Another night at the B&D Club, and Saitama is enjoying his usual personalized cocktails, at his usual table, while watching dancer after tacky dancer give him a subpar lap dance.
"Need another round?" a polite voice chimed.
Craning his bald head to see behind him, the blonde waiter that always served his orders, sporting his usual black and white uniform, gave him a sympathetic smile, placing a new glass of gin and tonic on the half crowded table.
"Thanks," Saitama started, eyeing the angel that healed his eyes from the usual mundane scenery of strippers and drunks. "How do you handle all this every night, Genos?"
"Usually, I barely do," Genos replied, "Having you around makes things easier, though. I have someone to talk to and it beats handling another drunkard for a while."
Both laughed at that. Saitama offered a seat to his favorite waiter, and Genos graciously complied.
The two made small talk till the large wall clock drummed a deep gong; it was midnight. The crowd began to swarm to a rising stage. The DJ behind the booth tapped the mic a few times before shouting, "What's up everybody!"
"As if this place couldn't get any louder," Saitama grumbled.
"When did you guys build another stage?" Saitama shouted for Genos to hear over the roar of the crowd.
"A few weeks ago," Genos miraculously replied, shouting back, "The manager decided it was time to make a change for the club."
The room went dark. A quick wave of roars and then all was quiet. A single overhead light spread across the center of the stage. Cantering up to the lighted space, a leather cladded gentleman with blue powder colored hair struck a pose before the song "Dirty Desire"* started playing.
"Please welcome to the Midnight Dance stage, Amai Mask~!" the DJ shouted as Amai Mask continued onward. His sensual dance creating ripples of howls from the audience.
"A Midnight Dance, huh?" Saitama said, un-amused to the new addition.
"Yes, and it comes with 2 rules" Genos replied, "The rule #1 is: you can look but can't touch. And #2: No tipping the dancers."
"Oh, okay, so at least the dancers have some class and dignity to them" Saitama replied, chugging down the rest of his drink.
"You seem to have very high standards, sir" Genos said, in a teasing tone.
"Ha! I only come here for the drinks and food. I could care less about the dancers," Saitama said.
For an hour, Saitama and Genos had to endure the screams and wanton shouts for Amai Mask. By the end of the hour, the hems of his leather pants were just barely hanging on for dear life around his twerking hips.
Feeling the boredom seep to his core, Saitama took out his wallet, thanked Genos, and paid for the drinks. He got up and swayed towards the door. He turned to Genos, who was cleaning up the table, and called, "When's your shift over?"
"In an hour" Genos replied, smiling.
"I'll take you home. Meet me at the front of the club." Saitama answered back and headed to the bathroom.
A blush rose from Genos's cheeks to his ears. "He's always so sweet to me".
Clocking out, and hurrying to change out of his alcohol soaked clothes, Genos headed to the front of the club where Saitama was leaning against a vacant spot on the wall near the double doors.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Genos apologized.
Smiling in reply, Saitama tilted his head towards the exit and they both walked out, reveling in the cool fresh air that greeted them.
The walk was silent. Only when approaching Genos's apartment, does Saitama stop in his tracks. Genos bumps into him, but then finds himself in a kabe-don*, golden yellow eyes looking straight into smoldering brown.
Feeling his heart race, Genos was sure that he would faint, if not for Saitama's leg placed between his. A familiar friction but it's always exciting.
Saitama leans into Genos's ear, whispering, "Dance for me some time?"
At a loss for words, Genos didn't know if he was breathing or not, his mind repeating those suggestive words. A quick nod was all he could manage. Saitama smiled from ear to ear, giving Genos a quick peck on the cheek, and letting him go home.
Assured that Genos was inside, Saitama turned his heels and headed home with a bounce to his step.
Genos headed straight to the bathroom and splashed cold water on his face. Looking at the mirror he saw that the blush wasn't fading whatsoever.
"Do I always make this face when I'm around him?" Genos asked to himself, splashing a few more times, then letting the sound of the running water fill the bathroom.
The next day, at the office, Saitama was sure he was going to go to the B&D Club again tonight but his boss, who he believed to be a disaster level god, had him stay overtime for tonight. "I hate you Shicchi" Saitama grumbled, making sure his neighbors Mumen Rider and Snakebite Sneck hear him. "Quit your complaining, at least we'll get overtime pay." Sneck replied, patting his hand against the back of a defeated bald co-worker. "Let's treat ourselves after this is all over. The project is due this Friday, tomorrow, and the manager wants to be sure it's done right, crossing our t's and dotting our i's and such." Mumen Rider affirmed.
Letting out a long and groan filled sigh, Saitama punched away at the worn out keyboard, but his mind always drifted back to a certain angelic blonde waiter at the B&D Club.
"Genos-chan~" a big, buff and burly man snuck up behind the club's youngest waiter and hugged him tight.
"Ow stop it Puri Puri. That hurts," Genos scowled.
"Oh come now deary that sour expression doesn't suit that cute face of yours," Puri Puri Prisoner replied, giving a muscular cutesy face, "Anyway the manager wants to see you. Apparently it's urgent."
Letting out a long sigh, Genos got dressed and headed to the office.
Walking in, he was greeted by The Seamstress, the world's most iconic fashion designer.
"You wanted to see me," Genos answered from the door.
"Yes I did," he answered, "I'll get right to the point. Genos, I need you in the next Midnight Dance."
"What for?" Genos replied, "Whatever happened to Amai Mask?"
"He got double booked with another club and can't make it," the manager replied, waving a hand towards the Seamstress; a cue for the measuring to begin.
"Why me?" Genos asked, trying to back away from the woman with the measuring tape.
"We've been having a few patrons who have been asking for you personally" the manager stated, "Though the B&D Club condones pimping in any shape or form, we can compromise if the terms are acceptable. Our 2 rules still apply and, before you complain, we'll have Puri Puri take care of any rough housers tonight."
Feeling dread and defeat, Genos submitted to the Seamstress as she took accurate measurements of his body.
"Oh and by the way, the theme this time is water. So expect to be splashed on stage," manager added as he flipped through his paperwork, his deft fingers made it tempting for Genos to go and break every digit off the man's hand and throw it to the dogs. "And take the rest of the day to learn the routine."
"Done," the Seamstress stated and then went out the door, cross the short distance in the hall and came back from the dressing room with a flimsier version of his waiter's outfit. "You will be dancing in this."
Genos very much wanted to run but couldn't. Then, a thought popped up. "Maybe Mr. Saitama will show up and watch him. He did ask for a dance the other night."
Genos suppressed a blush before leaving the manager's office. Only when he was in the changing room to try on the costume did he look in the mirror and display a full on beat-red blush.
"I hope I can see him tonight"
Saitama looked at the clocked and cursed at Father Time for being so seemingly erratic. One moment, what felt like 5 minutes was actually an hour, and in another moment what felt like an hour was only 5 minutes. He deadpanned at his screen for a while longer only to breathe out the little sanity he had left.
"Almost there… it may be 11 pm, but in 9 more hours the project will be presented and we'll finally be free…" Sneck grumbled on.
"I got coffee from the machine" Mumen Rider strode back in with 3 trays of coffee, kicking the door closed with his heel. The three confined co-workers were the only ones left in the office. Singing their praises towards their license-less bike rider savior, they chugged down the first tray of 6 cups and continued onward.
"We just need to look over everything and make sure there aren't that many mistakes… all two hundred and eighty-seven pages of them" Mumen Rider said aloud.
Groans and cries filled the office space as the three tackled the task at hand.
"I think we can get it done in an hour and a half." Mumen said.
"I'll bet you a drink that we can't" Sneck replied, and the two shook on it.
Saitama replied with a half-hearted laugh then remained quiet, praying that he could at least catch Genos when his shift is over.
At the stroke of midnight, the rising stage revealed Genos striking a pose on center stage. On cue, a bucket of water fell and came splashing the entire stage, leaving Genos in a soaked-to-the-skin shirt and pants. The song begins and Genos begins by peeling off the wet silk white button up, letting one sleeve hang off and the other barely clinging to his shoulder. Pausing, posing with one hand on his exposed abdomen and the other behind his neck, Genos scanned the audience. Disheartened, he didn't see Saitama in the front rows or in the audience. With body and mind no longer into the music or the dance, a bored and disappointed expression plastered onto his face. For some reason, that got the audience howling for more. "Howl all you want. None of you can be Saitama". Genos bit back his words and continued his slow dance.
Half way there, half way there" Saitama chanted, starting to freak out Sneck and Mumen, as the second tray of coffee disappeared in 60 seconds. Looking at the clock, Saitama was able to see the light at the end of the god-forsaken tunnel of graphs and papers.
"Genos will be done in another hour. Just got to get through my portion of the paperwork and finally clock out of here." Saitama found his motivation and drive again, at the thought of greeting Genos outside the bar.
Half way there, half way there." Genos's thoughts cried out as he continued to dance on stage. The last bucket of water fell and splashed onto of his head and his exposed torso. Water droplets ran down the crevices of his washboard abs, and his wet hair clung to his forehead and his cheeks. His shirt, what looked like a pile of white goop, on the stage floor behind him was long forgotten as the routine continued. The song slowed down to the song "I think of you"*. The song seemingly reflect the desire in his heart, he pushed forward imagining the crowd all wearing Saitama's face. "My shift is almost over." Genos began to think; "Maybe I'll see him after work." He stared at the large wall clock. One more hour left.
3…2…1…and DONE!
Saitama slammed his stack of paper on his desk, catching Sneck and Mumen Rider's attention. Saitama scrambled to pack up his bag, drink his share of the coffee, and grabbed his coat. Saying a quick good-bye and "Good work, guys" he stared at the elevator and realized, he had to take the stairs. Cursing under his breath, he began his journey down from the 17th floor to the first. Occasionally looking at his watch, he picked up the pace. "I'll be cutting it close."
3…2…1...DONE~!
Genos heard the clock strike and the Midnight Dance segment was finally over with his pants hanging off his hips, revealing a teasing glimpse of his shorts. The crowd, mostly composed of drunkards, shout for an encore, Genos wouldn't have it. He gave the crowd a farewell bow and left stage right. Running into Puri Puri while in the changing room, who handed him a towel, sang praises of his performance. Thanking him for that, Genos wanted nothing more than to dry off, put on some warmer clothes and head home. Saying his goodbyes, Genos walked right out the front doors, but stopped by two older men, clearly both were drunk.
"Hey there ho~ttie!" one man sporting a tiger striped tank top slurred out, "Loved the dance."
"How 'bout you dansh for oos?" the other man, wearing a black tanktop, said.
"I refuse," Genos replied and turned to walk away.
"Come on~" the tiger striped drunk cried out, placing a firm grip on Genos's arm, "One more dance can't hurt, right~?"
"I said no," Genos said while trying to pry the man grease covered fingers off of him.
"Hey, is that anyway to talk to us, huh?" the black tanktop drunkard slurred, and raised his hand as if ready to punch, "Any idea who we are, huh?"
Bracing for a punch, Genos raised his arms up and the punch connected to his wrist. Wincing at the pain, Genos braced for another punch. But it never came and the grip on his arm disappeared. Looking up, he sees him. Saitama clearly pissed and all the more feeling murderous, was seeing red at the sight of the drunkards messing with his favorite waiter.
"Imma gonna send you boys flying," Saitama breathed out and, with one punch, sent both losers flying into a pile of trash.
Satisfied, he turned to Genos. "You okay?"
Genos nodded, hiding his bruising wrist behind him.
Saitama reached for Genos's free hand and gently guided the younger home.
To Saitama's home that is.
While on the way, Saitama asked, "So what's this dance that heard those guys talking about."
Genos stopped and looked down and thought, "Should I tell him about the Midnight Dance?"
Looking back up, Genos noticed the under eye bags and dark circles on Saitama's face. Clearly it wasn't an easy day for him either. Saitama waited, and Genos began, saying, "It was the manager's idea. Amai Mask couldn't make it tonight and apparently I'm popular among the regular patrons."
Saitama flashed an understanding smile; in the back of his mind he saw it real cute that Genos tried to keep the explanation in 20 words or less. A rule that was established between the two when they first met.
He tugged Genos's hand and they started back up the path to Saitama's place. Once at the front door to his apartment, Genos found himself in a kabe-don. Déjà vu. Saitama leaned in and whispered, "Dance for me tonight."
Remember I don't own the anime or it's characters or the songs mentioned in this Fanfic.
Please Review and look forward to Chapter 2.
*"Dirty Desire" by Utada Hikaru
*"I think of you" by Jeremih
*Kabe-don: a "wall slap" in order to trap your partner. Look it up on Google for a better translation.