Together - A Senku Ishigami Love Story (Dr.Stone)

Chapter 5

"Are we there yet?"

"I'm ten billion percent sure I already told you to stop asking me that."

Tachi swung her arms childishly, a heavy sigh accompanying the movement. They were now off of her marked trail, but that didn't mean that the terrain was any different. It was the same forest, the same flora and the same rocks, like a backdrop playing repeat in a low budget movie, and like a low budget movie, it was beginning to become rather stale. She had followed Senku out here on his promise of a surprise, but all she was surprised about so far was that he hadn't passed out from exhaustion. Suddenly the scientist stopped, holding out his hand to halt her own progression. Watching him curiously as his movements changed she followed him as he began creeping through the brush, keeping lower to the ground. Her heart began racing in excitement and her lips pursed tightly. She was excited, her lips stretching into a small smile as the realisation hit her. Senku stopped, turning to smirk at her before he pulled away the bush infront of them. Tachi's green eyes grew wider, her breath halting and her mouth falling open as if to gasp, but no noise escaped her, her voice captured by the brilliance of what was standing just a few feet away. A large onyx hued horse with a long, wild grey mane grazed peacefully before them, a few thin silvery white hairs mixed amongst his midnight coat where captured by the suns rays, almost as they were glittering softly. Others stood behind him, horses of various colouration and stature, though her eyes remained affixed tightly to the one before her, he was breathtaking. Senku hummed quietly in satisfaction, pleased with her stunned silence. He had known the moment that he had stumbled upon the beasts that Tachi would be grateful to see them. She spoke often about the horses they had raised on the ranch where she lived, and Senku recognised the passion in her words as that of someone truly enamoured with the subject they were discussing. It reminded him of Taiju's mannerisms when he spoke of Yuzuriha, or his own when he discussed his latest experiments.

"How... did you find them?"

Senku chuckled quietly, setting his aching back against a nearby tree as relaxed back.

"I have my secrets."

No he didn't, it was an accident.

Tachi sat in silence for what was likely hours, her posture relaxed and her gaze soft as she watched the band wistfully, her fingers entangled in the long blades of grass beneath her. The black horse, which she had already identified as the dominant mare, crept closer to her, lowering his head curiously. Her lips parted as her smile stretched, Senku opening his eyes and perking up just as she made contact with the beast. Her fingers trailed along it's long nose, the creature breathing out sharply as she messed his fur carefully, before setting her head against his own, her eyes closing over gently. Senku's smirk was nowhere to be found as he watched her, unsure if he was surprised by the brashness of the horse or of Tachi. This was a wild animal, not one reared on a ranch for riding or breeding, and yet there it was, allowing her fingers to trace lines along it's thick neck, and her sandy blonde locked head to rest against its own. She hummed quietly as it stayed close, a melody unknown to him, but when she stopped and opened her eyes it seemed to lose the sense of serenity it held in those moments, straightening up it's proud neck before taking a few steps back. Tachi sighed almost dreamily, a loving smile resting upon her lips as watched the horse trot back towards it's band. Senku was pulled from his intense studying as her voice broke through the still air.

"Thank you Senku, I really appreciate this. They're beautiful."

She turned her head away from the creatures for the first time since her eyes fell onto them, Senku blinking quickly before nodding and pulling himself to his feet. He thought for a moment of responding with a quick minded quip, but pushed the thought down. She seemed happy, and for all her hard work of late, it was something she certainly deserved to be.