The Science of Connection (Senku Ishigami x Reader)

Your heart is pounding in your chest, even though you can't feel it anymore. The world around you was frozen in time, a silent, still echo of the chaos that had just unfolded. For what felt like hours, you remained fully aware but completely immobile, trapped in your stone form.

In the eerie stillness, your mind raced.

Senku... You thought of him immediately. The last conversation you'd had with him was still fresh in your mind. You had agreed to the next phase of his experiment- the one that would bring you even closer, testing your emotional response under the guise of science.

What did he mean by "data"? The question lingered in your mind, haunting you. Even if the experiment was meant to be a study, it was clear that it was becoming something more... personal.

Did he ever feel the same way?

The thought kept looping through your brain, refusing to fade. You had spent so much time questioning your own feelings, wondering if this was just a result of the proximity, the shared moments of working side by side. But now, as you were trapped in this strange, limbo-like state, you wondered if Senku had ever been more than just a scientist observing a subject. Had he seen you as more? 

But with the world frozen and you trapped in this petrified state, all you could do was wait.

~~~3rd POV~~~

A large man swept over the stone statues around him. Each one representing a person frozen in time. When he reached a particular female, his eyes lingered. Something about her stood out- he had been observing everyone in there petrified state, and while many of the figures seemed unremarkable,  this one alone caught his attention. Her face, even in stone, had a certain sharpness to it- an alertness that suggested strength.

She looks like she could be useful, he thought, sizing her up as he approached. She didn't seem like the type of person who would simply fade into the background. There was a quiet resilience in her features. The man noted her slender but athletic build, her posture even in stone suggesting someone who had the capability of more than just physical strength. There was an intensity in the way she held herself. In his mind, this kind of presence could be valuable in the new world he was trying to create.

He poured the fluid slowly over the frozen statue, watching as the mixture reacted with the stone, cracking it into pieces. The fluid hissed and bubbled as it dissolved the stone, and the females figure began to re-emerge.

~~~Y/N POV~~~

The first sensations are overwhelming—light, air, sound—all flooding back in an instant. It feels like waking from a long, deep sleep, your senses struggling to adjust as they slowly come back into focus. Your eyes snap open, greeted by a bright sky and the warmth of the sun against your skin.

But then you realize something's wrong.

Why am I... naked?

Your mind races as panic sets in. The cool breeze brushes against your (s/c) skin, amplifying the vulnerability of your bare body. Stark and exposed, you scrambled to make sense of the situation. The memories of your life before this new world are a little foggy, but one thought remains clear and sharp.

Senku.

His name lingers in your mind, steady amidst the chaos of confusion. Gritting your teeth, you push yourself up to sit. Your heart is pounding in your chest, but you refuse to let the fear show. Instead, you force irritation into your voice, layering it with snark. "I assume you're the one who brought be back, but any chance I could get some clothes, or is this part of the whole revival deal?"