Work Text:
“I don't want voices praising me or an ovation”
Saitama was a hero for fun. He went into the business because he wanted to genuinely help people (and also because being a salaryman was lackluster). And it's kind of natural to expect some gratitude in return for your help no matter how selfless you are.
He was kinda naive. It turned out that the people he saved were never really grateful. And as the years went by Saitama began expecting less and less from the people he saved.
He began to feel lonelier than ever.
In the end his thought process after saving someone always ended with a sad monologue of “I don't want voices praising me or an ovation.”
And Saitama tried to believe it wholeheartedly.
Then in came Genos with his blazing incinerators, perfectly sculpted metal body and a head full of artificial blonde hair (Saitama was somewhat jealous of the last trait though) and something began to change.
Genos was a stubborn teenager and he mostly got what he wanted from Saitama because he was that persuasive. Genos followed Saitama around as his disciple and he found it troublesome to refuse the stubborn teen.
He did not feel lonely anymore.
After destroying a meteor, saving a few cities and one particularly bad bout of public criticism, Saitama had had enough. Thankfully Genos stopped him with a quiet “Lets go home, sensei.”
On the way back home Genos quietly devoted himself to being Saitama's disciple with a promise to follow him wherever he went. Saitama just replied with a curt “You're creeping me out, Genos.”
He felt something flutter in his chest for a moment and quickly deemed it to be some residual irritation and in no way related to what Genos had said.
After that Genos began singing his praise day in and day out that it got annoying at one point and Saitama had to stop him with the threat of not being his sensei anymore. Genos shuts up immediately, every time.
And Saitama nowadays often finds himself ending his thoughts with a hopeful monologue of “I don't want voices praising me or an ovation but I hope this one particular voice never stops. “