"Hot springs spa day!" Mitsumi rang out as she walked out of the bedroom with Saitama. They were both dressed back in their hero costumes and eager to get there. On getting to the kitchen, she beamed at the sight of many of her family and friends already sitting around to show they were ready to leave. Then she noticed that Tsuruga was not happy. "Tsuruga? Are you okay?"
"I'm mad!" he growled.
"Why?" Saitama asked with a blank stare.
"He really wanted to get into your dream to help you. He was left out," Tanktop Girl sighed and scratched between his horns.
"Awww. Well, don't worry. You can stand in the hallway of the hot springs leading to the girls' location. Then you can charge into anyone trying to sneak in. Will that work?" Mitsumi winked.
"Hmm. Hmm! Okay," Tsuruga nodded.
"But if it's me, let me through," Saitama said.
"I will know you only plan to appear for her," Tsuruga agreed. "I will give way only for you. Unless the situation is understood."
"Good," Saitama nodded back. Then he looked at his monster dog. "Doggy, you need to stay with her at all times when we get there. Even if I'm with her for precaution. Okay?"
It huffed and whined with rapt attention to show he was heard. Blue Ripple snorted from his tub with agreement. Stable Rock yawned from where he lumbered behind Saitama with a sensation of contentment. Bright Bolt was on high alert, and he looked over when Inichi walked in with Fubuki to wave at everyone in his new human form.
"Inichi?!" Mitsumi gasped with complete delight and found herself moving to hug him. Saitama chuckled softly and nodded at this. Fubuki even found herself laughing at the surprised joy that Mitsumi gave out.
"Lady Mitsumi!" Inichi laughed and hugged her back. He was wearing a lightly opened button down shirt of white coloring with black slacks for now.
"You look amazing! Of course, I don't mind what form you become, but this is such a delight!" Mitsumi beamed and got a brotherly kiss placed on the top of her head.
"I will change back and forth as I need to for various situations. I seem to cover myself in a blue haze while shifting, too. I won't need to worry about anything being revealed," he chuckled. "Of course, my clothing does not shift with me. I'll keep a small satchel nearby to hold such things. Fubuki offered to help with that."
"That's good," she smiled. Then she sighed and pressed her face into his dark blue chest to hide her look of worry. :Inichi, I need you to keep a very close eye on my thoughts today…:
:Lady Mitsumi? What is amiss?: he frowned mentally.
:I don't want to speak out loud. But…I am starting to feel the same internal fiery burn that Saitama had from before. This comes to me if I am without Saitama's touch after a time. You witnessed this…:
:What?!: he paused with shock.
:You were quite correct to assume that I needed his touch directly on me. His internal power will stabilize what is within me. But I need to see how long I can be without him for. I must know how long of a leeway I have until it becomes critical. This way you can be on high alert to get him to my side quickly. It's also why I want to bathe away from him for a short while. I don't know how long I will last without him. And I don't know how I will be.:
:Lady Mitsumi! I cannot allow this to happen! Your growing child…!:
:I know. But we must know so we can see the repercussions and judge how severe they can be. I know I will be with intense discomfort…but…: she mentally grimaced. Inichi let out a slow breath and nodded.
:The moment I get glimpses in your thoughts of the burning, I shall inform Mr. Saitama post-haste. I will get him to you despite anything else that is happening. Once we know how intense things are, the others will be made aware to ensure he gets to you. I shall monitor you in full today while Mr. Saitama is away from you. You have my utmost and complete vow.: he said and gave her a gentle, brotherly squeeze to assure her that he was going to do all he could.
"Is something wrong?" Saitama asked and let Mitsumi move to snuggle back into him. Everyone missed the small sigh of relief she gave out at his touch.
"My apologies, Mr. Saitama. Lady Mitsumi was urgently requesting for me to keep watch over her mental thoughts today. While you are away from her. The moment she feels discomfort, I need to get you to her immediately. Ah, Tacki, make sure there are plenty of towels, robes and, ah, possibly buckets nearby," Inichi said to where Tacki was sitting with Kamikaze.
"Why?" Tacki asked with a bit of confusion. Garou and Lily looked at each other with their own sets of frowns at this news.
"We don't know who will be dressed if I need to inform Mr. Saitama. I am quite sure he won't even care about the state he is in while trying to reach her. Thus the reason for attire of some form to be on hand. Also, think of this. Buckets are needed with those experiencing morning illness. We don't know how heated water will react to current pregnancies. I'm sure nothing will go wrong, but illnesses can hit at any time. We must be prepared," Inichi carefully advised. Tacki blinked, gasped and nodded quickly to show she understood.
"We can check if the place has robes. I'm sure they do, but we may need…specialized ones. Tacki, make a big one for two people to fit into. Just in case," Kamikaze said and watched Fumio move to bring her some fabric. "And, eh…make one for us."
"I can do that!" Tacki nodded. "I'll make giant robes for couples, too, with two sets of sleeves. It sounds like something fun!"
"I can have buckets in each room. That will be easy to acquire. We can also call the establishment in advance to ensure they have enough," Kamiko said from where she was sitting with Genos. She chuckled when she saw him grab his phone to make a quick call to the exclusive resort. She looked over and blinked at Orotsu walking out from a nearby room to start packing up a light set of snacks.
"Orotsu!" Mitsumi gasped and moved swiftly to hug his laughing form. He was in a normal human form for now, and he hugged her back.
"Lady Mitsumi! I'm glad to see you this morning," he chuckled.
"You look good," Saitama nodded. "Got anything quick to eat?"
"I have some cookies," Orotsu nodded.
:Please give Lady Mitsumi a disguised ginger cookie.: Inichi advised. Orotsu blinked at this, but he was reminded of what Anno did before. He knew that Anno and Takeda were at the restaurant right now, too, and Inichi was able to give over the idea of what was done before. Saitama enjoyed his chocolate chip cookie now and chuckled at the cookie that Mitsumi started to eat with delight.
"Hey! When are we heading out?" Suiryu asked when he walked in. Then he saw Inichi and Orotsu. "Oh. Um…who…?"
"That's right. You're a hero now. You can come with. And that's Inichi and Orotsu with human forms," Saitama nodded and let Mitsumi snuggle into him while eating her frosted ginger cookie. He finished off his cookie, glanced at what she was eating and blinked. Now he took a closer look at the cookie. "That's…a ginger cookie…?"
"I like the taste," she shrugged. Orotsu blinked and gave a small glance at Inichi a touch nervously. The same glance was returned.
"No. That's for morning sickness. Are you feeling sick?!" he asked.
"No," she smiled and kissed him.
"Did you eat the same thing last night?!" he asked with shock.
"Saitamaaa!" she groaned. "I'm fine! I'm telling you that I'm fine. If there was a problem, you know that Inichi would have told you. Besides, this cookie tastes amazing! I'm not complaining at all."
"No. No! He was hiding the truth! Did you feel sick at all just now?!" he demanded to know. Then he blinked when she shoved a piece of the frosted cookie into his mouth. Huh. This does taste pretty good…!
"They taste good. See? I'm fine," she assured him. "It's like a gingerbread cookie and I like it. I want to go to the hot springs spa house now. Let's go."
"I swear…" Saitama grumbled. Then he paused at Stable Rock's nuzzle to his hand. "What?"
"I want…to see…where you…will sleep…there…" Stable Rock winked.
"Ah! Treasure bed! Okay! Um…fine. But the moment something goes wrong with her…well…" Saitama sighed hard.
"She will…be fine…" Stable Rock said calmly. Overgrown Rover huffed and nuzzled into Saitama's legs.
"Dad, did you want Black Sperm to also be with Mom?" Fumio asked and had Black Sperm piggyback onto him.
"Yes. He can help Tsuruga guard the way to her unless it's me," Saitama nodded. He pressed a kiss to Mitsumi's forehead and was able to walk her out of the apartment. The others followed them, and Inichi blurred his form out to become his monster form to help with travel.
"Please take my clothing," Inichi said to Fubuki. She chuckled and set the folded clothes into a new side satchel under her coat. "Also, Mr. Saitama, the hot springs spa house we are going to is close to City A. May I suggest we spend the next night in your new location within the Hero Association building? We need to ensure the room will be proper and work with your needs with Lady Mitsumi. We also need to get certain buildings registered for the Heroic Monster Association. It is best to get all of it done while there."
"Craaaap…" Saitama groaned out. "I…guess so…?"
"I also…want to…make that place…better…" Stable Rock grinned at him. "Gems…do not need…to be…just for…the bed…you know…?"
"Oh! Fine!" Saitama nodded with approval. Mitsumi giggled and saw Wind Crane and Zenchu walking over with Fire Flight and Shenjou.
"We are prepared to go," Fire Flight nodded.
"As are we," Wind Crane chuckled. "If all are here, I can also assist with travel. Inichi, you should return to human form."
"I am already in this form! I am fine," he said to get her laughing with the others. "I shall ensure any others will be brought over if we miss them now."
Wind Crane nodded and focused for the wind to gather them all and deposit them at the steps of the luxurious spa house. It looked like a dojo with warm, dark wood walls, elegant red roof tiles and pristine, tall windows to let in airy sunlight in all areas. It was nestled in the foot of a mountain where hot springs were known to be very prominent. Mitsumi was in awe of the cherry blossom trees that would be in bloom each spring. Inichi made plans to have such trees planted around City Z for her enjoyment.
"Glad you made it," Bane waved. "I arrived not long ago."
"Same," Zombieman said with Himiko waving at them on the stairs.
"Hey! I'm here, too!" Child Emperor waved and ran over to get a hug from Mitsumi. Then he bumped fists with Fumio and grinned at Black Sperm's laugh.
"Oh! It's so good to see you all!" Puri-Puri Prisoner gushed. He did catch Tsuruga and Tanktop Girl together, though. He frowned a touch, but he refocused on the new monster pets with Saitama and Mitsumi.
"Hmm…" Stable Rock sniffed around. "Something…isn't right…"
"What's that?" Mitsumi asked and giggled at the nuzzle Bright Bolt gave her hand. Stable Rock focused and the land gave small tremors before normalizing.
"What did you do?" Saitama frowned.
"Whoa!" Garou blinked from where he stood with Lily.
"The ground…was weak…" Stable Rock snorted. "I…fixed it…"
"Ahh! So good that you noticed that!" Mitsumi beamed at him.
"How did you fix it?" Saitama asked.
"I added…more rocks…to make the…ground…better…underneath this…building structure…" Stable Rock said and nodded.
"How did you do such a thing?" Puri-Puri Prisoner blinked.
"I am…earth…itself…" Stable Rock said and gave a delighted croon when Saitama scratched between his ears. He definitely loved scratches between his ears, and Saitama made sure to always do such a thing.
"Yeah. And he's my pet. He's a GOD monster that works with the land. Don't mess with him," Saitama said. "You'll mess with me if you do."
"Are those jewels in its shell?!" Puri-Puri Prisoner gaped. "With gold, too?! That's amazing!"
"In his shell, yes," Mitsumi smiled and picked up Overgrown Rover's tiny form to get snuggled. "And if he desires, he can give you some of the gems, too. They are his gems to give whenever he wants."
"What monsters are here?!" a dark-skinned, bald, tall, muscular man in black speedos suddenly charged out to defend the building.
"Ah. Superalloy Darkshine. S class and ranked 13 now. There are no hostile monsters here," Genos said calmly. "The ones with us work at Neutral Grounds. They are also part of the Heroic Monster Association."
"Oh! Hmm. I still have my eye on all of you!" the hero said.
"Fine," Zombieman shrugged and escorted Himiko in past him.
"A pleasure to meet you," Mitsumi said with a nod of respect.
"You're Fan Dancer! Huh! I've heard quite a bit about you," Superalloy said with a small grin. He glanced over her figure lightly and didn't fail to notice the fan belts that lined her dress. Saitama gave a small, protective glare and kept Mitsumi close to his side. He rested a hand on her belly, kissed her temple and started to move up the stairs. They all turned at the sleek car that drove up with Sweet Mask and Tajima within it. Mitsumi waved at them both and got redirected into the hot springs spa house.
"Monsters!" a serving maid gasped.
"We're part of the Heroic Monster Association. Don't worry. If any other monsters appear that aren't part of our group, we'll handle it," Zenchu said with a small nod. Now the serving maid blinked at this and was handed a booklet by Sweet Mask. Even though Bright Bolt, Fire Flight and Stable Rock were not part of the booklet just yet, the staff noticed that things were surprisingly peaceful.
"Inichi?!" Sweet Mask gasped at his friend's human form when he changed into it. "I must say! Other than the skin…it's like you haven't changed a bit!"
"Of course," Inichi chuckled and embraced his old friend lightly after placing his clothes on. Fubuki smiled and got pulled close to Inichi for a small squeeze. "When are we to soak in the hot springs?"
"Right after lunch. We're scheduled for breakfast now. Ah…oh! Orotsu?! You truly were Joben?!" Sweet Mask gaped at the sight of Orotsu's human form.
"Indeed. I need to see to the kitchen. I must ensure that Lady Mitsumi will have adequate meals," Orotsu said and was quickly escorted there by the kitchen staff. He did inform the staff of his monster form, and he floored them when he shifted into it to start his intense cooking and ingredient inspection. At the list of new ingredients he wanted, the hot springs management team was in a flurry to get them acquired. It was further done the moment funds were wired in to gain the luxury ingredients he was requesting.
"I'm hungry," Saitama said and moved to where the large dining room was. There were no tables or chairs here, though. He settled on one of the plush floor mats with Mitsumi in his lap. He already saw that Pig God was eating a mountain of cooked eggs, dumplings, fried chicken pieces and sausage strips. He saw Watchdog eating out of a dog food bowl with a water dish nearby.
"Saitama…" Mitsumi sighed and leaned into him. He kissed her forehead and rested a hand on her belly. Overgrown Rover yawned and settled to lay down next to his left side. Blue Ripple had his tub set just behind them so he could stretch his neck out and rest his head against Mitsumi's shoulder. Bright Bolt settled against Saitama's right side. Stable Rock moved to press himself against Saitama's back with complete comfort.
"We really need a chair to settle all of you in with us," Saitama said to get all the powerful monsters snickering with agreement. Overgrown Rover snorted, mouthed at Saitama's hand to rest it over Mitsumi's belly a bit more and moved to press into them protectively. Saitama blinked at that and sighed with a small nod.
"Blue Ripple…" Stable Rock muttered to get the other monster's attention. "We need…to gain…the trust…of the other…"
"The one for plants. I know. Why?" Blue Ripple asked.
"We can…create…our own place…like this…" Stable Rock chuckled.
"Ah! He could provide a living wood building. Couldn't he?" Blue Ripple mused. "And you and I can easily create the hot springs…"
"Yes…" Stable Rock nodded and yawned. "We shall…work…together…"
"We shall do just that," Blue Ripple agreed. "I shall study how the water flows here. You can study the rock formations."
"I know…what…to do…" Stable Rock muttered with boredom.
"Okay. Stable Rock is definitely my pet. He has my attitude," Saitama grinned and got Mitsumi laughing softly at it.
"When should we change into robes?" she asked him and blinked at the platter of fried eggs, Peking duck, Wagyu beef strips and white rice set down. Various juices and bottles of water were set down next by the servers, and Saitama picked up his chopsticks to start feeding both her and himself.
"Eh…maybe after we eat. We still need to find our room," he said and started on the bowl of noodles given over next. Small bowls of food were now set in front of the monster pets to feed them next. A hardy beef chew bone was even given to Overgrown Rover. "I bet this was Orotsu's idea."
"You assumed correctly," Inichi chuckled from where he was sitting with Fubuki to share his dish with her.
"There's no cookies," Tatsumaki frowned from where she sat with Rendor.
"Who says?" Rendor grinned and gave a fortune cookie that he always kept on him. She beamed with joy at it and kissed him with appreciation.
"I told you he gives her cookies," Zenchu smirked and grinned at Wind Crane's poke to his side.
"Don't you start, Zenchu!" Mitsumi said to him.
"Bless you. Ah…" Garou said with a knowing grin to get his brother sputtering with mild rage.
"You shut up!" Zenchu growled in warning.
"That's pretty funny…" Tanktop Master snickered from where he was already sitting by a window with his breakfast meal.
"Garou, come on," Lily rolled her eyes.
"Even you laughed! Admit it!" Garou grinned at her and laughed at her small pokes to his sides.
"Mitsumi? Are you okay?" Saitama asked gently when she shivered and pressed into him. Himiko looked over with concern, and Zombieman frowned.
"I always wanted to go to a place like this," Mitsumi said softly. "Now I'm here. It seems like a bit of a dream."
"We plan to make something like this on our home grounds," Blue Ripple chuckled. "It will be easy to set up."
"Let me know if you need help," Deep Sea Prince said from where he sat with Akiyama by the main doorway. When he noticed Metal Bat staring at him, he asked, "Is something wrong?"
"I don't know you," Metal Bat snorted.
"He is family now. Please be mindful," Mitsumi said gently.
"Oh. Eh. I guess…" Metal Bat said with a shrug.
"If you try and hit him with your bat, I will twist it into a knot," Saitama warned with a small glare. "His dad was stupid. I killed him. His son is decent. Leave him alone. Got it?"
"Fine!" Metal Bat grimaced and pouted mildly.
"You really could twist that bat around, couldn't you?" Flashy Flash mused.
"I could melt it down," Iwasaki grinned and got squeezed by him.
"So…did the two of you sleep together yet?" Zenchu asked.
"Don't answer him!" Kianna said quickly and scowled lightly at King's sharp laugh at it.
"I will peck at you later," Wind Crane warned her mate.
"Oh! I can hold him in the air for you!" Tatsumaki grinned.
"Like you did before! Yes! I am totally down for that!" Garou grinned ruefully at his brother's look of shock.
"As long as it's done to you, too, so I can pinch you," Saitama said. Garou paled at this for Zenchu to die with laughter. Then Saitama's attention was directed to Overgrown Rover when it whined sharply and snagged his hand to put back on Mitsumi's belly. "Doggy?!"
It whimpered and pressed itself hard on his hand to keep his touch there. Inichi looked over to catch the monster dog's thoughts. Then he said, "Lady Mitsumi…are you feeling well?"
"I'm okay," Mitsumi smiled. Then Inichi frowned. :You are lying, Lady Mitsumi. You feel stressed and extremely worried.:
:You know what I told you before. I need to know. And I know we are scheduled to go into the hot springs after lunch, but I need to do this now.:
"Mitsumi, I don't want you to leave my side," Saitama said now.
"But…!" she started and paused at his serious, neutral stare.
"Look at how my dog is reacting! If you leave my side right now…" he started before feeling her tremble. Now he looked over at Sweet Mask. "Hey. Sugar Face. She wants to go into the hot springs now."
"If you call me that one more time…!" Sweet Mask hissed despite Inichi's heavily laughing form at the outburst. The others that didn't hear it yet sputtered and coughed out their laughter.
"I don't care. You can't do anything to me, anyways. And if you threaten me, it just makes me want to go home with my wife. So, yeah. Go ahead. Keep it up," Saitama shrugged and pushed away the dishes.
"Sweet Mask, it's okay," Tajima soothed to calm him down. He sighed bitterly and grumbled.
"Who is attacking who?" Stitch asked when he walked in.
"Aw, hell…" Kamikaze grumbled. Tacki grinned at him and kept working on the luxurious double robes between small bites of food.
"For now, no one. But my wife would like to go into the hot springs. As much as I'm against it, it's what she wants. Because I won't be with her. Can we do this now?" Saitama asked. "I want to get it over with."
"Well…the water should be fine. It's preparing the area within them," Stitch said. "The staff is readying supplies still."
"How slow are they?" Tacki asked.
"Let them do their job," Kamikaze said.
"If Lady Mitsumi wants to go into the hot springs and we're only waiting on the place to be ready, then I can get it all done in five minutes! You know this!" Tacki said. "What needs to be prepared?"
"Well, they need to fold the towels, prepare the robes, ensure all the supplies are-" Stitch started to go off the list before finding himself brought to a stop from a clucking of her tongue. Tacki jumped out of Kamikaze's lap and ran over to where the laundry room was. The swordsman sighed hard and shook his head.
"Well, she does like to keep busy," Bane grinned.
"Tell me about it!" Kamikaze snorted. "Twenty minutes tops. The hot springs rooms will be ready."
"Impossible!" Stitch started before Kamikaze rose up a hand to stop him.
"There's a new dojo on Bane's lands. The stairs leading up to it are all hand carved. Tacki did all of that in under thirty minutes. There were over a hundred stairs. I watched her with everyone else that was there," Kamikaze said. "Everyone wants her to be a hero. I say only in S class. What she does is insane. And she's pregnant with my twins. Don't dare her to do something when she knows she can get it done."
"At least she liked the rosewood oil!" Kamiko winked.
"Yeah, yeah…" Kamikaze chuckled lightly.
"The hot springs are ready!" Tacki said on walking back in. "I'll finish the robes after. I got the main one done for Lady Mitsumi and Saitama just in case, and it's in the hot springs section for girls."
"That…wasn't even ten minutes…" Stitch blinked.
"Um…duh? You saw me make those warm coats, right?" Tacki frowned at him. Then she looked at Kamikaze. "Honey, is he really your boss? He seems forgetful. All the time."
"Quiet," Kamikaze warned and got up to let her jump onto him and hug him. Mitsumi was pressing into Saitama to keep from laughing. Saitama was still heavily troubled, and he lifted her up in his arms.
"My room. Where is it?" Saitama asked.
"First door on the second floor," Inichi said from what he mentally heard.
"Fine. Save my breakfast, please. We might have it after," Saitama nodded and proceeded to carry her out with all the pets following him. Inichi was able to do a small bubble around the food to transport it into the kitchen with a mental note for Orotsu. He was clearly learning on how to remove certain obstacles as a human in shorter distances. Fire Flight was studying Mitsumi's body heat signature and grimaced.
"What is it?" Shenjou asked lightly.
"Not yet. We can be heard. I can only say what needs to be said after things are in motion," Fire Flight frowned hard. "Once it is done…we are all going to be on edge until things settle. Inichi, we must have a clear path for him to reach her. The moment one thing goes wrong…"
"I need to study the floor layout, then. Now," Inichi nodded and pressed a kiss to Fubuki's mouth before getting up. "Save me a bit of breakfast?"
"I can have this moved into our room," Fubuki nodded with agreement.
"Tell me where to stand guard," Tsuruga snorted.
"I help!" Black Sperm nodded from where he sat in Fumio's lap.
"Why do you look familiar?!" Superalloy gaped at the monster.
"Oh. Um…we talk later. Important stuff now," Black Sperm grinned.
"You kicked my ass before! Didn't you?!" the buff man gaped.
"He has done much to us all. He is Master Saitama's pet now. He is good," Genos nodded and chuckled at Kamiko's squeeze.
"I'm going to go into the women's hot springs section to ensure we have everything ready for Lady Mitsumi," Kamiko said. Genos nodded and watched her leave. Tacki jumped out of Kamikaze's arms to help her out.
"I doubt Saitama will even think about what state he's in if something goes wrong," King frowned heavily in thought. "If we're all in the hot springs and he's told Mitsumi's in pain…"
"Tsuruga, keep a towel with you for him!" Kianna suggested.
"I can do that," Tsuruga nodded. "But I don't know if he'll even let me put it on him. Ah. An idea. Wind Crane, you can control your fans. Can you have two on standby to hover around him in case he goes nuts?"
"A sound idea!" Wind Crane blinked and nodded. "It shall be done! I can also ask Blue Ripple to assist with his fans…and he will."
"Let's get ready for a good soaking. My muscles could use it," Rendor chuckled. Tatsumaki nodded and rose up with him.
"But…" Stitch started and got silenced by Bane.
"Saitama is a force to be reckoned with. Don't underestimate him," Bane said wisely. "Only after this event passes will things go smoothly again. I'm sure private baths will be needed for him and Mitsumi after this, though."
"This is true," Shenjou nodded. "A few of us, anyways."
"And don't think it would be an extra cost to the association. We can fund that from our own private accounts," Rendor said calmly. Sweet Mask blinked at this and glanced at Tajima's slightly blushing face at the idea.
"Brother, all kidding aside, we should also ensure that Saitama can reach Lady Mitsumi safely. We don't want him to destroy this place to get to her," Garou said to Zenchu with direct seriousness.
"Fuck. Okay. Let's set up some signs on where to go. Inichi can help him see them to follow them around," Zenchu nodded.
"What's going on?" Stitch frowned with complete confusion.
"If you see Saitama running to find the other hot springs that holds the girls, DO NOT get in his way," Rendor said sternly while holding Tatsumaki to him. "You will get slapped out of his way. Just trust us this once. Please."
Stitch was still indecisive of the whole thing, but he noticed the small, knowing glances various heroes did to each other. That changed his mind to let them handle things for now. In the claimed room of Saitama and Mitsumi, he was able to rest in the luxurious bed with her to calm themselves down. They were undressed and had the robes hanging up, but he didn't want to let her leave just yet.
"I don't like it, Mitsumi. I really don't…" he mumbled with his face against her neck. "We should just get the bathtub filled here."
"Should something go wrong, it will be done. I can alter the water easily," Blue Ripple grunted from his tub. "I'll join Mitsumi in the hot springs to get a feel for how the water is. It will be easy to turn your normal bathing water into a hot springs sensation."
"You can't just do that now?" Saitama frowned.
"I want to ensure I know how the water is. Water is always moving and changing. I've never been to this location. I can feel the water. But I must be in the water to know what is within it," Blue Ripple explained.
"Oh…" Saitama blinked.
"I'm not sure what I can do, but I'll make sure no one bothers you," Bright Bolt nodded his skeletal horse-like head. Overgrown Rover yawned and rolled onto its back for a belly rub from Mitsumi.
"When you…come back…I shall…fix…this resting…place…" Stable Rock grunted and yawned lazily. Then he rumbled with delight at the head scratching Saitama gave him with appreciation.
"I wouldn't do that here. It won't be a true place for us to call home. Save it for the apartment we are going to tomorrow night," Mitsumi said. Then she saw Saitama's frown. "Darling, we can't take this bed with us."
"Says who?!" he asked and grinned at her look of surprise. "We have so much money now that we can buy a room here and show up whenever we want."
"Resorts don't work like that!" she blinked at him with shock.
"Since when?" he countered and sat up in the bed to hold her to him. "I know. I get it. We can build something that can be twice as amazing as what's here. But I don't want a regular room for us anymore. I don't want it. And I don't want it for you. You are worth far more than normal standards. I could care less about myself, but this is you. You deserve more. Okay?"
"But I don't want the extravagant luxury. It does nothing for me," she shrugged. "It depresses me. I'm happy having an outdoor camping cookout. Living outside all the wealth. I don't want to live like a doll playing dress up. I want to live in a real way. I'd give up my father's wealth…but I know it plays a key part to keep our family and friends safe."
"Mitsumi…" Saitama frowned softly.
"You told me before that I was trapped in wealth. I had to run from it. I have it again…and I know it's nice to never have to worry about funds again. I don't have to run from it anymore. It's now a tool to keep us safe at last. But…the moment we sign a legal wedding document…the moment my father's will is completed and notarized to show all areas are fulfilled to unlock the true wealth…"
"Talk to me," he said softly.
"I told you his wealth was as bottomless as the ocean," she said with a hard shiver. "I'll give you this perspective. I could buy City Z completely and still have enough funds to buy seven more cities in full."
"WHAT?!" he gaped with shock.
"That is how much wealth my father has," she said with a small nod. "You think that treasure vault we have is a lot? Even the one in my old home? I could fill up a mountain with all of that stuff…and I'd need ten more mountains to fill up with more. My father was relentless with what he knew he could do. He confided in me with all of his secrets, Saitama! I could buy the Hero Association and fund it for over a hundred years and more!"
"And…with me…it will be…more…" Stable Rock snickered and nuzzled into them both with Overgrown Rover. "I am…earth. I can make…lots…of wealth…for you…"
"But I don't want that," she said softly and scratched under his muzzle.
"I do!" Saitama said to get her jaw to drop. "I'll just say this. Mitsumi, you've lived in wealth and got bored of it. I never had that. I'm opposite the spectrum from you. Seeing rooms like we have excites me! Of course, if I have to dump it to have you, I will. So, think of it this way."
"Okay…" she said and blushed at his warm squeeze.
"You always want to spoil me. Right?" he asked with a small grin.
"Yes…" she said with small smile.
"You dripping a room with coins, money and whatever else…that spoils me. Completely. Us having a bed made of treasure spoils me. Sure, you can decorate a bedroom with nice furniture, give me good clothes and whatever else. But lots of treasure rooms? For me?! Yeah. I won't say no," he grinned a bit wider.
"Okay. But not here," she grinned at his pout.
"Why?!" he asked.
"Because this room doesn't belong to us," she pointed out.
"So…if we have a room that is ours…?" he asked.
"You get it?" she chuckled and got kissed.
"Yeah, I do. This room is a basic room for guests."
"Yes."
"It's not a room that may we may be able to purchase."
"Exactly."
"So, if we get a room we can buy like I said we should in the beginning…"
"Right. But, there is a flaw in your plan."
"Huh?"
"There is cleaning staff here. People we don't know. Sure, we could lock the room, but someone other than who we know will want to go in and clean the room. Check it and ensure everything is fine as a caretaker should. We could have a possible thief. It's the same thing with the Hero Association apartment. Unless we set up secure measures that are agreed to, we must be careful," she said in a way to be as clear as possible.
"Oh…" he frowned. Then he looked at Stable Rock. "I have a challenge for you. Interested?"
"Tell me…!" Stable Rock snorted and grunted.
"I need to see where the land ends in City Z that we purchased. I want a massive, giant cave filled with treasure. Lots of it. In fact, we also have the Wind Crane Clan temple in that desert. Did we buy that land yet?" Saitama asked.
"I don't think we did…" she frowned.
"We bought the land around the flower field and that includes the area that held Wind Crane. Okay. We need to revisit some places. I want hidden treasure rooms in all of those areas. For us," he grinned a touch wickedly. "We also need to visit that old mine and fill it up."
"Why are you so greedy?!" she grimaced.
"What?!" he blinked. "No. I'm not. I want to give us a reason to really have those places protected. Despite them being areas for the Wind Crane Clan. It would be seen as trespassing in certain degrees no matter what. To hide our clan's secrets with intense wealth. As distraction."
"So…the infiltrator sees the wealth…and goes after that instead of clan secrets…" she blinked at the idea. "That's…wow…"
"You see? And we can further hide things in our homes this way, too. If there are secrets that must kept apart, we can use the treasure to hide them away even more. Until they need to be brought back together. Like the fans. A real thief for knowledge will ignore the treasure. But a basic thief? And if Stable Rock knows what is stolen since it all came from him?" he grinned.
"Either you are manipulating me into this…or you are one of the most intensely ingenious of strategists I've ever known…" she said with wonder.
"This way we get the best of both worlds. I'll get treasure rooms. You'll get places to travel to," he smiled warmly and hugged her when she pressed into him. "I get it. You hate the money. But I don't. So, we can do this. We find a nice place. We buy it. We make a little secret stash there for us. We can do some traveling to reach these areas. What do you think? And for this place…hmm…"
"I can look around for a good spot to see if we can get it," Bright Bolt said and seemed giddy with excitement. "I can do that later! We won't even need this dump! We can build our own little retreat with our own secret hot springs!"
"Don't say this place is bad!" Mitsumi scolded lightly and got snuggled by him. "It's a very nice place for gathering in public."
"Okay. But it's still a dump," he snorted and got Saitama laughing softly.
"There's only one thing now," Saitama said softly.
"What's that?" she asked.
"I'm scared. For you. Being without me," he admitted. "I really don't like the idea of you being away from me. With how you've been?"
"Saitama…okay. I know. But I need to see if something is true," she said.
"What?" he blinked.
"I need to see if your touch is really needed for me," she said gently. "I need to see how long I can go without you. To see how long we have to get to each other if we are apart. I know! It's going to suck for me if that's the case! And for you! But we need to know this. It's critical for us to know if something happens."
"You…know…that you need…my touch…?!" he grimaced at her.
"I'm honestly not sure," she admitted. "But this will prove it. And we'll still only be apart for twenty minutes. If something happens sooner, I had Inichi vow to bring you to me. So, the moment we separate for the hot springs to join our small respective groups…"
"The timer starts. Crap. Okay. I mean…if something is bad to a point that I need to really be with you…hmm…" he frowned.
"I don't know the state I'll be in if that's the case," she sighed. "But, I think if you focus on your power to come out…"
"It might help…hmm…" he mused. Now he looked at her and grinned to show she was right. She squeaked when he tackled her with a renewed form of vigor. This is good to know. Okay. The timer starts the moment she separates from me. Twenty minutes. I'll just have to hope the others know how to get me to her without punching this place to bits to get to her. If she really does need my touch and is at a brink of complete suffering…I may have to treat it like my bedroom days with her until she calms down. I WON'T let her suffer like that! I'd find myself suffering, too.