Chapter 6: An anesthetized life
Genos intercepts him in the middle of the street. His landing is so abrupt that he almost collided with him. Saitama is startled at his sudden appearance. Always so intense, he thinks and smiles internally. However, the joy is brief. He knows why he has come.
For a second, he had hoped to be able to sneak away without further complication. Take advantage of the sudden distraction of the cyborg with the Kaijin, to escape from that conversation. But..
Come back.
He has said it out loud and now Genos needs an explanation ...that certainly he will not be able to give. Because he doesn´t know what's happening to him.
Everything is too complex now and he can not understand himself. He does not understand why, after so many years of apathy and loneliness, he feels that the apartment is too big, that the streets are excessively dark and lonely, that something is missing, that something hurts ... he does not understand.
Why does he need him to come back?
How to tell?
How to explain him that his acclaimed Sensei is a fool?
How to let him know that he can not lose him? That he thought he could, but he was wrong.
He has been wrong because at the end of the day, he wants to believe in the illusion Genos has created with his admiration and words. Because he is not the great hero that he admires, but he wants to be ... he truly would like to be.
One in front of the other, both observe each other for a moment.
"Why?" Genos ask,s as if their previous conversation had never been interrupted.
It is the moment of truth. He must respond, he must say something ... because he knows that Genos has suffered and must take care of the consequences of his decision. Although his response is selfish, he deserves to know the truth, even if he is not entirely sure how to express it.
"Because since you left ... " A few seconds pass but the words don´t come out, they die in his throat. Saitama reopens his mouth but does not emit sound. Finally, he takes a deep breath trying to clear up, thinking for a moment. Genos waits for him with the patience that is only reserved for his person.
Everything is complex and he gets confused because he is not a complex man. His tastes are simple, his life is simple ... He only knows one thing. He wants him to come back, he wants his routine, his simple days again.
" I'm not sure how to explain it but since you left, everything is more ... it's more difficult, it's confusing and I don´t understand it and I don´t..." He looks at his side scratching his head as if the words were there.
"I don´t know very well but everything has become strange for me and ... Are you coming back?"
A fiasco, a complete fiasco. Not even he has understood himself. His eloquence has always left much to be desired, but this has been a disaster. It's been a while since he felt so nervous about something. He feels a complete idiot and does not help in anything that the other does not say a word.
Genos remains silent for a while with the look he usually shows when evaluating a situation. Time passes and gradually, his expression softens to reach an infinite tenderness.
Saitama can´t stop wondering.. How is it possible that a cyborg is able to show so much emotions?
The silence becomes eternal between the two until finally, the young man decides to speak.
"No"
A simple word. A monosyllable. Only two letters. No monster can harm him, no cataclysm is enough to make him fear or anguish, nothing can hurt him ... and yet, at that moment he feels as if that inoffensive monosyllable burns his chest.
"No?" Saitama repeats for the mere fact that he has a mouth and can speak.
Genos looks at him with a mixture of anguish and regret.
"Forgive me, but ... I can´t do it. I really would like to but, Bang..Bang is now my Sensei and I'm learning a lot with him and that ... doesn´t mean I have not learned with you, but ..
Genos is still talking, but he has stopped listening because again the boy says more than twenty words and he can not follow him when he starts talking like that. Besides, he does not need it. He does not need a long explanation. He understands.
He had thought so...that Genos maybe ..
Genos wants a Sensei, a true Sensei ..
HE DOESN´T WANT YOU!
"Okay, I understand." He raises his hand interrupting the babbling of his ex disciple, even manages to smile. "You're right. I guess I'm a bit confused lately, sorry to have bothered you. Send my regards to Bang. See you later. "He waves with one hand as he retires.
He feels like a complete idiot. More than usual and that ... that's already a lot to say. What did he expect? That Genos would return with him as if nothing had happened?
He deserves it. He deserves the rejection ... even, he must see the positive side, better that it happens now. Better to be presented to reality as soon as possible. So, he can not create more false hopes, so he can avoid ..
"WAIT!"
The cyborg is again in front of him. Is he not going to let him go and ruminate his humiliation in peace?
"No, you don´t understand .. I can´t go back with you because I don´t want you to be my Sensei anymore. I want you to be ..
My lover ..
He thinks but does not say it. It's too much for him yet. Maybe one day, when he gains enough confidence, when his revenge would be completed …
"I want us to be friends!"
Genos shouts it with such vehemence and so serious that Saitama can not help but feel ridiculous with the whole situation. They are two adults and Genos asks him his friendship as if they were schoolboys.
That thought, in spite of everything, transmits him an inexplicable joy and makes the burn in his chest dissipate.
"Friends .."
He repeats, it seems that in that conversation he can only repeat what his interlocutor says.
"Yeah, of course" He says as if dismissing importance, holding out his hand.
His feigned indifference can not hide the smile that has begun to appear on his face. That's really what he wanted. He wanted the presence of Genos, but not as a disciple but as an equal. The boy, apparently feels the same and then the voices that say he is not good enough, suddenly shut up.
Genos takes his hand with a similar smile on his face and suddenly, everything freezes for him because he can feel it. He can really feel the warmth, the faint pulse, the pressure of his touch through his gloves ...
Saitama's hand in his, feels more real than ever and he is shocked because he did not expect it. Sensory receptors not only transmit pain, he reminds himself, but he did not expect it to feel that way...
So well, so right...
A sudden thought crosses his mind.
I was anesthetized. I lived, fighting, but anesthetized from the good, the bad ...everything.
Saitama has awakened him, brought him back to life and he knows ... that he wants to live by his side.
End.
A.N: Well! that´s all for now folks!
By the way, there is a second part of this fic. It´s called "In cyborg´s skin" Maybe, If I have enough time, I will continue translating it. We´ll see!
My especial thanks to "Floralfox" who keept reading and commenting. As I said, your reviews were deeply apreciatted. Thank you very much for your support in this translation!