Chapter Text
Gen stepped into the closet, trying to calm his racing heart as Senku shut the door behind them. He really couldn't believe his luck. While he had been hoping to have the chance to get to spend Seven Minutes in Heaven with the physicist, actually doing it was completely different. And just because he's had a not-so-secret crush on Senku since their freshman year of university, it didn't mean that he necessarily wanted to do anything about it right then and there.
"Oi, Mentalist."
The younger man's soft voice pulled Gen from his thoughts and back to the present. He turned to face Senku in the near complete darkness, the only sound the rustling of his cardigan against the various items hanging in the cramped space.
"Yes, Senku-chan?"
"Sorry you got dragged into this with me."
Gen had to physically bite down on his lip to prevent himself from laughing out loud.
"I never thought I'd live to see the day that the great Ishigami Senku apologized for something," he mused. "Especially not for something that wasn't his ault-fay in the first place. It was all part of the game."
He heard Senku hum as if in agreement. "I still think this game is ten billion percent stupid."
"You would, you're allergic to fun."
"I fail to see how kissing someone in a cramped closet while everyone else waits outside with bated breath is considered 'fun', Mentalist."
"Think about it like a Schrödinger's cat sort of situation: whilst inside the closet, unless those inside explicitly tell everyone else what happened, it become a thought experiment of what actually happened. Did they kiss? Did they talk? Did they just sit in silence? It becomes every possibility all at once."
"You would use Schrödinger as a means to get me to understand the absurdity of the situation," chuckled Senku. "An effective comparison, though, I must say."
"If I didn't know any better, Senku-chan, that almost sounds like aise-pray coming from you," Gen replied with a smirk.
"Believe what you'd like. But barring further psychological and scientific debate, that then raises the point of what we should do with our remaining two hundred and seven seconds."
"Of course you've counted how long we've been in here."
Gen didn't need to be able to see to know that Senku now wore his own shit-eating grin. "My internal clock never stops," the physicist said with practiced casualness. "And you haven't answered the question I posed."
"It was a statement at best, Senku-chan." Gen felt another blush burn at his cheeks and was grateful for the lack of visibility in the closet. "Hardly a question."
"Alright then, Mentalist, have it your way: what would you have us do with our now remaining one hundred and seventy-five seconds? Are you one to follow convention and ask to kiss me while in here?"
Senku's words weren't mocking or cruel; he seemed to genuinely be posing the questions to Gen. And yet for whatever reason, the older man felt like his tongue had turned to lead. He absolutely did want to kiss Senku if that was an option, but he didn't know if the younger man was offering to do so solely out of obligation to the 'rules' of Seven Minutes in Heaven or not. Digging his nails into his palms, Gen finally forced himself to find his voice again.
"I'm more than happy to coexist and wait out the est-ray of the time with you," he finally replied in a softer than normal voice. "I didn't think you'd be particularly fond of kissing, Senku-chan."
"Never done it so I wouldn't know."
"You- you've never kissed anyone before?"
"You sound surprised," laughed Senku. "Surely that's not as unbelievable as you make it out to be?"
"Surely you don't know how attractive you are, Senku-chan, if you think I find that surprising," Gen retorted before his brain could censor his thoughts. He clapped a hand over his mouth belatedly but the damage had already been done and his words seemed to linger in the silence that stretched between them now.
"You think I'm attractive?" The younger man sounded equal parts incredulous and curious.
Gen let out a resigned sigh. "I do."
More silence for a handful of seconds.
"How long have you thought that?"
"Jeez, Senku-chan, this feels like an interrogation now."
"It's only natural for me to be curious. Nobody's ever said anything like that to me before…"
Something in Gen's chest clenched. "Would it be cliché to say almost as long as I've known you?"
Senku snorted. "Maybe a bit, but I'd appreciate the honesty if it were the case."
"For better or orse-way, that is the case…are you upset with me?"
"I wouldn't say that. Confused, maybe. Curious. But not upset."
"Confused?"
"Come on, Mentalist, you've had a fair string of partners across our four years of undergrad. And yet you're saying you've found me of all people attractive that whole time?"
It was true that Gen had spent time with a few scattered people off and on over the years to try and help stave away the loneliness and try to find comfort in the arms of other people, but it always felt hollow knowing that they were all surrogates for the person he'd really wanted. None of his flings lasted more than a handful of weeks at the most as a result...nor did they ever progress past anything purely physical.
"Well when you put it like that, I see what you mean," the older man said, not even bothering to hide the dejection in his tone. "But even with this being a less than ideal time or place to say it, I ten billion percent assure you that I'm telling the truth when I say I've liked you for a while, Senku-chan. I just never thought you'd reciprocate."
Gen heard shuffling and felt the warm presence of Senku's body closer now in their shared space. He couldn't help the flinch he gave at the sudden sensation of the other man's hand brushing up against his arm, but he stood perfectly still as Senku felt blindly down along Gen's arm until warm fingers enveloped his own.
"I may not be as experienced in relationships as you are," murmured Senku, "but you also never asked me."
Something akin to hope bubbled up inside of Gen.
"Ask?"
"Twenty-three seconds left, Mentalist…tick tock…"
"Asshole," scoffed Gen without any real bite. He was met with a squeeze to his hand that he returned playfully. Summoning his courage, he took a deep breath before asking, "Senku-chan, would you want to go out with me?"
"Promise not to make fun of me for my lack of experience?"
"I wouldn't dream of it."
He heard Senku give another light chuckle. "Then sure. I'll go out with you, Gen. Is next Friday okay with you?"
A wide smile split across the older man's face that he knew couldn't be seen amidst the darkness, but he didn't much care. "Sounds perfect…"
The loud, blaring sound of Ukyo's phone alarm going off outside the door caused Gen to jump, but Senku didn't so much as flinch. He gave one more squeeze to Gen's hand before releasing it and turning back around to face the door.
"Ready to go back out there?" he asked.
Gen let out a breathy huff of a laugh, still in disbelief at the turn of events over the course of the last seven minutes. "Yeah…"
As luck would have it, after Ryusui and Ukyo's party, Gen didn't see Senku hardly at all over the course of the next week. And it definitely didn't help to quell the mounting excitement and nervousness about his first real date also being Senku's first real date. The fact that they were on different major paths and usually existed on opposite ends of campus did play some role in it, but with how much overlap they had among their friends, surely Gen would have seen at least caught passing glimpses of that familiar green and white hair here or there. He did see Chrome and Taiju a couple of isolated times, the former a bit more frequently considering that Ruri was a psychology major like Gen, but never their housemate.
To almost add insult to injury, Senku wasn't huge on using his phone in general. He never had been, and Gen knew this from being his friend for the last several years, but it didn't seem like anything had changed after their time in the closet. Senku always made an effort to reply to texts when he had free moments between experiments or classes, but his responses were always perfunctory. Gen had made a few scattered attempts at texting him over the week to ask how he was doing, to confirm that they were still meeting up on Friday, and other things of the like. Every message was met with Senku's normal grammatically correct and dry responses.
The icing on the proverbial cake for Gen came during it his normal lunch with Ukyo on Thursday. It only took a single glance at his friend to know that he and Ryusui had finally gotten together. After teasingly berating the engineer for not telling him sooner, Ukyo gave an abridged account of what had happened when it had been their turn in the closet, along with a pink-faced overview of the rest of that night. The white-haired man looked so much more at peace, eyes and smile somehow brighter than they normally were, and Gen couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy at Ryusui's attentiveness to his friend. He was nonetheless elated for Ukyo, though, and he in turn confided to him that he and Senku had a date the following day. Ukyo's visible shock morphed swiftly into excitement for him and he had demanded details afterward.
By the time that Friday afternoon had rolled around and Gen strode up to the door of the house that Senku rented with Chrome and Taiju, he felt like a ball of anxious energy. He really has been trying to heed Senku's warning that he'd probably not be the best at relationships just starting out. Considering the fact that they weren't even technically dating yet, and that no clear expectations or boundaries were set, it would be illogical to think that their relationship would change overnight after agreeing on a single date.
The door to the house swung open and pulled Gen from his swirling thoughts back to the present. He hurriedly lowered the hand he was going to knock with as he was met face to face with Taiju, a water bottle in hand in one of his hands and a towel slung over his shoulder.
"Gen!" boomed the brunette. "How are you? What brings you by?"
"Taiju-chan," Gen greeted back with a nod and a practiced smile. "Senku-chan and I made plans for this evening."
A look of comprehension crossed Taiju's face as he grinned big and nodded emphatically. "Oh yeah, I remember him mentioning that! That's probably why he asked me about —"
"Is nothing sacred to you, you big oaf?" Senku's voice easily cut through his housemate's rambling as he sidled up to lean in the doorframe. The psychology major let out a breath of relief that he didn't realize he'd been holding. Senku nodded to Gen in greeting. "Hey, Mentalist. Figured you got here after hearing him talking to someone instead of running like he said he was gonna do."
"Running!" Taiju smacked his forehead with his free hand. "That's what I was doing! See ya Senku, Gen!" And with that, he jogged down the stone steps in front of the house and took off down the sidewalk. Gen watched him go with a curious smile on his face, wondering just what Senku might have been asking Taiju about when the sound of the physicist clearing his throat brought his attention back to the house.
"You wanna come in?" asked Senku, gesturing with an incline of his head. Gen nodded his assent and he followed the younger man's lead into the familiar space.
Before Ryusui and Ukyo moved into their apartment, this house was the normal hangout spot for their blended group of friends. It was a cozy thing with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, situated just a few minutes' walk off campus. Chrome had luckily known the previous occupants through his environmental science club and after they graduated midway through the groups' sophomore year, he managed to finagle splitting the rent and utilities three ways between himself, Taiju, and Senku as a cheaper alternative to the latter two living in the dorms as roommates.
"So," prompted Senku. "Did you have anything particular in mind for tonight?"
"Well," Gen started, "I figured that since neither of us are incredibly well-versed in the whole 'dating' thing, you less so than myself, we could start small with something a bit more standard."
"What do you mean you're not 'well-versed' in dating? You've definitely been on more dates than me, Mentalist."
Gen's cheeks darkened as flashes of his previous paramours crossed his mind. "'Date' is a rather loose word, Senku-chan…how does a movie sound?"
The younger man's brow raised in evident confusion before nodding slowly in agreement. "Sounds good. We could get dinner, too, if you're hungry?"
"Sure!" Gen felt warmth swirl in his chest as he pulled out his phone to search the latest releases for the town's local theater. "Were there any movies that aught-cay your attention lately?"
"Actually," interjected Senku. "I have a better idea."
"Oh?"
"How about we just go to my room instead?"
The mobile device in his hand clattered against the hardwood floor as Gen lost his grip on it.
"You- your room?" the older man choked out, a more furious blush surely painting his face. Did he have any idea what sort of connotation that had?! "Are- are you sure, Senku-chan?"
"Yeah?" Senku shrugged and scratched the inside of his ear with his pinky. "The Netflix I already pay for is ten billion percent cheaper than a movie ticket. And we can order takeout from that Japanese fusion place you like."
Relief, embarrassment, and disappointment all crashed over Gen at the same time. Of course Senku wouldn't try to insinuate anything salacious for a first date. He cleared his throat, subconsciously straightening his posture and plastering on what he'd hoped was an enthusiastic smile.
"Of course! You just want an excuse to eat that ramen again, don't you?"
"Consider it two birds with one stone," grinned Senku. "You also love that place's okonomiyaki."
"Hmm, true," Gen replied with an easier smile of his own. He knelt down and reclaimed his phone from the floor, waving it at Senku. "How about you pick the movie and I'll order takeout?"
The physicist nodded again and turned to walk towards his bedroom, pausing after only a few steps to look back over his shoulder at Gen.
"You coming?"
Gods help him, this was going to be a long night.
For all of the fun that Gen was having, he still couldn't help the niggling anxiety at the back of his mind. He felt like it was going well so far. The pair of them had sat on the floor against Senku's bed while they ate their dinner, the younger man grumbling about potential spills or crumbs in his bed. He'd opted to watch Interstellar, and even long after they'd finished eating, the movie remained playing on the small TV across from them. Senku looked relaxed enough, one of his hands propped up on a knee with his other hand on the ground beside him.
The passing thought to take Senku's hand in his own crossed Gen's mind a few times. He just wasn't sure if he should just go for it, or if he ought to ease his (and by extension, Senku's) way into it all. He eventually settled on setting one of his own hands relatively close to the other man's, not quite touching, but close enough to be interpreted as an invitation.
"So, Senku-chan," he started in an attempt to break the conversational ice. "Why Interstellar? I know the science behind some of the effects is sound, but is it also because you ant-way to work for NASA someday?"
"That's part of it," answered Senku. A tiny smile crossed his face. "Ever since I was a kid, I've wanted to be an astronaut. The universe is so vast and ever-changing, so the opportunity to play a part in exploring it is exhilarating."
"I can understand that," Gen nodded. "And the other part?"
At that, a faint pink danced across the physicist's cheeks. "It makes me think of my dad. Christopher Nolan's one of his favorite directors."
The older man hummed in acknowledgement, smiling warmly. He'd met Senku's father a handful of times over the years, usually around the starts and ends of term and for holidays when he'd come to visit. Ishigami Byakuya was an eccentric and at times overly excitable man who loved his adoptive son more than anything in the world. Senku would often play up his embarrassment at his father's antics, but Gen couldn't help but find his appreciation for Byakuya's taste in movies endearing.
"I like him too," replied Gen. "The Prestige is a favorite of mine."
"Makes sense," Senku countered with a smirk. "The Mentalist loving a movie about magic and illusions."
"Let me guess: your favorite of his is Oppenheimer?"
"Not quite — it's actually The Dark Knight."
Gen grinned at the new information. "You don't exactly strike me as a fan of superhero movies, Senku-chan."
"And I'm normally not." The younger man's smile softened. "Byakuya is, though. And he was a big fan of Heath Ledger's to boot. I've seen A Knight's Tale more times than I think even I can count."
"That's sweet of you, Senku-chan. I can almost see the ook-lay on your father's face if he heard you admitting as much."
The wistful look on Senku's face quickly shifted into annoyance. "You wouldn't dare."
"Hmmm...maybe not, but I'd definitely think about it for sure."
"Tch," scoffed Senku. "Troublesome Mentalist."
"But you love me anyway~" Gen chirped playfully. He watched the younger man's face as carefully as he could, scanning for any sign of potential discomfort or uncertainty, but he found none. If anything, Senku's face remained its usual impassive mask, save for a tiny quirk at the corner of his lips.
"Let's go with that," he grinned.
The conversation ended naturally as they watched the end of the movie. Gen, feeling a bit more daring, inched his hand gradually closer to Senku's own. Once the credits began to drift across the screen, the older man made his move and very gingerly laid his left hand on top of Senku's right. Senku flinched slightly, clearly not anticipating the contact, but his posture relaxed just as quickly.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
"You didn't scare me," countered Senku. "I just wasn't expecting it."
"Is- is holding hands okay?"
"What happened to that silver tongue of yours, Mentalist? It's unlike you to sound so unsure."
Gen blew out a huff of breath that made his bangs flutter against his forehead but couldn't help the tiny smile that crossed his lips at Senku's phrasing. Whether he'd consciously realized it or not, it was the same thing he'd said to Gen before they'd entered the closet together.
"I just want to make sure you're omfortable-cay, Senku-chan. You don't have any experience in dating or romance and I…well, I've had more practical experience with intimacy than anything if that makes sense…"
The physicist looked pensive for a moment before nodding slowly and shifting his hand beneath Gen's so that their palms were now touching. He threaded his fingers through Gen's experimentally and gently squeezed, humming to himself.
"It's not bad," he finally settled on. "Strange, but not entirely unwelcome."
"You sure?" asked Gen, giving his own tentative squeeze back.
"Yeah. I've never been one for physical affection, but that's probably because of growing up with Byakuya and his clinginess. Same with the big oaf."
"We don't have to do anything azy-cray, either. There's no hard and fast rules or expectations." Gen remembered the other man's earlier words and let out a laugh. "The world of dating is vast and ever-changing, Senku-chan, and it can be explored at our own pace if you're interested."
"There it is," Senku chuckled. He gave Gen's hand another squeeze and experimentally traced across his knuckles with the pad of his thumb. "I can't guarantee that I'll be any good at any of it, but it sounds exhilarating. I'm in."