Thank you to: readitandmeep; mj4wzpw; Carilynne; Ominous Shuriken; nini-mercy; goldyylocks; Yuuki-Hime 2097 and master-malwere for the follows!
Thank you to: master-malwere; goldyylocks; tipszics; Carilynne; mj4wzpw; readitandmeep; The Entity of Darkness; jmc666 and parallelworlds153 for the favorites!
RomeoPlaysYouASong: Yeah, Isamu is a spoiled shit sometimes...a lot of times and her dad can be an ass. Yes, you get all the cookies, Romeo! ALL THE COOKIES! N'aww! Thank you!
Mr. Green37: Yess! Bang will be so good for her in terms of self defense. I'm really excited to expand on their relationship.
Tsukino Aisuru: Yes, they are but perhaps Isamu gets better...maybe...Ehehe! It's payback for suckering him into taking her up the stairs. Mwahaha! It won't be the last kiiiiss! Hue hue hue!
1Laure-Lo: No worries, lovey! You didn't offend me at all so don't worry about that! I understand. ^_^
Pearlshipper4evar: Omg, that makes me so happy to know that! I'm so glad that I could make you smile! Ahaha! No worries, this isn't a harem story.
Lightningblade49: Yeeeesss! She'll be able to protect herself from upcoming things! Hint hint!
Mortred101: Feel the tension! Hue hue hue! Is...is that a good thing? Rollercoasters are fun...
readitandmeep: Thank you so much! You're so sweet!
Mianko: Favoritism? Naaaah! Of course nooooot! Psssh! Yes, yes they're definitely playing favorites. Cause they're booty faces. She's going to be driven insane by that old man...
Sorry for it being a little late! Had to run some errands and pick up my copy of OVERWATCH! WHOO! So excited for that game! Anyway, please enjoy this chapter. I love you all! Chuu~!
Chapter 14: Birthday Surprises and Sea Kings
"Out?"
"Yeah, out." Saitama repeated, tugging on his red boots.
I stood behind him, watching him as he smacked his foot against the floor in an attempt to get it into the shoe. A smile pulled at my lips as I attempted to hide my giggle. He sent a pout my way as he stood up, straightening out his cape. The smile fell away and I followed him outside to where Genos was waiting.
"How long will you two be gone?" I asked him, reaching out for him. Saitama shrugged, capturing my hand before I could touch his arm and squeezing it gently. He smiled at me, bringing my hand up to his lips and ghosting them over it. A deep red flushed over my cheeks and I looked down at the floor, curling my toes in my socks.
"Don't worry, Mitchan. Genos has a phone so if anything happens-"
"I'll be the last to know." I grumbled, pouting. Saitama chuckled and let go of my hand. I glanced up as I heard receding footsteps and waved to the two men. "Be safe!" They put their hands up simultaneously and I smiled widely, watching them disappear down the road. Once the two were gone, a sigh escaped me and I leaned against the railing. Thoughts began swirling in my mind; about my family and about my upcoming birthday.
It wouldn't be the first birthday I spent without them but having them so close by yet unable to be with them on my supposed special day sent a crippling feeling through my chest. 'But at least you'll have Saitama and Genos. Plus Aiko, Jirou and the baby, too.' Another sigh was released and I ran my fingers through my hair, nibbling on my bottom lip.
~Saitama's P.O.V~
Genos and I walked through the mall and I glanced around, feeling lost. I muttered under my breath, scratching the side of my face with my forefinger.
"Is everything alright, Sensei?" My disciple asked, side glancing at me. I turned to him.
"Just feeling a bit lost." I admitted, blinking as the brightness of the lights hit my eyes. I rubbed them in irritation and looked forward again. Genos made a sound of agreement before pointing out a jewelry store.
"What about there, Sensei? Should we get her a necklace or perhaps a bracelet?" He questioned, stopping in the middle of the walkway.
I shrugged and followed him into the store, looking into the glass displays with awe. Diamonds stared up at me, the lights dancing off of them and glittering. Genos was talking to the only worker in the store, asking about pricing and what would be acceptable for a woman that wasn't a girlfriend but a friend all the same. One necklace caught my eye as I wandered past the displays. It was simple but beautiful and, in my mind, perfect for Mitchan.
"Genos!" I called for the cyborg, who excused himself and came jogging over to me. "What about this one?" Looking up at my blonde disciple, I pointed to the necklace gently as to not break the glass. Genos bent down slightly to eye the jewelry, a serious look on his face. He finally straightened back up, a small smile on his face.
"I believe this will be perfect for Mitsuki-san, Sensei. It has the right amount of jewels and isn't too gaudy but also isn't too simple." Genos nodded his approval, calling over the assistant. "We will take this one, ma'am." He gave her a smile, earning a doe eyed look from her and a dreamy sigh to which I rolled my eyes to. She took it out and carried it to the register, wrapping it up in a black, velvet box.
"Will that be all, sir?" She asked, staring longingly at Genos.
"Yes, thank you." I responded before he could, handing her my card and pushing the cyborg out of the way. He stared at me with wide eyes as the assistant swiped my card. I ignored the small pain in my chest as the charges came up in the hundreds. 'My wallet! NO! This is for Mitchan's birthday! This is worth it!' I reassured myself, taking a deep breath as I grabbed the bag and my card from the lady. "Thanks."
"Have a nice day!" She smiled. I nodded and the both of us walked out of the store, Genos scrolling through his phone.
"We can cross the present off the list. Now all we need is the cake and the card, Sensei." He informed me, putting his phone into his pocket. I nodded again, going into a grocery store with Genos not too far behind. We wandered into the card section but within seconds we were completely lost.
"I have...no idea what we're looking for." I mumbled, staring at a section of cards clearly labeled for women. 'Why are they all pink?!' I yelled in my mind, feeling myself getting more lost.
"Um...do you need help?"
I whirled around to see a teen aged girl looking between me and the card rack, Genos nowhere to be found. "Er..." Sweat rolled down the side of my face and I rubbed the back of my head. "...Yeah. Actually, I do. I'm, um, looking for a card for my...roommate? It's her birthday soon." Turning back to the rack, I let out an irritated sigh.
"Oh, well, how about this one, then?" She walked up to me and leaned over, grabbing a dusty pink card decorated with pastel flowers. "It's not mushy gushy but still sweet." The girl beamed at me, handing the card over. The smile slowly faded as she stared at me, examining my face. "Hey, don't I know you?"
"Thanks for the card." I hurriedly say, rushing away and glancing around for my disciple. I finally spotted him near the bakery section, staring intensely at one of the cakes. "Stare too hard and you're going to melt it." I teased him, making him shuffle away from it. "Found a card." I showed it to him, shaking it back and forth. "Any luck with the cake, Genos?"
The blonde shook his head, "I cannot find any pure chocolate cakes, Sensei." His shoulders drooped in disappointment. "They are all mixed with vanilla."
I blinked and looked down at the cakes, decorated so delicately. "I'm sure Mitchan won't mind. Cake is cake." Reaching down, I grabbed a sky blue cake with a little red and yellow balloon on it. "Let's get this one." I said, walking off towards the register and picking up the number candles 2 and 4 along the way along with some balloons.
"We have everything on the list, Sensei." Genos spoke as we paid for the stuff and walked out of the store. I grunted in response, trudging back to the apartment. "Question is; how are we going to hide this from Mitsuki-san until tomorrow?"
"Easy, distract her and I'll sneak them into the house." I concluded, staring straight ahead, shifting the bag in my hand.
~Mitsuki's P.O.V~
I tapped my fingers against the table, my chin in my other hand and staring at the T.V blankly as I waited for the men to return. "They're taking forever." I lamented, leaning against my hand with a groan. I had just finished wiping down the kitchen and cleaning out the pantry, making it hazard free. Taking my hand off my chin, I leaned forward and rested my head against the cool table.
The T.V droned on in the background, slowly lulling me into a sleepy state. I closed my eyes, placing my arms under my head as a pillow and started falling asleep. The sound of the front door opening jolted me awake and I sat up, sluggishly pushing my hair out of my face as I tried to stand up. Genos came into the living room, a large and out-of-place smile on his handsome face. I stared at him, feeling slightly uncomfortable due to the smiling but forced myself to grin back.
"Uh...hey, Genos-kun. H-How was your day out?" I asked, straining to keep my smile in place. His was getting more and more unnerving by the second, especially when I spotted a shiny bald head sneaking into the kitchen over his shoulder. The cyborg stepped in front of me, placing his hands on my shoulders and redirecting my attention to him.
"It was nice, Mitsuki-san. We went to a bunch of different stores." Genos spoke in a monotone voice, his smile wavering. I raised an eyebrow at him, peeling his metal fingers off me.
"I-I see. Are you okay, Genos-kun?" I inquired, watching his smile falter.
"Yes, Mitsuki-san, I am fine." He assured me.
"Because you don't seem fine. Are you hiding something from me?" Stepping towards him, I stared up into his vibrant eyes. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of his pale face and he backed up.
"O-Of course not, Mitsuki-san. Why would you think that?" He held up his hands, his smile finally gone from his face. I backed him up against a wall and put my hands on my hips. Genos looked away as he fidgeted, glancing everywhere but at me.
"Because you're reacting like that, Genos-kun. So come on, spit it out." I ordered, stepping closer to the flustered cyborg. Suddenly an arm wrapped around my waist and yanked me back, releasing a small gasp from me. I looked up to see Saitama hauling me away just as Genos sighed from relief. "H-Hey, Saitama-san! Let go! Genos-kun was just about to crack!" I kicked my legs in frustration, trying to wiggle out of the bald man's grip.
Saitama tossed me onto the folded futon with a thump and sat on top of me when I made the attempt to get back up. My face heated up down to my neck as he straddled me, leaning in close.
"Mitchan, don't be bratty." He reprimanded me, frowning. "It's a surprise. Don't you like surprises?" Saitama asked, raising an eyebrow.
"G-Good surprises. I l-like g-good surprises." My voice was a whisper and I held my arms against my chest. He started moving off of me and I felt the smooth material of his jumpsuit rub against my inner thighs, causing a soft moan to escape my lips when the familiar warmth flooded the area in between them. Saitama looked up at me as I slapped my hands over my mouth, eyes wide. For a split second, I saw a grimace on his face before it was replaced by his typical apathetic expression before climbing off me.
I continued to lay there, breathing heavily through my nose as I stared up at the ceiling. 'He heard me...He heard me!' Covering my face, I scrunched up and turned over onto my side. 'Was he grossed out by it? He grimaced...' My heart dropped at that thought and I lowered my hands until they were just covering my lips. Banging in the kitchen caught my attention and I sat up, looking in that direction.
Genos' blonde hair was bobbing around while Saitama was nowhere to be seen. I slowly stood up and made my way to the kitchen, plastering a smile on my face.
"Genos-kun, do you need any help with...whatever you're doing? What are you doing?" I asked, watching him take the pans out of the bottom cabinets.
"I am rearranging the pans in the cabinets so that it will be easier for us to find what we need and cleaning out the cabinets." The cyborg explained, squatting down with a rag.
"Oh. Do you need any help?" I asked again, blinking. He shook his head and smiled at me.
"No, I should be fine, Mitsuki-san. Please go sit down."
I pursed my lips and reluctantly shuffled back into the living room, where Saitama was now sitting. Plopping down right next to him, I turned my attention to the T.V and leaned against the table with a sigh.
~The Next Day, Mitsuki's Birthday~
My arm reached over to grab Saitama's shirt but ended up grasping at air. Opening my eyes, I stared blearily at the empty space next to me before rolling over. Genos was gone as well and I sat up, confused. I glanced around the room while rubbing my eyes and slowly got up from the futon with sleep-filled legs.
"Saitama-san? Genos-kun?" I croaked out, shuffling into the kitchen. "Where are you guys?" I stifled a yawn and ran my fingers through my hair. Right as my foot stepped onto the tile floor of the kitchen, the light flashed on and both of my roommates jumped out of the pantry, scaring me.
"SURPRISE!" They yelled, holding balloons with large grins on their faces. I held in a scream as I stared at them, my eyes almost bulging out of their sockets.
"Happy birthday, Mitchan!" Saitama beamed, handing the balloon over to me. Happiness erupted through my chest and I began giggling, wrapping the string loosely around my wrist as Genos walked over to me.
"Happy birthday, Mitsuki-san." The cyborg spoke, tying his own balloon around my other wrist with a smile. I giggled again and beamed at the two men.
"Thank you!" The smile fell from my face and was replaced with a perplexed expression when they began ushering me out of the kitchen.
"Go sit, Mitchan. Genos and I are going to make you breakfast." Saitama commanded, guiding me back over to the futon and turning on the T.V.
"What?! Oh, n-no! You don't need to-" I began to protest but was cut off.
"We want to, Mitchan. Now sit your butt down and wait here, birthday girl." He smiled at me and stroked my cheek gently before heading back into the kitchen. "OKAY! PANCAKES!" Saitama exclaimed, throwing his arms into the air like a kid at a carnival. I couldn't help but smile as I began blushing.
'They're too sweet.' I thought to myself as I sat down, twirling my hair. The smell of pancakes filled the small apartment in no time, making my stomach growl in anticipation. Glancing over at the two men in the kitchen, I spotted Saitama staring over Genos' shoulder with a hungry look on his face and his tongue sticking out slightly as he watched him flip over some pancakes.
Before long, the two walked over with four plates stacked high with pancakes and set them down on the small table. Genos went back in before returning with butter, syrup and fruit.
"Thank you, guys." I beamed at the two as I set up my pancakes and dug in. "It's really good!" My compliment was muffled by the pancakes in my mouth but Genos understood nonetheless. Once we were done, Genos stood up and collected the plates, ignoring my protests. We sat in silence, digesting as we watched T.V with me leaning against Saitama's shoulder.
I was starting to fall asleep again when I heard Genos shift and ask Saitama something in a whisper.
"Hmm? What's going on?" I questioned groggily, sitting up straight.
"Nothing, Mitchan. Don't worry about it." Saitama waved away my question, pushing my hair out of my face. I narrowed my eyes up at him, pouting. "Don't make that face." He chuckled, pinching my nose. I made a high pitched protest and batted at his hands, earning another chuckle from him. Saitama then ruffled my hair before turning back to the T.V.
I could hear Genos cleaning the dishes in the kitchen, the sounds of the plates clinking together a sort of lullaby drifting me back into a slumber. 'I guess a nap won't be too bad. It is, after all, my birthday.' A smile pulled at my lips as I leaned my head against Saitama's arm and fell asleep.
(CUT!)
I woke up laying flat on my back and covered in the blanket. Sitting up, I glanced at the clock and saw that it was around 12pm. 'I napped longer than I wanted to.' I lamented, yawning. The balloons had been untied from both wrists and were floating in the corner near the T.V, bringing a small smile to my face.
"Oh, birthday girl's up." Saitama's voice pulled my attention away from the balloons and I turned my head to face the grinning bald man. "How was your nap, Mitchan?"
I beamed up at him and sat up on my knees, pushing my hair behind my ears. "It was good. I think I was just stuffed from all those pancakes." Saitama reached down and ruffled my hair.
"They were pretty filling. Anyway, up! It's time for cake!" He placed his hands underneath my arms and picked me up, carrying me over to the table.
"C-c-cake?! Wait! You didn't have to get me a cake!" I protested, blushing. "S-Saitama-san!" He shushed me by placing his finger on my mouth, furthering my blush.
"No complaining. You're getting cake so be good." He smiled at me, squishing my cheeks between his fingers so that I couldn't talk back. I made a small groan and sighed through my nose, nodding. "Alright! Genos, bring the cake out!"
The cyborg's heavy footsteps grabbed my attention and I whirled around, watching him bring in a sky blue cake with the numbers "24" lit up on it. He then began singing "Happy birthday", Saitama joining in. My face heated up and I covered my cheeks as they sang.
"G-Guys..." I whispered once they finished, stepping up to blow out the candles. 'I wish...that we can continue living like this and that Saitama and I could...be something...anything...' Crossing my fingers, I shut my eyes and took a deep breath, blowing out the candles as hard as I could. Saitama and Genos clapped and whooped for me.
"What was your wish, Mitchan?" The bald man inquired, stepping close to me.
"It's a secret." I teased, sticking my tongue out at him.
"Here you go, Mitsuki-san. First slice is yours." Genos stated, handing me a big slice. I took the plate from him and swiped a bit of frosting off of the top, licking it off my finger.
"Yum!" I squealed. "I need a fork." I commented, looking around.
"Just eat it with your hands, Mitchan." Saitama proposed, already stuffing the cake into his mouth with bits of frosting stuck to the sides.
"Saitama-san, you have frosting on the sides of your mouth." I pointed out, touching my own face with my finger. I felt a bit of coldness on my cheek and heard Saitama snicker.
"You just wiped frosting on your face, Mitchan!" He laughed, covering his mouth with the back of his hand.
Genos began tittering behind me, trying his hardest to hold it in. I pouted, turning to glare at the blonde.
"Fine. If you're going to laugh at me, then you should join in on the frosting party." I stated, stepping closer to the cyborg. He stopped and stared wide eyed at me.
"W-wait, Mitsuki-san. I apologize for laughing. Please be assured that I was not laughing at you-Ah!" Genos' apologies were cut off when I scooped frosting onto three of my fingers and smeared them across his face.
"Ha!" I smirked at him, licking my fingers. Saitama snorted behind me, finishing the rest of his cake.
"Sensei, it is not nice to laugh at others' misfortune." Genos murmured, reaching for his own slice and picking it up gingerly. I managed to duck just in time when he hurled the piece straight towards Saitama's shining head. It hit him square in the face, covering him in frosting, vanilla and chocolate.
Silence fell upon us as Genos and I stared at Saitama while he wiped the cake off his eyes.
"So..." He started, glaring at the cyborg, "That's how you wanna play, huh? Alright. It's on." He scurried over the cake, cutting off another slice and quickly chucking it at Genos. I tried to dodge again but the throw was too quick and I ended up getting a face full of cake. "Oh, crap! I'm sorry, Mitchan!" Saitama gulped, rubbing the back of his head. He shuffled over to me to see if I was okay as I wiped it off.
Taking my opportunity, I then smeared the cake back on his face.
"Got you!" I giggled. With a smile on his face, Saitama shook his head, taking some off his face and popping it into his mouth.
"This is a really good cake but it's not really fair that we're covered in cake and Genos isn't. Right, Mitchan?" He looked at me with a devious glint in his eyes. A smirk pulled at my lips as I redirected my attention to the sweating cyborg.
"You're right, Saitama-san. That is unfair." My smirk grew and the both of us stalked closer to Genos, holding handfuls of frosting and cake in our hands. "Come here, Genos-kun~." I sang sweetly.
Genos shook his head and tried running off but Saitama tackled him to the floor.
"Oh, no! You're not getting away from us!" He guffawed, smashing the cake into the cyborg's hair. The blonde wiggled out from under Saitama and took off again.
"Get him!" I yelled, running after him and hurling the cake. I missed and ended up hitting the wall. "Damn! Saitama-san, he's too fast!" I whined, tugging on his shirt.
"Don't worry, we'll get him." He beamed at me, ruffling my cake crusted hair.
We ended up having an all out cake war, getting ourselves covered in it.
"Well, that was fun." I commented, picking dried cake out of my hair. Saitama and I got the worst of it while Genos only had cake in his hair and a bit on his face. "Although you cheated, Genos-kun."
Genos huffed, wiping his face with a wet towel. "You ganged up on me, Mitsuki-san. I hardly call that fair."
"You're a cyborg and we're human. Of course we're gonna gang up on you." I retorted, sticking my tongue out at him. Snatching the towel from him, I began wiping my hands clean.
"I will get you another towel, Mitsuki-san. That one is already dirty." Genos reached for the one in my hands and I handed it to him, watching him walk away with Saitama in tow.
"I'm gonna get one for myself. Be right back." Saitama grinned at me, disappearing into the kitchen. I turned away and stared at the empty plate that held the cake. 'Too bad I didn't get to actually eat the cake.' I picked a crumb off the plate and ate it. 'It was good cake.' Hearing footsteps behind me, I went to turn around but hands covered my eyes before I could. "Ah! W-What's going on?!" Feeling the hands, I determined that it was Saitama. "S-Saitama-san, what are you doing?!"
"It's alright, Mitchan. Just hold on for a second, okay?" He asked, using his thumbs to brush my temples in a calming manner. I nodded, taking deep breaths through the nose to try and calm my thundering heart. "Genos is gonna take over, alright? Keep your eyes closed." Saitama whispered in my ear, sending shivers down my spine.
I nodded, shutting my eyes as warm hands were replaced by cold metal ones. Goosebumps rose on my skin and I placed my fingers on top of Genos'.
"You're alright, Mitsuki-san." The cyborg spoke soothingly, "Just keep breathing."
Movement could be heard from behind us and I felt something cold wrap around my neck, settling on my chest. I let go of Genos' fingers and went to touch my chest.
"No touchy!" Saitama reprimanded me, swatting my hands away. "Not yet, Mitchan."
The rustling of paper caught my attention as I returned my fingers back to the cyborg's and began shaking my leg in impatience.
"Okay! Now you can open your eyes." Saitama exclaimed, tugging on a strand of my hair. Genos removed his hands and I opened my eyes, blinking against the lights. In front of me was a dusty pink card with pastel flowers twisting in loops on the front; the font was a bright blue and in capital letters saying "HAPPY BIRTHDAY".
A large smile split my face in half and I picked the card up, opening it. The inside was a darker shade of pink but still the same color of blue:
Happy Birthday to the best Roomie in the world! Wishing you all the best til you move out!
Beneath that were words from Saitama and Genos, widening my smile:
Thanks for putting up with my crap and cleaning up after my messes. You're a great roommate. Happy birthday, Mitchan. -Saitama
His handwriting looked like chicken scratch; messy and slanted slightly to the right. The words were also dented in, like he had pressed into the card a bit too hard while writing. Genos' handwriting, however, was similar to the style of a typewriter's; neat and straight. It honestly looked like he had typed it on a computer and printed it out.
Mitsuki-san, I wish you a happy birthday. I am very grateful to have met you, Mitsuki-san. You are a wonderful woman and a great roommate. I do not have any complaints whatsoever and I hope that we can be roommates for a while longer. Today is the day you were born 9 months after being conceived on November 13 at 12:40pm during a cloudy day at Chita Hospital. You came out at healthy 3lbs and 2 ounces and on that day, your life's beginnings were celebrated as we are also celebrating that same life today on July 13 at 2pm on this sunny day with light winds coming from the east over at Sensei's apartment.
There was an attempt to write more but instead, there was a giant black streak at the bottom of the paragraph followed by Saitama's chicken scratch:
Happy Birthday- Genos
I laughed, bringing tears to my eyes and clutching the card to my chest. Standing up, I gave both men tight hugs, "Thank you. I've had a really great birthday."
"You are welcome, Mitsuki-san." Genos smiled at me, brushing my hair back. "I am glad that you enjoyed it."
"You're welcome, Mitchan, but you didn't see your present!" Saitama crowed, crossing his legs and beaming at me.
"Present?" I blinked. The bald man pointed at my chest and I remembered the cold feeling I had felt earlier. My hand flew to my chest and I felt a heart shaped necklace sitting against my skin. Looking down, I lifted the necklace to glimpse at it. It was a beautiful gold heart with three jewels on each side that glittered in the sunlight. My fingers traced the heart as my face heated up. "Y-You didn't h-have to get me a p-p-present." I whispered, staring at the necklace in awe.
"We wanted to, Mitchan." Saitama spoke up, Genos nodding in agreement. "Do you like it?" He asked, eyeing me.
"I love it. Thank you, Saitama-san, Genos-kun." I hugged them again. "I don't think I'm going to ever take this off." I said with a giggle. "It's too gorgeous." The men smiled at me, Saitama leaning back on his hands while Genos stood up.
"I will get dinner started. I am glad that you are enjoying your birthday, Mitsuki-san." Genos patted my head on his way into the kitchen, earning another giggle from me.
"Wait! I wanna take a picture!" I exclaimed, grabbing the cyborg's hand. He glanced at me over his shoulder, considering it for a few seconds before nodding and walking back over to me. Grabbing my phone, I sat in the middle and held up the camera. "Okay! Say cheese!" I smiled widely and clicked the camera button, a flash going off and blinding us for a second. Genos walked away as I looked at the photo: Genos and I were smiling while Saitama was doing bunny ears on the both of us, a large grin on his face. Cake was still smeared across our face and in my hair but I looked happy.
Setting it as my home screen, I smiled to myself and played with the necklace. While we waited for dinner, Saitama and I watched T.V together in silence, my finger tracing over the heart subconsciously. All throughout dinner and even into sleep, I never stopped tracing the necklace.
~Thursday, J City~
"The trolley didn't take too long getting here, did it, Mitsuki-chan?" Aiko's voice came from the kitchen. I was visiting her in City J for the day while her husband, Jirou, was at work.
"Of course not, Aiko-chan! I'm more than happy to come visit you and little Manami-chan here!" I answered, smiling. Manami was Jirou and Aiko's 2 year old daughter. She was a chubby cheeked baby with pale skin, pitch black hair and dark brown eyes. "Right, Manami-chan? Aren't you happy seeing your Auntie Mitsuki?" I tickled her, making her squirm and giggle. She was the cutest thing. We were sitting in the living room playing with toys as Aiko cleaned the dishes from my birthday lunch.
As I watched Manami play, I started thinking about my future. 'Would I ever have this?' I was already 24 and yet, I wasn't in a relationship with anyone. But then again, there weren't any dating candidates. Every man in my life was, in some way or another, unobtainable either by my own mental block or because they weren't human. I sighed, running my fingers through my hair.
"Auntie sad?"
Manami's high pitched voice broke me out of my thoughts. I looked up at her and smiled. She stared at me with her large brown eyes in curiosity before nodding and turning back to her toys.
"If Auntie sad, Auntie should hug Giwa." Manami stated, shoving a stuffed giraffe into my face. I stared at the stuffed animal in surprise. Getting impatient, Manami pushed the giraffe against my face, stomping her feet. "Giwa!" She insisted, puffing out her already big cheeks. I found her pouting face adorable and couldn't stop myself from laughing.
"Thank you, Manami-chan. I'm sure Giwa will make me feel much better." I took the giraffe from her stubby hands and held it close. Manami gave me a big smile and went back to her toys. Aiko came out of the kitchen a couple of seconds later, wiping her hands dry on a towel.
"Ah, she hand you Giwa?" She asked, eyeing the stuffed giraffe in my hand. I nodded and smiled at Manami who was currently making a hippo dance. "You've become super special then. Poor Jirou has never been handed Giwa." Aiko sat down on the couch, watching her daughter with loving eyes.
"Really? That's upsetting."
"Yup. I think it's because he always has such a scary face on. Remember when Manami was first born? She couldn't stop crying every time she saw Jirou's face." Aiko giggled behind her hand.
"Yeah, well, I think any baby would cry if they saw Jirou-kun's face. Your poor husband." We fell into a laughing fit together. Manami came over, confused and tugged on her mom's skirt to ask why we were laughing. "We're talking about your poppa, Manami-chan." I answered, trying to get control of my laughter.
"Poppa?" Manami tilted her head. "Poppa ugly." She said point blank with a straight face. Aiko and I burst out laughing, making Manami even more confused. Aiko fell off the couch and onto the floor next to me, gasping for breath. Manami pouted and sat on top of her, glaring at Aiko.
"Why momma laughing?!" Manami pulled at Aiko's black hair. "Manami wanna know!"
"Ow, ow, baby, that hurts." Aiko cried, sitting back up and taking her daughter's hands away from her hair. "Go bother Auntie Mitsuki." She handed Manami to me,who took handfuls of my shirt in her hands before eyeing my necklace.
"Pretty!" Manami exclaimed, grabbing it in her hand and pulling on it.
I gasped and gently took hold of the baby's hand, "No, no, don't pull on that, Manami-chan! This is very precious to Auntie! You can look at it but don't pull, alright?" I explained, taking it out of her hand and holding it. "See? It's a heart with jewels on it. Isn't it pretty?" Manami stared at it and nodded.
"Who gave you that, Mitsuki-chan?" Aiko asked, leaning in closer to take a look. "It's gorgeous but had to be expensive."
Red stained my cheeks and I kept my eyes on the baby, "Saitama-san and Genos-kun got it for me for my birthday."
"Ooh, Saitama-san, huh? How sweet!" Aiko giggled, wiggling her eyebrows at me. My blush deepened and I pursed my lips.
"G-Genos-kun helped pay for it, too, I'm sure!" I stammered, letting go of the wiggling Manami and watching her waddle over to her toys.
"Uh huh, sure. Seriously, Mitsuki-chan. Just do the man, already." Aiko rolled her eyes and elbowed me in the arm. I whirled around to stare at her, my mouth open in a silent scream. "You know you want to." She pointed out, smirking.
"Stop talking!" I hissed at her, pulling at my hair. Aiko shrugged, snickering.
"I'm sure Saitama-san wouldn't protest to it." She teased, leaning back on her hands. I grabbed a pillow that had fallen off the couch and proceeded to try to smother her with it, straddling her.
"Aiko-chan, shut up!" My face was beet red, my ears burning. Aiko laughed, grabbing the pillow and fighting back. "You're so mean!" I whined, smacking her arms as she tore the pillow from me. The world tilted as we rolled, landing on my back and Aiko on top.
"Manami wanna join!" Manami jumped on top of her mom, wrapping her arms around her neck. Aiko roared with laughter and fell over onto her stomach, playing dead.
"The champion for the little people, Manami-chan, has defeated the evil monster known as Poopy Head! The crowd goes crazy in their cheering! Yay! Go Manami-chan! Hurray for Manami-chan!" I clapped, standing up and scooping up the little girl. I held her up high and twirled her around, making her screech and laugh.
"Poopy Head? How dare you." Aiko chuckled from the floor, watching us with an amused look on her face. I shrugged, scrunching my nose at her. She was about to say something else when sirens went off, blaring loudly throughout the apartment and the streets. Aiko's face paled and she stood up quickly, breathing heavily.
Manami cried out, covering her ears and curled up into my arms. I glanced down at the little girl and held her close, trying to comfort her when I felt Aiko's hand wrap around my arm. She yanked me away from the living room and into her bedroom.
"A-Aiko-chan?!" I began panicking, holding the crying Manami close and being pulled by my best friend. She released my arm and grabbed a bag, tossing clothes, diapers, shoes and whatever else she could get her hands on into said bag.
"Put Manami's shoes on." Aiko said, not looking up at me, zipping up one part of the bag and stuffing another part.
"W-What?" I asked, perplexed.
"Put her shoes on, Mitsuki! We need to leave!" Aiko screamed at me, turning to glare at me. Fear was etched into her brown eyes, tears bubbling up as she bit her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood. "That siren...it's the siren for-"
"Monsters, I know." I muttered. I nodded and carried Manami over to the couch, grabbing her shoes. She struggled, kicking her feet and crying out. "Manami-chan, please! I need to put your shoes on!"
"No! NO!" Manami screamed, slapping my hands and kicking at me. I grabbed her hands and stared up at her.
"Look at me, Manami-chan. We need to go. Mommy and Auntie are trying get you to a safe place, okay? You need to work with me. Please." I begged her, rubbing the back of her hands with my thumbs. She hiccuped as she cried.
"Manami scared." She whimpered.
"I know, baby. Me, too." I assured her. Manami lifted up her foot, letting me put her shoes on. I picked her up, grabbing my purse off one of the chairs and running into the kitchen, grabbing Manami's sippy cup. Aiko came flying out of the bedroom with the bag, snatching the cup from me and stuffing it in along with juice packs. She then took Manami from me, who began crying again.
"Toys! Toys!" She wailed, making grabby hands back at the pile in the living room. Aiko shushed her as the sirens kept going. "But mama!" Manami cried harder as Aiko slipped on her shoes and glanced at me as she stepped outside. I ran quickly over to the pile, grabbing Giwa and hurrying back over to the door, slipping my shoes.
Aiko was waiting for me and grabbed my hand as soon as I closed the door, locking it. She pulled me down the steps of her apartment building, holding the crying Manami close as we descended and I struggled to stuff Giwa into the bag. The sirens had stopped and was replaced by a woman talking.
"This is an emergency evacuation notice! There is an ongoing Seafolk invasion and the disaster level has been raised from Tiger to Demon! We urged the citizens of J-City to please evacuate immediately! Please stay clear of areas near the sea as you may encounter the monsters there!"
My heart jumped into my throat as we entered the throng of people running for safety, tracing my forefinger over the heart necklace. The crowd was getting bigger by the second and I felt claustrophobic as I was being squished in between people. Aiko squeezed my hand, pulling me closer.
"Stay as close as you can!" She shouted at me over the sirens, sparing me a quick glance before returning her attention back to her daughter. It was becoming more and more difficult as the crowd began pushing as storm clouds started rolling in. Aiko's and my fingers were slipping from each others, desperately trying to cling on. "Mitsuki-chan, keep holding my hand!" Aiko hollered, gripping my fingers so tight that they were turning white from the lack of blood flow.
"I'm trying!" I shouted back at her, grabbing at the strap of the bag with my free hand. Taking a quick glance around the city, my throat constricted and my eyes widened as I took in the sight. There were pools of blood everywhere with pieces of flesh, brains and guts strewn about. Cars had been either been overturned with their alarms blaring or destroyed completely; trees had been uprooted, broken in half and there were giant holes in the streets with smoke rising from them.
I forced myself to take deep breaths to keep from heaving at the stench of blood, walking faster. Dread prickled at the back of my mind as I grasped my necklace in my hand, scurrying closer to my best friend. Aiko squeezed my hand again, intertwining our fingers. I leaned my head against her shoulder, feeling Manami's stubby fingers run through my hair. Looking back up, I forced a smile on my face and held her hand.
We finally reached the evacuation shelter after walking for what seemed like forever, pushing our way through the crowded stairs and up into the main level. Crying could be heard from every direction and there were crowds, small and large, huddled together with their arms wrapped around each other while shaking. I swallowed thickly, twirling a strand of my hair and was yanked along by Aiko into the far back of the shelter. She placed the bag down along with Manami, trying to soothe the crying baby.
"Manami, it's alright. Mommy's here." Aiko cooed, getting onto her knees and wiping away Manami's tears.
"Manami scared. No toys." She sniffed, rubbing her eyes and staring at the floor. "Momma mean."
"I'm so sorry, baby." Aiko sighed, hugging her daughter.
I walked over to the bag, opening it and taking out Giwa. "Manami-chan, look. It seems that Giwa managed to sneak his way into the bag." I said, holding out the giraffe. Her face instantly brightened and she reached out for the toy, holding it close to her chest.
"Giwa!" Manami cried, twisting her body side to side in happiness. Aiko smiled, petting her hair before looking up at me.
"Thanks for grabbing that, Mitsuki-chan." She smiled at me gently, her face sagging slightly with tiredness. I nodded just as a deep voice called out her name.
"Aiko! Aiko! Manami!"
I glanced over my shoulder, spotting a dark haired man running over and pushing through the crowd. His hazel eyes were wide with fear and were darting around, searching for my best friend and her daughter.
"Jirou!" Aiko yelled out next to me, standing up. She handed Manami to me and ran out to her husband. They embraced and kissed passionately, earning noises of disgust from Manami and I. "Thank God you're okay!" Aiko exclaimed once they were done with their tongue hugging, staring up at him with worried eyes. They hugged again then made their way back over to us.
Jirou rushed over to me, taking Manami from my arms and holding her close as he whispered about how much he loved his baby girl. Glancing up at me, he reached an arm out and pulled me into a tight hug.
"I'm glad that you're safe, too, Mitsuki-san." He murmured against my hair. I nodded, trying to keep myself from pushing him away. Jirou finally released me and I stepped away quickly, twirling my hair and holding onto my necklace. Aiko gave me a puzzled look but I ignored it, gluing my eyes to the floor.
As we waited, what I assumed to be Hero Association workers started setting up medical tents for those that had been hurt on the way here. I released a sigh, gripping the hem of my floral dress. Feeling fingers run through my hair, I gasped and whirled around to Aiko, a strained smile on her face. Her hand fell from my hair, landing on my cheek and caressing it. I leaned into her touch and wrapped my fingers around her wrist.
Aiko stepped forward, planting her forehead against mine as tears pricked her eyes. She then threw herself on me, wrapping her arms around my neck and hugging me tightly. I wobbled, thrown off by the sudden change in weight but stood back up and hugged her back. I felt a piercing gaze on me and I glanced up to see Jirou watching us as he bounced a sleeping Manami on his hip. He narrowed his eyes at me and I let go of Aiko, stepping back.
"Don't cry, Aiko-chan. We're safe here." I spoke softly, wiping her tears. She nodded, sniffling. Right as she smiled, there was a boom against the shelter dome and the lights shut off, screams filling the air. Aiko grabbed onto my arm and dug her nails into the underside of it, causing me to wince. "Jirou-kun!" I called out, feeling my way back towards him in the dark and trying to guide Aiko with me.
"Here!" He grabbed my elbow and pulled me close, making me smack into him with a cry. Manami had woken up and was starting to cry, Aiko trying her best to soothe her.
Another boom came from the ceiling of the shelter, breaking through and revealing a ridiculously large monster that towered over even the dome itself. It smiled down at us, showing off a row of long, sharp teeth. Its eyes were slits and looked at us like prey. Looking it over, I noticed that it had a crown on the top of its head, a cape and it was wearing a red speedo. It even had...heart shaped nipples.
If it wasn't so terrifying in its looks, I might have laughed. But I couldn't even swallow or barely stand with how hard my legs were shaking.
"Nice meeting you all and goodbye." The monster growled, its smile widening. I stepped back, my legs almost giving out if it weren't for Jirou catching me.
"Hold o-on!" A blonde man called out, raising his hand, "We surrender completely! We'll do anything you request so please don't attack! I'm begging you." He stepped forward, the crowd parting for him.
Jirou held me close, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and I was too scared of the monster to even think about him. 'Saitama. I want Saitama!' I kept repeating his name in my head as my eyes flitted between the blonde man and the crowned monster, gripping Jirou's shirt.
The monster leaned in and let out a deep chuckle, "You say surrender? Whether you surrender yourselves or not, you're going to die regardless because I'M GOING TO KILL YOU ALL." It laughed again and stood back up with a mused expression on its face, tapping its lip with a sharp talon. "Something I want from you?" It then smiled widely, "How about you give me nice death screams as I tear you into a thousand pieces, hmm?"
Tears started flowing down my face and I once again felt the urge to vomit, my legs finally giving out from underneath me. Jirou held me up as my shoes slipped on the concrete floor.
"Mitsuki-chan!" Aiko whispered my name, holding Manami close as she whimpered.
I was breathing heavy, grabbing fistfuls of Jirou's shirt as he wrapped his arms around my waist. My eyes were still on the blonde man, watching him as he shook. Two heroes jumped up next to him, yelling. 'No, no! Run! Please! PLEASE!' My tears made it hard to see but another hero stepped up next to him and I could recognize that ugly snake suit anywhere.
"S-Snek?" I whispered, struggling to walk as we backed away from the heroes with the crowd murmured around us before cheering. One of the heroes with an Afro jumped in by himself and was stabbed through the stomach by the monster, leaving a gaping hole before being flung away. Everyone began screaming and pushing to get away, shoving us aside. "Aiko-chan! Manami-chan!" I shrieked as we got separated, reaching out for them.
The monster then attacked the remaining three heroes, furthering the crowd's hysteria as Snek went flying over our head and smacking into the wall behind us with a bloody splat.
"Hey, you guys went quiet all of sudden!" The monster addressed us with a smile.
My eyes caught a figure standing behind him before they broke a window and jumped down behind the monster with a heavy thud.
"Genos-kun..." I breathed out, a smile spreading across my face when his blonde hair came into view. Jirou turned to face me.
"You know that S class hero, Mitsuki-san?" He asked me, jabbing his thumb towards the cyborg. I nodded, holding onto my necklace.
"He's my roommate." I answered him, not taking my eyes off Genos.
"You are one of the Seafolk, right?" Genos asked the monster, crouching down. "Then I will eliminate you." He then charged at the monster, punching it in the face and powering up his arm. A bright light blinded me and when it finally subsided, the monster was gone leaving nothing but Genos and a gigantic hole in the wall. I stared at the cyborg in awe, his arm smoking as he lowered it. "Was that the last one?" Genos asked, turning towards us.
The crowd stayed silent for a few seconds before breaking out into cheers and cries. I smiled and let out a small sigh of relief but was cut short when I noticed movement behind the blonde cyborg.
"G-GENOS!" I screamed as the monster grabbed his arm and punched him in the face, tearing it off and sending Genos flying into the wall. I pulled out of Jirou's hold and tried to run over to my roommate only to be stopped by Jirou grabbing my arm.
"What are you doing?! Are you crazy?!" He hissed at me, pulling me back. I yanked at my arm, staring at Genos. The right side of his face had been stripped down the metal and he struggled to get up.
"Genos!" I worried, watching him with teary eyes.
"Now I'm really pissed off." The monster spoke, tossing Genos' arm behind him. There was a hole in his cheek, showing off teeth and his jaw was off center. "I'm going to mess you up so bad."
Genos finally stood, electricity crackling from his broken arm. "Those of you that can still run, get away from the shelter immediately! I cannot guarantee that I will win. I will keep him busy while you escape!" He commanded, facing the ground.
The crowd began screaming and running towards the exit, shoving and pushing. Jirou held me against his chest, wincing as people elbowed him in the back.
"WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I'LL LET YOU GET AWAY?!" The monster screeched, running full speed at us. I let out a scream as Jirou pulled me into a run in an attempt to get away. Genos charged up and intercepted it, kicking it right in the face. They then began fighting, their movements too fast for me to keep up with as I watched them over my shoulder.
Taking in a deep breath, I yelled out as loud as I could, "GENOS! YOU CAN DO THIS, GENOS!"
The monster whirled his head to face me and I stiffened, letting go of Jirou's hand. "Shut up, bitch, and melt!" It snarled, spitting acid at me.
I watched it fly towards me and I backed up slowly. My heel hit fallen debris and I fell down with a cry, trying desperately to scoot back. 'I can't get away! I can't get away!' Just as it was about to make contact with me, Genos appeared and was hit instead. My eyes opened wide in terror as the acid spilled down the back of his head and his back, melting his clothes and skin. Letting out a loud scream, I pulled myself up onto my knees and crawled over to him, crying.
"G-Genos...Genos..." I whimpered, reaching a hand out to him. Bits of his face melted away as he gasped in pain, his arm falling to the floor and disintegrating. His muscles and bones were showing as the acid ate away at everything, bubbling up around the metal. "No...Genos, I'm so sorry..." I fell silent when Genos looked up at me, acid dripping off his face.
"M-Mitsuki...san...r-run..." He gurgled out, his eyes wide with pain. I shook my head and reached out to touch him again, my fingers ghosting over his lips right as the monster grabbed his hair and flung him into the wall.
"No...stop, please!" I begged, struggling to get up when it punched Genos through the wall. "Stop it!" I yelled out hoarsely, standing on wobbly legs. I then began hurrying towards the exit, ignoring the calls of my name. 'Genos. Need to get to Genos. Genos Genos Genos Genos Genos Genos Genos.' His name kept repeating in my mind as I pushed through the crowd and ran down the stairs. In my hurry and fear, I missed a step and tumbled the rest of the way down. I hit my back hard against the floor, groaning.
Taking a deep breath and squashing the fear that was creeping up into the back of my mind, I rolled over, ignoring the growing pain in my right ankle. 'Shit. I think I sprained it.' I thought to myself, using the wall to hold myself up and limping towards the door. Throwing myself against the door to open, I stumbled outside into the pouring rain and was instantly soaked. I glanced around frantically and spotted Genos not too far from me, laying face down and struggling to keep eye contact with the monster as it stood over him.
"I'm impressed you actually were able to put a few scratches on me. Of course, those scratches already healed." It smirked mockingly. I limped over to them as fast as I could, panic bubbling up in my chest. "Now die." The monster stepped closer to Genos.
"NO!" I screamed, catching its attention. My breath caught in my throat and I stiffened as it turned its eyes on me. I began shaking as the monster smiled widely.
"Oho? Look who it is; the little cunt you protected earlier. Are you here to try and save him, little girl?" It cackled as it stared at me intently. "I'm going to tear you limb from limb in front of this "hero" so he can see what a failure he is. I wonder what delicious screams you have in store for me." It smiled wide and began to make its way over to me. My legs gave out underneath me and I fell to the ground, my entire body shaking.
"N-No...M-Mitsuki-san..." Genos croaked out, trying to move his body and grimacing. I glanced at him for a split second before returning my attention to the approaching monster, my body refusing to move. It reached down and grabbed me, cackling as it wrapped its hand around my body.
'Saitama...' I whimpered, tears mixing in with the rain as I started shaking.
The monster grinned and began squeezing. I let out a scream as pain shot through my body, kicking my legs out. It roared with glee and began crushing me again, shooting another wave of pain throughout my entire body. I screamed again, shredding my throat.
"Such delectable screams." The monster purred, licking its lips.
"Mitsuki-san!" Genos yelled my name over the pouring rain, gritting his teeth as he tried to push himself up.
I glanced down at him and gave him a ghost of a smile, "I'm sorry, Genos. I'm so so sor-AAH!" I cried out, throwing my head back as the monster squeezed once more and I felt something crack. A burning sensation crawled up my side and into my chest, making it difficult to breath.
"Ohohoho! Did I break something?" It asked gleefully. "Good. Scream for me more, little cunt." As it was about to squeeze again, a bike crashed into its back.
"Justice Crash!"
The monster glanced over its shoulder with a snarl and I looked up through my soaked hair to see Mumen Rider standing behind it, panting and in a fighting stance.
"M-Mumen Rider...?" I whispered, worry and panic bubbling up in my burning chest. "N-No...run...g-get a-a-away from h-here!" I croaked out, my voice barely audible.
"Mumen Rider, the Cyclist of Justice, has arrived on the scene!" He hollered out, "I demand that you put the girl down!"
I shook my head, wiggling as much as I could with the amount of pain I was in. "Mumen, stop! Please, don't!" As I drew in another breath, I began coughing violently, causing my side to flare up. The monster sneered at me and flung me away in disgust. All of the air was knocked out of me as I hit the ground and rolled, stopping on my stomach. I whimpered as I pushed myself up slightly and gingerly touched the right side of my rib cage. 'Fuck fuck fuck...'
Gritting my teeth, I forced myself onto my knees and endured another coughing fit. Through my lashes, I watched Mumen try to punch the monster.
It glared at him, veins popping up in its face. "I'm over dealing with you small fries." It complained, stopping Mumen's punch easily and banging him against the ground like a toy.
"M-Mumen!" I wheezed out, watching helplessly as he was tossed over the monster's shoulder and landed not too far from me. "Mumen!" Biting my lip, I forced myself to start crawling towards him. Blood was coming from his mouth as he forced himself back up, holding out a hand to stop me.
"Oh, my bad. I didn't mean to make you wait for your death. My apologies." The monster turned its attention back to Genos with a smirk.
I began crawling towards them instead. "No...don't...please." I wailed, ignoring the pain in my side and on my knees as I tried to pick up the pace. Mumen rushed past me, tackling the monster and I took the opportunity to scramble over to the cyborg. Every breath sent a new wave of pain throughout my body, every movement felt like torture. 'Don't care...keep moving...Genos...hurts...it hurts...don't care...have to get to Genos...fuck, it hurts...' I had finally reached Genos and touched his hair, making him turn towards me.
"Mitsuki-san, are you alright?!" Genos asked, his eyes searching my face. I nodded, giving him a smile that turned into a grimace as pain shot up my side and made the world spin. "Mitsuki-san!"
"I'm fine, Genos-kun. I'm fine." I waved away his concerns, turning my attention back to Mumen trying to hold off the monster. It slapped him away with ease, sending him flying across the street. We watched in silent horror as the C class hero got back up. He seemed to be talking but I couldn't make out any of the words over the deafening rain.
"What's he babbling about? Is he begging for his life?" The monster mused, staring at him.
"I can't even began to hope that I'll beat you!" Mumen yelled over the rain, bending over. Blood was dripping from his nose and his mouth as he panted. "I know that fact better than anyone but..I have to do it because I don't have a choice since there's no one else!" He stated, standing straight up. His goggles were broken, blood flowing from underneath it. "So it doesn't matter if I stand a chance or not, I HAVE TO FIGHT YOU HERE AND NOW!"
"Stop talking nonsense and die already." The monster sneered at the hero just as the crowd behind us began rooting for him.
Mumen let out a battle cry and charged at the monster as fast as he could.
"Stop, Mumen! STOP!" I screamed as the hero pulled his arm back. I screamed again when he was punched in the face, shards from his goggles flying off as he spit out blood. As he flew away from the monster, something warm and sticky hit against my damp skin. With a shaking hand, I reached up and touched my face, the tips of my fingers coming away colored in red.
The world went blurry as I stared at my fingers, my chest and throat closing up. I felt faint and sick at the same time, wanting to throw up and pass out all in one. Tears were streaming down my face as the glowing streak of blood glared back at me, the only vibrant thing as the rest of the world around me lost its color. 'I can't do this...I can't do this! I need out!' My mind was panicking, unable to focus as I began feeling lightheaded from lack of air.
My hand fell to the ground and I careened forward, faintly hearing Genos call my name as my eyes closed. I braced myself for the oncoming pain but it never came and I fluttered my eyes open to see Saitama staring at me intently, his hands on my shoulders.
"Saitama?" I whispered in a hoarse voice. His hands left my shoulders and rested on my cheeks, his body heat radiating through his gloves.
"You alright, Mitchan?" Saitama asked, rubbing my tears away and smearing the blood across my cheek with his thumbs as I grabbed onto his jumpsuit. I shook my head, whispering his name over and over again as I cried. He gave me a soft smile, brushing back the hair that has cemented itself to my face.
"Sen...sei...I...am...s-s-sorry...I c-c-could n-not...p-p-p-protect her..." Genos stammered out, straining to lift his head. Saitama shook his head, sparing his disciple a quick glance and returning his attention back to me.
"Just hold on a bit longer, 'kay?" He gave me a soft kiss on the forehead before standing up, gently pulling my hands off his suit. "I gotta whoop this Seafreak or whatever it's called." As he spoke, lightning flashed out behind him, darkening his face.
The monster suddenly appeared behind the bald man, "I can hear you!" It punched him in the back of the head, making it bobble back and forth. I let out a cry, reaching for Saitama and wincing as pain shot up my body. Saitama didn't seem fazed by the punch at all and turned to glare at the monster over his shoulder. It snorted, tilting its head to the side. "You didn't immediately fall after taking one of my punches to the head. Impressive. You're definitely something else compared to the other trash I've had to fight."
Saitama sighed, stepping around to face the monster fully. "Not really. It's just that your punches are too damn weak to do anything."
I could faintly hear the crowd murmuring behind me but I ignored them as I continued focusing on the man that held my affections through a blurry vision. The pain in my side was getting worse and worse by the second. 'Ignore it, dammit! It's not important right now!' I swallowed the bile building in the back of my throat and wiped my eyes of its tears.
The monster was in the middle of a monologue, explaining that it was the Sea King and that it was at the top of the pyramid of all living organisms before being cut off by the bald man.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I get it, you're great and all that. Can you skip the talking and come at me already? It's raining." Saitama complained, digging his pinky finger in his ear with bored expression on his face.
The monster roared in anger and threw a punch at him. Saitama moved so fast that all I could keep up with was the giant hole he created within the beast, knocking the crown off its head and making its eyes fly out of its sockets. It fell to the floor with a thud, blood seeping out from underneath it and steam rising from the hole. The crowd behind us began cheering loudly, praising Saitama and crying. Genos and I smiled at the recognition he was finally getting but my smile was short lived as another wave of pain pulsed through me.
I couldn't hold back anymore and threw up, causing fresh tears to spring up from the pain.
"Mitsuki-san!" Genos called my name as the world blurred in and out.
I leaned forward on my hand, my other going to my ribs as everything began spinning. As the world tilted on its axis and started blinking out, the last thing I saw were red boots.