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It wasn't an abrupt realisation or a dramatic revelation that required sudden self introspection and a need to change the way one looked at themselves. It wasn't anything that flashy, but it was a thing to be acknowledged. It was something that had wormed its way into the cyborg's core, a small little thing at first but growing exponentially until he couldn't contain his emotions anymore, couldn't push the thing to the back of his mind and think about it later.
Genos knew, instinctively perhaps, that his feelings for Saitama went beyond the realms of teacher/student, or had crossed the fine line between friends and love interests a long time ago. Perhaps he had never really viewed the man as a friend, maybe he had fallen in love from the very start. Whatever the beginning, he knew the end result was inevitable- his love for Saitama was absolute, his faith and respect for the man unshakeable.
His adoration for the bald headed hero didn't stem simply from admiration, he noted, though it did have a lot to do with it. Genos's affection for Saitama had begun when he acknowledged the man as someone infinitely stronger than him, someone whose physical prowess was unmatched by anything or anyone. His romantic feelings however, slowly blossomed when they started living together and he got to know the man on a highly intimate level, their interactions increasing and inhibitions slowly being forgotten.
"Sensei," Genos says, watching the man sleep on the futon with a hint of barely concealed affection in his eyes, "you should pull the blanket over yourself, you're going to catch a cold this way."
Saitama grumbles, half asleep already and rolls away, his back facing the cyborg. Chuckling slightly, Genos pulls the blanket over Saitama's body and tucks him in a little, hoping he's warm enough- Saitama was sensitive to the weather. He didn't fall ill but it did put him in a bad or weird mood sometimes.
Genos decides to clean the bathroom before powering off for the night. Gathering the cleaning supplies, he switches the light on and steps in before quietly closing the door and getting to business, his thoughts wondering back to Saitama.
Before he had become a cyborg, Genos's interest in love had been a bare minimum. It didn't interest him - rather he hadn't found anyone interesting enough. Plus, he had his hands full with his family. After the "incident" however, when Genos's body was almost completely metal, he was shocked to know that he still had his human emotions and if anything, he was more attuned to them now than ever. It was both a boon and bane.
Finding Saitama had been his saving grace. He knew he'd be dead and rusting in a ditch somewhere if the bald headed hero hadn't taken him in and calmed him down in his own, probably unintentional way. Genos knew that Saitama's affection for him was limited but given Saitama's general attitude, any and all affection he received was received with glee. Genos treasured every touch, every smile, every hum of approval.
He scrubs at the toilet vigorously and finishes the task soon. Padding around the house as quietly as possible, Genos gets himself ready for bed before climbing into the futon next to Saitama's and lays down, his mind finally blank. It was a rare occurrence for him- not over analysing everything, having a clear calm outlook or a rather empty mind but he enjoys these moments dearly.
Sighing to himself softly, he slowly powers off but only does so after listening to Saitama's deep breaths, loving the soft sound and the tranquility that surrounds the action which had now become a constant in his life.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One of the perks of living with the one you like, Genos realises, is finding out something new about them on an almost daily bases. Looking at Saitama's generally non chalant behaviour, no one would ever assume his attitude towards animals was any less indifferent than his attitude towards humans. They couldn't have been more wrong.
Saitama loved animals, absolutely adored them, dogs and cats especially. He seemed to have a massive weak spot for them, and every time they went out grocery shopping, they'd use routes with the maximum strays so Saitama got a fair share of animals to pet and talk to.
"Sensei," Genos muses, his lips quirking into a small smile, "do you like dogs or cats better?"
"Dogs," Saitama answers without missing a beat. He's currently petting a stray they meet often, his plastic grocery bag left on the ground beside them. The dog is slightly dirty but Saitama runs his hands through its fur and scratches it at certain points, making the animal whine and ask for more. It repeatedly headbutts Saitama affectionately and Genos can feel himself quiver trying to acknowledge how cute the scene before him is.
"Cats are easier to maintain I guess, but there's something so appealing about dogs," Saitama goes on, a rare smile on his face as the dog licks his nose. Petting the dog one last time, he stands up and dusts himself off before making his way back home, Genos hot on his heels.
"I've always wanted one because they make good companions but lately..." Saitama trails off, and Genos overtakes him, peering down at his face.
"Lately what, Sensei?," Genos asks, curiosity dripping from each word. Saitama looks at him, and Genos stops breathing because for one second, for just one second, Saitama looks at him with those same affectionate eyes he uses when he's with dogs.
Saitama reaches forward with his hand and ruffles Genos's hair lovingly and maybe a bit roughly but the simple innocent touch leaves Genos stunned, so stunned he freezes. Saitama smirks at him before turning around.
"Since you arrived, I feel like I don't need one anymore. Like I've got a pretty decent companion."
Genos never knew he had LEDs in his cheeks, and he certainly didn't know they glowed bright red when he blushed because he had never blushed before. Until now that is. He felt so happy he couldn't understand how he didn't implode on himself. It was a scary sensation.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Genos usually feels a wave of affection wash through him when he watches Saitama fight; he can feel the man's raw strength, he can feel his power even from a kilometer away, and he feels proud calling him his Sensei. It's a gentle reminder as to why he came to live with him in the first place. His 'training', as he so eloquently puts it is still going on, but as always he knows he is nowhere close to Saitama's level, and deep down he knows he will never be as good, probably not even in the same league.
"Sensei?," Genos asks, voice slightly sad. It must've been obvious; Saitama looks up from the manga he'd been reading on the couch and stares at Genos inquisitively.
"Yeah?"
"Do you... do you think I'll ever be good enough to battle you without losing in a single punch?"
Saitama stares at him for a few moments before sighing. Propping the book on the table near by, he pursues his lips before answering.
"Honestly? No," he says, and Genos is surprised that he doesn't feel hurt. He appreciates his masters honesty and he did know the answer to begin with.
"But," Saitama continues, voice slightly weird, "fighting you is... fun. Even if one punch is enough, you're not bad at all, so sparring can be fun sometimes. And you're getting better! As a teacher, I guess I do feel proud."
Genos never thought he'd hear Saitama say those words, let alone in a slightly embarrassed tone but his teacher always exceeds his expectations. Feeling his cheeks glow in that tell tale fashion, Genos quickly covers it with his palm before muttering something beneath it.
"What?," Saitama asks, unable to decipher the cyborg's words.
"Thank you very much," Genos mumbles more legibly.
Saitama nods before picking the book back up and resuming his reading, unaffected by the whole ordeal. Genos on the other hand, feels like his entire perspective on life has changed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
People often assumed that Saitama was plain looking and while Genos can't actively blame them, he knows it isn't true. Saitama is a person with few to no expressions but he is a good looking person Genos decides. This decision is actually made based on proof.
Saitama had never gotten serious during a fight but Genos had caught a glimpse of him being serious and goodness, the things it did to a teenagers libido was insane. Genos couldn't get it out of his head and if he was being totally honest, he still can't. Saitama, he realises, has a very cut face, sharp features that are angled perfectly, and eyes filled with fiery passion. This face came out mainly during sales, but it was still wonderful to look at it.
Then again, looks or not, Genos didn't love him for the way he appeared physically. It did add to the more basic sexual appeal, but Genos wasn't petty and his love wasn't superficial- Saitama had his love even if he looked like an egg.
"Sensei," Genos says, voice excited, "there's going to be a sale at xyz tomorrow."
The serious look adorns Saitama's face immediately and Genos just soaks it in, trying to imprint the image in his head permanently. It's like eye candy but so much better; he feels himself overheating even though the gaze isn't directed at him.
"We must go," Saitama says in a husky voice, one that makes Genos slightly weak at the knees, but he holds up alright.
"Yes, Sensei."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Winters. Genos doesn't particularly like them- his metallic body feels too stiff, movement becomes difficult and even with his self heating capabilities, it costs him energy to defrost. He would've cared about that in the past, not anymore though. If anything, he loves winter because it gives Saitama a reason to initiate physical contact between them.
"Genos," Saitama grumbles like a child, stumbling into the kitchen where Genos is currently making stew for them.
"Yes Sensei?," he asks, not turning around, afraid of messing up their meal. He startles when he feels Saitama's hand on his back through his vest, shuddering slightly at the cold finger tips.
"You're so warm," Saitama sighs happily and falls forward, meeting Genos's body with a metallic thunk. They stay that way, Saitama leaning and stealing Genos's heat and Genos continuing his cooking, not moving a single part of his body.
His core shivers and jolts and nearly short circuits, his face the colour of cherries. Saitama smells good he notes, a smell he wants to wake up to for possibly the rest of his life.
~~~~~~~~~~
If someone told Genos he would ever experience the emotion jealousy, he would've laughed and been the conceited cyborg he was before he met Sensei. Now? Not only was it believable, it happens. And Genos hates it.
It's an ugly emotion he notices, and it makes his entire body clench, his metallic arms shivering just the slightest, barely visible to the naked eye. The machinery within him whirrs at a higher speed, making more noise as if to indicate its owners irritation.
Genos and Saitama had decided to meet at the stairs near the station, and to go to city H from there. Apparently they were in need of some heroes that had free time and the two of them always had time on their hands.
As Genos reaches the meet point, he noticed Sensei talking to someone, someone he very obviously doesn't recognise. She seems like an ordinary citizen, and she's smiling at Saitama brightly, her eyes filled with awe and wonder; Genos momentarily wonders if that's what his eyes look like when he's staring at Saitama.
She's beautiful, he admits, in a simple, uncomplicated way. Her smile is honest and kind, and her physique seems decent. Saitama seems a baffled as Genos but when Genos sees the man smile, the ugly green beast within him awakens, ready to unleash its wrath upon anyone that stakes a claim for what he believes is rightfully his.
Without consciously realising it, Genos takes a few steps back and runs forward, launching himself right at Saitama.
"Sensei!," he bellows, arms outstretched, the perfect position to be caught in, to make some sort of public declaration that they are each other's, that they've got each other's backs in both the literal and metaphoric sense-
His dreams come crashing down when Saitama smoothly dodges him and he falls face first into the concrete footpath, the metal in his body protesting loudly at the sudden impact. He groans, pain shooting through his entire body and looks up, eyes filled with betrayal. Saitama stares at him, slightly bemused but mostly unimpressed.
"What are you doing?"
"You were supposed to catch me Sensei."
"But why?," Saitama asks, cocking his head.
"No reason. Forget it, we have to leave," so saying he grabs Saitama's arm and drags him away from the women who even smelled lovely, not caring that his behaviour was extremely rude and not justifiable.
"I hope you don't jump on every person who tolerates you," Saitama mumbles and Genos chuckles, reluctantly releasing the man's arm
"Sorry Sensei, I have no idea why that happened. Must be a wiring malfunction."
"Hmm."
They walk into the station and Genos clenches the hem of his shirt, hoping his stupid little display doesn't give him away. Luckily for him, Saitama is as dense as the Amazon jungle, for better or worse.
~~~~~~~~~~~
It doesn't stop growing, Genos realises. His love for Saitama is an endless abyss, and there is no such thing as too much love. Genos doesn't know whether to laugh or cry.
On the one hand, feeling such love for another, feeling such strong emotion despite his almost completely metal infused body makes him happy, makes him feel human again, a part of him he doesn't want to lose. But with great love comes the great fear of rejection.
Genos realises his dependence on Saitama is far beyond a student and teacher. Not only does he view the man as a love interest, he needs him to stay sane. To keep him on his toes, to leave him breathless and feeling exhilarated. He needs him so he can remind himself that it isn't the physical body that makes a person human, but their subconscious and their thoughts. His human sides are best expressed around the bald headed hero, from being a stubborn student, to a blushing mess, to a caretaker.
As time goes on, Genos notices how much he fears losing the man. He knows it's impossible he'll die- the man was practically a god even by the standards of a person that didn't idolise him but what if he lost him because his feelings were found out?
Genos was known for being brave. The people at the hero association often thought of him as reckless but respected him for the chances he took. Deep down Genos knows- knows that he's a coward of the highest caliber. He is incapable of telling the person that matters most to him how he really, truly feels and he can feel himself dying inside. He can feel his insides eating away at him, and he sometimes has to physically restrain himself from assaulting an unsuspecting Saitama.
Saitama on the other hand, doesn't help at all. He keeps giving Genos mixed signals although it's very obvious that he doesn't realise the teenagers feelings for him. He slowly becomes more comfortable around the cyborg, his body language more relaxed, his smiles more common.
"Genos," Saitama says, immersed in a manga. Genos turns his head slightly and looks at Saitama, taking his eyes off the TV for a moment.
"Yes Sensei?"
"I've gotten used to it."
"Huh?," Genos asks, slightly confused.
"The sounds you make."
"What sounds?," Genos asks, slightly alarmed. Did he say anything in his sleep?
"The machines in you. It's got this hum to it, this bass like baritone. It really bugged me in the beginning. Seems like I've gotten used to it."
Saitama suddenly looks away from the manga and locks eyes with Genos, his eyes filled with wonder. "In fact," he says, voice uncertain, "I think I'd miss it if it were gone."
Genos feels himself shake. Forcing a smile on his face, he excuses himself and rushes to the kitchen. Placing his hands on the counter, he takes a few deep breaths and silently screams in his head, beyond agonised.
His core throbs, his core yearns for that which is not his.
'Sensei.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Genos knows sometimes he's like a child- needy, attention seeking and high maintenance. He can't help it though; when Saitama gets overly immersed in his mangas, Genos irritates him for affection, begging him for some form of love and acknowledgement.
He watches in distaste as Saitama sleeps on the futon, hands holding the manga right above his face. He hasn't paid attention to Genos all day and it bugs the cyborg, to the extent where he decides to do something about it.
Groaning loudly, Genos flops down and lands right on Saitama who receives him without a difficulty but with a look of irritation.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"Sensei is busy reading, I'm bored," Genos drawls, feeling more confident than ever. Saitama sighs and adjusts them until Genos's head is right above his heart, their bodies tangled in a weird heap.
"Don't bother me," Saitama mumbles, already back to his manga, unaware of how much the cuddling is affecting the creature in his arms.
Genos slowly powers off, deciding some rest was probably a good thing. The minute Saitama's fingers slowly card through his hair, he feels his core quiver the way it has been for too long. His fingers grip Saitama's shirt tightly and he holds back a sob.
'You have to tell him.'
~~~~~~~~~~
As the monster finally dies, Genos pants and tries to stand straight but he's tired. Saitama allows him to do most of the work as part of his training and while he has sustained quite a bit of damage, it's nothing irreversible. Plus his legs and right arm are intact, allowing him to walk over to where Saitama sits, an oddly proud smile on his face.
"Not bad at all!," Saitama encourages, and Genos doesn't know what makes him do it, but one minute he's smiling at Saitama's praise, the next he's pulling the man towards him and crashing their lips together.
For two men who possess massive strength, their kiss is oddly tender, extremely soft and oh so hesitant. It ends too soon though, way too soon in Genos's humble opinion and he leans in for more. Saitama shoves him away with an aggressive amount of force, dislodging him by a good few feet before he stabilises, the shock evident on his face.
"What the FUCK?," Genos's eyes widen as he hears his teacher curse for the first time, and his serious face is back, the one that makes him look gorgeous- except it looks really menacing and slightly alarmed, Saitama's eyes comically wide and his jaw locked.
"I umm....," Genos finds himself at a lose for words, his mind blank, his whole body frozen even with the sun beating down on them fiercely.
"Genos," Saitama says, his voice strained, "this... This might be a stupid question but do you... Like... Men?"
It all clicks.
Genos realises all those times his mind told him not to be hopeful, he should've listened, and not be lead around by his core. All those times Saitama didn't shoot him down, all those times they spent in each other's company, slept next to each other, cooked and cleaned and fought and ate, everything was romanticised one sidedly on Genos's part. And it hurt.
It hurt so bad his air passage seemed to get clogged.
"Guys?," Genos asks quietly.
"Guys? You think I like... Men?"
"You just kissed one! What else am I supposed to think?"
"Sensei," Genos whispers, his voice sounding pathetic even to his own ears.
Suddenly feeling his age, like the 19 year old he is, Genos realises just how heavy his emotions are and how deep they run and he decides to do the one thing he can- he bolts.
Taking off in the opposite direction, he runs as fast as his legs can take him, desperate to create some distance between him and Saitama, desperate to get over these feelings, desperate to feel something other than this overwhelming pain.
He doesn't make it very far before Saitama stands before him, face etched in concern. Any other situation and Genos would've been super excited to see such a look on Saitama's face but now, now he wants to be alone. He wants to face the storm alone, and get through it, come out stronger, and leave his feelings behind.
Saitama has none of it.
"Genos," the man says, his voice filled with sincere sorrow. He seems upset even though Genos is the one having his heart broken.
He thinks back to his fear- the fear of losing the domesticity between him and Saitama, the fear of losing their comradeship, the fear of being thrown out of both his home and life. It all hurts him, adds a fresh wound to the already enormous pile. Genos chokes out a sob and his face feels sticky. Touching his cheeks gently, Genos observes oil on his fingers, proof of his tears.
"Sensei," he groans out, the weight of the world hanging off his weakened shoulders.
Saitama rushes forward and Genos fears the incoming punch- one that never comes. Instead, he's caged in by a warm embrace, the hands muscular and powerful, and that familiar scent washes over him, making him cry just a little harder, making him let go of all the pain that's been pent up for far too long.
"Saitama-Sensei," he whispers into his shirt, his core shattering.
It wasn't a rejection, it was nothing. The pain it caused was enough to cause him more agony than any monster had ever been able to inflict on him.
~~~~~~~~~~
Genos wakes up the next morning feeling beyond shitty. His head throbs, his mind feeling foggy until he finally remembers the events of the previous day and he's suddenly wide awake, his core thumping too quickly.
Sitting up in his futon, he notices the apartment is empty, the futon next to his folded and kept aside. He feels his core crush all over again and bravely fights off tears, knowing crying won't help a single soul.
He begins thinking quickly- where is he going to sleep? Where is he going to train and become stronger? Who'll make the pain go awa-
His thoughts halt as he notices a piece of paper on Saitama's pillow. Reaching for it with quivering fingers, he opens the note slowly, dreading its content. It proves to be surprising, like everything else that associated with the bald headed hero.
'Station at 10:20, taking a train to city G, come asap'
Glancing at the clock, Genos realises he has about 15 minutes to make it. He's out the door in 10.
He runs the way he's seen Saitama do it, more out of habit than anything else and he doesn't know what to feel anymore. His mind begs him to spare himself this time, to keep no hope and be happy with a possible second chance. His core is oddly silent, extremely conflicted and yet it feels good, he can hear it hum.
It takes him seven minutes to reach their meeting point and as he runs towards the stairs, he spots Saitama on the landing below.
"Sensei!," he yells, jumping into the air without breaking his momentum, a genuine smile gracing his face in what seems like forever. He knows the future is uncertain- maybe Saitama will never love him, maybe their lives become very awkward, maybe he finds someone he does love. So many ifs and maybes plague him, but he knows one thing for damn sure.
He loves Saitama. If now is all the time he gets with the man, so be it. He'll take what he can get, and he'll take it gratefully.
His leap is more graceful this time, his intentions obvious, his hesitation non-existent. He shuts his eyes, trusting his master, trusting the man he considers his significant other.
When he feels Saitama's warm arms engulf him in a hug, he quite nearly breaks down again, his being a mess and a flurry of emotions and yet he's never been happier, never felt more alive. It's a fresh start, it's the start of something new.
'We meet again, Sensei.'