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“Oi, are you going anywhere for the holidays?” Saitama asked Genos sometime in late November, during dinner. There was buzz all over campus about leaving during the holiday break. Practically everyone they knew would be going home.
“No. I don’t really have a home to return to. And Dr. Kuseno is going out of the country for some work related things.” Genos answered, glancing up from his plate. Saitama had his chopsticks down and his full attention on Genos. The younger man quickly looked back down, and poked at his food a bit. He wasn’t used to his senpai looking so serious.
“Do you want to celebrate Christmas together? I’m staying too. I think it would be kinda fun, I’ve never really celebrated before. Probably not since I was very small anyway,” Saitama deadpanned. “Of course, I intend to exchange gifts, if that’s okay.”
“Y-yes!” Genos straightened his back and looked his roommate in the eye, putting his chopsticks down. “I would very much like to celebrate with senpai! Are we going to decorate then? We should get KFC! Do you suppose it’s too late to order? Oh! And you should tell me what you want for a gift!” Even if his feelings weren’t returned, he would love to celebrate Christmas with the one he likes.
“Hmm…” Saitama glanced at the clock. “Oh! Genos-kun quick, finish up! We don’t want to miss the sale today at the market!” He brought his plate closer to his face to shovel the food in.
Of course. Too many words made Saitama lose interest. Genos would have to ask again later, one at a time. For the moment though, he smiled to himself and finished up eating. Maybe they could find decorations while they were out.
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It was the very next day when Genos strolled into Dr. Kuseno’s office to tell him the good news. He had been itching to tell his adoptive father all night and day.
“... And so I decided I’d decorate the place!” Genos finished his story, catching his breath. He had been so excited to tell the tale, he hardly had any pauses in his speech.
“I’m glad for you.” Kuseno smiled as he tinkered with a robot. The two were alone in his workshop. Genos had learned his mechanical skills from the man growing up. “Have you finally told him your feelings?”
“What!? No!” Genos blushed brightly. As if he would want to make Saitama uncomfortable in his own home. If he confessed, surely Saitama would want to move out. The atmosphere would be too tense, and he didn’t want to be a burden.
“In time I’m sure.” Kuseno smiled at him. Genos knew he meant well, so he didn’t dispute it.
“Perhaps. Anyway, do we still have some old holiday decorations?”
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Genos had a problem. A pretty big one. He had no idea what to get his roommate and Saitama’s passive attitude wasn’t helping. Every time Genos asked what he wanted, Saitama would wave him off saying ‘whatever’. It was nearly a week before Christmas and he seriously regretted not asking Saitama’s friends before they left.
So instead, Genos decided to observe him. He ended up getting a notebook to jot everything down, he was so intent on getting something the other man would like. It didn’t seem to bother Saitama until one day he shooed Genos away.
“Eh? But I still need decide what to get you, senpai!” Genos complained as Saitama pushed him out of his room.
“Go over your old notes then!” Saitama argued back. “Anyway, I’m making your gift now, I don’t want you to see.”
“M... Making my gift?” Genos stopped in his tracks.
“Yeah, it totally counts man.”
“... Make it.” Genos thought for a minute. Saitama was making him a gift. “Of course! Senpai you’re a genius!” he turned and patted the older man on the shoulder.
“Eh? Not really.” Saitama scratched the back of his neck at the compliment.
“It must be the premature balding, I’m sure of it.” Genos smirked.
“Hey! Who’s bald!?” Saitama glared and pushed him out with more force, shutting the door quickly. Genos giggled behind the door.
He quickly trotted to his own room and pulled out his notes on his roommate. After a few moments he heard loud music from the other room. Genos chuckled, knowing it was to get back at the comment he made. Usually Saitama listened to music in his beat up headphones.
At that last thought Genos had a realization. Of course! Headphones! Saitama had been complaining about how worn out his were getting, it was perfect! So he quickly took inventory of his parts. Of course he would need to get a few parts for the headband but he could surely get started, and so he did.
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Christmas finally rolled around, and Genos was proud to say all the preparations were complete. He finished decorating the day before, and his gift the day before that. He had bought a cake and finished making fried chicken (it was too late to order the KFC, much to his dismay).
Everything was in order, so he called out his roommate to join him. Saitama came out to the living area and looked around. It wasn’t much, but Genos had hung christmas lights around the living room ceiling and had a small, shapely christmas tree decorated with mismatched bulbs in the middle of the room, near the wall. He turned at last to Genos and smiled brightly.
“It looks great Genos-kun! You did a great job.” He walked closer and inhaled deeply. “And the food smells great!”
“Thank you, Saitama-senpai.” Genos puffed up proudly at the compliments. He had put a lot of time into everything, trying to make it the best one possible for Saitama’s first Christmas given his resources.
After the two finished eating, and Saitama thanked Genos, the older man ran to his room to grab Genos’s gift (Genos scolded him for not putting it under the tree sooner. Saitama only shrugged). Genos cleaned up the table and sat on the ground near the tree, and his roommate came out shortly after. He carried out a clunky and poorly wrapped gift, setting it on the ground in front of Genos.
“Here, open mine first.” Saitama smiled, sitting across from him.
“Very well.” Genos nodded and began to pull apart the paper. It came off easily, as Saitama had wrapped it loosely. He didn’t even put the gift in a box to wrap it easier.
Underneath was a… Sculpture. A very odd, but beautiful sculpture. Genos examined it closer and noticed gears and metal scraps he had given to Saitama exactly for his sculptures. He noticed very early on how his roommate liked to take bits and bobs and turn them into the most beautiful sculptures. It was all angles and shapes and vibrant colors. It seemed to be bent in a particular way, like a flourish.
“Do you like it? I turned you into modern art!” Saitama laughed at his own joke.
“I…” Genos wasn’t sure words could describe it. “It’s stunning Saitama-senpai! I love it! I will look at it and remember your hard work!”
“Hey, it’s just a gift, you don’t need to be that serious about it.” He laughed again and flapped his hand up and down.
“I will treasure it.” Genos contended. It was a gift from Saitama after all. He grabbed his own neatly wrapped gift from under the tree and placed it in Saitama’s hands. “I hope my gift to you is adequate.”
“I’m sure it is.” Saitama grinned, before ripping apart the wrapping.
It was a red and yellow headset Genos had put together. Genos thought bold colors matched his personality very nicely.
“Oh, neat, you made these?” Saitama asked, trying them on. The younger man nodded vigorously, dizzying himself a little. “Very nice! I can finally get rid of the old ones. Thank you Genos-kun.”
Genos was glad to see how much his senpai liked his gift. Perhaps for Saitama’s birthday, he would make a scalp massager, to promote hair growth.