Welcome to a unique Saitatsu fanfiction! This work was a collaboration between 7 amazing creators (listed below) and was written over the course of a month! You may notice the fic is formatted strangely. This is because I decided to not format the sections equally or go overboard with editing so as to preserve each creator's style!

I can't express how pleased I am with how this came out and I am super appreciative of all the hard work put in by its creators! Thank you Ky, SpiritBloodDragon, nini (ofstardust), BadJohn, El Cato, and GarouxEiko for your amazing and diligent work!

Please check out the creators using the links provided. Enjoy :)

Creator Links

El Cato

• WattPad: user/ItsElCato

• FanFiction: u/6592926/

• Archive of Our Own: /users/ElCato

• DeviantArt: itselcato

SpiritBloodDragon

• WattPad: user/SpiritBloodDragon

• FanFiction: ~spiritblooddragon2

• Archive of Our Own: /users/SpiritBloodDragon

• DeviantArt: garouxeiko

nini (ofstardust)

• Archive of Our Own: /users/ofstardust/pseuds/ofstardust

BadJohn

• Tumblr: blog/badjohnspeakeasy

Cover Art By: /PietroSatou/status/1739069671905632644?s=19

-Ky-

The sun was out. It was midday. But it was still cold.

Tatsumaki hated this time of year.

Wearing her usual clothes was a chore. Going outside was a chore. Constantly keeping the heater on was a chore. The amount of times she woke up in the middle of the night because the temperature was too hot — changed it and slept — then woke up only to find it was too cold?

Ugh.

Ugh.

Today was no exception. Her feet were nearly numb. Her nose and ears were red.

The esper sat up from her bed, eyeing the AC like it had insulted her very being. Called her out for being temperature-delicate. As if she couldn't afford to be sensitive in even one aspect of her damn life.

If only it wasn't so damn expensive.

Tatsumaki let out a breath and stood up. She slipped her feet into a pair of fluffy slippers, brushed her teeth, and stepped outside of her bedroom.

She was blasted with chilly air.

Tatsumaki groaned. She could see her breath.

She should've had this room warmed up, too.

Waving a hand, the surrounding air glowed green for a moment.

Her foggy breaths turned transparent once more.

She rubbed her temples.

Sure, her powers could keep her relatively warm, but even that was a pain. She had to take care to maintain it, use her already drained mental faculties to handle even the slightest change in temperature. It was so much more convoluted than moving cities around.

There was a bustle outside, the esper noticed, looking to the floor below. Footsteps. The droning of cars. Clicking bikes. Giggling and happy conversations.

Tatsumaki rolled her eyes.

Just the worst.

It was like nobody cared that it was goddamn freezing outside!

Gift-giving season. A time for cheer. It made her sick.

At the very least, there wasn't any snow yet.

Just imagining those cold specks of white—

Memories of the past threatened to trickle into the esper's mind, but she waved them off.

She had things to do, after all.

Going back into her room, the esper plucked a set of clothes already hanging by her closet. A simple beige coat and yellow scarf.

Tatsumaki put them on thoughtlessly, wondering if, for a moment, she should ditch her hero outfit underneath.

'Eh.' She shrugged. 'Might as well be ready.'

About to step outside again, her hand hovered over the handle for just a moment.

She looked back at her closet.

There was a… cute outfit she had purchased instinctively when it was on sale. No doubt it would suit her. And what better time was there than now?

Feeling a bit of heated excitement rising in her chest, the esper pulled open her closet and donned it. Under her coat, of course. If she wanted to change her mind about showing it off.

Quickly wrapping her scarf by her collar, the esper nodded, sure it wasn't visible in the slightest. A ponytail and pair of boots put on by the entryway finished her preparations.

Tatsumaki was usually put off by Fubuki's constant absence — especially around these cold months. It was an unwavering reminder of their… strained relationship. And of her own lack of connection to others.

Maybe she was out with her lackeys, organizing some sort of bonding event. Decorating their HQ. Happily going about their day and ignoring the godforsaken cold that seemed only to be bothering a certain green-haired esper.

Or maybe Fubuki was with…

Tatsumaki shook her head.

It didn't matter. As long as Fubuki wasn't here, whatever she was doing was of little consequence.

Because if she was here, she would catch her older sister dressing up. Hiding clothes under her coat. Trying to stifle her uncharacteristic excitement. Getting ready to walk in the cold, cold winter air.

Just to hang out with Saitama.

Even the thought of it was embarrassing. She could practically hear Fubuki's teasing.

'Ooh, did you prepare a gift? Your first gift for someone? Ehehe!'

'Stay safe! Wear protection! …What? The cold is dangerous!'

'Have fun out there with Saitama! Not too much fun though, okay?'

"I will," Tatsumaki whispered, red-faced. She pulled the door open. "Tch."

How long had it been since they'd been hanging around? A few weeks? A couple of months? Time flew by with him around — although the esper would never admit that.

Even now, though it felt like they'd been walking and talking and eating and window shopping for just an hour or two, the orange and purple streaks in the sky told Tatsumaki that she had once again lost track of the time.

"It's cold outside," Saitama said, sipping a cup of hot cocoa.

"Don't wanna go back in the open?" Tatsumaki asked, floating her own cup into the air. The smoke rose lazily up, clearly visible in the cozy book-café light. "It's not like the cold affects you."

The two watched on as people walked outside, wrapped heavily in layers of clothes. Most were carrying shopping bags, boxes and the like. The wind was starting to pick up, causing quite a bunch of them to hold their precariously balanced gifts even tighter.

"Eh," Saitama said numbly, scratching his head.

Tatsumaki glanced at him curiously, but decided that asking any questions would just ruin the mood.

"Well it's not like I like the cold, either," she said, standing up. "So why don't we just grab something to read for a couple hours? …Until the wind stops being so annoying, at least?"

The girl fidgeted. Had she been too pushy? Did her invitation sound too attached?

Saitama smiled. And her doubts vanished.

"I was beginning to wonder when you'd show me around," he said.

"Like you'd be interested in books anyway, baldy." The esper rolled her eyes. "I know you; I only recommended this place for the drinks."

"Hey, I'm…!" Saitama paused. He looked serious. "Wait. So the books here aren't manga? They're, like, words?"

Tatsumaki chuckled.

"I'd say yes…" she said, laughing harder at Saitama's crestfallen look. "But that would be mean."

"Ah, so is there—"

"Yes, dummy," she said.

The book-café was something she'd found quite a long time ago. Although the winter season had caused a handful of visitors to come in, it wasn't nearly full enough to discourage her from visiting it.

It wasn't a good book-café, per se. Sure, the drinks were cheap and relatively worth the price. But the books were… strange. Odd how-to books, DIY stuff — even the manga were niche. Comedy manga out of its time, parodies… among other things.

The only reason she'd even considered reading there was solely because of Saitama. Or, rather, his taste in manga. Oftentimes she found books she read in his collection present in the café's shelves. And, embarrassingly, actually enjoying some of them.

"You know I did say I wanted to check out the manga, but…" Saitama's eyes glanced along the colorful spines arranged neatly by name. "Some of these books look pretty fun, too."

Tatsumaki raised an eyebrow.

She felt the urge to press the topic.

'Don't say it, don't say it, don't say it!'

She was being weird enough already, perusing outdated funny comics and giggling to herself in the unpopular café.

It was already strange she'd invite him here, when he could so easily find out that the manga section was full of series he liked.

'Don't say it, don't—'

"Why don't we check some of them out?" she blurted.

"This looks good!" Saitama's eyes brightened as he picked out a book about cacti. And as much as Tatsumaki wanted to dislike it — the fact that it was him picking it out? it was unfair.

The two browsed the pages.

"Oohh," Saitama tilted his head. "This is a local book! They're selling a bunch of them nearby! And for cheap!"

"You thinking about getting one? Another one, that is?"

"Kinda — I think I'm under-watering mine. Who knew cacti were so finicky?" he turned to Tatsumaki. "You wanna get one to match?"

"Ah?! I—! No! Er, no… thanks…"

The esper twirled her hair.

He absolutely could not know she already had a matching plant at home.

"Why… um, why don't we check out another book?"

"Got a rec?"

"Sure," she said, fumbling away from the shelf. "C'mon."

"It's nearly closing time, dears," the old lady running the shop called them warmly as she reached the section the two were in.

"Oh," Saitama closed his book. "Sorry. We'll be on our way."

The lady nodded kindly and disappeared among the shelves.

"Tats," the baldy nudged. "Psst."

"Ah!" Tatsumaki jumped up. Pulling her head away from Saitama's shoul—

His shoulder!

She'd fallen asleep!

"Saitama?! I…"

Her stomach dropped.

"How long was I out for?"

"Just a few minutes, don't worry."

With the initial panic fading away, the esper had time to recollect herself. Fragments of… what was it. Memories? Visions? They pittered quietly along the back of her mind.

'A dream…'

She'd gotten much too used to forgetting as soon as she woke up.

Because of her past.

Because forgetting was easy.

"Hahh…" Tatsumaki placed her palms above her eyes.

But the feeling still remained.

'Why now, of all times…'

"Are you good?" Saitama tapped her. "We gotta go."

"Oh— hm?"

It was dark outside.

"Yep. It's around eleven," Saitama nodded, standing up. "Sorry to cut your nap short."

He held out a hand.

"Ah, yeah…"

She took it. He pulled her up.

"Still got the energy to walk around?" Saitama asked.

"I…" Tatsumaki began.

As much as she wanted to — something felt off. The day was fun, but… the nap had exhausted her. And she didn't even know why.

"Not today," she said dejectedly. "Sorry."

"No prob." Saitama nodded. "Just let me know when you're free. I'll be the same. Free. As always."

"Yeah… Yes," the esper nodded. "Thanks."

The two looked at each other for a moment.

The old lady's head popped up from out of nowhere. The two jumped.

"Closing time, you two!"

"Y-Yes ma'am!"

It was snowing.

Seeing the soft, white droplets dance gently against the inky sky…

Saitama couldn't care less.

This time of year had always been tough. Or maybe just unrelatable.

Apart from the cold, which he didn't really like, apart from the amount of people swarming to take advantage of sales — Saitama couldn't really get around to liking winter.

But that wasn't really something to worry about now.

Now — he was walking with Tatsumaki. And despite her expression obviously trying to hide her hatred of the season, she was good company.

The girl pouted as a snowflake landed on her nose.

"You look happy," Saitama teased.

Tatsumaki rolled her eyes. With a flick of her finger, the flake flew up to the baldy's nose.

He sneezed.

She giggled.

"Noticed I don't like the snow, huh?" she asked.

"And the cold. And the people. And the gifts," Saitama listed.

"A bit obvious, huh?"

"It's pretty clear when you're annoyed, Tats," he said, chuckling. "At least it's not at me this time."

The esper sighed.

Saitama frowned.

"You know," he began. "I don't really like Christmas much, eith—"

"It's nothing," she said distractedly. "I'm fine."

"Oh? A-Ah. Of course."

The snow began to form a pure blanket on the ground. They were the only ones on the street.

"Decorations… family gatherings… gifts," she mulled softly, as if speaking to herself. "It's not the cold that bothers me. It's…"

"Being alone?"

Tatsumaki whipped her head to him.

"What did you say?" she asked slowly.

"Hm?" The baldy backtracked. "Oh, I— nothing."

"Saitama…" Tatsumaki reached a hand out to him, but he'd already turned his head away.

"It's fun. With you."

The baldy turned to face her.

The snowy ground seemed to amplify the silence that followed.

"Getting a gift, I—" she began, then stopped herself. That feeling in her stomach was still there.

She didn't catch Saitama opening his mouth to speak.

"It's dumb," she said. "Childish."

The baldy kept quiet.

"But…" the girl stepped closer to him. His shoulder brushed against hers. "Walking around with you is fun."

Tatsumaki was looking right at him, hiding her face with her scarf.

"S-So… see you soon, then! 'K?"

The baldy nodded.

With a blast of wind and snow, she was off.

Saitama watched as she disappeared into the jet-black sky, snowflakes dancing wildly in her wake.

His face was warm.

-SpiritBloodDragon-

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

Saitama knew he wasn't the smartest person on Earth. That was never really his ambition, to investigate the world and all its matters for the sake of knowledge. It wasn't that he didn't like learning; it just never climbed to the top of his priority list.

And yet…

"That was so…" he whispered into the air, soon after Tatsumaki had vanished into the air. His words were crisp, air foggy in front of him as he struggled to find just the right word to articulate the feelings swelling up inside of him at the moment.

In the cold, arctic air, snow blasting about in a wondrous show of nature's power and beauty, he stood there. His physical prowess meant that, even in the most freezing tundra, his body wouldn't possibly need to react. It wouldn't heat up. His ears wouldn't turn pink, his fingers wouldn't become numb.

But they were.

It may have been a few hours ago, but he could feel the sensation still lingering on his shoulder. The light, yet ever-so-present weight leaning against him.

"We'll be on our way," Saitama responded to the shopkeeper, taking a slight breath as he took in all the time that had passed.

Admittedly, they'd been there a while, and honestly, even though it was almost negligible considering his strength, the feeling of Tatsumaki comfortably leaning against him…

It was something he wouldn't mind getting used to.

He debated in his mind, whether or not it was worth it. Was he really willing to test the shopkeeper's patience? She'd been so kind and patient with the two of them already, and he wouldn't want to inconvenience her.

But…

As he could feel the slight, relaxed breaths that Tatsumaki was taking? The tranquility of the atmosphere, the gentleness of the world around them right now?

It was such a stark contrast from everything else. The whirlwind of fighting, the incessant noise, the responsibilities of heroism having become a job. The…

The emptiness.

Right now?

He would definitely have loved to just…treasure the moment. Guard it close in his memory.

Yet, just as the shopkeeper's patience, time was fleeting. The clock still ticked.

So, he gently shifted his arm a bit. "Tats. Psst."

His fingers felt a bit numb, electricity running through his veins. He could feel the blood pumping through his body, pooling into his cheeks. His mouth turned dry, and his throat choked up a bit.

"That was so…" Saitama muttered, coming up with the one word that he could really feel to summarize what he was feeling.

"Stupid."

He brought his hands to his face, and buried his face in them for a moment, as if trying to rub away the damn embarrassment he'd felt.

It was so perfect. So perfect! He was just having a wonderful day spending time with her, and he had to go and almost bring it to the brink of destruction. If there was one time that he was glad that she didn't hear him properly, it was this one.

Even as he walked back home, the thought couldn't leave his mind. Why?

Why?

He echoed his words once more, though this time there was nobody to hear them.

"Being alone?" Saitama repeated, slow and quiet. It was no louder than a mutter, but when the only other noises going on were the wind blasting against buildings and his body, when the only other thing to grab his attention was the snow, accumulating in front of him?

It was deafening.

When her head swiveled around to stare at him, bolting about so suddenly Saitama almost got jump-scared, it was one of the only times that Saitama had really regretted the words that came out of his mouth.

It felt like, of all the things to make him feel this way, he was a cornered animal. He could feel the eyes of a predator locking onto him, cramming him into a space that even he, with all his strength, couldn't escape.

"What…did you…say?" Tatsumaki had whispered, haltingly.

Those words reached him. He could feel everything in those words. Everything. Uneasiness. Indignance. Defensiveness.

Understanding.

Her eyes. They had done what her words almost had. They pierced him. As if she was analyzing everything about him.

Everything.

He'd almost ruined that calm air between the two of them. It had slowly, painfully slowly, become more tense and vulnerable. But it was…calm. He'd almost broken that dam wide open. He was glad he'd been able to backtrack, but the small spike of fear that jolted through him wasn't ideal, to say the least.

Wait…

"She…" Saitama whispered, playing the memory back in his mind again.

Those eyes of hers. Her eyes. Filled with beauty, intelligence, personality, and life.

Yet, filled with…glumness at his words. The worry in her eyes. The wariness in her eyes.

However, most of all, what made him freeze in place, even disregarding the increasingly powerful winter weather…

The feeling of connection in his words. Of relatability.

Of understanding.

"Why does she…" Saitama wondered for a moment, before dismissing the thought quickly. That wasn't for him to think about. He'd decided a long time ago: she'd tell him more about herself when she wanted to. He'd never push her like that. He couldn't let himself.

His mind shifted. His train of thought shifted.

"If that's how she feels…" Saitama pondered. His footsteps picked up again, this time as he began thinking once more.

Her eyes popped up again in his mind. He couldn't get them out of his head. He hated it.

There were very few things he genuinely hated. Hell, he couldn't even say he hated almost missing sales at grocery stores because he could always make it in the end.

But he hated that look in her eyes. To him, she should never have that sort of isolation, that faraway feeling, that…that distant sorrow in her eyes.

But…

What could he even do about it?

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

Tatsumaki would definitely consider herself of above average intelligence. Well-educated, to say the least. Not genius-level, but with powers like hers, she determined that she didn't exactly have to be. Yet, she'd definitely consider herself an objectively smart person.

And yet…

"Why was I so…" Unlike Saitama, her physical form wasn't the most durable. She was able to protect herself from injuries and the elements through sheer psychic prowess, preventing anything and everything that she cared to not let touch her body from doing so. But she was, barring the psychic powers strong enough to destroy anything she so chose, still human.

So, it wasn't the cold that caused it. It wasn't the battering wind which would have undoubtedly hammered her as she soared through the sky, had she not prevented it from doing so. It wasn't even the feeling of the bright festive lights peppering the cityscape beneath her, glittering and brilliantly shimmering which caused it.

As she flew, she could feel her face heat up, ears turning red to the tips. Her hands felt clammier, and her heart was racing. Pounding, even. It was a truly unsightly state for the Tornado of Terror, one that her younger sister would have definitely poked fun at if she had seen it.

But Fubuki wasn't there to poke fun at her. It wasn't her voice that she imagined in her mind as she had that expression plastered on her face.

It was his that she just couldn't shake.

Those…

Those damn books.

To think that she just couldn't tear her eyes away from it. It was such a far cry from the proud reputation that she had built up over the past few years.

But here she was, just…spectating, even. Taking in the sight. It was such a simple one, nothing extravagant or bombastic. Objectively, it wasn't even a pretty one.

It was just…him.

"You know I did say that I wanted to check out the manga, but…" Saitama hummed.

And it was such a calming sight. This…this…this brute, who held the strength to tear everything apart. At first, he seemed like the mere embodiment of everything that she rejected. The epitome of what she pushed away.

She was wrong. She didn't know how she felt about the fact that she had accepted that. At least, how she had done so as quickly as she did.

But he was still such an anomaly to her. She wanted to understand, but there was something that she just couldn't. Quite. Place.

As she watched him so casually, so leisurely peruse the shelves, easily letting himself be caught by any title or illustration that caught his eye, she knew what the anomaly was.

It was his strength. That sort of power, the strength to destroy anything and everything in his path, to save anything and everything that needed saving.

It was all right here. Not doing any of that.

It was just…

Living.

It wasn't using that strength for the most noble or malicious of purposes. It was simple.

It was…

Beautiful.

To Tatsumaki, it was such an absurd contrast from what she had known, from what had been instilled in her, that she couldn't help but be enraptured by it. By him.

It was such a striking contrast from everything. The desire to gain more strength for the sake of it. The feeling of obligation to use it. The craving for more of it for protecting oneself if nobody else was there. The…

The experiments.

Right now?

She would have just…loved to keep this safe in her heart. If nobody else was there at times…

At least she would have the memory with her.

But, of course, he had to wipe that treasure to the side for a bit, leaving her to guard it close, with his next words: "Some of these books look pretty fun, too."

And as the urge to press further bubbled in her mind, Tatsumaki decided:

Maybe she could just keep this one a little closer.

Her hands were shaky. She'd clenched them into fists so tight that her knuckles were turning water.

"Why was I so…" Tatsumaki whispered it again, the noise of the air blasting past her almost drowning out her words. Frustration laced them, her voice strangled, like gaping snakes, venomous to the core.

"Stupid."

If she could have punched a wall, or really just thrown a building about without any major consequences, she absolutely would have.

It was going so well! It was amazing! She was genuinely having the time of her life, and sure, she had fallen asleep, but she loved every moment of it. She couldn't remember the last time that she had earnestly felt this relaxed, so calm to the point of letting herself fall asleep in public.

And even if she wasn't willing to bring the thought into existence, somewhere, she could tell: she wouldn't have let herself do that if she couldn't trust Saitama to some extent.

"So, why?!" She shouted into the air, glad that nobody could hear her. Though, that in itself pissed her off, just thinking about it.

"Why the hell can't I be saying stupid shit like that when I'm alone like right now?!" Her grievances burst out with bitterness, ire and poison lining her throat. She couldn't believe herself. She couldn't stand herself.

The worst part was that she didn't even mean to let any of that slip!

"Decorations, family gatherings, gifts," she gruffly sputtered, at a much faster pace than the first time she had said it.

She began to mock herself not out of sincerity but just pure frustration, "It's not the cold that bothers me, it's–God!" The urge to throw a building into the atmosphere was only growing.

It was such a lovely atmosphere. And she absolutely goddamn spit at it, like it had personally disrespected her.

"Being alone?" The words echoed again in her head, and she shut her eyes as she just kept. Flying. She sure as hell heard him just fine, but…feelings exploded within her at those words. She couldn't formulate a response to him.

She felt so many goddamn words pop up in her head, all of them a whirlwind of confusion. She didn't know how to feel about the fact that he had just blurted out what he thought. She didn't know how to feel about the fact that he was registering everything she was saying. Hell, she didn't even know how to feel about how she was feeling because even she didn't know!

She…

She was conflicted, to say the least.

But when she jolted her head, her eyes meeting his, there was a singular, lone thing that she could see in them.

Tatsumaki was well aware of what pity looked like. She could tell what pity was from a goddamn mile away, because nobody could truly hide it. And more than anything, she abhorred the feeling of being pitied.

She was certain, more certain about this than anything else, that Saitama was not feeling pity. And she was grateful for it, because she could tell that he wasn't pitying her.

Yet she was also…puzzled by it. She was hurt by it. If it wasn't pity…

She could see into those eyes, and there was no pity. There was no joking, there was no joy or apathy or anything of the sort. She could see everything his eyes held.

Everything.

She was on the verge of ruining that calm environment they'd cultivated, and while she was about to go past that limit, he simply stopped it by just…keeping it at that brink.

Because she couldn't fathom the thought of continuing when their eyes connected like that.

Because she couldn't fathom the understanding in his eyes.

The understanding. In his eyes.

Why…?

"He…" Tatsumaki's mind came to one conclusion, one that she didn't want to come to.

She knew personally that Saitama had always had trouble finding emotions swelling up inside him. The fits of passion that had so readily struck others had faded, embers of what others would have ample flames of. She knew from personal experience that, as much as he yearned to have some fire in his eyes, there were just…points of emptiness.

Those empty eyes, filled with longing and a lingering hope to feel, to want.

Those normally empty eyes, occupied with a sight she never wanted to associate with her own sorrows:

Understanding.

"Why does he…" she whispered, pondering it for a moment, before realizing that the reason wasn't necessarily relevant to the current situation. Whatever the reason, it was there. That understanding was there.

"If that's how he feels…" Tatsumaki uttered, chewing her lip.

His eyes popped up again in her mind. And she hated the idea of him relating to her for this of all things. Of him having to relate to her for this.

Tatsumaki held anger for a lot of things. She held resentment towards those goddamn scientists who had broken her down. She held resentment towards those who would dare threaten her sister. She held resentment against a world which would idly let children like her be targeted for the sake of power.

But right now? She held resentment for the fact that he, of all people, understood what she was feeling. Because it could only mean one thing:

He understood.

No.

He still understands.

But…

What could she even do about it?

~~~~~ nini time ~~~~

A day had passed.

Saitama woke up on the couch, immediately looking over his shoulder as if expecting to find Tatsumaki sleeping there still. Seeing she wasn't, he sighed in disappointment. How funny was it? Dreaming about a person who was also sleeping inside the same dream? He snorted, wishing he could go back inside that dream and wondering if she was also having weird dreams about sleeping.

He had fallen asleep the night before sitting down in the middle of reading a manga, something unusual for him, but he had spent the entire day, from the moment he woke up, trying to figure out if he should call or text Tatsumaki while also waiting for a text or call from her. Saitama also was restless because of a very important thing he noticed from their time together: how much similarity they shared. And he needed to know more, to talk more, to just…be with her again, even if silently.

Realizing that they shared so much included the numbness he felt from time to time, and that was really troubling him. How could he approach it? How could he talk to her again? What would he even say? He had never been in such a situation before. He was thinking so hard his brain might be releasing smoke.

Suddenly he heard the phone's beep and his heart all but stopped. For a moment, Saitama forgot how to walk and even breathe, only breaking out from that stupor when the phone beeped again and again, and he scrambled to answer it. It sounded desperate, that many notifications. What if it was her…what would happen if he heard her voice again…and why, why the hell was he acting this way?

Then, for both his disappointment and relief, it wasn't her. It was Genos. Numerous messages from Genos, to be more precise, numerous voice messages of varied lengths. With a sigh, he clicked on the first one and they all started to play like a single musical playlist.

"Sensei."

"Sensei. Hi"

"I discovered something"

Couldn't he just have typed those?

"I am now using voice command to access the setting on my device"

"I am now using voice command to send a voice message." Ah, so that was his life now.

"Sensei. Are you there?"

"Sensei. I've discovered a new mobile game in which you can deposit a small amount of money and get the triple back if you guess the correct answer to the charades in the stipulated time period. They have different levels of charades, from beginner to advanced, in many different areas of knowledge. History, languages, mathematics and even heroes….

It seemed like the messages would be long. Saitama sighed, rubbing his temples and sitting on the floor, while trying to listen to the rest. He could only hope Genos would get tired of voice messaging soon. May his phone storage rest in peace..

"Please disconsider the messages I sent about the game, Sensei. A law just passed forbidding any type of propaganda for it. Apparently it was scamming people and causing them to lose all their money. Can you believe it, Sensei? We should teach them a lesson."

"That's all I have to say today. We'll see about tomorrow. Good night, Sensei."

Wait a minute.

Night?!

Saitama crawled to the window and opened the curtains. It was already dark indeed.

The falling snow stood out in the dark sky. How he wished she would just fly to him just like she flew away then. He had spent the entire day thinking about Tatsumaki and what he could say to her, but ended up with nothing. To make it worse, she didn't send him anything either and he contemplated the never-ending nothingness of that sky, wondering what they should have done differently, his gut clenched in a feeling couldn't recognize.

So for tomorrow Saitama decided he wouldn't think about what to say any longer and just move normally with his day, perhaps some monster would appear, or even Genos. Realizing he hadn't eaten yet, Saitama got up to prepare some food, and hopefully sleep without dreaming that night.

Little did he know Tatsumaki was also struggling herself. They were indeed very similar to each other. However, while Saitama could act and mope on his anxiety alone since Genos had his own place now, Fubuki decided to come back with her group and Psykos for a little get together in their place, as if the one they had yesterday wasn't enough.

She had tried to be nicer to them recently, though. Putting up the unsolicited advice Saitama gave her some time ago, she tried to support her sister in every way, and just enjoying being closer to her, but those guys were a hassle to her. The esper still didn't quite trust them, but she would get there eventually, for she was sure they weren't bad people, they were in desperate need of more training.

Psykos, on the other hand, seemed to be in much more trouble with them. Well, they did have a reason, but if Tatsumaki herself needed time to..accept them, Psykos would need two entire lifetimes. Watching them interact was a whole new level of entertainment, better than any dessert or alcohol served at that lunch. But eventually, her social battery died and she went to her room while they still partied or whatever they called that gathering now. She was tired, but if only a certain Baldy was there, she knew her energies would quickly be replenished. She has fun being with him.

Now, alone with her thoughts and hoping Fubuki wouldn't knock on her door or sense her troubled aura, all the frustration Tatsumaki experienced turned into sadness she couldn't be with Saitama at that moment, feel him close and lay her head on his shoulder again. As redundant as it might sound, she understood what being understood by him meant, but did felt the same? She smiled faintly at the memory of the longing expression on his face, but after last night, things were left awkward between them and now, with her lack of experience in such matters and reluctance to ask for help, she didn't know what to do about it.

What could she even do about it?

Should she call or wait for him? How about a text?

Grabbing her phone, she looked at the screen for a few minutes. Nothing. No notifications, no "Saitama is typing." Maybe he was busy, having more social gatherings of his own. He does have other friends.

So she waited some more. Wide awake despite nightly colors slowly painting the sky. Maybe she should text him herself, if it was already dark and he hadn't sent one.

Snow began to fall and a wave of insecurity washed over her. "Maybe I was the one who got everything wrong." Turning over, she got a glimpse at the night sky, a little mad, a lot sad. If he decided to appear in her window, however, she knew her frustrations would fade one by one, but for now, she decided to just sleep, if by a play of destiny he, or an idea of what to do decided to show up in her dreams.

Given the fact she slept early, Tatsumaki also woke up very early the next day. Leaving her room quietly, she made her way to the kitchen, desperate for caffeine and hoping no Blizzard group member had decided to sleepover.

"Tornado."

Oh, she forgot Psykos kind of lived there now for a moment. On the other hand, it was too early for discussions so she just focused on her task of finding coffee. "You think too loudly." Voice still drowsy disclosing her state of recent awakenedness.

So it did seem Psykos' powers were returning.

Tatsumaki was about to say something to dismiss her when she was handed a cup of coffee. Or more likely, floated. "What's that? A peace offering?" Tatsumaki snorted, looking puzzled and surprised.

Psykos decided not to engage the sass, it was too early. "Just drink it, it's really tasty." With that, Psykos rose and made her way to Fubuki's bedroom again, while Tatsumaki just stared at the cup. "You're too smart and powerful to go by other people's expectations. Do what you want, do what's right."

Tatsumaki, who had just mentally promoted Psykos to the official barista of the residence, almost spat her drink. "You read my mind?" Now, she was shocked.

"As if anyone would need to read your mind to see you're troubled with something. The tension is emanating from you. Just…relax, it's Christmas." The blue red woman smiled mischievously at her before disappearing into the hallway, leaving Tatsumaki dumbfounded…What was in that coffee?

Psykos was right, still. It was Christmas, right? So she would go and buy gifts.

Saitama had been busy with monsters since he woke up. For some reason, a whole lot of them decided to act up right on Christmas Day, which wasn't a big surprise considering their sole purpose of spreading evil. Dressed up as a whole bunch of mean-looking Santas and disgusting Elves, they went by ruining people's days, messing up gifts, throwing recently scraped ice and snow back on their car's.

In a way, this provided a much needed distraction for Saitama, who had practically missed an entire day thinking about a way to approach Tatsumaki and waiting for any sign of communication from her. Now, after exterminating those annoying beasts, he decided to go back home, take a shower, maybe find Genos or King and try to stop thinking about her a little, play some video games and just…pass the time.

The man had then returned to his apartment ready to shower but before, he wanted to text Genos and King to invite them over, but his phone just didn't want to collaborate. "Ah fuck, why is it glitchy? Must be my full storage…aaaah I should have emptied before I went out…Whatever now, I'll do it later."

Nonetheless, his brain had other plans. During the shower, a certain green haired Esper appeared in his thoughts again. "What if she tried to reach me and my fucked up phone didn't send me notifications?" He started to get annoyed and anxious about the possibility of her sending him stuff and him not answering. "I hope she didn't…I don't want her to think I rejected her…Even though I should have sent her something then….Ahhh fuck! Why is this so hard?"

It seemed like the roller coaster of feelings and thoughts just wouldn't stop. Every time it only looked like it would get even worse. Frustrated and with double the anxiety, Saitama put on a fresh set of clothes, new plans in mind. If his phone wasn't going to work, he'd go to Tatsumaki's apartment and see what he could do from then on. Yeah, that would do it. "Just please, be home."

Tatsumaki finally arrived at her destination.

Still incredulous about taking Psykos opinion as advice, the short woman floated in front of the door to Saitama's apartment. Bundled up to the neck in warm clothes, she "float carried" four insanely huge shopping bags. One of the most useful and fun things she could do with her abilities in her opinion. Saitama had mentioned once that he also found it pretty cool. Which bag had a very specific set of items she had chosen: the first had snacks, the second, clothes, the third had manga and the fourth, video games.

Ah, Saitama. She was determined, even with the red on her face that matched the red of her scarf, to do something. Anything. To break that awkwardness that had installed between them. To go back to a comfortable place, or even…Start something new. Hope bloomed in her chest. "Just please, be home."

But then.

Right as she was about to ring the doorbell, the door opened.

She almost dropped all the bags when his body collided with hers.

-BadJohn-

Sticks rattled and buttons clicked. Seated on a pillow with her legs folded, Tatsumaki bit the inside of her cheek to focus as she leaned forward, eyes wide open as a pixelated hell of bullets blossomed across the screen.

Her space-ship languished at half health. Saitama, forced into a corner, desperately swiveled and weaved as the boss spewed shot after shot.

"Dammit! I'm on my last legs!" Saitama's teeth clenched and ground as he gave it his all to stay alive. Slicing across the bottom of the screen, he laid down cover fire. "Back off! It's too powerful!"

Tatsumaki obstinately remained nose-to-nose with the massive enemy craft, refusing to cede an inch. "This big poser doesn't scare me!" Tatsumaki slammed the Y button, ushering forth a barrage of missiles. "Take that, you worm!"

Their frantic struggles seemed for naught when the enemy's health plinked down by a finger-nail, leaving six inches of imposing health-bar remaining. Tatsumaki gave a despairing huff as the enemy charged another volley, a spiral of bullets descending to crush her ship. There was too little time or space to escape.

"Not on my watch!"

In a display of selfless courage that momentarily stunned the esper, Saitama hit the jets, flying in front of her ship and deploying his shields at full power.

After an instant of resistance, his ship was blasted to smithereens. Tatsumaki was awestruck as Saitama's pixels were sent to the void, his last life depleted. She turned towards him, slightly stunned.

Then he smacked his forehead. The sound echoed through his tiny apartment, his palm leaving a red mark spreading from his brow to his forehead.

Tatsumaki doubled forward, her sides splitting with laughter. Her controller clattered to the floor as she gripped her stomach, belly laughing.

"Oi! Tatsumaki, focus!" Saitama pointed at the screen, but it was too late; the moment the pilot abdicated control of the ship, Tatsumaki's vessel was torn to pieces by the enemy boss's barrage.

Game Over.

Saitama seethed as Tatsumaki cackled at him. "It wasn't that funny. I was trying to be cool. You completely squandered my heroic sacrifice."

The esper caught her breath, wiping tears from her eyes and trying to collect herself. She managed to lift her head to look up at him. She giggled at the hand-print on his face; the red mark slowly faded away, retreating into his natural mellow skin-tone.

"Forget it. King was right; that game is so hard it's stupid." Saitama shrugged, sitting back.

"I made it to level three on my first try. I could probably beat the whole thing if I put my back into it." Tatsumaki shrugged proudly.

Saitama rolled his eyes. "Don't you mean we? You act like I didn't even help."

"Hmphf. You were an acceptable side-kick, even if you cost us the game."

"Stop rewriting history!" Saitama huffed indignantly, standing up and crossing his apartment to grab something from the refrigerator. He was parched, and Tatsumaki seemed to like melon soda, so he grabbed a bottle of water and a green can, returning to his seat. Tatsumaki laid on her back, giving a small thanks as he handed the can over.

"That was fun," Tatsumaki murmured. Levitating the can and opening it with her psychic grip, she floated a bubble of the drink out of its container, dropping it cleanly into her mouth and swallowing. She noticed Saitama staring at her. "What?"

After a moment, Saitama flatly spoke. "That's pretty cool." Tatsumaki turned away, feeling herself turn red at the random compliment. "Does that take a lot of practice?"

"Everything does. I was already pretty strong as a kid, but I learned to multitask and do precise things over time." Tatsumaki thought, before turning the question back on him. "How'd you get so tough? I've watched you fight a few times, but even when you stand around and take hits, you never seem to get hurt. You only ever say ouch when you trip."

"I did push-ups and sit-ups."

The answer was so flat and boring that Tatsumaki got annoyed. "No, really. Did you go to Spartan training camps, or train like a monk?"

"I also ran ten kilometers and did squats. After three years of training every day, my hair fell out, and I could destroy any enemy in one hit."

Tatsumaki was about to get angry, but the feeling faded after looking into his eyes for a moment. Something about his gaze told her that he wasn't lying. She'd never bothered to ask him about his life before, and he was being honest; it seemed like a good chance to find out what made him tick.

"Why'd you do all that?"

"To become a hero. I was sick of my old life, and I wanted to change myself and be the person I wanted to be as a kid. Living the way I used to…gave me a bad feeling, I guess." Saitama's gaze turned out the window, watching snow pirouette through the overcast sky outside of his apartment. "I wanted to feel alive again."

"Fighting rules," Tatsumaki offhandedly commented. "Having something to whale on really puts everything into focus. Even training by tossing around big rocks in a wide-open area can be fun."

"Yeah." Saitama smiled. "Fighting was fun."

Tatsumaki's head tilted. "Was?"

"...When I got too strong, the feeling went away. Now almost everything I do makes me feel bored."

The esper didn't often feel sympathy, but she could feel the weight of Saitama's melancholy permeating the room.

A smile came to his face, and Tatsumaki silently waited for him to continue, wondering what he'd say.

"Except stuff like this, I guess. Loafing around with you…it's not the same as fighting used to be, but it's pretty good. Sometimes, it even makes my heart race."

The statement hung in the air. Noticing that Tatsumaki was staring at him intently, he turned slightly red and looked away.

"Or something. I dunno."

Tatsumaki chortled. Sometimes, he felt like an alien mystery to be solved, but right now, she saw him clearly. He was endearingly simple.

Floating over one of her bags, she reached into it and pulled out a manga to read. Sitting in comfortable silence, the two relaxed and started reading.

"For what it's worth, your training paid off. Watching you blow away monsters does make you look sorta cool."

Saitama smirked. "Same to you. One of my neighbors told me you turned a giant octopus into a ball of takoyaki. I wish I'd been there to see it."

Tatsumaki remembered the disaster, giggling. "Flashy Flash was like bwaaaah, you stole my prey. He tries to look cool, but he's a big dummy."

The bald hero snickered. "When I first met him, he was wandering around underground. He kept turning right, so he kept going in circles without noticing."

"HAH!" Tatsumaki cackled. "What a dork."

"If you want to get on his nerves, call him Shoulder Blade Crush. He hates that."

Something seemed surreal about Fubuki's surroundings, but she couldn't put a finger on it. The club-room of the Society of the Supernatural was just as she remembered it. Members in their school uniforms filed out, the meeting adjourned and everyone eager to return home.

Fubuki had no such drive. Sitting at the head of the table, she considered what other work could be done. There was always something to accomplish. Club paperwork to go over, plans to refine, messages to send, or calls to make.

As the rest of the club filed out, one bright face remained. Fubuki could feel a pair of icy, eager eyes staring a hole in the side of her head. Psykos sat with her fingers interlocked, a wide smile on her face.

"Guess what, President Fubuki?"

Fubuki kept her flat, professional stare. "Hm?"

"I've been practicing. I can lift eight heavy bags of rice with my powers now! Impressive, right?" Psykos stood up and leaned forward.

"I noticed." Fubuki tried not to smile, but couldn't help it; her Vice President had always been like a puppy eager for a pat on the head. "You did an excellent job, subjugating the Mystic Grasp gang. Soon, you'll be able to lift and throw an entire person."

Psykos glowed at the praise, balking as Fubuki stood up. "Leaving?"

"No, I'm just getting something." Walking to the locker where she kept her book-bag, Fubuki set it on the table, rummaging through it. She had no intention of leaving so soon.

At home, she'd be under the watchful, angry eye of her sister. She'd hear no end to the complaints about other people. She'd be lambasted for surrounding herself with weak psychics and normal people.

Fubuki never admitted it, but being in the club-room, alone with Psykos, was grounding. It felt odd, being around someone like her. Someone who thought the world of her, rather than trying to hide her from it.

Pulling out a small folder, she slid it in front of Psykos. "Here. My sister does exercises with her powers to enhance their strength and versatility. I've watched her for the past few days, and I came up with a training plan for you." Psykos gasped, snatching the folder and opening it. "I scaled them down for your weaker output, but if you stick with this, you should get a lot stronger, much faster."

Beaming, Psykos flipped through the pages, nodding. "I can do this, Prez! But…what about everybody else?"

Fubuki felt something at the corner of her mind. Something she wanted to say, but couldn't.

Instead, her memories doggedly, aggravatingly followed the script. "Are they here right now?" Fubuki rolled her eyes. "The rest are cannon-fodder. You're the one I'll rule the world with."

Fubuki heard a faint beep, but ignored it. Psykos' glowing smile kept her attention.

"I won't let you down, President Fubuki!"

Darkness crept at the corners of her vision, as though she was being taken somewhere else.

The beeping sound grew louder, until it was all she could hear. The last thing she saw was Psykos mouthing the words I love you, standing up and moving forward to a hug.

Fubuki remembered exactly what would happen next; the dream had played out countless times.

Instead of hugging her only, beloved friend, she stepped back and put a hand on Psykos' face, smudging her glasses and mushing them into her brow. Psykos stood there, dejected with her arms folded.

Fubuki snapped awake, the dream ending as her doorbell rang. She'd fallen asleep at her desk. Looking around, she stumbled out of her chair as she regained her bearings.

Psykos was dead asleep on the couch, muttering to herself in her slumber.

The doorbell rang again. Fubuki quickly rushed to the bathroom to make herself presentable. Running a comb through her hair, splashing water on her face, and fixing her lipstick, she straightened her posture and marched to the door, opening it. The first thing that greeted her was a rush of cold air; she wished she'd thought to get her coat. Psykos stirred slightly as the wind passed through the living room, lowering the temperature of the Psychic Sisters' home.

She only saw her faithful and fashionable underling, Eyelashes. "Sorry for the intrusion, boss, but this guy wanted to talk to you."

Fubuki had no idea what guy Eyelashes meant, before noticing the wall of muscle and fabric behind him. Fubuki looked up, and past the seven-foot mark, the eager face of Tanktop Master looked down at her.

"Blizzard of Hell!" Tanktop Master's voice boomed; it was like being shouted at by a happy giant; heroes, particularly the burly ones, never did have inside voices.

"What the fuck,"Psykos was jarred awake by Tanktop Master's greeting, yanking herself behind the couch in a startled panic.

"Ah. Sorry." Tanktop Master cleared his throat, then lowered his voice. "I didn't know your address, so I asked your ally to lead me here. Sorry to trouble you and your guest." Fubuki was still a bit gobsmacked to have him as a visitor.

"Want to come inside?"

"No thank you; this won't take long. After what happened during the raid, I thought it was only right that I bring you and your sister some gifts in person. Tornado of Terror bore a great burden during the battle, and you personally saved my life." Tanktop Master pulled a backpack off of his tremendous shoulders, opening it and holding it out.

I bet it's a tanktop.

"I've brought you a package of premium chicken…"

Wow. It's not a-

"And a twelve pack of tanktops, sized to you and your sister's specifications."

Huh. Well, I was half right.

"Protein is an excellent source of growth, both for the muscles and the mind. And when coupled with the versatility of the tanktop, you can push that power to its absolute limits." Tanktop Master grinned broadly. "I wish you, your sister, and your guest over there a Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Tanktop Master. Thank you." Fubuki took his gifts. She was slightly baffled by the presentation, but it was a kind gesture.

Tanktop Master patted Eyelashes on the back, nearly doubling him over. With that, he tromped away, his heavy footfalls echoing.

Waiting for him to round the corner, Eyelashes leaned in and muttered. "Even in the snow, that guy doesn't wear a coat. He walked here in a just a tanktop." Eyelashes rubbed the back of his neck. "What kinda crazy vitality does it take to march around in a tanktop in this sort of weather?"

Fubuki shrugged. The S-Classers were always ones to defy logic. "Thanks for going so far out of your way, Eyelashes."

"No problem, boss." Eyelashes gave a casual salute. "Merry Christmas." Hooking his thumbs on his coat pockets, he walked away and out into the snow. Fubuki gave him a wave before shutting the door.

When she turned, she was surprised to see Psykos standing a few feet behind her. Psykos looked past Fubuki, nervous to meet her gaze.

"...I'll cook, if you want," Psykos murmured.

"Oh. Sure."

Psykos took the package of chicken and started towards the kitchen as Fubuki set Tanktop Master's artisan tanktops on the table.

"...That lummox is friendlier than I figured he'd be. Last time we met, he was flinging boulders at me."

Fubuki was pleasantly surprised to hear Psykos making conversation. The two hadn't shared a long chat since she'd awoken. Before she could respond, Psykos seized the gap in the discussion, continuing.

"And your underling is pretty loyal. Coming out in such cold weather just to give directions." As Psykos retrieved pots and pans, clattering about as she prepared the stove for cooking, Fubuki listened from just outside the kitchen. "And even Tatsumaki isn't nearly as brutal and scary as she used to be."

Fubuki could tell there was something unspoken, but she couldn't be sure without peering into Psykos' mind; something she was reluctant to do without explicit permission.

"Being a hero tends to do that. It's hard not to pick up people-skills when you spend your life saving others." Fubuki crept closer as Psykos turned on the stove, tossing a cube of butter into the pan and letting it melt, guiding it about with a rubber spatula. Walking to the fridge, she fetched an armful of vegetables.

A carrot fell, and Fubuki caught it with her telekinetic grip before it could thump to the floor. Psykos grasped it and took it to the cutting board.

"Thanks." There was a pregnant pause, as both espers considered what to say next. Fubuki ruminated, searching for something nice to say, but Psykos was faster, breaking the silence as she chopped garlic. "You really surround yourself with reliable people nowadays. Good people. I guess I like that for you."

"Thank you." Fubuki nodded, stepping closer. As clunky as she thought it was, she tried to guide the conversation somewhere meaningful. "You were always one of those people."

Psykos gave a short, bitter laugh. "Even when I was the greatest terror of the earth, firing lasers at your sister? Please. You and I both know you'd be better off with me in jail."

"That's not true." Fubuki's voice was firm and blunt. Psykos turned her attention back to chopping vegetables. "...I made mistakes."

"No, no. You made the right call. You might as well own it. I was trying to end humanity, after all. I wasn't exactly a praiseworthy underling anymore."

Fubuki remembered how Psykos used to be. Wide-eyed, excited, loyal, always looking for praise. She could see an echo of that young woman on her face, however faint.

"Forget humanity. You were unwell, and what I did was…"

The discussion trailed off. Psykos took great care not to look Fubuki's way as she dumped her chopped vegetables into the pan.

"I wasn't a good person back then, and we both know it." Fubuki stepped forward. She saw Psykos stiffen a bit, so she remained where she was. "I didn't know how to be good to people, like you were to me. I should have treated you better, even before sealing your powers."

A tear sizzled against the hot handle of the cast-iron pan as Psykos stirred it. Psykos wiped her face, offhandedly muttering "Damn onions" as an excuse.

Now that she'd started, Fubuki didn't mean to stop. "You deserved better, and I've learned to be better, and I'll treat you better, if you'll let me." It wasn't Christmas Morning yet, but now seemed as good a time as any. Reaching out a hand, she opened a closet door in the living room, levitating a box to her hand. Psykos could feel the minuscule exertion of Fubuki's powers, turning to see what she was doing.

A blue box with a golden ribbon. Fubuki held it forward. She could see Psykos' eyes were wet and teary, fixed on the present.

Psykos took it, briskly tearing the paper open to reveal a felt box. Opening it, Psykos found a pair of golden, eye-shaped earrings, and a set of rounded glasses with gold frames.

Psykos sat down at the kitchen table, slightly dumbstruck as she appraised them. Fubuki brushed past her, taking over cooking so the vegetables wouldn't burn in the pan.

Without a word, Psykos put them on. Fubuki looked back at her from the stove. "They look nice on you."

Adding the chicken to the pan, Fubuki let it cook as she walked to the kitchen table, standing over Psykos. She placed a hand on her shoulder, rubbing it lightly.

"Good job."

"F-For what?"

"You've been talking to my sister. I'm glad you're socializing with her. And you didn't shoot a laser at Tanktop Master."

"That's a pretty low bar, President Fubuki."

"Progress is progress. Anything you do well deserves praise." Fubuki smiled. "After all, you're the one I'll rule the world with."

Still seated, Psykos wound her arms around Fubuki's waist in a tight hug. Hugging back, Fubuki comforted her former Vice President.

"T-Thank you for letting me live here." Psykos looked up. Without thinking, Fubuki leaned in, giving her a light peck on the forehead. Her face flushing, Psykos buried it in Fubuki's side, tightening the embrace.

"...Where'd you learn how to cook, Psykos?"

"I robbed a library. There were cookbooks."

Fubuki seethed slightly through her teeth. …It's going to take work to help her live normally, but I'm just glad she's here. She patted Psykos lightly on the head. "You haven't robbed anyone lately, so good job, Vice President."

"...Stop lowering the bar, President."

"Want to try on a tanktop?"

"Sure."

As she added the chicken to the pan, Fubuki dryly swallowed. She could hear Psykos behind her, nervously rapping her heel against the floor. Fubuki had indeed surrounded herself with brave people. Tatsumaki, who was willing to rise to any challenge. Her group, who doggedly followed their belief in their leader. Tanktop Master, who improved himself boldly, even if he wasn't totally understood.

Saitama, who spoke his mind above all else, even if it was ill advised.

Summoning their example, Fubuki turned to look over her shoulder at Psykos and spoke.

I won't lose my nerve. It will take a long time to prove it through actions, but for now, need to just say it.

"I love you, Vice President."

Psykos stopped tapping her foot. As their eyes met, she froze with shock, her chair squeaking against the linoleum floor. Her eyes wide and her mouth slightly ajar, Psykos turned away to process what Fubuki had just told her.

Marinating in the brief silence that fell over the room,Fubuki was dismayed that Psykos didn't reply. Perhaps it had been too soon.

However, she felt Psykos' powers weakly stir as the blue-haired esper activated her telepathy. Fubuki felt Psykos' voice in the back of her mind. It was quiet, but clear enough to be unmistakable.

'I love you too.'

Fubuki turned her attention back to cooking. Psykos was too embarrassed to say it, but telepathy was good enough for her; Fubuki's heart leapt with delight at having her feelings returned.

Frantically changing the subject, Psykos cleared her throat and spoke. "A-A tanktop is a dumb gift for Christmas. It's too seasonal. I'll get you a much better gift." Psykos rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly.

Fubuki gave her a light, supportive "Mmhmm"."I didn't say it before, but…M-Merry Christmas, President."

"Merry Christmas, Psykos."

-El Cato-

December 24th, Christmas Eve.

Alone, in the vast mountain of City Z. The freezing air and snow covered the mountain whole. The only landscape that survived Tatsumaki's onslaught so long ago.

He was at its peak.

Wondering, he held no expression, half shut eyes. With only a T-shirt and pants. The cold could never harm him, nothing this universe could offer could physically harm him.

So the universe opted to attack his ability to feel… or at least that's what he'd say if he blamed the universe at all.

No, even before becoming a hero, he had always been a quite child, always been mute in some way and rarely ever talked. As a child, he hardly felt anything for anyone, with the exception of his parents that is.

He wasn't emotionless, simply stoic, not always, but how he is now is how he was then.

He could hardly recall anything past his twelfth birthday. Life just sped by fast, and without warning he had lived most of his life without accomplishing anything.

The only days he could always remember however, loathe him to admit - was Christmas.

He didn't know when they did so, but his parents let it slip that Santa didn't exist… what assholes… and the very few joyous experiences he could remember, even past his twelve years - gone.

He felt nothing, like he had always done.

His worst years were when he started his training regime to become a hero. For the first year, he held the greatest high in the world, but it'd plummet when December came along.

It was a reminder that no one would wait for him home. Not his parents, not a girlfriend, not a friend… anyone.

Alone.

By his second year, the fire that lit him ablaze was now smoldering cinders.

He recalled a singular moment that happened that year, on late Christmas Eve, on a certain pop-star that he liked seeing on TV. On a massive jumbotron that showed her dancing her heart out.

She waved to the side of the stage after her final song concluded. A handsome young man popped out of the side sheepishly walking towards the idol.

She grabbed him and introduced him to the world as her boyfriend.

He wasn't in love with the idol or anything, and he expected and suspected that she did in fact have a boyfriend long before he became a fan.

What made his fire die out was the fact that seeing her on stage with someone she cherished reminded him that when he went home, he'd be alone.

Again.

He stayed the entire Christmas Eve and Day alone in his dinky apartment. With no money, very little food, regardless of bargains and sales. The lights in his district went out for a whole two days.

Alone, and in the dark, with no one waiting for him.

He still remembered the day he saved Genos, his stoic, eccentric disciple. To think he'd almost shut the doors on the kid after saving him from a fly monster? Mosquito!

He was glad that he didn't, he wouldn't have been his best friend. Met Bang, King, Fubuki.

… and her…

He opened his eyes and let out a content sigh, the heat escaped him and gently covered his vision.

Tatsumaki.

The elder brat that belittled his bald head, destroyed his home, and challenged him to a fight afterwards that could've and would've leveled the whole city if she fought anyone but him.

For all intents and purposes, he should have disliked her.

He wasn't immune to having dislikes, there were things he genuinely didn't like. Her personality was something that he wasn't sure he'd ever expect to be fond of. And for most, her stature would leave much to be desired.

He never really felt anything towards her when they first met, other than some cheeky banter and insults, nothing.

When he met her, he confused her for a child. Didn't help that there was a kid as a hero during that whole group meeting.

He was corrected pretty much the next time they spoke… which she hurled insults at him and turned Genos into modern art.

He forgot about her after that, even when her more annoying younger sister wanted to use his power to bypass B-Class and A-Class.

She destroyed his home during the war with the monster league or something… forgot what they called themselves.

Then she fought him, and practically flipped A-City in its head. The earth unraveled around her, the world was her oyster.

She could accomplish anything with just a mere thought.

She was, and still is, the strongest person he's ever met.

He knows that she has the same opinion when it comes to his strength.

Just by the simple virtue of containing her power, he had impressed her.

And from that moment forward…

Everything changed.

She forced herself into his life, into his friend circle. She was just as pushy as Genos was, but unlike his best friend, she didn't take no for an answer.

She always found a way to bribe him… it just so happens that she offered things that he desperately needed at the time.

Like she always knew what he needed, in hindsight, when it came to simple things - she could read him like a book.

When he eyed a potentially tasty cheap drink in a vending machine? She got it for him. Even if it tasted terrible afterwards. (Why was it always the cheap drinks that tasted horrible?)

When he would lounge about in his free days, she'd appear in his home. She picked up on the fact that he would play two player games, she played with him when King was away. (Genos didn't have much interest in playing video games.)

He chuckled when the memory of playing Mario Party together flashed in his mind… they were both pretty bad at the game, but even then, she always managed to snag a higher placement than he did.

Who would've thought such a fun looking game can be super competitive? He wasn't proud to admit he'd raged at that game, but then again, so did Tatsumaki, though infrequently.

Their sparring matches, her trying to 'make him' a better hero, place him higher. Each time they sparred, it became less destructive, and more dynamic.

With so much elegance and grace, she wore a smile on her face, coupled with her laughs of pure excitement.

At some point, seeing her smile, hearing her laughs… it made him smile too.

She used practically whatever excuse she could think of to hang out with him more. It became less about 'tests' and more about him.

He couldn't explain it, she simply had a way to rile him up. Whether it was witty banter, genuine interest in the things he was doing, or when she would order food for the both of them, watching a movie, playing random card games, all the sort.

Like the time they went to a steep hill and stargazed, she confided in him about her day and tiny tidbits of her past. He did the same out of courtesy, though most of his life was pretty bland and boring.

So many things. He was glad she shoehorned her way into his business. Constantly looked for him and dragged him to do whatever she felt like doing in the moment. He originally found it annoying, then endearing. Then he found himself wanting to see her more often, and at some point looked forward to her 'tests'. And she always arrived not long after, he took these chances to learn more about her.

The time he spent with her made him feel…

Alive.

He'll admit to himself that it took way longer to realize that she found interest in him.

He didn't know how to explain the emotions he felt regarding that, only that his entire body burned up at the thought. It made him feel… special.

For the features she had, expressed, once upon a time he felt nothing… Now, he found himself in a predicament.

He desired her.

Compelled to gaze at her beauty. Her bouncy hair, her creamy complexion, her height made her look absolutely adorable, her gorgeous doll face, her wide hips and legs that she flaunts.

It became a struggle to look away. He never once cared about the outward beauty of the opposite sex. But after so much time, he found himself attracted to her in every way. From head to toe, he was captivated.

She could be quirky when she wanted to be, she was mouthy and bratty. But there was that softness in her that appeared every once in a blue moon, then he could see her for who she was.

She made him feel…

Alive.

He shook his head, let out a sigh, in which the heat turned into cold vapor that clouded his vision momentarily.

Was it worth it? For someone like her to have interest in someone like him?

He knew he was bland, he knew he had very few redeeming features, he was bald. He recalls telling Genos once he stopped looking for a girlfriend because of his bald head.

For someone like her, wanted by almost all across the globe. She, who was virtually perfect in every way… found interest in him?

Bizarre, and close to a fairy tale. It felt too good to be true, he found himself unable to believe it. Like a dream that hasn't ended yet. And he didn't want to wake up.

He was selfish, he wanted more of what she made him feel. Whatever she made him feel… he wanted all of it. Was it bad for him to feel this way?

She hasn't been acting as herself this entire month. He didn't know the whole reason, but he could guess. And seeing how he managed to inadvertently strike a nerve, he had an idea on what it was.

Still…

He didn't want to see her like this.

Christmas was not something he enjoyed himself. Time alone, the loneliness that came with it… he wouldn't wish it on his worst enemy.

Standing at the highest mountain peak of City Z, an idea popped into his mind.

He didn't know exactly what he was going to do, or what he was looking for, or if it was something physical at all.

But he vowed he'd make the best of this day for her.

A massive gust of wind picked up chunks of snow and enveloped his form whole. When the winds subsided, he was no longer at the peak.

He'd vanish to his next goal.

To make this the best day, for the lady that gave his heart life.

"So Master, anything you have in mind?"

"No."

He knew that he wanted to give Tatsumaki something, again, but wasn't sure if it was a physical thing, though he honestly assumed it would be.

After leaving the snowy peak, and asking for Genos' help (much to his cyborg friends' displeasure), he found himself humming in frustration on what he wanted to give Tatsumaki.

She was literally the wealthiest hero in the world, second only to the mask dude. 'Not really sure what happened to that guy,' he thought.

What could you possibly give to someone that could literally buy anything? What could he offer to her that no one else in the world could give her? He was broke, bald, and not that intelligent.

He was getting nervous, not because he was running out of time (though that was certainly something that was currently happening), but because he had never been good at picking out anything. Sales and bargains were one thing, giving something that's supposed to have meaning was completely different in scale.

He was conflicted, and Genos wasn't much help either. Not that it was his fault, his friend just didn't comprehend the more complex aspects of love and the meaning behind it.

His advice regarding expensive gifts was probably not the way to go for someone like Tatsumaki (who again, could buy anything she wants at any time).

Plus, it was expensive.

He resigned himself to looking around once more. Maybe he'd find something that he'd like… or she would.

'Bah… this is hard.' He wished he knew where to even start.

Of course, he didn't mind having to go past his budget to get her something. If he had to, he'd spend more than he needed (even if it pained his soul).

"Master! What about this?" he jolted out of his own mental thoughts. He turned to see what Genos was pointing at and held back the biggest cringe induced face warp he'd ever do.

A David Yurman, "The Crossover" Collection Cuff, 18k Yellow Gold, 5mm that's worth 193,000 yen. There was no-

LOW PRICE?

THE HELL DO YOU MEAN LOW PRICE?

'That is the biggest price gouging fraud I ever seen, there is no way-'

"Master, it says right here that its price has been marked down to over 50%. I think this is the textbook definition of 'a steal' according to your teachings."

"Uh-huh." Saitama heard him, he simply walked towards Genos and item. He looked at the price tag and visibly cringed, no longer being able to hold it.

Then something caught his eye.

He started inspecting the price tag and found that it had been hastily inserted. He flicked the tag right off with his nail and found that beneath the priced down tag was slid onto the original tag.

"Guh!" Genos exclaimed. "But that's-"

"Huh, guess I was right."

The original price of the expensive bracelet was the same as the 50% off one.

Genos' eyes gazed deep into the store, probably leering at the owner from where he was at.

He perked up to watch the older man sweating bullets. Humming to himself, Saitama placed his hand on Genos' shoulder, startling his cyborg friend.

"Let's go, Genos."

"But Master-"

He shook his head and turned his gaze at the old man once more. "Let's just go."

Genos hesitantly nodded, giving the owner one last glare before catching up to Saitama.

He turned his head to give one final look at the expensive bracelet.

If he were being honest, it wasn't a bad gift, even if the price was pretty outrageous. He just didn't think she'd appreciate it.

"You know master," Genos started, Saitama nodded his head to let Genos know he was listening. "From my research, studies suggest that an individual's significant other isn't really picky in regards to gifts. Just the thought of gifting is what counts."

He nodded, though he gave Genos an odd look at how he worded his advice. "Tats and I…"

"Yes, I am aware."

He huffed, what they had was odd. He honestly didn't know, he's assumed for a while that they're an item… but she has never once directly mentioned or pointed that out as a fact. It feels like they've been dancing around it.

They could truly be an item, he just has to ask. Communication was key to everything.

But that left him with another issue.

"I don't know what to get her, Genos." he admitted. "I don't know what she could want… I don't think she wants anything, she could just get it herself." He sighed, Genos was staring at him intently. "But if all that matters is the thought of gifting…" he continued. "Then again, she hates Christmas," he groaned.

Genos hummed audibly, enough for Saitama to turn to face him. "Master, I believe you may be overthinking things. It is my understanding that Christmas is about reflection and giving thanks to those you hold dear."

A loud sigh escaped his mouth. He knew that, and Genos was probably right. This was far more complicated than he'd thought it'd be.

And to think he felt so cool on the mountain top planning a gift for Tatsumaki. Snapped back to reality, and now he feels like a complete loser.

He sighed and kicked the smooth ceramic floor tile. There was no real point in asking, but… "What do you think I should get her?"

His friend whirred mechanically, probably processing thousands of potential answers. "I would refrain from adding my input master… you know I am still… not that fond of Tornado."

He couldn't help but chuckle. Genos probably compiled a bunch of stuff that would appear on a Looney Tunes episode.

It was also a gift that he wanted to give her. Though, there was nothing wrong with hearing out someone's insight on the matter.

"Master," Genos spoke up. Saitama slowly turned his head to his friend. "If I may ask, what does Tornado mean to you?"

Haah?

He knew a question like that was bound to happen. He knew his friend was very protective and, surprisingly, very good at gatekeeping him from other people.

He always assumed it was because he didn't want anyone else to know his 'secret' to infinite strength. It's why he was so opposed to Tatsumaki joining his friend group, and later becoming someone that he values just as much as his best friend. He was always looking out for him after all. Even if some of his actions can be incredibly eccentric and unfounded.

No, he wasn't surprised Genos asked him the inevitable question.

He was surprised that Genos had asked him now.

His heart stopped, and he felt the world around collapse in on itself.

Like staring at an infinite space, stars and planets alike. He felt like he had been placed in a trance.

He'd given it plenty of thought in his own mind. But he had never voiced it out loud… at least, not with anyone.

"Tats…" he paused.

His experience with love was practically zero. He didn't know a single thing about it.

And, for a long, long time, he had resigned himself to die alone.

It's what most people would expect of someone that showed no outward emotion, no shock, no excitement, no nothing.

People would probably claim any person he'd ever date would eventually leave him out of frustration (some online troll said that about him… how brutal!). Whether it was because he would never be able to connect with someone, or he would try and fail.

He closed his eyes, "she means…"

He knew deep down that person's comment, even if they knew nothing about him - had merit.

Tatsumaki shattered all belief of that ever being a possibility.

She was brash and bratty, but she was patient with him. Whether it was intentional or not, she still stuck by him. Genuinely learned about him, and bonded with him so that he couldn't help but reciprocate.

She taught him how to love again.

And…

He wasn't afraid to say it.

"Everything."

He let out one final sigh, and flashed his friend the biggest smile he could give. He hugged his metallic friend and patted him on the back.

Genos' eyes widened in surprise, clearly not expecting it.

"Thank you Genos," he said. He let go of his friend, and simply walked forward.

He knew now what he must do.

-GarouxEiko-

Tatsumaki had never liked Christmas. Not even as a child. Not even before being unceremoniously sold to the research facility.

It seemed ridiculous. The lie of Santa was completely facile and all the other children were simply stupid for believing it. A jolly fat man who delivered presents to all the children of the world? Give her a damn break.

But as she lay in bed that late Christmas Eve morning, a frown creeping up on her as she mulled over the absurdity of Santa Claus, she knew, if she was very, very honest with herself, that that wasn't the issue. The fat man was not the issue.

The issue with Christmas was that it was a 'family' holiday. And she had no family besides Fubuki.

And that was fine.

It's not like it mattered.

It's not like her parents had cared for her or were able to protect her. But it grated on her nerves. The sickly saccharine imagery of Christmas that she could never get away from. Ads on television, billboards, magazines, newspapers, flashing banners on websites…All depicting happy families, happy children, smiles beaming idiotically as they all expressed their love for each other with conspicuously expensive gifts.

Happy families, happy children…

She scowled and turned over, burying her face into her thick, feather-stuffed pillow. It was almost midday but she just did not feel like getting up. The Hero Association seemed to think that she wanted some time off around this stupid holiday and they could not have been more wrong. There was nothing she would rather be doing now than pulverizing a monster or two. But instead, here she was, in bed with nothing to do.

With Fubuki and Psykos getting ever closer she couldn't help but feel like more and more of a third wheel. She was, if not happy, mildly content for Fubuki and her rekindled friendship with the criminal esper. Friendship…or whatever it was blooming into. No, truly. Nothing put her heart at ease like Fubuki's happiness, but this Christmas was shaping up to feel as the worst in a long while.

She lay in bed, cocooned under her thick, feather down blanket, and thought as snow drifted outside, happy and lazy snowflakes passing by her window like friendly visitors.

The idea of hanging out with Saitama had crossed her mind. And then crossed it again. And then again and again. But she'd pushed the thought away with a figurative shove of embarrassment and frustration.

Every time the thought showed up she'd tell it exactly where it could go and reason with herself as to why this would be a bad idea.

Firstly, Saitama already had Genos and King who he'd probably want to spend Christmas with. Secondly, it would make her look desperate. It would clearly show him that she was so pathetic she had no one to spend Christmas with. Christmas of all things, for God's sake! And thirdly…Thirdly, she had no idea what to get him as a gift.

Well, no. Scratch that. She had a million ideas. And yet none of them seemed right.

Her cheeks blossomed a delicate pink, then hearty red as she dove under the blanket, hands slapping against those same cheeks.

"Stupid!" She reprimanded herself. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

Getting each other gifts was more of a couple thing, wasn't it? And they weren't a couple…were they? Just two people hanging out. Nothing more and nothing less.

"Stupid!" She fumed, the fabric of her duvet cover twisting hot in her hand.

Deny it all she could, but the truth was that she'd been thinking of Saitama's Christmas present for weeks. Every time they went out, she'd find herself making a little mental note of things he liked (hot cocoa, warm scarves, manga with a particularly gauche humor, old comedies, discount chocolate) and he did not like (diagonal rain, pickles, waiting too long at a traffic light, political thrillers).

She would never admit to herself that she was making these little notes, told herself that these were merely observations she couldn't not make. But every time she got home and crawled into bed, she'd fantasize about the new perfect gift she'd hand him on Christmas morning, about the look in his eyes, suddenly bright with excitement… Because she didn't see enough of it.

His excitement came in flickers and short bursts, never long enough for her. Never long enough for her to capture it in her memory, a little something to treasure and store like a precious photograph.

Every little flicker of life in his eyes sent a tiny jolt through her. It was the feeling that it was her, it was her causing it. Maybe not directly, but it was happening in her presence.

The feeling of being the cause of someone's happiness was new and novel and thrilling.

She had saved countless lives in her career as a hero and many people were thankful to her, cried with gratitude, overjoyed. But that was precisely because she had saved their lives. Because she had saved them from certain and painful death. It was only expected that they'd react like that.

And her sister…no matter how much she tried, she only seemed to inspire frustration and competition in Fubuki, though that seemed to be slowly changing lately. Nevertheless, the rare spark of excitement in Saitama's eyes when they spent time together was…indescribable. An indescribable rush.

The feeling of being the source of someone's happiness…

She hadn't even noticed as she lay curled up in a ball under her blanket, eyes closed, dozing off again, as the softest, warmest smile found its way onto her pretty mouth, her hands, clasped one over the other as if she clutched something precious, invisible close to her heart.

The street was bustling as well as hustling in every sense of the word as Saitama and Genos made their way back outside.

"There are many people out today," Genos observed as they weaved carefully down the packed shopping district street.

"Yeah, well," Saitama shrugged, unable to conceal a smile as he stuck his hands in his pockets, "everyone's doing their last minute Christmas shopping, I guess."

"Which store do you need to get to, sensei?" Genos inquired as he slipped gracefully past people carrying inhuman amounts of shopping bags. "Please tell me and I can calculate the shortest route there for you," he offered as he brought the electronic map up in his vision.

"No need," Saitama replied, grateful for Genos' offer nonetheless.

"But I thought you said…" Genos trailed off, embarrassed. Had he misinterpreted a social cue again? By the way Saitama had thanked him a couple of minutes earlier, he was sure, after analyzing several different outcomes and possibilities, that this meant that Saitama-sensei knew what he wanted to acquire for the Terrible Tornado, but he must have been mistaken. He still had so much to learn.

"Oh, yeah," the corner of Saitama's mouth lifted ever so slightly. "I know what I'm gonna get her. But it's not from a store."

This answer perplexed Genos and he found himself deep in thought. So deep that he almost crashed into the person in front of him and would have if Saitama didn't pull him back by his fashionable jacket.

The crowd had thickened here and the pair found themselves with no option but to just wait a few moments for the bottleneck to naturally dissipate.

"Master, if you would like, I can direct these people out of your way and-"

"No need, Genos," Saitama held up his hand, amused as always by his disciple's eagerness to make the world an easier place for him.

Usually, he'd want people to notice him, praise him, but he was not wearing his hero suit and this wasn't work. That kind of attention would just be embarrassing right now. And so they stood in the crisp December air, a weak but jolly winter sun appearing from behind wispy white clouds above.

Saitama was about to let himself slip into thoughts of a certain green haired young woman when Genos had something to say again.

"Saitama-sensei!" His usual matter-of-fact voice was suddenly indignant.

"Huh?" Saitama turned toward the cyborg who was staring past him and at the other side of the street, slightly less busy than their own.

"That is the Hero Hunter! I am sure of it!" Genos' eyes narrowed, glowed a little more furiously. "Would you like me to apprehend him?"

Saitama's amusement peaked as he too turned towards the other side of the street, following Genos' gaze. And sure enough, the little punk was right there. Saitama barely recognised him with the new, shorter haircut, but if he jogged his memory real hard, that was definitely Garou.

He watched for a moment, the whole thing incredulously hilarious, as a red-headed girl in a winter coat grabbed the former Hero Hunter's hand and pulled him along the street, a cup of hot chocolate in her other hand as she talked and laughed, completely oblivious to Garou's completely overwhelmed expression.

There was something adorably stupid about seeing the guy who was so keen to play monster and take over the world or whatever, the only one besides Tatsumaki who Saitama would acquiesce to call "sorta strong", completely in over his head when faced with someone of the opposite sex. He looked terrified, but in a most happy way. Lost, bewildered, mouth firmly shut as he let the girl chatter away, but also…happy.

"I will apprehend-" Genos' hands balled into fists.

"Leave it," Saitama interjected. "He's no threat to anyone anymore."

"But-" Genos was insistent. He remembered everything and found forgiveness hard to come by even in this holiday season.

"No," Saitama's voice was gentle but firm.

It was over. Everything was over. Everything's well that ends well and all that. There was no point to mess up some kid's life over one mistake.

The crowd had started moving again. He shot Garou and his newfound companion one last look. The former monster-wannabe was trying so hard to look imposing, regain that hard look in his eyes, but then the girl would giggle and move her hand to his shoulder, and he'd completely lose it again.

It reminded Saitama of what seemed like a lifetime ago. When he himself was at that age. Also bewildered by girls. He had never been able to strike up a normal conversation with one and it would bother him to no end. But then, without realizing, he'd stopped caring.

Funny how that had happened. It used to be such a source of frustration to him and then…nothing.

Well, at least this kid gave up the monster stuff and got a normal hobby. Good for him.

Everyone deserved a chance to be happy.

Didn't they?

He had been mulling and obsessing over Genos' earlier question so much that he barely noticed that he had led the way towards Tatsumaki's apartment and they were just a little over one block away.

He knew what he wanted to do, but it was going to be real awkward with Genos around. For himself, for Tatsumaki, for Genos… basically, for everyone.

Technically, Christmas was tomorrow, but Saitama found he wouldn't be able to wait that long. Not that the idea had presented itself to him now.

"Genos," Saitama's expression suddenly took on an air of martial seriousness. "I have a mission for you."

"Yes, sensei!" His self-proclaimed subordinate snapped to attention.

"The supermarket near the cinema," Saitama's eyes continued to blaze with that same seriousness.

"Yes, sensei!" Genos stood at rigid attention.

"There's a sale on…um…" the facade dropped for a fraction of a moment as he racked his brain, but in his eagerness, Genos remained oblivious to this. "On…leeks…yeah! Leeks! There's a sale on leeks there today! And instant ramen! I need you to-"

"I understand!" Genos had almost been ready to salute, anticipating Saitama's every need. "I will purchase the necessary produce!"

"Good," Saitama nodded. "I'm counting on you." there was an air of gravity in his voice.

"I will not let you down!" Genos nodded in return, turned, and began to sprint down the street.

Saitama shook his head, unable to hold back a chuckle. Genos was so easy to read.

And now all that was left was to make it to her front door.

Tatsumaki found herself as if wrapped in a soft, pink cloud. The most relaxing sleep she had had in…who knows how long?

But now, something was breaking through that cloud, loud as thunder.

She tried to hold on to it, grasp it in her hands, but consciousness was intruding without her permission and she found herself slipping out of the lovely haze and back into reality.

It took her a moment to realize the loud sound was knocking at her front door.

Her little vintage alarm clock told her it was barely 2 pm and she found herself confused by the knocking. Fubuki had her own key and she wasn't expecting anyone else-

Unless!

She tore her covers off and began to race towards the front door when she suddenly stopped, looking down at her small body still in her pajamas.

The knocking continued.

AHH! She found herself swearing under her breath as she ran back to her room to throw on her favorite sweater and quickly pull her hair into a messy ponytail.

If this was just the courier guy or something she was going to be pissed, she thought as she flung the door open, scowl at the ready.

She was sure of it now. It would just be a courier or a neighbor or something. The scowl deepend.

But instead, she found herself face to face, or rather face to chest, with Saitama.

He had rehearsed the moment over and over as he had walked briskly towards her building, but now that it was here…

"Merry Christmas," was all he said.

And before she could figure out, read, and analyze the tone of his voice, Tatsumaki found herself pulled against him, pressed against the cheap nylon of his jacket, her cheek against his ribcage, against his beating heart, his arms around her tiny frame.

She was stunned. She stood completely still in this kind embrace, not daring to move until her fingers betrayed her and began to curl lightly around his jacket, gripping at the fabric like she never wanted to let go.

She had no time to prepare, no time to put up a defense. And whatever defenses she may have had in place, he had slipped completely past them. He had caught her completely off-guard.

She should have been mad, absolutely livid.

But she closed her eyes, her cheek against him, fingers curling a little more, grasping at him.

"Saitama…" A barely audible whisper on her lips.

-GuyWithTheCats-

"Tats…" he whispered back, pulling the chilly girl closer, tighter, further into his warmth.

The two remained interlocked for a time, eyes closed, neither saying a word as they enjoyed the seldom-felt comfort of such closeness and vulnerability.

After a minute of peaceful darkness, Saitama opened his eyes, looking down at the small woman as he pulled away just enough for their eyes to meet.

"I…I needed this. I NEED this…I need YOU…" he avowed, his cheeks beginning to glow a light red. "I'm…sorry if this is abrupt, o-or stupid, but…I just have to tell you that…you…"

Saitama paused, taking a moment to breathe in and exhale. His nerves were alight, running wild as the emotions, thoughts, and feelings he had held onto for so long erupted in a hail of trepidatious passion.

Tatsumaki could see the tension in his eyes. She could feel how he twitched nervously and shook with anticipation, watching his lips struggle to keep up with his racing thoughts. The ESPer remained quiet, allowing the man time to gain his bearings and find his voice, all the while struggling to contain her own racing heart and mind.

"Tats," he finally said, his breathing steady and eyes glimmering with determination, "for the longest time, I've felt…almost nothing. Genos, King: they're my closest friends, and they mean so much to me. Fighting, saving people: that'll always be my passion. Still, everything just feels so…jaded…"

He moved his hands from Tatsumaki's back to gently cup her face, and she placed her hands atop his, leaning into his touch.

"But ever since you and I started…whatever THIS is," he puffed out a small laugh, "things have felt different. That horrible numbness is-it's fading! I feel like I can actually smile; like I can actually laugh! I've been…sad, happy, worried, relaxed…Tats, for the first time in a long time, I feel ALIVE…and that's because of you."

Saitama leaned down and touched his forehead to hers, making sure their eyes were locked before he finished by saying,

"Tats, I…I love you."

Their faces close, their eyes locked, and his words fresh in her mind, Tatsumaki felt as if her heart might jump out of her chest. She felt a few tears of elation spill from her eyes and down her face, cheeks and ears hot and cherry-red. Tatsumaki couldn't help but let out a sigh of ecstasy and relief; the words had been floating around her head for a long while, begging to be released so they could make their way to him, but the key that was confidence had eluded her.

Now out in the open, the ESPer claimed Saitama's words as her own and through, shaky, strained breaths, she managed simply,

"I-I love you, too."

Saitama stared at the woman in disbelief.

"You're shitting me."

Tatsumaki let out a puff of laughter through her tears, pulled Saitama close, and planted her lips firmly on his.

It wasn't like in the stories; there weren't fireworks or stars, nor did either feel their world disappear around them. That wasn't what they were after, anyway.

Instead, it was warm, comforting: an easing calm on their frantic minds and nerves. They held the connection for some seconds, then parted to take in some calming breaths, before merging once again.

Saitama held his hands tenderly, but firmly, at Tatsumaki's side and back, pulling her closer as he grew more desperate for her taste. Tatsumaki returned the gesture, clawing her hands into the back of his jacket and into his shoulder, pulling herself up to meet him as she stood on her toes.

As they kissed, a war waged between them as they struggled for dominance, both pulling away and diving back in, fighting to be the pressing force in the osculation.

"Fuck, you're -mhmm- aggressive," Saitama commented mid-battle, doing his best to make his observation without losing ground.

"Struggling to -mmph- keep up?" she taunted in response.

Saitama could feel the cock-sure smile on her lips as he pressed into them. Not wanting to give her the satisfaction of besting him, he moved his hand from her back up to her head, cupping her in his hand as he leaned forward, throwing her off-balance and into a dip. Supported only by his arms, the shorter woman found herself in a less-than-advantageous position as her assailant shifted her position to improve the effectiveness of his kisses.

Tatsumaki groaned playfully in response, ceasing her attack and allowing him the small, albeit temporary, victory; the ESPer had her own tactics to employ.

In his victory, Saitama's confidence soared, and he couldn't help but grin, which was the signal Tatsumaki was waiting for.

As his smile peaked and victorious complacency set in, she sprung her trap. Using her telekinetic powers, she slipped out of the man's grasp, turned him around, and held him aloft, repositioning herself atop of and leaning over him. Tatsumaki, face clear of tears, moved confidently, grabbing the man's cheeks as he had done to her, and pressed her lips into his.

The tables had turned; Saitama was the one off guard, and he was both surprised and impressed by her tactic. Though she had used her powers on him before, Saitama still was unused to being levitated. It felt odd; it wasn't like being in low gravity, like on the moon. It was like sitting in a beanbag chair, where the material (or, in his case, lack thereof) would form around whoever sat in it. The odd but comfortable position, coupled with the affection, made for a rather unique and enjoyable experience.

Saitama could feel the pride welling up in the girl, her kissing just as aggressive, if not more so, than his. He didn't fight back; just as Tatsumaki had allowed the man his victory, Saitama allowed the ESPer hers. As she continued to assault his lips, Saitama simply rested his hands on her neck and back, allowing her to lead the engagement, which she did with aplomb.

Lacking leverage as she floated above the man, Tatsumaki once again utilized her powers to press herself into him, keeping herself stable as she triumphed over Saitama, who wrapped his arms around the woman in a full embrace, welcoming the contact.

While Saitama's breaths remained constant and calm, Tatsumaki's became more frequent and rushed as she strained herself to stay in the fight. The ESPer's intense bombardment of kisses quickly wore her down, and she was forced to separate in order to catch her breath.

As Tatsumaki took in deep breaths of air, she looked to Saitama to see him beaming, his face nearly as red as hers, but to her disappointment, completely bereft of any marks.

"Is-do I have…" Tatsumaki inquired as she motioned at her lower face.

"Yeah…a lot, actually. Shit, it almost looks bruised…" Saitama answered, moving closer to inspect her lips and cheeks, worried he may have injured the woman.

"Relax," Tatsumaki said, keeping the concerned man at bay with her arm. "I like-er, I'm okay with the marks. Just disappointed that I didn't leave any on you," she pouted.

"Downside of being basically impervious to harm," he shrugged in return.

The two went quiet for a moment, each thinking of what to say after the session of making out; Saitama was the first to speak.

"...Hey, Tats?" She looked up at him with wide eyes. "It's probably not hard to tell, but Christmas has never really been my thing, and from what I can tell, it's really not yours, either."

He paused, giving her a moment to acknowledge his observation. She merely averted her eyes, which told him everything he needed to know.

"Look," he continued, "I'm not asking why; your reasons are your own. I'm just saying that neither of us have any traditions or anything like that, and I was thinking that, well, maybe we could start one. Or at the very least celebrate somehow?"

Tatsumaki stared at the ground for a moment in thought, reminiscing on Christmases passed and the bitter memories that accompanied them…Then she looked up to meet Saitama's eyes and grew warm when she saw that they were full of hope, compassion, and love.

"I'd like that," she answered simply. "Did you have something in mind?"

"I was thinking maybe we could just stay here, watch some movies, and I could make you dinner? Just relax and enjoy the day? Then I could come back in the morning and we could celebrate Christmas day with breakfast?"

"That sounds great," Tatsumaki agreed as she tapped her foot on the ground apprehensively. "But, y'know…you don't HAVE to go home and come back."

Saitama raised his eyebrows at her in surprise, ascertaining the implication immediately, which immediately sent Tatsumaki backpedaling into clarification as she flushed red.

"I-I just mean because…There's no point in you leaving just to come back a few hours later, so you might as well stay here! If you want, I mean; do what you want."

Tatsumaki crossed her arms and turned away, her cheeks and ears glowing bright red. Saitama gazed at her kindly, slightly amused, but appreciative, and responded,

"Yeah, I'm down to stay the night. You got a futon or something, or were you wanting to sleep together?"

Tatsumaki's eyes widened at the blunt suggestion and she felt her heart skip a beat. As she stammered out a response, the short woman began to twirl her hair subconsciously with her telekinesis.

"You want-I…Yeah, I'd like to if-I mean, if you want to."

Saitama smiled at the girl as she stuttered, finding her flustered state rather cute.

"You got an extra toothbrush?" he asked.

"Yeah, actually. And a cute pajama dress, too," she replied coyly, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Oh, crap, yeah: clothes…" Saitama said, the realization smacking him in the forehead. "I'll text Genos and see if he can drop off a night-bag for me, but we can get the movie started in the meantime."

"I'll grab some blankets if you get it set up," Tatsumaki offered, to which Saitama responded with a nod.

Tatsumaki scuttled off to her bedroom to grab a few warm blankets; she lifted herself up to the top of her closet and pulled down two of her softer ones. The ESPer closed the door behind her when from the living room she heard Saitama yell,

"Holy Hell! I didn't realize how huge this TV was!"

Tatsumaki grinned as she made her way back to the man, finding him admiring the large screen as he fiddled with the remote.

"This thing has so many buttons. How the Hell do you even turn on the TV?"

"Give it here," she responded as she tossed the blankets onto one of the chairs.

Tatsumaki pulled up one of the several movie-services she was subscribed to and began flipping through the genres of movies. The duo offered suggestions and debated on whether to watch a Christmas movie or not, and eventually decided on an action-comedy to start with.

Saitama texted Genos while Tatsumaki dimmed the lights before they both settled down in the two living room chairs, which they pulled around to sit next to one-another, facing the TV.

Genos showed up around halfway through the movie to drop off his master's bag, consisting of pajamas, clothes for the next day, his toothbrush, and a couple other things. After waving the cyborg off, Saitama went to sit back down in his seat, only to find it occupied by the green-haired ESPer, who stared at him innocently.

Saitama returned the look with a deadpan stare.

"Can I help you?" he asked sarcastically.

"I was cold; your spot's warm," she responded simply. "You can still sit here, I don't mind; you'll just have to share."

"You're a cocky little thing, y'know that?" Saitama mused with a smirk. "That chair's not wide enough for the both of us…but you already know that…"

Tatsumaki smiled innocuously, laying back further into the chair. "Hm, guess you'll have to figure something out."

"Do you wanna sit on my lap?" Saitama asked candidly as he raised an eyebrow at the girl.

"Oh, there's an idea!" she drawled cheekily, levitating herself up and out of the chair, making way for Saitama.

Once he was seated, the ESPer promptly set herself down across his lap, her legs hanging over the arm of the chair.

As Saitama adjusted himself in the seat, Tatsumaki draped her blanket over the both of them, making sure her legs were fully covered, and adjusted his so that it covered him comfortably.

"You seem real self-assured all of a sudden. What happened to Ms. Cherry-Red from before?" he teased with a nudge.

"Hey, we've sat in the same seat before, Baldy! It's not like this is completely new…" Tatsumaki's voice dropped in volume and her eyes darted elsewhere as she continued, "but saying you…y'know, all that stuff…that's different and new and nice and weird and…look, don't make this awkward!"

"Okay, okay," Saitama responded in mock-defense. "I guess you're right…How long have we danced around this-"

"Shhh," Tatsumaki hushed as she telepathically picked up the remote. "Let's just watch."

Saitama complied and went silent as the movie began playing once again. Tatsumaki wriggled around, sinking further into Saitama's lap, and rested her head between his arm and shoulder. She let out a comfortable, satisfied sigh, and he couldn't help but admire how adorable she looked snuggled up into him.

Saitama kept his gaze covert, however, as the girl would surely berate him for daring to consider her even cute, much less adorable.

An hour passed, and on went another movie, this one Christmas-themed, and the duo laughed as they poked fun at the silly plot and crazy antics the characters got up to.

After two full movies, the time was nearing 6:30, and both heroes were beginning to develop an appetite.

Saitama looked down at Tatsumaki.

"Alright, I think it's about time I start dinner. You hungry?"

"Tatsumaki nodded in response. "What are you planning on making? Do you even know what I have in stock?"

"No, but we can take a look and see," he answered with enthusiasm. "I'm sure I can put something together."

The pair got up from the seat and made their way to Tatsumaki's kitchen. There, Saitama checked the pantry first before poking his head into the fridge, taking note of the limited but high-quality inventory the ESPer kept.

"Holy crap, you have some choice ingredients in here!" he marveled, engendering Tatsumaki to grin wide.

Saitama pulled out a box of fine spaghetti, a jar of tomato sauce, a small pack of prime-grade ground beef, and a variety of spices and herbs.

"How does some spaghetti with meat sauce sound?" he asked. "It's quick to make, easy to clean, and with the ingredients you've got, it can be a really tasty dish."

"That actually sounds really good right now," she answered.

"Cool, I'll get started then."

After setting the ingredients out on the counter, Saitama pulled out a large pot and pan, the former for boiling the water, and the latter for browning the meat, which he threw on the stove immediately.

Once the meat was in the pan with some oil, he filled the pot with water and set it on the heat before going to mix the spices into a blend. He then mixed the blend in with the tomato sauce and stirred the meat, ensuring all of it was evenly browned before adding the sauce-spice mix to the pan and moving to cook the spaghetti.

Tatsumaki hovered above Saitama's head, watching as he marched back and forth across the kitchen, fastidious and precise. It was odd, she thought, seeing him move with such purpose and vigor; he was typically so unconcerned with where and when he was.

It brought a smile to her face, seeing him so engrossed in his effort. She asked questions as he moved along, inquiring into his techniques and ingredient choices, which he answered happily as she cleaned the dishes he dirtied.

After a short 45 minutes, the meal was prepared, and Saitama carried two bowls of the hot meal over to Tatsumaki's small kitchen table.

"Hmm," Tatsumaki hummed, placing her hand on her chin as if in deep thought. "It looks good, but how does it taste? Guess we'll see," she mused, smiling cheekily.

"Hopefully as good as it looks, but if you don't like it, I can always whip you up some cereal," Saitama retorted, matching her grin.

The ESPer rolled her eyes in response as she telepathically picked up her fork, wound up a bite of noodles and meat, and levitated it into her mouth.

"Damn it, that's good," she admitted after swallowing, quickly loading her fork with another bite.

"Really?" Saitama asked before taking a bite himself, elated at her complement.

"Mhmm," she mumbled with a nod through a mouthful of spaghetti.

Saitama nodded as well, pleased with his cooking.

After their first couple of hunger-quelling bites, the couple slowed their eating, spending time between bites reminiscing, laughing, and making small talk. As they chatted and ate, time slipped away from them, and they soon found themselves nearly an hour into the meal.

With their bowls empty, stomachs full, and heads buzzing pleasantly with one-another's stories, they fell into a warm, comfortable silence.

"Hey, Tats, you wanna go sit back and watch another movie, or is 8:15 your bedtime?" he asked satirically, breaking the quiet.

Tatsumaki rolled her eyes but didn't respond, instead remaining quiet as she looked past Saitama, seemingly preoccupied with her thoughts.

"Tats, you good?" he asked, reaching out to touch her hand.

The ESPer shook her head, snapping out of her daze. "Yeah, I'm fine. Good, actually. I was just thinking…"

Saitama looked at Tatsumaki attentively, encouraging her to continue, but took note of the red hue that had slowly begun to creep back onto her face as she resumed her nervous hair-twirling.

"You should-…Let's get ready for bed. After that, I have a gift for you…"

"Oh, okay…" Saitama agreed, shooting her a curious glance before standing up from his seat.

"But me first!" she shouted as she popped up from her seat and bolted down the hall to the bathroom.

"Okay, I'll wash our…dishes…then…" the man trailed off, unable to finish his sentence before the bathroom door slammed shut.

While Saitama washed out the bowls and finished cleaning the kitchen, Tatsumaki hurriedly went through her nightly routine. She was out in just over ten minutes, her teeth brushed, face washed, and in fresh pajamas, and called out to the bald man who was sat in one of the living room chairs.

"Alright, your turn. I'll be in my room when you're out," she said as she passed by, failing completely in her attempt to hide her nervous grin and red face.

"What are you up to?" Saitama inquired, stopping in the doorway to watch as she hurried back down the hall.

"Nothing! Just hurry up!" she called over her shoulder, not looking back.

Tatsumaki heard the bathroom door shut as she entered her room and conducted a quick tidy-up. Once the bed was made and everything was put away, the nervous woman sat on the edge of her bed, having nothing to do but wait.

Saitama walked out of the bathroom, changed and teeth brushed, before making his way down the hall to Tatsumaki's bedroom.

"What the Hell is she planning?" he thought as he tossed his bag out into one of the living room chairs.

Saitama approached her bedroom door, which was cracked open just an inch, but decided to knock and gain clearance before entering.

"Hey, Tats?"

"Come in."

The door swung open, and standing in front of a wood-framed bed was Tatsumaki dressed in her green-striped pajamas. In spite of the woman's cherry-red face, her posture exuded confidence, and her expression showed no sign of apprehension. The woman marched sharply up to the man and stared up into his eyes.

"I have a Christmas gift for you," she stated firmly, "but I'm not sure if it's something you want." Her face shifted into a serious frown. "Let me make this clear: if you don't want the gift, you tell me, got it?"

Saitama looked down at the ESPer, confusion and slight concern spelled out across his face. "Tats, I'll like whatever gift you give me, but you're starting to worry-"

"Nonono," Tatsumaki interrupted as she shook her head. "There's no need to be worried. I just need you to promise me that if you don't want the gift, you'll tell me."

"Okay, I promise."

She glared at him.

"Seriously, Tats…" He grabbed hold of her hand and gave it a light squeeze as his expression shifted from concern to compassion. "I promise, I'll tell you. So, what is it?"

Tatsumaki's expression softened, and she swallowed deep, forcing the nerves she was hiding down from her throat as she psyched herself up, giving rise to a bout of confidence.

With a breath, she answered, "This is a gift I've been wanting to give you for a long time…I can make you feel…REALLY good…"

Tatsumaki placed her hands at Saitama's sides and slid them down to his hips as she began inching closer, keeping eye contact the whole way. As she grew nearer, the ESPer could feel his radiating heat; her confidence carried her forth until she was a mere inch away from the man when he suddenly took her by the shoulders and moved her back.

Tatsumaki felt the confidence drain from her immediately as she began offering acceptance and apology for the situation.

"Okay, that's okay, I just thought- It-it's fine. I didn't mean to pressure you, but you stopped me, so that's-"

"Nonono, Tat's, hey, it's not that," Saitama assured, his tone soft and understanding. "I'm okay with it. More than okay with it, actually!"

The ESPer looked up at him, confused. "Wha- then why did you?…"

"Tats, that kinda thing shouldn't be a "gift"", he said with air quotes. "It should be something we do together because we both want to, not because you feel like you owe me something or whatever."

Tatsumaki felt the panic in her stomach begin to settle as she let out a small puff of laughter. "Saitama, I appreciate the modesty, but I'm not doing this because I feel like I owe you. Admittedly, I've…thought about this for a while. If you're really okay with it, it's a gift I'd really like to give you. Or, Hell, don't even call it a gift! It's just something I want to do, and if you- Oh, and by the way, I'm not talking about full on sex! I'm not interested in that quite yet. I just wanted to-"

"Okay, Tats, I got it, I got it," Saitama cut in with a light laugh as he waved his hand in front of her.

She smiled at him. "So…do you want to…"

He smiled back. "You lead the way."

"As if I'd let YOU lead," she responded sarcastically as she lightly pushed him toward the bed. "Now, why don't you lay down so I can get started."

Saitama did as she requested and laid back on the king-sized bed, resting his head on one of the several pillows that adorned it. Tatsumaki climbed up on the bed after the man and threw one leg over him so that she was sitting atop his stomach.

"Alright, what's the plan here?" Saitama asked, partially joking and partially curious.

Without answering, Tatsumaki leaned over, laying herself across his body and holding her head above his neck as she placed her hands on his shoulders, grasping them firmly. The woman then lowered her head, keeping eye contact all the way until her eyes disappeared below his chin, and placed a single, gentle kiss on his neck to the right of his throat.

Tatsumaki waited, her lips hovering just above his skin, close enough for him to feel her breath. She felt Saitama shift slightly, growing antsy and uncertain at the pause, only making contact when she felt him breathe in to speak. The ESPer took satisfaction at Saitama's short, surprised inhale at her second kiss, and she paused again, waiting even longer before going in for a third, cutting the man off once again.

After the third kiss, the ESPer knew that Saitama was catching on to her antics, and so decided to change it up by switching to his left side, laying three kisses rapid-fire onto his neck before tracing a line of them slowly upward.

As she moved up and over to the base of his jaw, the bald man tilted his head back, making way for her. There, she placed several light pecks before switching sides again and laying down a scattered assault across his skin before finally taking a small nip at the flesh above his collarbone.

Saitama shifted in response and lifted his hands from the bed to grab her waist. His grip was loose at first, but as the ESper continued to spread kisses, along with the occasional bite, across his neck, she could feel the man's grasp tighten. As Saitama's walls slowly began to fall, he began to shift more frequently; she smiled, taking pleasure at the synchronization between her actions and his jerks.

After minutes of gentle loving, Tatsumaki decided to increase the intensity of her assault. Light pecks turned into full kisses and sucking, and her bites grew in scale and force.

Feeling around his neck with her lips, teeth, and tongue, Tatsumaki searched for the perfect spot to leave her mark, or at least attempt to, as she was largely unsure as to whether it was even possible. It didn't matter, though; she would try regardless.

As she searched, Tatsumaki felt Saitama's twitching grow in force, and struggled to keep herself at his neck as the man pulled the woman closer to him, his lust for her growing.

Saitama exhaled sharply as she touched down with her lips and sucked, wetting the spot with her tongue as she slid her hands behind his shoulders, allowing the ESPer to hold her position. Tatsumaki's search was short-lived, however, as she quickly located a particularly muscle-clad spot on the side of his neck, and pressed her lips down upon him. She grabbed at him with her teeth and bit with force while simultaneously sucking at the spot, her tongue dancing fluidly across his skin.

Saitama pulled down on the woman and let out a slight puff of pleasured laughter at the sensation. Tatsumaki paused for a moment, pulling away only long enough to catch a breath of air before diving back in, full force.

After nearly half a minute of berating one spot, the out-of-breath Tatsumaki finally ceased her assault, taking a few seconds to check her work. Much to her disappointment, there was no mark, only a small ring of saliva which she wiped off with her sleeve.

"Doesn't matter," she thought, her confidence unshaken. "I've got more to offer…"

"Stay there," Tatsumaki ordered, noticing the bald man beginning to lift his head. "I'm not done yet."

Saitama obliged without a word, lowering his head back down onto the pillow as the ESPer shifted her hands from his shoulders to just below his pecks. Using her newfound leverage, she pushed herself backward and down his body, sliding across his waist and below. She felt Saitama twitch as she came to rest upon his nethers, filled with both disappointment at the lack of firmness in his pants, and determination to cause it.

Seated in position, Tatsumaki traced a finger down the placket of Saitama's pajama shirt. Using her powers, the ESPer undid each button as her finger passed over and flayed the garment open after passing the final one; Tatsumaki's eyes widened at the sight. To her surprise, the unassuming hero was shredded, each muscle across his stomach ridged and clearly defined.

She felt a small bit of heat rise in her cheeks and ears. She had seen plenty of other strongmen with shredded bodies before, but the sight of Saitama's, especially in that context, was a completely different experience.

"Liking what you see?" Saitama asked coyly.

Tatsumaki snapped out of her gaze; she had been staring for too long. Not wanting to lose her sense of command, she responded with a sharp but playful, "Shut up."

"Yes ma'am," he accepted cheekily, a smirk on his face.

"Good boy," she replied, taking the joke in stride, causing him to cease his teasing. Tatsumaki grinned in satisfaction.

With Saitama's shirt open and her authority re-established, the ESPer leaned forward and began laying kisses upon his muscly chest, staring at his abs and making her way up to and around his pectorals. Tatsumaki took her time; Saitama's chest was a much larger area than his neck and there was much ground to cover. Even more importantly, though, Tatsumaki had to bring the man back up after his brief reprieve, in order for her final move to be most effective.

Starting slowly, Tatsumaki increased in speed and intensity slightly quicker than before; Saitama grabbed hold of her almost immediately, prepared for what was to come. As she assailed his chest, the woman took note of Saitama's breathing and movements, just waiting until he was in the right headspace…

Minutes ticked by as Tatsumaki poured herself into him, alternating between being gentle and rough, doing her best to take in a steady supply of oxygen.

After a straight twenty seconds of sucking and biting, Tatsumaki finally pulled back to take another breath, paying close attention to him in the seconds of reprieve; she took account of his closed eyes, his firm grasp of her waist, his quickened breathing, his erratic movements…and smirked to herself.

"Fucking showtime."

Setting her plan in motion, Tatsumaki began slowly and gently moving her waist from side to side, back and forth. The movement, amidst the kissing and tonguing, was almost imperceptible, but it seemed Saitama had registered it anyway, as he let out an,

"Oh…fuck…"

Her head still up, Tatsumaki commanded him sharply,

"If you want me to stop, tell me."

Without so much as opening his eyes, the titillated man responded with breathy sarcasm,

"Yeah…fuck that…"

Tatsumaki smiled and, without another word, dove back in, pressing more kisses into his chiseled abs as she grinded against him. Her movement, though gentle to start, quickly picked up speed and force as she pressed herself further down. She could feel him begin to grow stiff, and had to stop herself from laughing out of nervousness and glee.

With the mixture of stimulants, Saitama could do nothing to stop himself from pulling the woman down, encouraging her to move with increased vigor. Tatsumaki could feel his desire; his breathing was becoming shaky, his body was covered in goosebumps, and from his throat came groans of satisfaction and pleasure.

From Tatsumaki came different sounds, however. Her breathing was quickly becoming hot and labored, from both the exertion and her excitement. She could feel him growing ever harder under her, and to an impressive size, no less. The knowledge that it was her who had brought on this bout of arousal only served, in turn, to arouse her. His hard wood under her, rubbing against her own nethers, brought her even greater pleasure; the physical sensation of his desire for her was thrilling; she had never felt so wanted and loathed the idea of having to stop.

But despite her success, and the fact that she had only been grinding on the man for a little over two minutes, Tatsumaki could feel herself quickly tiring. She had wanted to perform on her own, unaided by her ESP, save for unbuttoning his shirt (which she thought was slick as Hell). However, the ESPer had failed to realize just how demanding such intense movements were. The muscles around her hips and thighs were beginning to ache, and her shortness of breath was not making things any easier.

"Fuck," she cursed internally, "this is harder than I thought. But…fuck, I have to keep going!"

Tatsumaki pressed on, not wanting to stop when she could feel Saitama nearing fully erect. Sex was off the table for the night, but making him cum was another matter. Aside from the fun and sensuality the act brought, finishing the man would offer bragging rights galore. She could picture herself making sly remarks in public to embarrass him or more blatant remarks in private to tease him; it was already a night she would never forget, but achieving that goal would be the cherry on top.

…But the aching was too much. Her hips and thighs burned; her breath was ragged and strained, and her pauses for breathing were increasing in duration.

Finally, after just over four minutes of harsh grinding, kissing, tonguing, and biting, Tatsumaki was forced to stop.

The woman slowed her grinding to a halt and collapsed upon Saitama's chest, sucking in deep breaths of air as she allowed her body a rest.

Saitama opened his eyes and sat up slowly, helping the girl turn over and allowing her to lean up against him as she caught her breath.

"You…*huff*…good Tats?" Saitama asked with a shaky puff of breath as he shifted his legs, trying to avoid stabbing the girl with his pecker.

"I'm…*huff*…fine…" she replied, visibly crestfallen, her attitude and authority gone. "I couldn't…*huff*…finish it…*huff*…damn it. Fuck…*huff*…I'm sorry…"

"Sorry? Are you kidding me?" Saitama asked, incredulous. "Tats, that was fucking amazing!"

She glanced at him, unconvinced. "I couldn't even last long enough…*huff*…to get you to…you know…"

"Tats, do you know how hard it is to get me, well…to get me going like that?" he asked, to which she answered with a subtle head shake.

"It takes a lot…a whole lot more than just seeing a pretty girl or boobs or something. And you got me going in just a few minutes! Where the Hell did you learn to do all that?"

At the glowing praise and explanation, Tatsumaki's disappointment started to transition into pride, which in turn began refueling her confidence.

"Well I…I mean…I don't really learn it from anywhere…It just felt natural, I guess," she answered, a smile creeping onto her face as she twirled her hair with her telekinesis.

"So all that, you just…winged it? That's pretty damn impressive" he replied with a smile, rubbing her head as she leaned into him.

"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed your gift," she said, beaming as she closed her eyes.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, where do you think you're drifting off to?" Saitama asked playfully.

"Huh?" she replied, opening her eyes and sitting up.

"I can't end the night without returning the favor. That would be rude. Now it's my turn to make YOU feel good," he cooed, pulling his legs out from under her. "Unless you don't want to," he added quickly.

Tatsumaki offered Saitama a kind and appreciative smile before transitioning into a sly smirk, her eyes narrow and newly filled with a mischievous confidence.

"Hah, as if!" she taunted. "You might be good at finding bargains and punching monsters, but you don't have what it takes to take charge like me. So, why don't you lay down and go to bed like a good boy?"

Saitama paused for a moment and stared back at her. For a moment, Tatsumaki worried she may have pressed the wrong button and upset the man, but as his look of surprise transitioned into a playful glare, she knew she had, in fact, pressed exactly the ones she meant to.

"That's big talk coming from a midget like you," he said, standing up and looming over her short frame.

"I'm not a midget, I'm petite!" Tatsumaki argued with crossed arms. "Now, like I said, get back into bed and lay down. Now."

"Is your hearing okay?" Saitama asked in a sarcastic but commanding tone. "I said "IT'S YOUR TURN." If you're not going to lay down so I can do my thing, we're going to have a problem."

"I guess we have a problem then," she replied insolently, meeting the man's glare with an indignant stare.

"Last chance, Tats," he warned. "Lay. Down."

"Make. Me."

Tatsumaki was nearly giddy. She could see the fire burning in Saitama's eyes. It was a look she had not once seen on him before, and it was no mystery as to why: she was giving him a challenge. A real challenge. One he couldn't overcome with his strength alone. It was a battle of the mind; a balancing act. Would she put up a huge fight on their first go? No. Tatsumaki was confident that if she went all out here, she would break his spirit before anything remotely interesting happened. She would have to go easy on him their first time, but it didn't matter. It would be fun, anyway.

Saitama, alight with excitement, slowly walked around the edge of the bed, getting closer to where the ESPer sat as he threatened, "Alright then, your little brat. Let's do this."

Saitama climbed atop the bed and moved over to Tatsumaki. Testing the waters, he placed a tentative hand on her shoulder and put a small amount of force into a push, encouraging the girl to lay down on her back as she had him do. In response, Tatsumaki merely rolled her eyes and inched back, just out of Saitama's reach.

"He's more timid about this than I thought…Guess he needs a little more encouragement…" Tatsumaki decided.

"Really?" she mocked. "That's your strategy? Gently pushing me onto the bed? You're going to have to try harder than that, baldy. Or," she added with a smirk, "you could just save yourself the embarrassment and give up."

Saitama frowned; the ESPer's taunts were clearly affecting him. Saitama approached Tatsumaki again, more quickly than before, and pushed firmly on her shoulders, sending her down into the soft bed. Impressed but not through, Tatsumaki allowed the man to throw his leg over her, straddling her as she had him, only to pull herself out from under the man using her telekinesis.

"Hey, that's cheating," Saitama claimed, resting on his knees.

"You're trying to pin ME down now. I can use whatever tactics I want," she retorted as she stuck her tongue out at him. "Like I said, you're going to have to try harder than-"

Tatsumaki stopped her jest, shocked as, in a flash, Saitama dashed around to the other side of the bed. She could sense him behind her; her reaction time was quick, but not quick enough. Saitama grabbed Tatsumaki's wrists and lifted them above her head before repositioning in front of her. As she attempted to wrench her hands out of his grasp, Saitama climbed atop the bed and proceeded to force the ESPer onto her back by her wrists, pinning them down before returning to his spot over her.

Tatsumaki held back a titillated smile as her heartbeat picked up drastically, to the point where she could nearly hear it in her ears. She struggled against his hold, but found herself firmly, and satisfyingly, pinned.

"About time," she thought before mock-berating him.

"Let me go!" she shouted, tugging against his hold. "You can't just pin me down like this!"

Saitama looked at the ESPer questioningly, and loosened his grip slightly, unsure as to whether she was being serious or merely playing along. Tatsumaki, though slightly annoyed, appreciated his caution, and offered a quick affirmation that she was okay.

"You're fine. Red means stop, okay?" she offered simply.

Saitama responded with a nod and immediately restored his grip before the girl could escape.

"Saitama, let. Me. Go." she demanded as she glared at him.

"What was that about not having it in me?" he mocked as he adjusted himself, making sure he wasn't crushing her petite body.

"Shut up! You can't just keep me pinned here and not do anythi-mmph,"

Tatsumaki's eyes widened in shock as she was cut off, not by Saitama's words, but by a kiss planted firmly onto her lips. The man held the contact for several seconds before separating and leaning down next to the girl's ear.

"Now," he whispered, "it's your turn to lay back and enjoy."

"Fuck you! You can't just-ahh!"

Ignoring the ESPer's arguing, Saitama copied Tatsumaki's tactics and placed a soft kiss on the side of her neck and proceeded to lay pecks all the way down until he reached her collarbone before making his way back up the opposite side.

Unlike him, however, Tatsumaki did not make the task easy. After overcoming the initial shock of his (admittedly) soft lips on her skin, she began to argue and berate the man, demanding her release as she moved her head from side-to-side, using her chin to deflect the kisses.

"Why don't you just sit still?" Saitama prodded as he adjusted his grip on her wrists.

"Fuck you!" she replied as she planted her feet into the bed, proceeding then to try, unsuccessfully, to buck the man off of her.

"Alright then," he shrugged. "Don't say I didn't give you a chance to play nice."

His offer denied, Saitama used his free hand to grab the ESPer's chin, gentle but firm, and tilted her head up, exposing the entirety of her neck. He took note of Tatsumaki's breathing; her breaths were quick and nervous, and she inhaled sharply as he brushed his lips upon her neck before he finally dove in.

Saitama knew the ESPer was already aroused; the peaks of her nipples were obvious under her nightshirt, and her ears and cheeks glowed bright red. That, along with his knowledge of her as a person, led him to the decision to skip the pleasantries. Instead, he started with prolonged kisses right off the bat, following up with biting, tonguing, and soon after.

Her eyes closed, Tatsumaki's argumentation had stopped, instead replaced with short, rapid breaths and quiet grunts of pleasure. As Saitama bit lightly and sucked at her neck, the ESPer fought against his hands, attempting to free her wrists and head, to no avail. What did come of her struggles, however, was something Saitama was unsure the ESPer was even cognizant of.

As Tatsumaki struggled, her erect nipples rubbed against his chest; Saitama appreciated the sensation, and it seemed that she did as well.

"She seems to be enjoying herself," he thought as he lifted his head from the woman's neck, eyeing the small peaks under her clothing. "Let's take this a bit further..."

"Hey, Tats, I've got a surprise for you, if you're ready for it," Saitama cooed as he took hold of her shirt's top button.

While she wasn't terribly concerned with the size of her breasts, Tatsumaki couldn't help but feel slightly nervous, worried Saitama might find them…disappointing. She pushed the thought aside and, without opening her eyes, puffed out a quick, playful response between breaths.

"You wouldn't…*huff*…dare…"

With a smile, Saitama began unbuttoning the ESPer's shirt, leaving her chest covered until he was finished with the last button. Only then did he pull apart the flaps, revealing a pair of small, perky breasts with peaking nipples.

Tatsumaki let out a quiet squeak at the exposure, coloring her face an even darker shade of red.

"Hooooly shit," Saitama said in awe, "you've got a beautiful set on ya, Tats."

"Y-yeah?" Tatsumaki stuttered back, completely dropping her air of confidence as his appreciation filled her with butterflies.

"Hell yeah! Now…" he muttered, loud enough for her to hear, "what if I were to…"

As Tatsumaki laid on the bed, waiting eagerly for Saitama's next move, the man gently placed his thumb atop her nipple and began rubbing circles upon it, causing the woman to stir more lively than before.

The experience was pleasant; it wasn't overly stimulating, painful, or tickling. Rather, it was a warm, comfortable sensation as his heated hand covered the exposed nipple. And, to her delight, Saitama continued the rubbing for several minutes, silently alternating between the two as he kept her pinned, worried that she may continue her bratty streak if he released her (a worry Tatsumaki understood completely, as it was true).

At some point, after minutes of quiet and enjoyable sensations, her mind tired and unfocused, free of distracting thoughts and ideas, Tatsumaki slowly began drifting off into a comfortable sleep…

"Really, again?" Saitama asked in a disapproving tone.

Tatsumaki's eyes shot open and she lifted her head up to look at the man.

"What do you mean? I didn't-" she muttered, slightly panicked and confused.

"I thought I told you earlier that I had something for you, but you're trying to fall asleep on me. Again!" he responded.

After a few moments of bewilderment, Tatsumaki regained her bearings on the situation, and frowned at Saitama as she shouted, "Fuck you! You tricked me!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Saitama argued cheekily, an innocuous smile on his face. "But I guess if this wasn't enough to keep you going, I'll have to step it up."

Tatsumaki glared at him before pointing her nose. "Hmph! Cheap tricks won't get you far."

"Good thing I've got something better, then…" he responded confidently.

Before Tatsumaki could snap back or demand clarification, Saitama began laying kisses on her neck while simultaneously massaging her nipples.

Tatsumaki gasped in surprise, but immediately began resisting once more, using her neck to successfully block the man's kisses since both of his hands were occupied. The ESPer's victory was short lived, however, as Saitama quickly moved down her neck and to her chest, where she could do nothing but struggle and thrash to try and throw him off-balance.

The effort she had to exert to move the man, even just a little, was great. That, coupled with her earlier exertion, and the fact that she was taking it easy on the man their first time around, led the woman to slowly relinquish herself to his onslaught of loving touches.

Her eyes closed, Tatsumaki was especially aware of the mixture of sensations that danced across her body. She could feel each passing circle rubbed into the tips of her erect breasts; she could feel each touch of his tongue against her skin and the light red mark left by every bite.

The ESPer could also feel the heat growing in her face and ears, mildly embarrassed by the pants, grunts, and squeaks that escaped her, which grew steadily in volume as Saitama became more aggressive.

He began biting at Tatsumaki's neck in-between kisses as his rubbing turned into light pinches, causing the woman to squirm amidst her confinement.

Saitama then upped the ante again as he picked a spot on the ESPer's chest, at the upper base of her right breast, and began sucking and biting at the soft flesh, pinching her left nipple as he did.

The combined and intense sensations sent the woman into a fit of bucking, struggling, and squealing, fighting desperately against the titillating experience.

"Saitama you-ah!" she squealed as he remained locked in place. "You're an ass-ahhhhh!"

Saitama sucked at the spot for a half a minute before finally pulling away and easing back on the pinching, taking satisfaction in the dark-red mark that was left behind. Tatsumaki was left breathless, her arms and legs twitching under the man as she recovered from the assault; Saitama afforded her some time to do so before building her back up again, quicker than before.

Continuing to lay down kisses, bites, rubs, and pinches, Saitama smiled at the woman's noises and movements. However, there was a sound he hadn't yet heard and was determined to draw from her.

Once the bald hero had Tatsumaki where he wanted her, struggling and groaning against his sensual touches, his face buried in her chest and hand grasping at her breast, Saitama pulled one leg off from over her and slipped it in between her legs, nestling it up against her privates.

Tatsumaki immediately noticed, and let out a loud squeak as her struggling picked up. Unbeknownst to her, however, that was exactly what Saitama wanted.

Her captor intensified his touches, sucking and biting at her chest and squeezing her nipples with vigor, all in the name of making her squirm.

As Tatsumaki thrashed about on the bed, her sensitive area rubbed against his knee, causing her to flush with heat. The ESPer tried to pull away, but what with being pinned and having no leverage, she quickly realized escape would be impossible.

She was under a full-body assault; each limb and extremity was flushed warm with blood as her racing heart pumped it 'round her body. Tatsumaki's mind was a mess, struggling to keep up with all of the pleasant and stimulating sensations as they poured in from all around. She could feel her nipples begin to ache comfortably from the pinching, her chest tingle from the sucking and biting, her wrists burning from her struggles, and her privates hot with pleasure.

In and amidst all of the sexual commotion, Tatsumaki found herself incapable of holding her tongue, and released a loud, breathy moan that continued as she absorbed the wonderful feelings.

Saitama took pride in the sound, and would have complimented or teased her about it if his objective wasn't to keep the beautiful music playing, which he did for several minutes before making one last pass at the woman.

Saitama lifted his face from her chest for just a moment to utter four words:

"I love you, Tats."

"I…I love you t-ahhhh!" Tatsumaki shrieked out a moan as Saitama began rubbing his knee up and down between her legs, sending the woman into a tizzy of pleasure. She thrashed about on the bed as she screamed, struggling to breathe as he moved his leg at a constant and intense pace.

"Come on," he cooed, "aren't you going to say it back?"

"I-I lo-ahh!" she said, cutting herself off with a sharp inhalation.

"Aw, come on Tats. I wanna hear it…"

Tatsumaki drew in a deep breath, steadying herself just enough to shout, "I love you, too!"

"Good girl," he whispered into her ear before placing a deep kiss onto her lips.

Tatsumaki returned the kiss, returning to their fight for dominance as she moaned into his mouth, before the man finally pulled away and slowed his leg and hand to a stop.

Tatsumaki gulped down lungfuls of oxygen as Saitama rubbed her cheek tenderly. He let go of her wrists and dismounted her, laying down and pulling her close.

A minute passed, and then several more; Saitama remained quiet, allowing the ESPer time to catch her breath and come down from the intense session. He rubbed her chin and scratched her head as they spooned, Saitama enveloping the short woman in his loving embrace.

"I need to change," she said suddenly, slipping out from his arms and pulling her shirt together as she reached into her dresser before leaving for the bathroom.

As Saitama laid on the bed, he heard the shower turn on for a minute before shutting off, and waited only another minute before Tatsumaki returned wearing a different pajama bottom.

The ESPer climbed back into the bed and into the man's waiting arms, using her telekinesis to turn off the lights.

"I hope you liked your gift," Tatsumaki muttered, the exhaustion evident in her voice.

"I did. A lot. I hope you enjoyed yours," he returned.

"I did. A lot," she copied back.

"Merry Christmas, Tama."

"Merry Christmas, Tats."

Saitama and Tatsumaki awoke on Christmas morning to the warmth of on-another. Saitama cooked a breakfast of pancakes and bacon while Tatsumaki admired the dark hickey he had given her. They both tackled the dishes before receiving texts from Fubuki, inviting them to her apartment for a small Christmas celebration. The duo got dressed and left for the event, arriving to see a whole host of people: Genos was there, as were heroes from all ranks of the Hero Association, and even friends of those invited, all gathered outside to enjoy the snow.

Fubuki and Psykos were the first to throw snowballs, pelting Genos and Bang, who chased after the duo, armed with snowballs of their own. Garou and his red-headed guest backed up Bang as members of the Fubuki-Group reinforced their leader and her lover.

Tatsumaki and Saitama smiled and laughed as they joined in the fray, chasing the others down as the ESPer prepared them snowballs.

Christmas had been a dreary time for the both of them, but with their loyal friends and love for one-another, maybe, just maybe, they would come to enjoy it.