It's Only Natural

The meet

The day was a fairly normal one, for somebody like Sakura. She was following the same outdated routine like the next organised person. She would always be in the same Cafe, at the same time, doing the same thing. She was surprised the whole ordeal hadn't bored her to death nor had she decided to scratch her eyeballs out with the polished silverware that would dauntingly show off her reflection. Maybe she was just too normal unlike others? She would never grow tired of working nor would she want to grow tired of it. Choosing to work was her choice, and her's alone. Nobody could argue with her choice as it wasn't them who was to follow the path she had made.

"Hey Sakura! Do you think you could put the sign up outside?" Sakura's boss, Mr Tachiban, called. Although he seemed too brute and masculine, it was surprising how he had devoted his life into developing the café Sakura worked in which was famously known as Angel Spice. How masculine. Note the sarcasm. Sakura stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom, carefully adjusting her headpiece for her maid-like uniform before swiftly turning and leaving the room. She didn't speak, nor did she pull a face in protest, instead she did as she was told like the good employee she was. She headed over towards the newly polished door and picked up the sign which stated today's specials and other meals before placing it outside on the edge of the pavement.

To Sakura's surprise, it had been an extremely quiet week in Z city, that was probably because there had been a lack in monster attacks or any serious crimes. A cool and sudden breeze ran through Sakura's wine red and black locks as she straightened the sign. Her eyes travelled around the area, catching sight of a few locals who would smile and wave her the waitress. It was a times like that Sakura felt normal. She felt as if her abilities didn't even exist, and she lived a normal life like everybody else. Normally, she would be able to go the whole day without somebody fussing over the fact she was 'special' or 'gifted'. Another thing she could boycott was the constant 'why don't you become a hero with a gift like that?'. Not that any of that mattered. Sakura had no intention in becoming a hero. In her opinion, she found the thought of overpaid heroes a bit annoying.

Besides, Sakura was already her own hero.

Although she didn't seem like it, Sakura had suffered a troublesome and traumatic past. When she was just 10 years old both of her parents had died in a house fire, which was a part of Sakura's fault. When she and her parents lived in city A, Sakura had only just discovered her abilities on her tenth birthday. Of course she was thrilled to be unique, but she couldn't control her powers. On a cold winters night, Sakura found herself curious of what she was really capable of. In order to put her curiousity at ease, Sakura tried to light a candle with nothing but her mind. However, the flame grew to large for her to control and set the entire house on fire. After it was declared her parents were dead and Sakura was to be put into an orphanage, she fled to city Z for a fresh start and a forgotten past. She kept her powers secret and only a select few knew about them, such as her boss, the neighbours and their daughter. She didn't have to worry about telling her friends, she didn't have any. Sakura didn't really agree with the whole idea of having to balance her social life with work, so, she decided to put her work first. This did however lead Sakura into a life of isolation and anti-socialism.

More people began to walk past the café and some even entered with smiles on their faces as Sakura kindly greeted them with a smile. Just another normal day at Angel Spice.

"Good morning and welcome to the Angel Spice Café! My name is Sakura and I'll be your server today. If you would please follow me and I'll take you to a table," Sakura said cheerfully, a smile on her lips and her eyes sparkling in the artificial lighting. She lead two girls in a school uniforms towards a table and gave them the menus and waited patiently for them to decide. She tapped a small tune with her heeled shoes against the cold tiled floor, staring up at the ceiling and beginning to let her mind wander.

"Um..." The girl in glasses mumbled, narrowing her eyes at the menu once again. Sakura looked back at the girl, her eyes bright and her aura bubbly. She nodded her head, notifying the girl that she was being no trouble. "Can I have the... cinnamon bun and a pink lemonade?" The girl turned her head and looked towards her friend, who had also ordered the same thing.

"Sure thing! I'll be back with your order shortly!" Sakura turned on her heel and jotted down the order on her pastel pink notepad with her swirly handwriting. She walked gracefully towards the counter where she gave her boss the order and left him to his own devices in the kitchen.

Sakura leaned against the counter and sighed, staring up at the clock which seemed to be ticking so slowly. The day seemed to be go by so slowly; it seemed like a recurring situation. A second became a minute, a minute became an hour. Everyday seemed the same. Sakura would wake up, head to work, (occasionally) eat, then go back to bed and then repeat the whole process everyday except for days off- which Sakura hated. Due to the fact Sakura had become so devoted to her job, she would spend her days off in a completely lost state. She didn't know what to do. With no friends or family, it became quiet lonesome and boring. Her whole life evolved around working, so she would normally spend her free time thinking of new recipes for the upcoming festival whenever her boss would rent a store in the summer or winter.

The clock mockingly ticked, notifying each passing second. The sound echoed throughout Sakura's ears. She would admit it having believe she would be a burden, but she was tired and wanting to go home and rest. Last night she had learned that watching horror movies wasn't the best thing to do when you already have trouble sleeping at night. Unfortunately, Sakura had to dure another hour of working before she could go home.

Suddenly, the door caught Sakura's attention. Her eyes lit up as her neighbour Mrs Ikki and her daughter Toya walked into the café. Their soft smiles causing Sakura's heart to melt as they looked so joyful. Sakura gave a small wave to Toy- who excited ran towards the waitress and hugged her side, burying her face into Sakura's stomach.

"Toya, please calm down!" Mrs Ikki hissed, looking slightly embarrassed at her daughter's reckless behaviour. Sakura looked up at the tall woman and smiled. "Kids will be kids," Mrs Ikki said nonchalantly.

The waitress smiled and nodded in agreement. She could always feel her cheeks burn lightly whilst in the presence of Mrs Ikki. She was a very beautiful woman who was very successful at her job. Mrs Ikki had been blessed with a perfect life: a loving husband and daughter, a strong will and a great job. She was strong and also an independent woman that Sakura looked up to. She also saw her as a motherly figure too.

"How have you been doing then? I see your still a work fanatic," Mrs Ikki commented, sitting down by the counter and asking Sakura's boss for a cup of coffee.

Sakura rubbed the back of her neck, laughing awkwardly and not knowing where to look. "You know me so well."

Toya released Sakura from her warm embrace before wandering off without Sakura or her mother noticing as they continued to converse. "You really need to get out there and get a social life, Sakura," Mrs Ikki said sternly. It was almost as if Sakura was her own child. "You know I hate to be so pushy but you're such a nice girl who deserves nothing but the best and it pains me to see you so lonesome."

Sakura dropped her head in shame, passing Mrs Ikki her cup of warm coffee. "I'm sorry. I promise that day will come and you'll be proud of me!" Sakura said with a smile.

Mrs Ikki sipped some of her drinking, sighing in pleasure at the favoured taste of coffee on her tongue. "You'll even get a boyfriend too," She added quickly.

Suddenly, Mrs Ikki placed her cup on the counter. Her neck straightened and she seemed on edge. Her eyes scanning the room repeatedly as they leapt from table to table to even under the counter. "Where is Toya?" She questioned, her voice laced with concern.

Sakura looked around the room with her eyes, searching desperately for Toya. "I bet she's gone to look at the flowers outside. I'll go get her. You drink your coffee and relax. You deserve it," Sakura said softly, patting Mrs Ikki's shoulder before striding towards the door.

Mrs Ikki let out a soft smile, looking in Sakura's direction. "You're such a kind girl."

With her shoes tapping along the tile floor, Sakura walked outside and looked intently at the flowers by the door. Toya wasn't there. Sakura's mind filled with doubt almost instantly. What if something happened to her? Would Mrs Ikki ever forgive her for being so ignorant? Sakura's eyes suddenly darted forward at the soft sound of Toya's harmonic giggle. Her eyes widened and her body trembled at the sight of Toya running across the road. Toya ran forward into the road, her arms outstretched as she chased a butterfly, completely oblivious to the fact that a car was hurtling towards her. Sakura froze for a short moment, frozen in shock. She furrowed her brows in determination before she forced herself forward.

She prepared herself to jump into the road as she ran. She gasped loudly as she witnessed a man beat her to the task she had prepared herself to do, mentally and physically. The mysterious man stood in front of Toya, causing the child to stop, before her scooped her into his strong arms. Her turned and was ready to jump out of the cars way, but even Sakura knew it would be too late. They would never make it in time. Furrowing her brows once again, Sakura ran into the road. She focus all of her energy around her body. She felt her cheeks burn at the intense feeling of the hot energy running through her veins, warming her body and making her blood boil. Her eyes beginning to glow lime green as she felt the power course through her. Her hair moved weightlessly through the cool breeze and her muscles began to tense.

Quickly, Sakura sliced her hands up. The ground rumbled as piles of earth burst out of the road, following Sakura's hand gestures as the earth threw itself onto the cars bonnet. Still the car showed no intention of stopping. Sakura narrowed her eyes at the driver, noticing him in a panicked state- meaning he had no control over the vehicle. The earth continued to act, lunging towards the car which caused the layers of dirt on the bonnet to grow thicker and thicker. Slowly, the car came to a standstill in front of the man and Toya. The pungent stench of damp earth and burned rubber filled the air as Sakura collapsed and fell to her knees, her eyes returning to their original state too. Her shoulders raised and slumbed quickly as Sakura wheezed heavily. She had never used so much power in such little time. Normally she would only use her powers to tend to the plants that had wilted outside the café, or perhaps mend some broken walls in charity after a monster attack. Nothing as serious as this.

Sakura looked forward, noticing Toya and the mysterious man- well, she thought it was just a man until she noticed the somewhat mechanical features. She shakily rose her feet, darting towards Toya who wobbly walked away from her saviour. Sakura fell to her knees again and pulled Toya into a tight embrace. She nuzzled her nose into Toya's neck and felt the little girl cry.

"Please don't do that ever again!" Sakura whispered in a sharp yet soft tone, holding back the tears that welled up in her eyes. Toya nodded before releasing herself from Sakura grasp and running towards her sobbing mother who stood by the café door.

Sakura looked up and noticed a bald man standing before, offering his hand to the waitress. Sakura raised her brow at his appearance, he did seem a bit weird as he wore an orange hoodie with the word oppai printed onto it. "Hey, are you ok?" He said as if he hadn't just noticed the fact that Sakura was the one who stopped the car. She remained silent, nodding before taking his hand and allowed herself to be helped to her feet.

Sakura continued to look around at her scenery. The man who had been driving the car was now crying and constantly apologising to Toya's mother. Her eyes slowly fell to the mechanical man who walked heavy footedly towards her and the bald man, who Sakura was guessing was his companion. She felt herself blush as her eyes locked with his. His eyes were so beautiful. He was definitely attractive, perhaps the most handsome man she had even seen in her whole entire life. Never had she seen such a handsome person. His blonde hair had fallen weightlessly yet perfectly, framing his face well. His eyes were the most noticeable feature; a unique cross of gold and black and he loomed over her as he stood tall. But to be honest, who wasn't taller than Sakura?

The waitress bowed in front of him, winching as she felt her back click- and it wasn't the satisfying way either. "I'd like to thank you for saving Toya. If it hadn't been for you she would most likely have been injured and in a worst case, dead."

The bald man just blinked at Sakura, as did the mechanical man. In Sakura's opinion, this just got very awkward.

Sakura stood up straight and smiled, an angelic aura surrounding her. "In my appreciation, I'd like to know whether you would come inside the café and eat what you please for free," Sakura beamed, looking towards the café as she donned a closed eye smile.

The bald man's eyes flashed as he patted the mechanical man's shoulder. "Come on Genos. It'd be great to eat out for once," He said, looking at Sakura who just continued to smile. Genos nodded in response and continued to look at the bald man. "Ah yeah, I'm Saitama and this is Genos."

Sakura suddenly darted her hand out for Genos and Saitama to shake. "My name is Sakura," She beamed, shaking Saitama's hand and then Genos. Her jaw dropped as she noticed how small her hand looked compared to Genos'. She felt goosebumps travel up her arms as she shook his hand; It was cold yet interesting to touch, maybe it was because Sakura had never felt something like this before.

She happily led the two men inside and explained the entire situation to her boss and Mrs Ikki. Her boss had agreed to allowing the men to eat free meals, which made Sakura happy to know that her boss was grateful for what Genos had done. Sakura waved Mrs Ikki and Toya off as they both left the café whilst Mrs Ikki mentioned that she had to cook dinner for when her husband returned home.

Sakura sweat dropped as she saw the two men surrounded by piles of plates and bowls as they both ate various dishes. She quickly headed over to the table and scooped up as many dishes as possible before turning and taking them to the table. One she had returned the table had been properly cleaned she look in amazement as Saitama rested his head on the table and moaned about his sore stomach yet Genos kept his calm posture and didn't even seem like he was full at all.

"Have you finished eating?" Sakura asked politely, clapping her hands together and looking at the clock. She had gone into overtime. About three hours overtime in fact. It was dark outside now which made Sakura feel uneasy as it had been dark when her parents had died.

"Hey, Sakura, havent you better start heading home?" Sakura's boss called from the other side of the cafe. Saitama rose his head and looked at Sakura who let out a small sigh.

"I'll get going now," She said back. Bowing, Sakura smiled at the two men. "Thank you again for helping Toya. Feel free to return whenever you like and I'm sure free meals will be arranged if you so desire."

Saitama stood up and Genos looked at him with a confused expression. The bald man turned his head towards Geno and smirked. "Say Genos, don't you think you better walk Sakura home. It is dark after all."

Sakura blushed and waved her arms about in a frenzy. "No, no, no, no. It's not a problem; I'll walk by myself!"

Genos stood up himself and looked down at Sakura, "it is fine. I shall walk you home."

Within a few minutes Sakura was walking home with Genos walking beside her. She remained silent as did he as they walked together in the dim street lighting.

"Tell me," Genos said. Sakura looked towards him and tilted her head. "How did you stop that car?"

Sakura looked down at the ground and softly smiled. "This may sound weird but... I can control the elements."

"The elements?"

Sakura nodded. "Yeah, like water, earth, fire and air."

"Interesting," Genos muttered.

Sakura came to stop as she pointed towards a small house. "I live here," She said softly. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her small notepad before jotting down something and passing it to Genos.

"What is it?" Genos asked.

"It's my phone number. I feel like you could be a nice guy to befriend."

CAN WE JUST TALK ABOUT HOW HARD IT IS TO THINK OF A PLOT FOR A GENOS FANFICTION?! Mother of chocolate pancakes how I love Genos.

Most of this is a rewrite as I feel like this chapter lacked detail.

BYE~