Senku glared at the trio, clearly annoyed at what was going on.

The evening eventually arrived, and as the fire roared and meals were eaten, gentle conversation was made. It was another day of progress for the Kingdom of Science, and despite the earlier disgruntlement from Senku earlier, the scientist was pretty pleased with the results for the day. In the end, Kohaku was true to her word, making sure that Gen had completed what he was told to do, with no more dizzy spells slowing things down, and that was – seemingly – enough.

He still wasn't sure what really bothered him more about the little spat, but he didn't give it much more thought either. It wasn't really worth the time to try and figure it out, either.

After awhile, the group began to break apart, heading towards their homes or beds, the night calling for them all to sleep and rest to prepare for the next morning. However, a few lingered, finishing up a bit of cleaning or chatting about something to do in the morning.

Gen had noticed that Kohaku was still around, sitting by the fire with one of her blades in hand, working on sharpening it. A task she had put off for most of the day, he had to assume, and figured in the quiet of the evening before bed was the perfect time to make sure it was done. He smirked at the prospects laid before him, looking around casually for Senku. He was around, of course, going over one of his chicken-scratch road maps with Chrome, and Gen was sure that – if he played his cards right – he would likely be drawn towards the conversation he could strike up with the huntress. He was still very certain that Senku was – for him, anyway – mildly annoyed with what he had pulled earlier, and what's a little more riling up? That, and a tiny nagging feeling gnawing at the back of his head was telling him that he should give a proper round of thanks to Kohaku for her care earlier.

"Ah, Kohaku-chan~ Burning the midnight oil, I see?"

The lioness looked up at him with a confused gaze, "Huh?"

"It's an expression. Refers to people working into the late night," Gen explained, sitting down next to her with arms buried within the sleeves of his coat.

"Oh. Interesting," she replied, "I guess so. I noticed that this blade was getting a bit dull when I checked it earlier. Wanted to make sure I fixed it before I went to sleep."

"Makes sense. Actually, I'm pleased to see that you're still here."

Kohaku made a little "huh" noise, putting her blade and sharpening stone down on her lap, turning her full attention towards the mentalist. Gen smirked, pulling from his right sleeve a flower. She couldn't tell what kind of flower it was, given that Suika was more of the expert on the different flora types than she was, but it wasn't entirely surprising to see it wrapped in Gen's fingers. Flowers were part of his usual misdirection tricks, after all.

Gen leaned over, tucking the flower behind her left ear, "My thanks for your earlier help. I really appreciate you taking care of me during my dizzy spell."

She blinked, then shrugged her shoulders with a smile. "It really wasn't that big of a deal. You weren't feeling good. I just did what was right," she explained, fingers subconsciously going up to touch the soft petals of the flower.

"You're too modest, Kohaku-chan~" he sing-songed, shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders as he spoke, "You didn't have to do anything for me. You know dear Senku was correct, in terms that I could've been faking my malady. After all, I think you all know I dislike grueling, physical labor."

"... Actually, I was more than sure that you were pretending."

"Eh?" Gen made a noise, brows raised high and eyes widened, feeling the sweats coming back despite the cool night air as Kohaku watched him with that half-smirk of hers, "R-really? Then why did you go along with it, if you thought I was tricking you?"

That smirk turned into that breathtaking smile that stunned him earlier, "Figured I'd give you the benefit of a doubt. I mean... you're a compulsive liar, but doesn't mean there aren't times when you're telling the truth, right?"

Another rush of heat came to Gen's cheeks. When did she become this cute!? And when did she wise up this much to play toe-to-toe with his games? Mayhaps he underestimated this buxom vixen in terms of being a worthy opponent of his mental prowess... He didn't have much time stay in his reverie before her brows furrowed and that smile turned dark, one hand reaching out and fingers grabbing one cheek in a hard pinch, pulling at the skin.

"Next time you try to pull such a stunt, though, don't expect me to be so lenient on you, got it?" she threatened, making sure that the mentalist got the message... ah, she was back to normal it seemed.

"Yes yes, I understand! Completely understand!" he instantly agreed, waving his hands in the air, tears forming at the corners of his eyes from the pain.

With that answer, Kohaku released his cheek, pleased that her message had gotten through crystal clear, Gen instantly rubbing the reddened appendage, as she turned back to her blade. With a few more clicks of the sharpening stone, she looked over her work, satisfied with it, placing it back in the sheath along with her other blade and shield, placing the set back on her back before she stood up and stretched.

"Well, I'm off. See you in the morning, Gen," she bid her farewells, waving to him before waving to Senku and Chrome, who had turned towards them at some point, before walking away from the fire and back towards the village.

Dark cerulean eyes lingered upon her for the longest time, not sure why he was doing so, before finally chuckling and looking away, standing up himself. It was getting late; it was time for a good night's rest. He wasn't sure what sort of torturous work that Senku was going to put him through to make up for his stunt today, but he knew it was coming. Besides, he was more than entertained for awhile now; one or two days of hard labor likely wouldn't sour his mood.

As he walked towards the observatory, he caught Senku standing by the ladder, arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against one of the support beams, Chrome already made his way up the ladder and into the observatory for the evening. He looked quite irritated, and Gen chuckled to himself while keeping his expression unchanged to make sure he didn't let on his inner excitement.

"What are you playing at, mentalist?"

The question made Gen stop short of the ladder, aligning himself up with the scientist but didn't make the motion to look over at him, eyes closed and head lowered. "What ever do you mean, dear Senku?" he asked in return, feigning his ignorance.

Senku was not fooled, of course, a turn of his scarlet eyes towards the crafty gentleman, "With Kohaku."

"With Kohaku-chan? Why, I really don't know what you're talking about."

"Stop trying to act the fool. You're not playing it well."

Gen laughed, "Oh really? I swore I did. Seemed to have got me out of many a situation already."

One set of fingers clenched, hidden by Senku's bent arm, and his chest heaved hard as he seethed. He was definitely getting riled up, and Gen had to do everything he could to keep himself from laughing. Oh, this was a great cap to the day! His hypothesis was starting to show signs of promise, but it was too early to call victory yet. After all, this may not actually be related to any sort of feelings the scientist might have budding for the huntress; it could be frustration with Gen taking up her time with nonsense when he needs her for tasks related to the building up of the Kingdom. Turning away from the ladder, arms within his sleeves, that toothy smirk upon his face, he faced off with the scientist, just as they usually did, but Senku did not turn towards him, continuing that sideways glare.

"Do you have some sort of feelings for her all of a sudden?"

"Feelings? I feel very confident that she is a comrade."

"That's not what I mean and you know it."

"I'm afraid I don't."

Another seething breath, and Gen's eyes flickered with a glimmer of delight at seeing the usually stoic man showing such range – however subtle – of emotions. Ah-ha, there was a bit more to prove his hypothesis! "Really, I'm so in the dark of what you're implying! If you're referring to me giving her that flower, it was all in thanks for her help when I was feeling ill," he continued, removing his hands from his outer coat to raise them in the air, shaking his head, "I would've given one to Suika-chan, if she hadn't already gone home. Both were very sweet today, making sure I could get to feeling better right away."

Scarlet eyes narrowed, and Gen took on the challenge. "My my, dear Senku! Such a glare!" he proclaimed, "Are you still angry that Kohaku-chan took my side earlier? That's not fair for you to take that out on me, you know. She was just being a good friend, that was all."

"Tch."

"Oh my, you are, aren't you?!"

"Not in the slightest."

"Really? Now I think that you are the one that's lying."

Senku scoffed again, pulling himself away from the support beam, facing Gen head on, really wanting to wipe that smirk off of the mentalist's face. He was very irritated by how Gen was trying to play him like a fiddle, acting haughty as if he had hit some sort of nerve within the scientist – which he certainly did, but he sure as hell wasn't going to let that be known.

"Nothing is going on between Kohaku-chan and I, but even if there was... what exactly would be wrong with that?" Gen finally asked, one long pointed finger against the side of his lips, "It's not as though she is attached to anyone. And it's not as though there's anything wrong with a bit of harmless flirting here or there."

"She's not some dumb girl that you can try and coax into your harem dreams."

"I feel offended that you'd even suggest such a thing!"

"Good."

A twitch to a thin brow, but Gen was not deterred. "Honestly, Senku... if I didn't know any better, I would think you were jealous," he commented, letting slip that little thought of his, and he swore that those crimson irises of his grew darker at the insinuation.

"Not in the slightest," Senku repeated again... ah, there was that twitch of his fingers, a slight gritting of teeth as he uttered those words... Oh-ho, more proof, more proof!

"Really? Are you sure? I mean, not that I can blame you! Kohaku-chan is a stunningly beautiful woman. Yes, she may be as strong as a gorilla, but that's only one aspect to her. I wouldn't fault you if you had-" Gen responded, stopped by the pull of his collar, his eyes widening just a small fraction as he was forced to face those frightening vibrant orbs.

This was definitely a turn... One of the few emotions Senku was good at expressing was anger, but like with much else, he was usually rather placid with showing it. Some shouting, glares... that was usually the extent of it. Never did Gen see a physical manifestation of this emotion, nor did he expect to be the one on the opposite side of said exchange. Now, Gen was a smart man, he knew Senku would not go farther than this; he was not one to extend into physical violence. This was just an extra bit of "incentive" to listen to what he had to say. He was the king of this castle, and Gen was just a soldier in his arsenal; that's exactly what this was, and the mentalist had no fear of the younger man's bark or bite.

"I won't let you do a single thing that could lead to Kohaku getting hurt. You understand that?"

"Oh my, there's no need to threaten me-"

"Can the crap, Gen. You've made your selfish intentions clear from the first day we met. If you want to get your jollies off on someone else, go ahead, but I won't let you use her like that."

Gen wanted to snicker at the use of "jollies", a word he didn't quite expect Senku to use, but he kept his expression steady, not wanting to let any sort of clue on how he was actually feeling in this moment slip. Senku may be intending to act as a protective friend, trying to prevent something from happening before it could even begin, but the split-monochrome haired man was seeing far more beneath the surface of his words. There was a spark there. The scientist may found the idea of romance to be beneath him, unimportant, illogical, but clear as the stars in the sky Gen could see that little spark. He was a step closer to completing his initial experiment, but more paths were starting to open up. However, he knew he had to be careful: one wrong step and he would be thrown onto his ass. But Gen was used to tempting fate, and he found he quite liked coming close to the fire. Part of his job is apparently having some masochistic tenancies, he supposed.

"That sounds like the talk of a possessive lover, my dear Senku," he responded, and that grip on his collar became a smidgen tighter.

If looks could kill, there would be a dozen blades in Gen's skull by now, but luckily for him, it was just a glare and it couldn't do much harm. With a rough toss, Senku released his collar, another scoff meeting a relieved sigh. "Whatever. I meant what I said, Gen," he said with one last threat before walking away, needing to cool down, feeling his blood pressure skyrocketing and knowing he had to get it to come down before he even attempted to try and go to sleep.

Why he was acting this way, he didn't quite know... it didn't make logical sense. Yet he was, and that within itself was making his blood boil. There's no reason for him to feel, at all, the way he did... he was definitely, ten billion percent, not jealous of the attention that Gen was showering on her or how she was reacting to it. And he was definitely, ten billion percent, not possessive over the woman either. He didn't want some failed relationship to derail the Kingdom of Science, and he knew that, if the two were to become involved, that's exactly what would happen. Gen had no real interest in Kohaku in a serious way, and while Kohaku was not a typical woman to instantly swoon over extra attention, if something were to happen and things went poorly, it would not go over well. First loves rarely end amicably, and that's why he wants to protect Kohaku... It was for the sake of what they were trying to build, that's all. It wasn't for any other reason. No other reason at all.

Fixing the collar of his yukata, Gen watched as he stomped off, taking note of how his fists were still balled, now at his sides, how he seemed to be hunched over and stomping about. This wasn't over, the mentalist knew, but obviously Senku was done for the moment. And that was just fine; he had all of the results he needed for right now. As he turned and climbed up the ladder, greeting Chrome for a moment before making his way into the sleeping bunk below the floor, he pondered all that had happened.

… This was going to be more fun than he initially thought, and he was – for lack of a better phrase – getting excited for the next step. All in due time, of course, he knew that. He couldn't rush this, knowing how easily things could derail, and besides, if he rushed, he wouldn't be able to have nearly as much fun. As he wrapped himself up in one of the blankets, preparing for his nightly slumber, he couldn't help but smirk to himself.

Oh yes... this is going to be a lot of fun, indeed.