The Science of Connection (Senku Ishigami x Reader)

~~~ Senku POV~~~

Senku's mind was a whirlwind of calculations and plans, each thought more pressing than the last. He had no time for distractions—not now, not when the Tsukasa is planning on bringing an army to he's front door. But the moment Gen entered the clearing, Chrome called out to him. Causing him to set out of his makeshift lab. His eyes briefly darting from Chrome to Gen to the figure behind him, Senku's train of thought screeched to a halt.

There, standing at the edge of the village, was her.

(Y/N)

His heart froze in his chest.

For a split second, Senku was caught in a trance, his brain working overtime to process the sight before him. His eyes scanned her form, lingering on the way she held herself, the subtle way her gaze met his like she had never left. But her expression was mixed with something he couldn't quite place—relief, anger, longing... and something else. Something that made his chest tighten.

This is a mistake, Senku thought. I shouldn't be feeling like this. This isn't logical.

But it was too late. The flutter in his chest was undeniable. His mind, always so precise, was overwhelmed by the rush of emotion. His heart betrayed him, skipping a beat when she stepped forward. He wasn't prepared for this. He hadn't been prepared for her return.

"You... you're really here," he muttered under his breath, his usual sarcasm failing him in the moment. He hadn't expected this—hadn't prepared for it, not like he'd prepared for everything else in his life.

(Y/N) takes another step, his mind still whirling from the shock of seeing her again. She looked the same, or at least, almost the same. Her (e/c) eyes still held that familiar spark—the sharp intelligence, the quiet strength he used to know so well. Her (h/c) hair, slightly longer now, fell in soft waves around her face, but it was her (s/c/ skin that caught his attention.

There, running from her neck down to her left shoulder, were the faint but unmistakable lines of cracks. They were like thin, delicate fractures, dark and jagged, yet they seemed almost... natural, like the marks on ancient stone or ceramic. The cracks spiraled down her arm, splitting the surface of her skin in intricate, angular patterns that almost made it look as if she had been broken and carefully put back together. The sight of them made something stir deep inside him—an inexplicable ache, like a sudden pang of guilt.

Senku knew the revival process was harsh. He knew that no one who had been petrified would come back unscathed, seeing the cracks on her—it made something shift within him. He couldn't help but notice how they marred her skin, like scars of time, like a reminder that no one truly escaped the chaos of the world that had turned to stone.

(Y/N) gaze softening as if unsure of how to approach him. Then, as if drawn by an invisible force, sheclosed the gap between them. Before Senku could stop it, her arms were around him—a hug.

His body stiffened instinctively. He hated being touched, hated the vulnerability it brought. Touch was something he'd learned to avoid at all costs. It wasn't that he didn't care, but the burden of emotions and the overwhelming need to focus on the science always took precedence.

Why is she touching me? His thoughts were a tangled mess. I can't do this. I can't afford to feel this way.

But... it felt so familiar. Her warmth, the slight pressure of her arms around him, the way she fit perfectly into the space he didn't realize he had left open. His body betrayed his logic, responding to the instinct of it. He felt her heartbeat, a steady rhythm that mirrored his own erratic pulse.