Saitama's eyes scanned across the catalog of coupons he found in the mailbox, searching for a good deal. He would get these booklets a couple times a week and he always made a habit of looking through them. Despite making decent money as a B-Class hero, he was still a cheapskate at heart, even if Genos was contributing most of the rent now. The vast majority of the coupons he found, he wasn't interested in, but his eyebrows raised when he finally spotted something he wanted. Bingo, Saitama thought to himself.

"Oi, Genos. I found a coupon for 65% off seaweed at the supermarket. We should go tomorrow afternoon. I'm a little worn out from work today, but tomorrow is our day off," Saitama suggested nonchalantly, waving the coupon in the air while shoveling hot pot into his mouth. He slurped up the noodles loudly, glancing over at Genos to see the cyborg's reaction.

Unfazed by Saitama's terrible table manners, Genos looked over at his Sensei and nodded. "Of course, Sensei. Whatever you would like to do on our day off, I will oblige you. I will begin to prepare a list!" Genos scurried around the kitchen in his frilly pink apron, opening all the cabinets and taking out his notebook to write down everything they needed.

"Whoa whoa whoa, Genos. I'm not trying to make this some big shopping trip. I just want the seaweed." Genos' face fell, clearly crestfallen at his Sensei's response. Saitama felt a pang in his chest at the kid's look. He hated letting the teenager down. The cyborg was so young and eager to please, and Saitama couldn't stand knowing he had hurt his disciple's feelings. "I mean, I guess we can get a few things. Don't go crazy, though." Genos immediately perked up, golden eyes sparkling. Dammit, Saitama thought, why the hell does he have to look so… cute in that stupid apron?! And why did Kuseno have to make his domestic arms so muscular?! It doesn't matter if I hurt his feelings, right? He's just my disciple. But those damn eyes always get me…

Before Saitama could change his mind, Genos was yanking coupons out of the booklet in front of the older man and zipping around the kitchen, humming a tune under his breath. As Genos filled his notebook with coupon clippings, Saitama sighed, and resigned himself to eating his hot pot. Oh well. At least I'll get some seaweed out of the deal.

—

Saitama leaned heavily against the shopping cart for the umpteenth time that day, rolling his eyes as the surrounding girls squealed and fawned over Genos. He was starting to remember why he never wanted Genos to go to the store with him in the first place.

"Mr. Demon Cyborg, you are so handsome! Will you please sign an autograph for me?!"

"Excuse me, Demon Cyborg, is it true that you live with Caped Baldy? Are you boyfriends?"

"A-are you really Demon Cyborg?!"

Genos looked overwhelmed, but his kindness never faltered. He signed each and every autograph and smiled in pictures with each fan. He paid special attention to the little girl who asked about "Caped Baldy", and after signing her paper he said, "Yes, I live with Saitama-sensei. He is the strongest hero in the world. He is teaching me how to be a better hero and become stronger so that I can protect people like you. He is not my boyfriend, though." The little girls eyes widened at the response, clearly shocked to be paid any mind.

"Gee, thanks, Mr. Cyborg! You're so nice!" The little girl ran off excitedly, and finally, Genos was free from the throng of fans. At least for a little while.

Saitama groaned loudly. "This is why I didn't want you to come with me." He looked into the cart and saw they had only gotten one or two items after being at the grocery store for nearly an hour.

"I apologize for the inconvenience, Sensei. The Hero Association said I have to be pleasant with fans due to my popularity ratings. It would reflect badly on them if I was not kind. Let's continue shopping. I have some coupons that I was able to find online for the products we need."

Saitama sighed, unable to brush off the annoyance he felt about the fans- or was it jealousy- but he nodded and pushed the cart forwards. It was his turn to follow Genos like a lost puppy now. Genos wielded the grocery list and the coupons, and with them, he had all the power. As the cyborg reached up to the shelf to grab a box of cereal, Saitama found himself admiring the other man, feeling like an awestruck fan himself. Genos had strong, sinewy arms that were always exposed by his sleeveless shirts, and his tousled blonde hair made him stand out in the crowds of the dark-haired Japanese public. His eyes were the true marvel, however- a golden glow from within that literally sparkled when he was happy. No wonder women were always stopping him in the store. You'd be a fool not to find Genos attractive, even with his unconventional body type. Saitama continued appreciating the cyborg's physique until he was yanked out of his reverie by Genos scooping 15 Gatorades into the cart.

"Umm…. Genos-kun? What are you doing?"

"My manufacturer's coupon takes 100 yen off of the price of these. In addition, my store coupon takes off another 50 yen, bringing the total to 100 yen for a drink. The store limits me to 15 of the product, but I don't know when we will see another deal like this. I want to stock up," Genos responded coolly.

"Uh, that's great, Genos, but we don't really need this much Gatorade right now." Saitama's inner penny-pincher was screaming, but he tried to keep a calm exterior.

"Maybe we do not need this much right now, but who knows if in the future we would have a need for this. I also have coupons for instant ramen, dish soap, sponges, potato chips, and chocolate. We must hurry, or we will be here for quite a while," Genos said, matter-of-factly.

Saitama's mouth hung open. "You expect to get 15 of each of those?" Genos picked up 25 packages of instant ramen, dropping them in the cart with a loud thud.

"Well, some of the coupons allow me to get more than 15, so we will see."

"Genos… I just came here to get some seaweed," Saitama's voice faltered as he looked into his suddenly very full cart. He attempted to do the mental math about what he would be spending, but when he got above 7,500 yen, it felt as though his brain shut off and went into cheapskate mode.

"Do not be alarmed, Sensei. I have done the budgeting. We can afford it." Genos continued to load the cart up with more items, and with every step Saitama took, he felt the basket getting heavier and heavier to push. He shook his head incredulously, but continued to bite his tongue. Anything to keep this kid happy, right? He tried to keep a level head as he reminded himself that Genos tended to get carried away because his parents were gone, and he didn't get a ton of structure when he was younger. Keep it cool, Saitama. Keep it cool.

As they turned a corner, Gatorade bottles came rolling down from the mountain of product, and the bags of chips that were stacked on top of the rest of the items began to fall out, one of them hitting Saitama in the face. For the older man, that was the final straw.

"GODDAMMIT, GENOS! I just came to get some fucking seaweed! I don't want to spend thousands of yen, I don't need this much shit in my house, and I certainly don't need your help grocery shopping! I managed on my own for years before you came along. All you're doing is turning something easy into a hassle. I knew you should've stayed home." Saitama rarely blew up on anyone, particularly Genos. As a matter of fact, Saitama rarely strung more than 20 words together. He watched Genos' face contort into one of embarrassment, sadness, and hurt, and he wished he hadn't said anything at all.

"Genos, I… I didn't mean that, I just didn't think, I'm sorry." His apology came too late, as Genos turned on his heel and practically ran from the store. Saitama knew he could easily catch up with the cyborg, but why bother. He knew if he opened his mouth again he would probably just make everything worse.

Saitama dejectedly pushed the cart around the store, looking for the seaweed that brought him there in the first place, but when he finally found it, he felt sick to his stomach thinking about Genos walking home alone, upset and ashamed. "Oh, goddammit," Saitama whispered, sprinting out of the store and leaving the full cart- and seaweed- behind.

—

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

Saitama pounded his fist on the door, and winced when he felt the wood starting to buckle under his hand. He knocked again, softer this time, "Genos, please, let me in. I'm sorry." He knew the blonde had made it home because the laundry was folded, the kitchen was clean, and the floor was vacuumed- all in a matter of about 15 minutes. Genos only deep cleaned that quickly when he was upset or worried.

Saitama was met with silence on the other side of the door. If Genos was in there, he wasn't planning on letting Saitama in. The older man rubbed his head and placed his forehead against the doorframe, feeling defeated. "I fucked up, Genos. I am really, REALLY sorry." As Saitama's eyes looked down at the floor, he noticed a trail of droplets leading to Genos' room from the front door and around the apartment. He bent down, and on closer inspection, realized that the droplets were oil stains. Oh, fuck. Saitama buried his face into his hands. I literally made him cry.

The bald-headed hero walked up to Genos' door again, this time lowering his voice to barely above a whisper. He didn't know if Genos would hear him, but he didn't really care. Breaking his own 20-word rule, Saitama sighed, "I'm an idiot. I'm sorry. You're the best thing that's happened to me in a long time. You make me want to be a better hero, and a better person. I shouldn't have treated you that way. You're my best friend. And you're the most beautiful person I've ever seen. You deserved better. I don't know why I blew up like that…" Saitama paused, then continued, "I think seeing all those girls freaking out over you made me jealous, and then you were so kind to them. I guess… it just made me upset that I'll never be able to be what you want. I'm just stuck in this stupid over-powered body. Why would a ridiculously handsome cyborg want anything to do with some average-looking bald dude like me? You don't have to say anything. Or come out. I-," Saitama hesitated on the last words, "I really am so sorry." The bald-headed man turned away from Genos' door and walked back to his own room, his feet feeling like lead.

—

Genos heard his Sensei retreating from the bedroom door, footsteps pounding loudly on the floor. Thank God that they were on the bottom story of their apartment, or Saitama would've probably stepped through someone's ceiling.

Emotion flooded Genos, and his sensors began to go off. HORMONE INFLUX ALERT. CRITICAL HEART RATE CHANGE. RESPIRATION RATE INCREASE DETECTED.

Did Sensei call me beautiful? And his best friend? Genos felt as though he was hearing things that he wanted to hear. He looked down at his oil soaked futon and shook his head, running his cold metallic fingers through his hair. He wished more than anything that he was a normal teenager who could simply take a shower and clear his head. As he laid back down against the pillows, he allowed his golden eyes to drift shut. If he couldn't take a shower, he could at least power down for a little bit and rest his troubled thoughts.

—

Almost 24 hours had passed and Saitama hadn't heard a peep from Genos' room. He was starting to get antsy and was pacing the apartment, wondering if he should kick the door in or give the cyborg some space. As he weighed his options, the older man decided to take a walk to the supermarket and buy the seaweed. Maybe some snacks would cheer Genos up, he hoped.

Saitama pulled on his Oppai shirt and jeans, and laced up his sneakers. He slipped out the front door as quietly as possible, hoping to surprise Genos when he got back.

As Saitama walked down the street, he enjoyed the sun and the birds chirping, and he found his thoughts wandering to what Genos had looked like yesterday in the store. He thought of the concentration on the man's face as he reached up onto his tiptoes to grab something off the top shelf. How his golden eyes glinted when he spotted a particularly good deal- proof that Saitama's cheap ways had rubbed off on him. He thought of Genos' awkward, crooked smile. Genos rarely smiled, so it was a bit out of practice, resulting in him having an adorably strange smirk. His mind daydreamed about Genos in his white tank top and skintight jeans, blasting villains to pieces. Saitama visibly cringed when he thought back on the time he saw Genos' limp, lifeless body after being defeated by the Deep Sea King. Saitama was unsure when his nonchalant attitude towards his disciple had turned into tenderness and affection, but he sensed that the feelings of endearment went beyond platonic at this point. The bald man felt his face redden at this thought as he made it into the supermarket, grabbing a cart and padding down the aisles.

As he pushed his shopping basket, Saitama grabbed the seaweed he came for and some ingredients for hot pot and breakfast. When he was walking to the checkout line, he passed the aisle with Gatorade and felt a pang of guilt in his chest. God, I'm such a fucking sucker…

—

45 minutes later, Saitama approached the checkout with an extremely full cart, stacked with Gatorade, instant ramen, dish soap, cereal, and anything else he could remember Genos wanting. Saitama began loading the items up on the conveyor belt.

"Big family?" the cashier asked, appraising Saitama's OPPAI shirt and raising her eyebrows.

"No," Saitama replied coolly. "Just… stocking up." As the cashier continued scanning, Saitama winced as he watched the price climb above 1000 yen, 2000 yen, 5000 yen. When the cashier finally stopped, his total was at over 13,000 yen. He fumbled for his wallet. "I have some coupons," the bald-headed hero told the cashier.

As Saitama dug through his pockets he realized- Genos had all the coupons in his stupid notebook. He sighed deeply, glanced at his wallet and at the total, then begrudgingly forked over the 13,000 yen and change. As he watched the cashier put it into the register, he cringed, then he spotted a familiar yellow-red-and-white costume out of the corner of his eye.

"U-Uh, ma'am…" The cashier glanced up at Saitama. "Is that a… Caped Baldy keychain over there?" He gestured to the shelf where all the hero merchandise was displayed, and a tiny replica of himself dangled off a peg.

"Yeah, it is," the cashier replied. "He's not the most popular, but we get some people that buy his stuff. Apparently he lives around here. You want it? It's 800 yen."

Saitama sighed heavily, and handed the woman 800 more yen.

That walking toaster oven better be happy.

—

"G-Genos?" Saitama effortlessly carried the pounds of groceries, dropping them on the floor with a crash as he released the handles of the bags. "Are you home?"

Genos came darting out of his room, eyes full of concern. "Sensei! What was that noise? Are you injured?" His eyes focused onto the bags scattered across the apartment floor. "What did Sensei get from the store?"

The older man rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, I… I got the groceries you wanted yesterday. I'm sorry for being such a jerk. I know this doesn't make up for it, but… it's something."

"But Sensei, I had the coupons in… my…" Genos paused incredulously. "Wait… did you buy all of this at full price?!" His eyes widened in shock. Saitama grimaced as though it pained him and nodded.

"Yeah. All 13,000 yen of it." Genos smiled widely at this revelation- and not his awkward, crooked smile, but a full-blown grin- teeth and all. In that moment, Saitama smiled back. I would spend one million yen if it meant I could see you smile like that everyday, he thought to himself. Wait, when did I get so soft?

Genos dug through the grocery bags, excited to see what his Sensei had gotten. His eyes swept over the contents of the bag and he froze. "Sensei, is… is that… a keychain? With you on it?"

Saitama laughed, "Yeah, it is. I saw it and thought you might want it. I know it seems kind of asshole-ish because, yknow, we just got into an argument. But it seemed like the kind of thing you would like."

Genos turned quickly to look at Saitama, and in the blink of an eye he had practically tackled the older hero in a hug, squeezing him tightly. He pulled his face away from his sensei's shoulder and his face shone with joy. "I will treasure it, Sensei. Thank you."

Saitama felt his cheeks heat up, and he muttered, "Please, Genos, call me Saitama. Enough of the sensei stuff." If he thought that Genos couldn't smile any harder, he was wrong. As he locked gazes with the cyborg, Saitama thought he saw the tiniest droplets of oil forming in the corners of Genos' eyes. The older man reached up without thinking, and gently used his thumb to brush the blonde's tears away, eyes softening as he looked upon the teen.

Realizing what he had done, Saitama was shocked that he had acted so tenderly and stepped back, embarrassed. His back bumped into the wall behind him, and Genos stepped closer, trapping Saitama against the wall. Genos wrapped his cool metal hands around his sensei's cheeks, and he leaned in and pressed his lips gently to Saitama's. Saitama's eyes opened widely, but as Genos remained perfectly still, the cyborg's cool lips pressing to his warm ones, he began to relax into it, kissing back softly. When the kiss broke, Genos smiled again, and Saitama couldn't help but to burst into a goofy, wide-mouthed grin.

"You know sens- I mean, Saitama-kun- I think you're the most beautiful person I've ever seen, too. And you're my best friend. I am honored that you think of me the same way," Genos whispered gently, his hands still pressed against Saitama's face. Saitama was the one that leaned in this time, crashing his lips against Genos'. Their lips moved against each other's soundlessly, all teeth and tongue and passion this time, as though they had both been waiting for this for a long time.

When they finally pulled apart, gasping for air, Saitama laughed.

"Maybe I should buy things full-price more often."