Archive of Our Own

BaseballROX: ”Genos dude look st this [link]”

BaseballROX: ”GENOSSSS”

GenoZ: ”What do you want?”

BaseballROX: ”Check the video man”

GenoZ: ”I’m studying. I have a test in two days.”

BaseballROX: ”no dude seriously look at it. Hes harming your people”

GenoZ: ”What are you talking about?”

GenoZ: ”Badd?”

No reply. With a resigned sigh, Genos clicked the link in the first message. It took him to YouTube, it was a video of a man… by a volcano? You could hear the wind, see how his hood was caught in a sudden breeze. There was a spectacular view around him,  he must have been quite high up. For all that though, the man looked completely at ease, dressed in a hoodie and jeans as if he was on his way to the convenience store rather than a potentially very dangerous place. How did he get up there? Where was this filmed, and what he planning on doing with… that iPhone…

GenoZ: ”He threw it into the volcano! WTF?!”

BaseballROX: ”I KNOWWW”

GenoZ: ”It’s such a waste of resources!”

BaseballROX: ”lmao THATS your concern?? He hurt one of you dude”

Genos sighed to himself. He didn’t mind his friends teasing him about his cybernetics, he knew they meant no harm by it, but he wasn’t always certain how much they truly understood… Especially Badd. Garou at least seemed to understand the difference but he wouldn’t put it past Badd to truly think...

GenoZ: ”Cybernetics are not the same technology as smartphones.”

BaseballROX: ”Whateverrrz check his other vids dude theres like a bunch of em”

GenoZ: ”Later, I have to study”

BaseballROX: ”Nerd”

Despite what he’d told the other, somehow Genos found himself looking through the strange channel, overcome with some kind of strange combination of annoyance and morbid curiosity. There were many different appliances featured in the man’s videos and all of them met equally gruesome fates, though in very varying fashion. Most were destroyed outdoors in various places, usually near the volcano or the a beach of some kind but there were a few that were also picked apart inside… an apartment?

Frowning deeply, Genos paused the latest video and studied the screen closely. Was this the home of the marauder? It appeared to be a pretty standard tiny bachelor apartment, not at all unlike his own, though appearing very crowded thanks to being rather untidy… he could see various manga volumes on the floor, a rolled up futon in the corner and a sorry-looking cactus was visible through the open balcony door.

This particular video featured a beaten down old toaster being manhandled and in a bout of annoyance at this idiot’s wasteful treatment of household appliances, Genos found himself writing a comment on the video.

GenoZ: ”Your home is dirty.”

And with that, Genos forced himself to put down his phone and go back to studying.

—-

Genos didn’t understand why or how, but there was something weirdly intriguing with that man and his videos. He was average-looking, other than his apparent premature baldness, and he spoke in a bored and flat tone as he destroyed various types of equipment and appliances, each meeting a demise more needlessly gruesome than the last. Where did he even get them all?! Did he buy all this stuff just to destroy it?

The day after his first comment, Genos found himself leaving a second one on another video, followed by a third… and then a fourth, all in the span of one afternoon.

Genoz: ”That’s a lot of dishes in the background.”

GenoZ: ”That’s not true about egg timers.”

GenoZ: ”You should clean that table properly before it stains.”

After the last comment, to his surprise, he received a reply from the man himself, posted among the sea of comments from a variety of people directed at him, ranging from praise to hate.

JustMeSai: ”i tried cleaning it but it won’t come out”

Without missing a beat, Genos added another comment.

GenoZ: ”Try ironing it.”

JustMeSai: ”really?”

GenoZ: ”Yes. Or toothpaste, if that doesn’t work.”

JustMeSai: ”huh. ok.”

Genos tore himself from the screen, chastising himself for spending time on YouTube when he had a test to get ready for. What a strange man.

—-

He wasn’t willing to admit it to anyone (least of all to Badd) but Genos had subscribed to the man’s YouTube channel. It was stupid, but he wanted to see more of him and his videos.

Three days after his test, he heard a little ping from his phone, informing him that a new video had been uploaded. He put down his spoon and flipped open his phone to watch it, then went back to eating his meal as he watched the clip.

”...so anyway, my buddy King gave me this broken Xbox and I was thinking, what happens if you fill an Xbox with marshmallows? Well, today we’ll find out. I’m gonna put it here on the table - note that it’s clean, thanks to you, that guy with the tip, the iron worked, that was weird. But anyways…”

Genos allowed himself a small smile at the other’s gratitude. He only very rarely mentioned any of his viewers in his videos. A lot of the people who commented were just trolling anyway. It made him feel like he’d been noticed, in a way few others had.

After Genos had watched the whole thing - near wincing - as the poor Xbox was crammed full of candy before being ripped apart to see what its insides looked like, he felt compelled to write yet another comment, as a way of thanking him back, perhaps.

GenoZ: ”Nice video!”

To his surprise, he received a reply within minutes.

JustMeSai: ”:)”

Not sure why, but wanting to continue the exchange, Genos wrote another response.

GenoZ: ”Why do you make these, though?”

JustMeSai: ”idk, it’s just a hobby. what about you? what do you do?”

GenoZ: ”I’m on my final semester in college. My major is Bioinformatics.”

JustMeSai: ”cool. like, techy stuff?”

GenoZ: ”Sometimes, yes.”

JustMeSai: ”cool.”

That was the end of it that conversation, but to his surprise, a couple of days Genos received another reply to his original comment.

JustMeSai: ”hey you got messenger? i wanna ask you something.”

Genos blinked at the screen. What was this? A trap of some kind? He knew from personal experience that some YouTubers could get very aggressive when criticized… Still, he hadn’t sounded upset before but Genos also knew he didn’t always read people well… Well, he could take care of himself. Come to worst, he’d just block him.

GenoZ: ”I do. Here’s my contact info.”

JustMeSai: ”genos huh? cool. incoming message from me. i’m saitama.”

He blinked when the promised message came up on his screen, accepting it after only a moment of hesitation.

Saitama: ”sup. thanks again for the iron tip. i’d hate to have to replace the table they’re expensive.”

Genos: ”You’re welcome. What did you want to ask me?”

He waited several minutes for the response, heart beating heavily in his chest, though he didn’t really understand why. Still, it was a little nerve-wracking to suddenly talk one-on-one with this Sai… with Saitama… So that was his real name...

Saitama: ”i forgot. you seem pretty cool tho. mind if i message you to say hi sometime?”

Genos: ”Not at all. Can I ask you something, though? Where are you getting all these electronics? Isn’t it expensive?”

Saitama: ”nah, people give them to me cause they wanna see the videos.”

Genos: ”Oh.”

Saitama: ”anyways i gotta go, time to destroy this ancient lava lamp.”

Genos: ”Please be careful, the liquid in older models might be harmful.”

Saitama: ”k genos ;)”

—-

He wasn’t sure how it happened, but soon he and Saitama started messaging each other regularly. It started with generic greetings, ”what are you doing today?” and similar questions, gradually turning into learning more about each other. Or at least, summarized versions - Genos quickly learnt that any longer replies were inevitably met with a reply of ”tl;dr”. But he learnt that Saitama was out of college and jumping between odd jobs while trying to keep his YouTube channel interesting, that he lived alone and that he liked cats though they never seemed to like him back. He learnt that his favourite food was cabbage, that he wasn’t interested in sports but worked out daily and was, in his own words, ”pretty strong”.

Genos told him about himself as well, of his studies, his interest in nice clothes and good food. He mentioned, very briefly, that his family was gone, simply referring to Dr. Kuseno as his new guardian. Saitama didn’t prod for more information.

It felt good, it felt oddly normal, like they had been doing this for years. Saitama was easy to talk to and he didn’t feel that he had to think about how he presented himself when they interacted. He was used to people looking at him wherever he went, to always be the one to stand out in a crowd, but online he could pretend to be like everyone else. It was… refreshing.

They started sending each other funny pictures and memes they found, sometimes staying up late at night to chat, even on some nights when Genos knew full well he should have been studying, or at least asleep. Fortunately his grades didn’t suffer for it, even if his coffee bill increased. And then he let it slip what he was doing one night and after that Saitama invoked a strict ”no chatting after 10 pm Genos needs his beauty sleep” rule, anyway, so that put an end to those conversations.

Genos found himself eagerly waiting for Saitama’s new videos, whenever he uploaded them, following some personal confusing schedule - not so much because of the abused electronics, but rather to see Saitama himself. Despite his untidiness, his flat tone and complete disregard for wasting resources there was something captivating about him, Genos had to admit it. Whenever he offered one of his rare little smiles on screen, Genos found himself smiling back, as if the smile was directed at him personally.

His interest in Saitama’s channel did not go unnoticed. Both Badd and Garou started teasing him endlessly about it once they noticed his comments and replies on the videos.

BaseballROX: ”lolololol are you commenting on every single thin he uploads or wat”

FiteMeBro: ”ye he is lmao”

GenoZ: ”Shut up.”

FiteMeBro: ”Ohhh burrrned don’t kill us robo boy”

With an annoyed sigh, Genos wondered why he’d even befriended those two in the first place.

—-

Saitama: ”king i swear i didn’t do it on purpose.”

King: ”I’d be more inclined to believe you if you didn’t have a YouTube channel called ’Me destroying stuff’.”

Saitama: ”ok but why would i destroy your psp i wanted to play that new game!!! sorry dude”

King: ”It’s okay.”

Saitama: ”:D”

King: ”So is that the only reason you’re texting me at 3:26 am?”

Saitama: ”ok no i just wanted to ask you something weird.”

King: ”Uh ok?”

Saitama: ”ok so listen,, is it gay if you want to talk to a guy like. all the time??”

King: ”You mean at 3:30 am?”

Saitama: ”what. wait shit no. not you dude christ. i mean there’s this guy i’ve become friends with recently.”

King: ”Well, you said it yourself didn’t you? You’re friends, so you talk a lot with each other, especially in the beginning. That’s normal.”

Saitama: ”k”

King: ”We’ve been over this before Saitama. And why are you even worrying so much about it? Why would it matter so much if that was the case anyway?”

Saitama: ”i’m going to bed now bye king”

King: ”Good night, Saitama.”

—

Saitama: ”hey genos how do you get lava lamp liquid stuff out?”

Genos: ”What happened?”

Saitama: ”life. there’s this weird waxy stuff like, everywhere”

Genos: ”Try the iron again. No steam.”

Saitama: ”thanks dude. you’re pretty great.”

Genos: ”Happy to be of service. If I were closer, I’d gladly help you clean your whole apartment.”

Saitama: ”hey you calling my place dirty?? but i mean... if you wanna come over sometime that’d be cool. where did you live again anyways?”

Genos: ”Really?! I’m in City M.”

Saitama: ”z here but you knew that. and sure why not. you could help me destroy this microwave.”

Genos: ”Okay!”

A couple of days later, Saitama made good on his earlier promise, asking again if Genos actually wanted to meet up in real life. Genos was equal parts excited and terrified. He’d seen Saitama in many videos, had seen his home even, so he was pretty sure he was the guy he claimed to be… but online was one thing, real life another. People could be very different in real life, compared to their online persona.

BaseballROX: ”dont do it gen”

FiteMeBro: ”yih he could be an axe murderer for all u know”

BaseballROX: ”Nah if that was the case you could just clonk him on the head with your lethal iron fists. But you kno why he asked you to come right??”

GenoZ: ”They’re not made from iron. And no?”

BaseballROX: ”Well OBVIOUSSLY he’s gonna throw YOU into a volcao for views you’d be the most expensive piece of tech in his collection”

With an annoyed grunt, Genos clicked his phone shut.

He took the train to City Z the next day.

—-

Genos: ”Saitama, I’m near the station!”

Saitama: ”cool. i’m waiting for you. track 3 right”

Genos: ”Yes! However, before we meet up I thought there’s something you should know about me. I apologize for not telling you sooner.”

Saitama: ”uh ok?”

Genos: ”I have cybernetic prosthetics. They’re pretty noticeable.”

Saitama: ”what’s that?”

Genos: ”I’m a cyborg.”

Saitama: ”ooooooh. shit, sorry about the toaster video was that insensitive?”

Genos: ”No, it’s fine, it’s… different technology, Saitama.”

Saitama: ”ok whew. anyway that’s cool. see you in a bit.”

Genos put his phone into his pocket so that he’d feel it vibrating, just in case Saitama needed to contact him.

He was nervous. In a way, he felt as if already knew Saitama so well - they’d talked daily for a number of weeks, and he’d seen both him and his home in his videos. But, Saitama didn’t know who Genos was, what he looked like. He really was a trusting man, to invite Genos like this.

Genos didn’t really care what others thought about him for the most part. He had his reasons for going with these particular parts and he didn’t regret it, but it did get tiresome, sometimes, to be met with stares and whispers. His prosthetics were noticeable. And he didn’t want Saitama looking at him like that when they met, like he was a curious oddity. Or worse, with fear or disgust. That wasn’t a common occurrence fortunately, but it had happened a few times. Some people disliked anything that was different from what they were used to.

They’d hang out somewhere public at first, they’d promised, and break it off if either of them felt at all uncomfortable. Saitama had assured Genos that he knew of some good restaurants and cafés that they could choose between. But the plan was for Genos to sleep at his apartment after that rather than spend money on some ratty hotel, if things went well. Just as friends, of course.

He gripped the strap of his backpack harder, looking up as a cheerful voice announced that they had reached their station. This was the final station before the trains turned back towards city M and various others along the way back. City Z was one of the smaller cities and (in)famous for being rather run-down and almost completely lacking in functional infrastructure in some sections - that’s why rent was so cheap here, a major reason Saitama had decided to live here, he’d been informed. He’d told Genos that he wasn’t worried about gangs or hoodlums, either - ”strong enough to scare them off”, he’d assured Genos. Nor was Genos worried of anything like that - few people would dare to get into a fight with him either.

He waited until almost everyone had already gotten off the train, not wanting to be responsible for any bruises if someone accidentally got knocked into him. It was only a few minutes but it felt like ages and he continued to fiddle with the bag strap, glancing out through one of the small windows. All he could see was parts of a wall-mounted clock and dusty brick wall.

When he was finally off the train Genos glanced around for a familiar shiny head, sighing in relief when he spotted it. Saitama stood leaning against a ticket machine, hand caught mid-wave. He was staring straight at Genos, mouth open in a small ’oh’.

He took a deep breath as he approached the other, noting that he was taller than Saitama, even when the other stood up to his full height as he got closer.

”Genos?”

”Yes… pleased to meet you in real life, Saitama.”

”Holy shit-”

’Here it comes’ Genos thought to himself, bracing himself, he was weirded out, he was going to tell him that he-

”I didn’t realize you were a model!”

”I… what?!”

”Uhm, sorry, I meant, er… So, tell me, er... how’s college, did you graduate yet?!”

”What?” Genos repeated himself before finding his bearings. ”I uh, I’m on my last semester, remember?”

”Right... Right. Uh, so ready to go? I was thinking this decent noodle place, it’s not far from here. Unless you wanna drop off that backpack first?”

”Thank you for your concern, but I should be fine. My arms are strong.”

”They look it, yeah. Alright, this way dude.”

Together they left the station. At first things were a little awkward - it felt different to talk face to face rather than in text form, but the familiarity, the feeling of already knowing the other, soon came back.

”-So I said sure, but don’t blame me for the ink stains… oh, here we are!” Saitama opened a heavy-duty door with no apparent effort, motioning for Genos to enter first. Inside it was pleasantly warm, the sudden difference in temperature causing a small bit of steam to rise from Genos’ arms. He took off his hat and scarf as Saitama led them to the, in his opinion, best table they had.

”I’ve come here for years, they’ve got nice food here and it’s pretty cheap. You like noodles, right?”

”Noodles are fine.”

Genos didn’t miss the glances the waitstaff sent them, but he was a little confused - they didn’t seem distrustful the way people usually did when they stared, only curious. And they were looking more at Saitama than himself, even if he was a regular. Or was that why they stared in the first place, seeing an old-time customer with a stranger in a city not many travelled to?

Trusting the other’s judgment, Genos had let Saitama pick the food for both of them. He blinked when his bowl was put in front of him.

Saitama looked far too pleased with himself when he saw his reaction. ”See? I remembered the fishies!”

”Thank you, Saitama!”

They ate, both with good appetites. Saitama was impressed to see how much Genos ate, that he could eat even more than himself. He was easy to talk to, too, with the same relaxed tone that he always had in their online conversations. He felt more and more at ease hanging out in real life. Saitama was kind, and calm, and apparently didn’t even mind his cybernetics. What a catch. A… friend-catch, that is. Saitama had mentioned once, briefly, that he wasn’t into dudes, so Genos knew he shouldn’t get his hopes up for anything more.

It was proving awfully hard not to, though.

—

Genos was pretty easy to recognize when he stepped off the train. Like, okay, more like he was a pretty noticeable guy in general, the way he looked like he'd stepped out of some kind of futuristic model ad, but even besides that, he had been looking around himself with big eyes, until he spotted Saitama and visibly relaxed before he started moving towards him. So, definitely an outsider who felt relieved upon seeing a familiar face.

Saitama hadn't been sure what he'd expected, not even after Genos had told him was a cyborg, right before the train arrived. He’d only described himself very briefly before that, when he’d gotten on the train back in City M - ”blond hair, blue hat and scarf, black coat” - When he heard "prosthetics" he had thought of maybe like, a hand or a leg or something. That wasn't that unusual. Half the time you couldn't even tell those were man-made unless you looked up close. But this... this was something else entirely.

First of all, Genos was tall, with broad shoulders and a slim waist, further accentuated by his form-fitting clothes - those jeans in particular didn't leave much to the imagination. He wore a knitted hat with a matching scarf together with an expensive-looking jacket. And then... his arms. Despite his warm outfit, his arms were completely bare, and they were a shiny grey metal, without the faux skin covering he was used to seeing in other cyborgs. They made him look like... an anime protagonist, or something. Like the cool guy in an action movie. Even more so combined with his left eye, which was clearly inorganic too, seeing how it was black with a golden iris that seemed to honest-to-god glow. It was so badass.

For a solid minute after seeing Genos in the flesh (and metal) for the first time, the only thought looping through Saitama’s head, on endless repeat, was "cool cool cool".

It took Saitama far longer than he cared to admit to stop his heart from racing. He told himself that of course it was natural to be a bit nervous - after all, this was the first time they actually met in real life. And he could tell Genos was a little nervous about it too. He kept glancing at him through his bangs with his head held low, as if he was shy, but he spoke in a clear (and loud) voice, similar to his tone online really. It really was the same guy, if he'd had any doubts before.

They talked a lot, both on their way to the restaurant and while eating. And then they continued to talk as they walked back to the apartment and Saitama showed him around. He could see Genos glancing at the unwashed dishes in the sink - he'd meant to take care of that before he left for the station, but he'd run out of time - and he teased him on his earlier promises to clean his apartment for him.

To his horror, Genos offered to do exactly that.

"Please don't tell me you came all the way to City Z to clean my toilet."

And then, not sure if he even wanted to hear the answer to that, he'd dragged him to the balcony where he stored most of the broken appliances and technological marvels that people handed to him to destroy. There were hairdryers, two microwaves, most of a bike (it’d taken some nagging to make Mumen let go of that one, even after the front of it was crushed under that truck) and of course, several phones, most of them badly water damaged or with broken screens (sometimes both). And, to his chagrin, King's broken psp which his friend had stoically donated to the collection after Saitama accidentally crushed it between his fingers after a particularly annoying defeat.

In the evening, they watched a movie before Saitama rolled out the futons, glad that he’d kept that extra one in case he’d ever have someone sleeping over. It felt a bit strange to have another person in his home overnight, but it wasn't unpleasant. Probably because it felt like they already knew each other so well.

When Genos changed into a loose tank top and sweatpants to sleep in he got to see more of his body, too. There were some scars where metal met skin, but it didn't look bad. Not one bit.

...Which is exactly why he found himself texting King at 2 am after trying, and failing, to fall asleep for well over an hour.

Saitama: "king dude."

King: "Go to bed Saitama."

Saitama: "no listen. is it gay if you think your friend is like. realllly hot?"

King: "Yes."

Saitama: "shit really? well shit"

King: "Are you ok?"

Saitama: "nope. good night."

King: ”Saitama?”

---

Genos was an early riser. Saitama should have expected it, really, with how intense he was in every other aspect of his personality, it was only fitting. Saitama hadn't gotten much sleep himself, so he was doing his best to sleep in for as long as possible. Having said that, waking up to Genos looking at him with one still-sleepy eye and one glowing that looked like something straight out of a high-budget sci fi movie, combined with blond messy bedhead, was quite a nice sight.

"Breakfast?" he groaned, struggling to sound like some kind of at-least-attempted good host.

"Please allow me, you look very tired Saitama."

"I can do it" Saitama muttered all while gratefully sliding back under the covers. With a snort, his friend rose to walk into the kitchen. Saitama could hear him checking cupboards for ingredients and necessary equipment and within minutes, there was the sound of a sizzling frying pan.

Saitama had almost gone back to sleep when Genos stepped back into the room, balancing bowls in the nook of his arm. Some of the steam from the hot meals condensed on the shining metal as little droplets.

"Breakfast is ready!"

"Oh" Saitama yawned, forcing himself to sit up, blinking at the other. "Thanks dude, you're amazing."

"It's nothing" Genos said, doing that eyes-behind-his-bangs thing again. "It is the least I can do after you invited me to your home. I hope it’ll be to your satisfaction.”

”Smelling like that? I don’t doubt it.”

Breakfast was delicious.

---

Over the next few days Saitama did his best to show Genos around town. He didn't really go out and do things much on his own, but he did know of some nice places, at least by City Z standards. They went to the park, to some stores he liked and even to a couple of cafés. All of it was very nice, almost weirdly so.

Saitama didn't have a lot of friends. There were the people who commented on his videos, but that wasn't the same at all. He had King, but that man was even more of a recluse than he was, and Mumen only had time to hang out now and then between all his various charity work. Overall, he did feel a bit lonely, before. Maybe that's why Genos' comments had caught his attention, at first. Initially he'd brushed him off as another troll - he'd dealt with plenty of those - but it had struck him that Genos had seemed more interested in himself rather than his... hobby. Like, telling him how to fix stains and stuff to save his furniture? It was kind of funny.

Kind of even more funny when you combined that kind of personality with how he actually looked, like some kind of teen idol. It just wasn’t what one might expect. Saitama definitely wasn’t in Genos’ league, not by a long shot, with how cool he looked. Not that he was interested in him that way.

They had been walking down a street that Saitama rarely frequented, and for good reason. This place was full of boutiques, the kind where the staff always looked at him funny if he entered them, as if he didn't belong there. Genos, of course, looked right at home though, and he was looking for... something?

"What are you searching for anyway?"

Genos shot him a determined look, one that lingered just a little too long on Saitama's head. "A winter hat."

"For whom?" Saitama felt himself grow wary. Surely he couldn't be thinking...

"For you, of course."

Ah, there it was.

"No way! Nope! You don't need to buy me anything! You already treated me to tea before!"

"Saitama, you clearly need a hat to keep yourself warm, you were shivering before and much heat is lost through the he-"

"Nope!"

Genos squinted at him, and that was another thing. He was stubborn as all hell. Saitama had noticed it early on. Specifically, when he made good on his promise to not just scrub Saitama's toilet, but to mop the floors, tidy everything up and take care of his whole pile of laundry, all in the course of one morning. Saitama had felt really embarrassed about it, no matter how many times Genos assured him that he was happy to do it. It was as if the kid got a kick out of cleaning, or something. Still, this was too much, this was...

"Maybe one of these?" Genos said, holding out two hats, one blue and one yellow. They both looked warm and soft. Carefully, Saitama extended a finger to prod at one of them. Yep, super mega soft.

"No way. No, listen. If you're going to do this, let's go somewhere else. This place is way too expensive, they're not worth it!"

Genos ignored him completely. "I think... yellow. It suits you." And then, as if everything had already been decided (to be honest, Saitama suspected that it had), he paid for the hat and as soon as they were outside again, he tucked it onto Saitama's head, looking so pleased with himself that Saitama didn't even have it in himself to be angry with him. He just huffed as they continued down the street.

It really was a very nice hat.

---

It was almost strange how quickly they seemed to bond. Or maybe it wasn't strange at all, given how much they'd talked online before actually meeting up.

It was their fourth and final night together before it was time for Genos to go back to his own apartment. Saitama was already starting to feel lonely, and he hadn't even left yet. It annoyed him, like he couldn't enjoy the time they actually had left together. And once again, he couldn't sleep. The difference was, this time Genos noticed it too.

Saitama didn't want to tell him too much, didn't want to scare him. But after seeing Genos' worried glances, seeing him trying to ask him something only to go quiet again, he told him. Not everything, but enough. That he struggled, sometimes. That he felt empty, like he couldn't feel things. That he felt alone in this world. And to his absolute horror, Genos started crying. It was the strangest thing too, because from his right eye came normal clear tears, but from his left, they were oddly dark, like, like...

"Your left eye cries oil?!"

Genos sniffled and replied in a shaky voice. "Yes."

"That's so cool."

At that, Genos looked up at him, no longer trying to hide his face in his hands. Had he been ashamed of himself for crying or something?

"Listen... you know you're a pretty awesome dude, right?"

"You're too kind."

"Nah, I'm just the right amount of kind. Listen, sorry to like... burden you with this dumb stuff. It's okay. I'll deal with it. I've dealt with it before."

"Do you have someone else to talk to about it, after I go home?"

"Erm..."

The look Genos gave him was near heartbreaking. "I should stay here with you."

"What?! No way. Nope. You're not even done with college. You're going home tomorrow-"

"But-"

"-and you're finishing up your stupid school. Then you can come visit again!"

"But!-"

"Nope! Don't want to hear it!" Saitama grabbed his pillow, rolled over to his stomach and put it over his head. There was a pause, until a mutter could be heard from under the pillow. "For the record though, I mean it. You're pretty awesome, Genos. Now go to sleep. We have to get up early as fuck tomorrow."

"I... okay. Good night, Saitama."

---

"Stop with the puppy eyes."

No response.

"You heard me last night. You have to finish up your studies. Then we can hang out. You only had like a couple of months left, right?" A couple of months. Ugh, they were going to be the worst months of Saitama's life. "I know you're real smart, so it'll be piece of cake for you. And I'll... I'll have the hat to remind me of you, until then. So don't worry about me. Not one little bit."

"But what about me?" Genos whined. Honest-to-god whined.

"What about you?"

"What will I have to remember you by?"

"I'm not buying you a hat from that overpriced store."

Genos looked absolutely dejected, worse, rejected. Like he was being kicked out, abandoned. Saitama wouldn't be able to live with himself if that's the face he was going to have burned into his mind for the next two months.

"I have really enjoyed these days together, Saitama. I... like you, a lot."

"Yeah, I... uh… same."

"I will text you every day, and watch anything and everything you upload, and-"

"Dude, train's about to leave, you should get on it!"

"Saitama, during these last few days, I have begun to realize that I... that my feelings for you are-"

As Genos struggled to find the right words, Saitama felt himself panic. He was pretty damn sure he was not ready to hear what Genos had to say, any more than he was ready to confront his own feelings on the matter.

Feeling as if his face was on fire, he suddenly leaned forward, grabbed Genos by his scarf and smashed their lips together. Just to shut him up. That was the only reason. He had to, to...

It wasn't anything like in the movies where it’s all soft and gentle, it was fast and rough and rushed and it was... wonderful. He felt as much as he heard Genos' gasp, felt it against his lips, Genos' impossibly soft lips, felt how he began to push back into the kiss-

With a low grunt, Saitama shifted his grip, suddenly pulling them apart and shoving Genos backwards into the train, hearing a collection of gasps and annoyed exclaims from the throng of people around them. Luckily Genos didn't fall over as he stumbled back, though Saitama heard a scrape of metal against metal as he hit a poorly placed handle. Hopefully he didn't just dent his fancy arms...

Before the train doors had even fully closed, Saitama had taken off, running as fast as he could from the station.

---

He’d never felt afraid to talk to Genos before. Never. Like, he could be really intense and loud and he was very stubborn, but he was… he was just Genos. His friend and his… well, what were they now, exactly? He’d…

He’d kissed him.

And then he’d shoved him onto a train and run off like a blushing schoolgirl in one of those stupid movies.

What would Genos think of him now? Did he feel… the same way? Saitama was dumb as a doorknob, he knew that, but the things Genos said to him, and the stuff he almost said, the way he looked at him, how he said he didn’t want to go back… he couldn’t have been wrong, right?

When he’d left the station he’d wanted simultaneously to instantly message Genos and to never turn on his laptop or phone again, terrified of what he had to say to Saitama.

Three whole quiet days passed, which was a lot for them, and then he received a message.

Genos: ”Passed my test! :)”

Wow, if Genos was using a smiley it was big. Did that mean he was okay with… everything? He should congratulate him for passing, too...

Saitama: ”did you come to city z instead of studying when you were that close to a test??”

Saitama: ”oh and congrats. and sorry.”

Genos: ”What are you apologizing for?”

Saitama: ”for surprising you. and if i gave you any. you know. dents”

Genos: ”I admit I was shocked at your strength. No one else has managed to push me like that in the last four years. But please don’t apologize. I asked for something to remember you by and… I got it. Only problem is, now I miss you even more.”

Saitama: ”miss you too. when can you come back?”

Genos: ”I’m done in 7 weeks.”

Saitama: ”SO LONG??”

That was the first time Genos had seen Saitama capitalize anything.

—-

Saitama: ”hey genos only a couple weeks left are you excited”

Genos: ”Yes! And nervous.”

Saitama: ”don’t be nervous. anyway i was thinking what if when you come back i take you to a restaurant so we can celebrate?”

Genos: ”Oh, like a date!”

Saitama: ”i didn’t say that!”

Genos: ”I look forward to it!”

—-

As the days and then weeks passed things slowly returned to normal, at least for their online conversations. They talked about what they doing, their thoughts, ideas for the futures, funny posts and pictures they found online. It was almost as if Saitama kissing Genos had never happened, like it was a strange and pleasant dream.

At least, until suddenly the day had arrived, at once after far too long and far too quick.

He felt his phone vibrating in his pocket and took it out to check the text.

Genos: ”It’s cold, I hope you’re wearing your hat, I don’t want you to be cold for our date.”

Saitama: ”it’s not a date”

Saitama stood at the station, by track 3, pretty sure he was redder than a tomato and they hadn’t even met up yet. At least he’d recognize Genos instantly now. He knew what he looked like, what he… felt like. Okay, enough of that. Pull yourself together.

Once again he had to wait until all the other people had gotten off the train, but then he saw him, wearing that huge backpack and glancing around himself, surveying the area with his customary frown. He looked less lost this time, though.

And then he saw Saitama and his frowny look turned into a smile, a small and rare one and all the more precious for it.

Saitama's "Hey" died in his throat when Genos all but ran up to him, grabbing him in a bear hug before smashing their lips together with as little finesse as Saitama had exhibited the last time they saw each other.

It wasn't until Saitama managed to peel himself off from the other, gasping for air, that he made out the cheers and laughs of the strangers around them.

"Sorry" Genos whispered, not sounding sorry in the least. "I've missed you so much."

"I thought the kiss was supposed to come after the date, not before."

"So you admit it's a date?"

"Nope. Will you let go of me now?"

"No."

And he didn't - Genos held his hand as they left the station, as if he was worried Saitama would run off from him if he didn’t. He had no intention to, though. In fact, holding hands was... nice. Genos' hand was different, but not unpleasant. It was smooth and warm in his grip and it held him tightly, but not tight enough to hurt.

He had to break the silence, if only to wipe that goofy grin off the other's face. He needed to get this blush under control already...

"Hey, I'm wearing the hat you got for me."

"I saw. I'm glad."

”Cool.”

Saitama had planned for weeks which place to take him to, weighing the atmosphere and the type of food served and the prices... He didn't have much money, but he wanted to take Genos somewhere nice... but not so fancy that they (well, Saitama) would be unwelcome there. He had gotten more and more nervous as the days passed and in a nervous fit, he'd finally decided on this place the very night before.

"I've been here once before, but it was a long time ago. I hope the food isn't awful... it was pretty good then, but... And um, I know I said restaurant but this is really more of a café, I'm sorry, I hope I didn't get your hopes up too much..."

He was rambling. He almost never rambled. If he hadn't already been convinced before, he definitely was now. Genos was... he was... they were...

"I'm sure it'll be fine." And then Genos shot another of those little smiles at him, the kind that should be illegal. How could Saitama function when he looked at him like that?

They stepped inside the place, marvelling at the cosy warmth. Christmas was very near now, and it showed - the place was full of decorations to reflect the holidays, tinsel and stars and little snowmen hiding wherever there was space.

"This looks nice" Genos said, looking around with wide eyes. Saitama could see his pupil changing size rapidly back and forth in his cybernetic eye and he knew that meant he was taking it all in.

Saitama led him to the line of people waiting to order as they talked about what to get. In the end, they went with something simple but filling, tea and cinnamon rolls.

They found a booth in the quietest corner they could find (it wasn't easy, the place was full of people) and Saitama snorted as Genos tried his best to flatten his hair again after removing his hat and hanging it on the edge of the chair.

"Your hair, is that prosthetic too?"

"Oh, this is my original hair. Were you thinking about getting hair implants? Because I could talk to Dr. Kuseno-"

"Nevermind! Is the tea good?"

"Very, thank you."

And just like that, Genos' hand snaked itself under the table to grab Saitama's again. He'd shaken him off when they stepped inside - people were looking at them, at him, but he couldn't bear himself to do it now. Not when Genos was smiling at him like that.

They continued to talk about little things, how Genos' final studies had been going, Saitama's most recent videos (he'd gotten quite a few views on the latest one, featuring an iPhone dropped into yet another lava lamp that had somehow found its way to his apartment), as well as Saitama mildly lecturing Genos on the cost of his new fancy winter jacket ("aren't you students supposed to be dirt poor, like me?")

Afterwards, they walked back to the apartment for their soon-becoming-tradition routine of watching a movie before bed. It was nice, but there was also this sort of tension that there hadn't been the last time. As if they were both waiting for something to happen, but didn't know what. It was still pleasant, though. To be near each other again.

And they kept growing even closer as the evening progressed. It began with Genos leaning on the other halfway through the movie, followed by a metal-and-rubber hand slowly snaking itself under his shirt.

"Your hand's cold" Saitama whined, but made no other attempt at moving or stopping the hand from exploring.

"It'll grow warm in a minute" Genos replied, sounding far too pleased with himself for Saitama's tastes. Especially when his fingers began to move, just slightly, kneading in lazy patterns. It wasn't even anything that suggestive, more like a friendly massage, but it felt nice. Real nice.

Enough that Saitama felt the need to return the favour.

"Right back atcha, then!"

And like that, his hands were on Genos' upper arms, feeling along the seams and vents, mindful of sharp edges. There were none, though. Each part joined the other almost as smoothly as had they been made of bone and muscle. It was like a piece of art, though it felt weird saying that about someone’s medical prosthetics.

"Your arms are nice" Saitama muttered, watching Genos' eyes widen in surprise. His own hand had stopped moving and Saitama had to admit he missed it, but he didn't want to stop his own ministrations either. He let his fingers travel slowly upwards, to his shoulders, which looked almost like they were padded with armour. "Can you feel this?"

"Not as well as an arm made of flesh could, but yes..."

Despite his claim, Genos did indeed seem to feel the movements, very much so. He kept his gaze on Saitama's fingers, lowering his shoulders as they climbed higher, as if giving him permission to continue with his neck.

When Saitama felt his collarbone, he frowned in mild surprise. "Oh, this area too? I didn't realize..."

"Yes... most of my upper torso but it's covered by faux… skin..." Genos’ words trailed off as Saitama felt across his chest, smiling at the other's inability to focus. If Genos couldn’t talk properly, that definitely meant he was getting to him. Normally he couldn’t get him to stop going if he tried.

"So this is the best way to get you to stay quiet during movies, huh?"

"As I recall, you started it this time..."

"Smartass." Saitama continued to let his hands travel upwards, feeling the strong synthetic musculature under the smooth fake skin of his neck, letting his hands finally stop as they cupped his cheeks, looking into his eyes. "And your face? I know the eye, but..."

"Most of the left side of my face."

"Huh. I never noticed anything different when I smooched you."

"Maybe you weren't thorough enough, then?"

"Yeah, maybe." And then Saitama pulled him close and kissed him again. It was different, this time - slow and relaxed and without fear of hurt and rejection. It was sweet and pleasant and then, as lips opened and tongues met, one of them in particular prodding, feeling, it grew in intensity, in passion. Genos angled his face just so as if to give him better access and Saitama seized the opportunity.

He wasn't sure how long it took before they parted again. Could have been seconds, could have been hours. "Hm" Saitama muttered, expression carefully neutral, save the flush on his cheeks. "Still can't feel anything different. We'll have to keep testing, I guess."

"I guess. Um." Genos coughed. "And if you want to keep... testing... I need to be close to you."

"What are you getting at?"

"May I move in with you?"

"I guess... wait, what? Don't you think that's a bit rushed?"

"If you don't want me to, I understand, I'll-"

"No! No, that's not it! I just mean... we've only really met twice, I don't want you to do something you'll regret! You're young and ambitious and I'm... not..."

"Saitama, we've talked daily for months. I've seen your videos, and you've seen my photos. I've been here before, getting familiar with your routines and habits. I know you better than anyone else. I think, in some instances, I might even know you better than yourself. And I am certain. I want to be around you. Near you. If you would let me..."

Saitama looked at the young man sitting close to him, still holding on to his chest as if he were afraid to lose him, looking far too perfect with his flushed face and messy blond curls, eyes wide, one of them pale and shy and one glowing boldly in the semi-darkness.

"Did you bring your toothbrush?"

—-

Saitama: "hey guess what?"

King: "What?"

Saitama: "i'm gay for genos"

King: "i had no idea"

A few minutes passed, King very close to falling back asleep, before the phone vibrated again. This time, there was a photo attached as well, showing Genos from behind, dressed in a pink apron (and nothing else), frying eggs.

Saitama: "awesome right?"

King: "it's 4 am Saitama."

Sautana: "cmon"

King: "Okay, I never could have guessed, congratulations, may you live long and prosper. Now go to sleep."

Saitama: ":D”

—-

FiteMeBro: ”hEy man you still alive or did he put you in a blender yet?”

GenoZ: ”I’m quite fine, thank you. It’s going great. I’m going to help him with his next video.”

BaseballROX: ”Lololol right i’m sure you’re gonna be featured alright.”

He wasn’t wrong.

The next time Saitama uploaded a video it showed both of them, working together to destroy an old laptop.

”Pretty cool huh? Genos is a natural born talent at this, dontcha think viewers?”

Saitama smiled fondly as the other crushed the metal as if it had been nothing more than paper. ”Maybe he could get flamethrowers or something installed, that’d be pretty awesome. Speaking of awesome, we’re um. Together. If you hadn’t figured that out. Love ya, blondie.”

”I love you too!” Genos exclaimed in a near ferocious tone, dropping the remains of the laptop to the ground with a loud clank.

”And there you have it. Tune in next time when I wreck a toaster, if YouTube doesn’t ban it. Until then, be careful out there and Merry Christmas!”

Together they waved at the camera before turning it off.