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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[ this is where genos lets go, simultaneously amused and agitated by this so-called arrogance. he's riding a fine line; when it comes to sonic, he always has. the newfound tenderness helps to soften a good amount of the edge. ]

...yes, even then. [ flicking on the lightswitch would help, wouldn't it? ]

[ it just goes to show how far they've come, really, that little things like these don't end up with sonic being a millisecond away from cleaving genos's head in two without so much as lifting a weapon, or genos haphazardly blasting away with those equally deadly hands of his. they haven't sprung to violence in any means for a long time now, can't see it happening anytime in the future, either. it still amuses sonic to some degree, to see the stark contrast, one that equally matches the silvery tint of alloy against soft, paler patches of scarred skin.

he takes a second to observe these differences, his hands having slid off in the process, though one's still lingering on the cyborg's forearm as he ponders in silence. ] ... [ another hint of something meaningful comes to him, nestled safely in the warmest spots of his heart. thus his cocky smirk flattens to a softer expression, gaze continuing to linger where they're still connected. ] Thank you.

[ who else would have put up with him for this long? sonic can maybe count all of one, maybe two people... if they're actually human at all to begin with. he's just not made for constant interpersonal encounters. ]

[ the significance is partly lost on genos. he isn't so thick to take this as gratitude over the past five minutes or so, nor is he so astute to see where all this has stemmed from. it's important, that much is certain, a moment which wouldn't call for him opening his mouth to regurgitate his confusion without a second thought. this is a learned behavior: sonic isn't saitama, isn't always so casual, isn't totally disconnected from the world he lives in. that's...refreshing, to say the least.

with his head cocked to one side, his gaze follows sonic's, lidding partway at where his hand lies. instinct, such as he has left to hold onto, compels him to cover it with his opposite one, compensating for the absence of being able to verbally deliver anything in turn. he can't just murmur a you're welcome and leave it at that, can he? no—it's like trying to walk out of the room and give the man some privacy when all he wants to do is stand firmly at his side, even for such a mundane activity as scrubbing himself off, or brushing his teeth. it can't be done, no matter how or much or how little he tries to propel his mechanical legs to do it.

in his opinion, sonic requires something special. the problem is in determining exactly what that may be, and until he does, or until sonic moves on, he's at a standstill. unlike some overly-energetic people, however, he's perfectly at peace with that, fingers flexing over skin far softer than looks. deceiving, considering the amount of lives they must have taken in their day. ]

[ the thanks uttered wasn't made to receive some kind of feedback. saying it without anything more attached to it was going to be his cue to retreat underneath hot streams of water, finally wash himself down, yet the pause puts sonic on the spot, coupled with the equally tender gesture and consideration he knows genos is offering him. he doesn't want to blow it off, leave it for another time and place... but nothing significant comes to him in the end, shaking his head to dismiss a long string of insecurities that bubbles up from time to time. ]

You should get an award. [ gently headbutts the other man's shoulder with his forehead, pressing into the spot thereafter. ] For putting up with me.

[ sonic means to make it a light quip against his personality, show genos that he isn't all that proud of his person as he makes himself out to be. despite the self-deprecating smile sonic wears for himself, he snickers in good humor, relinquishing the metal man in exchange for fiddling with the shower instead. ]

You are the award. [ a carefree remark deserves something equally so to match it.

since there's barely enough room for one person to fit in here comfortably, let alone two (genos knows from experience), this is probably about the time for the cyborg to make an exit. he has the floor to clean up, phone messages to send, a futon to properly lay out for sonic, running under the assumption he's crashing here... ]

The light blue towels are sensei's. I would strongly suggest helping yourself to the white ones. [ because they're what genos uses. he's inching backward to the open doorway, eyes on the other man all the while. ]

[ snorts in amusement from the corny but sort of smooth comeback, giving him a long glance over his shoulder with a quirked eyebrow. ] Yes, sir. [ now that's a throwback that's easier to trace, a joke he'd casually surprised genos with only what, an hour or so ago?

no matter. it's a closing statement before he's playfully nudging his barnacle fully out of the bathroom with a hand, shutting the door behind him before he's off to work. ]

[ it's as peculiar for him to hear the second time as it was the first. placid blinking is the only reaction he can really muster for sonic, neither perturbed at the implications nor all too intrigued by whatever they could mean, if anything. chances are it's nothing more than some verbal horsing around, easily dismissed with a snort of his own and a small shake of his head. classic sonic...it astounds him how he can think that now, after growing used to him throughout a great many months.

the door closes, leaving genos alone. he stares after it in a daze for far longer than he should be, needing a moment to cycle through the last several hours and process everything he's done. part of it still feels like something of a dream he'd have; it's all fallen into place so conveniently today, right when he'd given up hope on his routine ever changing, on the likelihood of running into the deadly figure he was becoming so alarmingly fond of anytime soon. at best he figured it was something they'd have to had painstakingly planned for, marked out a date on a calendar, set a time when sonic wasn't out on a mission and a place already potentially crawling with heroes so genos wouldn't have to break away at the last minute just to clobber a thug or thief upside their head for getting in the way. a hero's work is never done, it seems.

and to think sonic was the one who sought him out instead of the other way around. it's more than the boy can handle at the moment, clutching at his chestplates for an organ that isn't there, long losing his human heart yet incapable of escaping the tight, fluttering sensation left in his wake, something which sparks up his core and fizzles through his wiring. lovesick, again, unbeknownst to him. he has to physically shake it off, review a mental to-do list of objectives he can tackle while sonic primps himself in the bathroom. in truth he has no idea how long he plans on spending in there. a cursory five to ten minutes, or will he spend longer fussing over his hair, carefully determining which toothbrush is genos's to secretly steal it for a short time? or he could soak away in the bath, melt some of the strain and rigors of the day till he's a relaxed puddle ready to lay down for a long rest.

in any event, genos gathers his nerves, gathers up the mess they've made in the process. the floor he can continue to overlook, as the stains are minor, nothing of major note that shouldn't need to be addressed until their next major cleaning spree. more importantly, he retrieves and folds their discarded outfits, ensuring sonic's is in plain sight, while genos's can go in the hamper. a new tank top and shorts are fetched from his belongings, more out of habit than modesty as he puts them on, deciding to forego his own rinse for the evening. he will, at least, wash his hands off in the sink, scrubbing out every last nook and cranny so that none of the cloying strawberry scent remains. definitely not something he'd like to use over and over compared to ordinary everyday lubrication, but in a pinch, it served its purpose. he'll never be able to equate the aroma with anything else now besides sonic's wanton moans, the taut flexing of his upper back and shoulders, and a hot mouth affixed to the cabling on genos's neck.

he bites his bottom lip at the recent memory. there's no time he's revisiting this, there's no way he can barge into the bathroom in good conscience to deliver on those ten more times he'd mentioned. not when this is so new, so fragile, when they've been doing relatively well and the last thing genos wants is to muck it all up by being the greedy teenager he is.

thankfully it's easy to let subside, make way for the chores he has yet to accomplish. sleeping arrangements are simple when it's just him and sensei for the past year he's spent living here. when someone new is brought into the equation, someone you're...close to, it's trickier to determine the best course of action. should they share genos's futon? should he leave sonic to it while he finds a perch somewhere else in the room? despite his attachment he's strongly leaning towards the latter. sonic may be a cuddler, but there's no telling if sharing the single small mattress would actually be relatively comfortable in the slightest. genos can barely fit in it by himself, and he isn't that much bigger than his teacher, always wondering why the guy has to live so humbly, even in the most basic of matters, like bedding or kitchen supplies.

unable to come to a total decision, he'll settle for setting out his own futon as though it were a regular evening, but keep the used blanket draped over his shoulders, hunched over his laptop screen by the time sonic chooses to emerge and grace him with his presence. he's engrossed in research, mulling over a great many of the topics they'd discussed during the day, as well was certain ones brought to light in the short period spent by himself. primarily he's still stumped on what sort of word sounds cooler than courtship, unable to come up with any solid results to satisfy them both. there are only so many words genos knows, can't exactly pull from a dictionary when that's where he'd picked up the terminology to begin with. is it hopeless? he'll open up a few more tabs to be sure. ]

[ with a lack of his usual bedtime routine's supplies on hand, sonic won't take long at all. the bear minimum will have to do, though it irks him only slightly for half a second before he's shrugging and getting down to business, knowing he can just go home early in the morning, do it all over again proper. it's now when he realizes how different it is staying over at someone else's place for the evening, not just accidentally crashing for a few hours before jumping up and going along his merry little way.

perhaps the uneasy twist in his stomach is due to more uncharted quarters, uncertain of when the actual owner of the apartment would come stumbling in, scratching his head and calling him something that isn't related to his name in the slightest. the man still irritates him to some degree, bitter that he just doesn't put any effort into anything when he has such raw strength... on the other hand, he's easy enough to talk to, he reasons, having only a choice few encounters to live off of from this point. saitama ultimately isn't his problem, however, wondering briefly if genos has had any words with the hero about their courtship, snickering under his breath at the memory of such an uncool phrase passing the cyborg's lips.

stupid is what he mutters into a washcloth, yet the fond smile on his face speaks of an adoration sonic's not yet fully aware of.

remembering what genos said earlier, he'll help himself to a white towel, patting his hair dry before doing a quick sweep over his body, wrapping the cloth around slightly flared hips to finish. he takes a peek outside, poking his head out to survey the damage, immediately honing in on his clothes neatly folded and set aside for him. of course. ]

Hey. [ a confused frown tugs at his lips when he picks up black underwear from the pile, looking to and fro for a sheet of red cloth he'd claimed earlier. ] Where's my hoodie?

[ his, not genos's. it was really comfortable... ]

[ the sound of his voice rouses genos, who'd drifted off into his own little world whilst staring at the dimly-lit screen in front of him. every mechanism in him cries out to spring to sonic like the excitable lapdog he is, but he'll stay rooted in his spot, regarding him calmly. ]

All your belongings should be there. [ did he forget something on accident? the shirt he's actually looking for lies in the very top of the hamper, its color prominently standing out among the more subdued tones of what his roommate tends to wear, or genos's cooler shades of blue and green. sometimes even he can deviate from the norm. ]

It's not. [ as if this should be obvious while he unabashedly slips on his undergarments and relocates his towel to his shoulders. guess it's time to sniff around, only needing a few seconds before he's zipping over to the item in question, pulling it on with a dramatic sigh of relief after the towel replaces it. ] There, better.

[ it could do with some sleeves, but no matter, he's got his own personal space heater to keep him from succumbing to a chill that'll hit him sooner or later. until then, sonic'll hover about genos's space, looking at his laptop with interest. ]

[ but that isn't— oh, never mind. far be it from genos to stop sonic if he's wanting to claim ownership over something not technically his. it actually causes his temperature to spike for a split second, though it could easily be due to the glimpse of soft scarred skin out of the corner of his eye as well.

nonetheless, his attention shifts elsewhere before he can be caught ogling, rapidly switching to a new task so sonic doesn't catch him in the middle of something else. he needs to still have a few secrets here and there, hardly wanting anyone to discover how deeply all his research runs. perhaps sonic would like to look at a list of data for cicada migration instead, if not the homepage for the hero association. much more benign than genos's original pursuits. ]

[ he didn't catch what exactly genos was doing, but he did notice the change in content, grinning from ear to ear as he plops down behind the other man and loosely hang off of him with his arms poised over broad metal shoulders. ]

Are you looking at dirty websites~? Naughty cyborg, doing this all by your lonesome— [ this is all in good fun, sonic knows for a fact that it wasn't any of those sites. not right now, anyway. what he does in his spare time otherwise is none of his business. ]

[ no problem. he can take what sonic dishes out; underneath everything, this naughty cyborg feels quite relaxed, more at ease now that the buildup of fifteen days of tension has more or less been eliminated from his system. all he does is laugh slightly, the tremor of those shoulders more indicative of it than any noise he makes. ]

Why would I look at those when I have you? [ he isn't that greedy. ]

[ shrugs a shoulder, peering at the screen with no real interest behind it. ] I dunno, maybe you have some secret kinky life I don't know about. [ unlikely, though not entirely impossible. sonic's seen stranger things in his day. ]

Unlikely. [ dialing back on some of the force he'd normally use, genos puts some distance between himself and the little table he's made use of to push back into sonic. with the main event here, he can stop wasting time on affairs that can wait until morning. ] You know more about me now than most individuals do.

[it takes saying it aloud for the gravity of it to really hit him. only his teacher would know about as much, albeit in differing categories than what's gotten revealed to sonic over time. ]

[ stopping to consider those words isn't necessary, though he does roll his eyes up to the ceiling in thought. it's been an equal give and take so far with personal information, really, which prompts him to say, in a distracted tone: ] I guess so...

[ the same could be said for genos. that's something unnecessary to point out, given all the cues that's spelled it out for him already from the time they've spent together so far. ]

[ no need for that. he will, however, stretch out his legs, twisting some of his body to better face sonic in their hold, eyebrows perked upwards. ]

If you would like me to develop these 'kinks'...see other people... [ he's teasing. the shit-eating grin on his face should say as much. never once has the latter thought crossed his mind, and it never will. ]

[ lets out a tiny tch noise, matching the grin with a tight-lipped smile of his own. ] There you go again, thinking you're funny. [ he's amusing, all right, but the sass earns him the smallest of nips at his ear. ]

[ ah—it momentarily stalls genos all the same, inching his head backward with a narrow expression. ]

I don't need your validation to know what I already am. [ not the greatest comedian around, perhaps, but he's grown leaps and bounds sine he officially became a hero... ]

[ well, he's not wrong, settling back with his head tipped to the side to rest on his arm as he glances at genos sidelong. ] Mm. Sometimes validation is nice, though... [ this isn't a grand confession by any means, but it's the truth for himself to some degree.

belatedly realizing the honesty, sonic averts his eyes quickly, though his progress shows from how he only tightens his hold on the other man instead of propelling himself off and as far away from him as possible. ] Or whatever. Anyway, are we going to bed or what? [ ah, he's still quick to change slightly uncomfortable situations he's unknowingly dumped himself into. some things never change. ]

[ fortunately for sonic, it's nothing genos plans on pursuing. he's learned to pick up on when a topic may or may not be touchy, and he can veer away from it without delay. ] Were you still wanting to?

[ he knows sonic is still worn out. the futon is just a few inches away from where they're sitting, ready and waiting to be used. ]

[ hums a little, eyes falling shut after he's slumped against genos's back. ]

I need at least one nap out of those twenty. [ or he'll make good of them all straight away. the human body sometimes just does what it wants, and sonic's is no exception to the exhaustion that's melting him away from full consciousness. ]

[ laughs again, wriggling his way out of sonic's hold so that he can scoot over, gesture to the space awaiting him. ]

Perhaps you'd find my futon more comfortable. [ rest assured, he'd be happy to be a gigantic pillow if it came down to it, but it probably wouldn't prove beneficial in the long run. not when the vast majority of you is walking, talking metal. ]

[ scrubs at an eye with the heel of his palm, glancing over at the futon that he didn't entirely miss, but wasn't ready to address right away.

nevertheless, he nods sleepily and all but crawls to it, pausing once he's seated on the thing proper. ] Are you staying up? [ sonic's not stubborn enough to do the same when there's so much rest to be had. ]

Do you need company?

[ as if he needs to ask, seeing as how he's crawling after sonic as well, crouched on the floor nearby. ]