destinytown | (no subject)

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[ saitama's secret stash...

...is something of a misnomer. there's nothing really secret about it, for one; the man doesn't have a lot of space to work with, and everything there is to see in his home is more or less in plain sight. he doesn't have much to hide, made abundantly clear every time genos performs a thorough bi-weekly sweep of their surroundings.

sensei, this flyer is from last month...
don't mind it, it doesn't expire for a while, you know?

the coupons tend to be long-expired, but genos won't say a thing. it's better to live and let live, or on those cases, not let his sensei know so he can pick up any wanted groceries in his stead. saitama doesn't need to know the real price. if he wants to keep thinking the value is worth something in the long run, so be it. frugality is one of his dozens of virtues, anyway.

what passes for the stash is typically nothing more than the latest magazines, advertisements, and other paraphernalia well-stocked by genos to ensure that sensei is continuing to thrive. originally it started out as something of a team effort (though saitama really hadn't seen the need at the time), growing into more and more of genos's side project over time. it makes sense, what with how busy sensei is these days. there's always a squabble here, a fight there, the here association pulling at their ears all the while...

lately saitama isn't even around, which leaves his young ward to his own devices, more often than not. there's no problem in it when genos has plenty of things to study, hero duties he can catch up on, plus the occasional tune-up at dr. kuseno's lab.

which leads him to wonder: what in the world is with this growing pile of discs in the living room?

video games... genos knows of them. his years spent as a cyborg of justice doesn't mean he's forgotten the past, forgotten some of the things which used to fill his spare time. but why are they filling sensei's? surely his hours could be better spent climbing the ranks of the association, just as he encouraged genos to do. not that sensei doesn't know best; he probably has a plan he hasn't told genos of yet, doing things in his own way. sensei, after all, is the strongest man the world has ever seen. what does ranking have to do with it?

at this point it's purely speculation. they could be here due to any number of things. there's no telling they belong to saitama in the first place. it's entirely possible they might have something to do with how much time he spends around the s-class's seventh best. as for why king would be influencing him to bring home piles and piles of games, it's beyond genos's reasoning. is it for training? it has to be for training.

now he's drawn a conclusion, able to proceed with no issues. a little tidying is fine, far from unwelcome, and sensei will appreciate it. if he asks, it's very possible they could play together too, like he does with the king.

if...oh.

wait.

a lot of these don't look like they're for two players at all...

and that is how the biomechanical boy has found himself sprawled out on the floor in the middle of the afternoon, transfixed by a now-empty jewel case with a scantily-clad girl on the packaging, her moans on the television screen ringing in his ears.

training. this is for training. sensei just needed a little...brushing up on how to talk to women. judging from how genos has fared in his game so far, he doesn't seem to have the same trouble. if anything, it's been all too easy to win over this virtual girl's affections and lure her into the bedroom. surely they don't act this way in the real world, too. genos's fanclub throwing themselves at them left and right is harrowing enough! ]

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[ why not? at the heart of it, there isn't a lot of ground to left to cover. but what sonic wants, sonic gets...with minor exceptions. ]

I did not plan on specific themes. They are largely chronological, with five items in total—less if the nearest konbini would actually stock something of substance instead of scraps of paper that don't even have enough room for schoolchildren to write in. [ this is a sore spot, apparently, and not what sonic asked for. focusing on the slide of hair through his fingers, short though it is, helps to ground him and not steer him too off-track. ]

General information is split between the first two. [ because there's not enough room... ] While I am an amateur at best, the bulk of three consists of a psychological analysis, whereas four and five center on physical aspects, now that our courtship has fully commenced.

[ oops. that's out of his mouth before he can stop in his tracks. sonic's going to crow at him again... ]

[ why doesn't he just order larger notebooks off the internet? surely he knows of sites that'll deliver them right to his doorstep, even sonic's aware of them and he's awful with anything resembling a electronic that's not his cellphone.

he's about to open his mouth and say such, coming to an abrupt halt at the cyborg's last stream of words. what? ]

... [ gingerly pulls his face away from its resting post, staring up at genos with a strange, almost confused look. maybe he didn't hear him correctly. ] Courtship...?

[ where is the snickering? this is about the time for it to start, genos thought... ]

Am I wrong? [ ah, is this not what they've been steadily building towards, after the dust settled and they stopped trading blows? it's entirely possible for him to be wrong, considering the statistics aren't absolute, and there's always a margin of error. ]

[ continues staring at him for a while more, probably much longer than he should. crap, he's burning up again, isn't he? time to hide his face as best as he's able, turned away to instead stare down at his covered lap. ]

No...? [ what's with the lack of confidence? it's not as frustrating as it could be, but he's not sure how to respond. this isn't bad, not by any means. so why can't he just stomach it and let it be? ] I—

[ give him a second, sonic needs to glare at nothing in particular, squint and try to figure this all out. in the end all he can come up with is: ] ...that's not really a word anyone uses anymore, you embarrassing toaster. [ he's the one embarrassed, but he'll pointedly ignore the irony of his statement. ]

Should I use something else...?

[ if the phrasing is all it is, he'll defer to sonic on this one, none the wiser to his struggle. ]

[ turns his head further away, looking down at the floor, perhaps, or the small table. ] Like what?

[ what is he squawking about if he has no ideas of his own? ]

I'm asking you. [ ah, this feels like part two of their family restaurant shenanigans. genos's hands fall away, tilting his head to the side to quietly reflect on the sole source of his attention. for every step they advance, they seem to take two of them backward as far as sonic's feelings are concerned. this isn't such a surprise when taking into account how he's probably no better at this than his cybernetic suitor is. not when it comes to handling this in a natural manner.

everyone differs. in some ways it's charming, which is why genos won't press, won't make too much light of what's clearly taking a slightly more serious turn. disrupting the atmosphere is the last thing he wants to do here, and it rings as truly as it did when passion clouded both of their minds. ]

[ now it's time for some classic irritation to settle in. it's not aimed at genos, though. no, it's a simple dissatisfaction directed towards himself, who remains the singular, main hindrance in an otherwise smooth path towards what he knows will be easy to fall into with time.

nothing comes for a beat, tightly balling his hands in the fabric of the blanket. he's trying to remain inquisitive, not angry, but it's so hard when the right words won't come out. ]

... I don't know. [ before that could potentially be taken the wrong way, he adds: ] I want to know, though.

Edited 2016-02-22 09:39 (UTC)

[ any answer is acceptable, short of something blatantly sharp and negative. genos holds a hunch it won't be the case, satisfied when he's proven right. different couples (because they're sort of one, aren't they) would likely use this as a point of contention, bicker about it for a few days, a week, until it comes to a head and they can't remember what they were fighting about in the first place, let alone a conclusion.

thankfully, genos has more sense than that. this is too new to get worked up over—plus, it's not like he'd be exempt of any fault. it's the first time they're really addressing this aloud, and as unexpected as it is, it's no wonder it's throwing sonic for a loop. in the long-term it may become a bigger frustration, but that's a bridge they'll cross if they ever get to it. for now they're standing several miles away, pondering something that hasn't come into view yet.

help him. that's the biggest concern on genos's mind, face tilting down towards sonic's, nosing at his hairline. there's the compulsion to treat him like a flighty animal, not make too many sudden movements lest he stirs and bolts away in a flash. although the notion has yet to be proven true, he's not going to take any chances. ]

I will think of something more suitable for a modern ninja, then. [ whatever that may be. he's currently fresh out of ideas, though with time, he can surely conjure a few of them. ]

[ leave it to genos to turn this all around somehow and settle sonic just as quickly as he’d been riled up. it's just another appreciation he has yet to give a voice to, loathe for all of this to come out crudely when that isn't his intention in the slightest.

they work well as a team, don't they? not quite as equally in the giving department, but the simple, natural ebb and flow that takes place between two people. it helps that his friend here is so patient with him, a villainous ninja, who has very few things in his life he'd give his all to. genos has quickly taken the stage, sidled up right beside his urge to be the best in speed, to keep his perfect kill count at a flawless number. perhaps that's the most jarring thing of all, to be attached enough that he's putting serious consideration to making this way more than what it already is. they probably passed that point already, though… right? so why is it still hard to swallow? it's not like sonic doesn't want this, after all.

he feels bad. why does he feel bad? slowly he closes his eyes, inhales and exhales to steady himself. an amused twitch of his lips helps to carry him along to a brighter attitude, as does the gentle nuzzle, a caring comment that brings a peculiar fluttering in the hollow of his belly. ]

Fine. [ lifts his head, their noises brushing from the close proximity. ] But it's gotta be really cool-sounding.

[ it doesn't and probably won't. ]

I understand. [ he doesn't; this is a white lie told for the sake of his self-preservation. in the end he'll probably continue to call it a courtship, though not to sonic's face if he can help it. there's really no other term springing to mind that can do it justice, no matter how old-fashioned or infuriating it can be, something the other man doesn't need to know.

all he requires in the meantime is more of that soft reassurance. kissing him is a long time coming, too weary of these fleeting touches which end before their time yet not outspoken enough to do anything about it until now. it's an equally gentle, prolonged gestures, still sticking to his lips when he finds the space to speak his mind a little. ] I am very fond of you, lately. [ in the last two weeks, to be exact, though it stretches slightly farther than that.

it isn't new information in the slightest, given the drivel genos has spewed off and on these days, but he feels the need to say it nonetheless. he's so starved for contact that even this very mundane exchange is more than welcome, far surpassing their telephone snippets or the scraps of letters strewn across an artificial screen. having the real thing right in front of him is so much more fulfilling. [

[ huffs out the last of his worries once genos's made another move, gladdened that they've come to a comfortable middle ground. it helps him to not overthink the tight feeling in his chest that constricts the longer they're pressed together, enjoying the moment for what it is.

an automatic shutting of his eyes is reversed when he's spoken to, easily quirking an eyebrow upward. ] Lately. [ reaches up to touch the perfectly constructed cheekbones that graces the other man's face. sonic doesn't need to pull him down, they're still sharing breathing space, but it helps to form yet another connection while he also initiates a soft, albeit shorter kiss. ] You weren't before?

[ sonic knows what he meant. sort of. being fond must have been going on longer than he'd realized, now that he's aware of how far back genos had started those notebooks, kept making more and more additions with every encounter they had. it's flattering, honestly, yet another thing he'll keep under wraps for the moment. ]

[ it's neither easy or ideal to be characteristically cocking his head to the side when he's caught like he is, but it wouldn't be genos if he didn't find a way to. ]

Less prominently than now. [ resistance is useless, seeing no reason not to return the gesture. like sonic's it won't last, seeing no reason to fully interrupt him. ]

Haa— [ returns an additional kiss before he's pulling his face back a few inches, wanting to actually see a less close-up version of genos's features. ] You could've fooled me.

Is it that obvious?

[ it's definitely obvious... ]

[ this cheeky grin he's giving genos says enough already, but: ] Totally obvious.

[ so does genos's. ] You don't seem to mind.

Edited 2016-02-23 08:42 (UTC)

[ smooshes the pliable material of genos's cheeks inward. ] You're right, I don't.

Ah—... [ it's too late to stop him, and it's too late to do anything about this predicament. his face is deceivingly lifelike, isn't it? ]

Please don't.

[ pretty lifelike, if sonic's fingers aren't deceiving him when he gingerly kneads at the synthetic skin. to appease him he'll peck at the tip of his nose once... or maybe he's just being cute. ] Don't what~?

[ cute, perhaps. which is why he's so torn on whether or not he actually wants to put an end to this nonsense. ]

It hurts. [ just a tiny bit. genos isn't used to being manipulated like this... ]

[ blinks at him, more fascinated than he is surprised. ]

Really? [ sonic's ceased the poking to instead cup around his face, thumb more gently in softer stroking motions. ] I don't think it should hurt at all...

[ his answering blinks are slow. this feels like a subject they've covered in the past, and yet... ]

It is true that I cannot measure up to the billions of neuron cells in the human body, but I am still equipped with sensors to replicate the recognition of pain, pleasure, temperature, and other tactile features to function normally.

[ ah, it's been a while since he's been able to endlessly babble on and on. ]

Edited 2016-02-23 09:06 (UTC)

[ stares at him blankly. right, he forgot about how much rambling could happen from just one statement alone. sonic'll try to not go glassy-eyed on him, doing so only with a tight-lipped purse of his mouth. ]

Okay, but like... I'm not even doing much to begin with. [ or is he? lowering his hands finally, the ninja takes to looking at them, wondering if he's gaining some excess superhuman strength. ]

... [ maybe he should pinch sonic's face just once, to see how he likes it... ]