#THANK U BRENNAAAAA

[1punch]

@06142012 sent: 

"come back alive. it'd be an awfully empty galaxy without you." ( from genos! ) 

[ PROMPTED ] ...  ▬▬▬   accepting !

RED BOOT TAPS THE GROUND TWICE, experimental and quick. It echoes massively, bouncing off nonexistent walls. He acknowledges the unusual thing with a quiet hum, looking intently at his feet, beyond his feet, beyond his stand, questioning the existence of bright stars and aligning planets and glittering dust of galaxies and cosmos. It's mind-boggling, and he is already confused enough, he can't let himself question anything else, there is no way it'd make sense anyway, why bother ? 

A dissatisfied huff escapes him, arms crossing over his chest as he takes a second to somewhat appreciate the rest of the view; space is enormous, bright & colourful and otherworldly dark, endless & full yet so painfully empty in the vast voids of the in-betweens. And in return it doesn't fill him with anything, it fails to, when compared to other things he's seen. The view from what used to be his own roof, a home carelessly destroyed in the whims of heroic deeds. There was no light pollution in that isolated place, and one night he gave a little remark about the creativity of connecting stars reminding him of clouds and the various shapes imaginable, it was stupid and pointless. But Genos would've almost became background noise of scientific constellations documentary had it not been for the occasional look at the starry sky, point and trace, stare and wonder. 

Space warps, a portal stands on one end, somehow even darker than the hollow spaces between the cosmos. There is no time for appreciating the view anyway, he's been given a job. One for himself and himself alone. He's never been a fan of orders, but it feels different to suddenly become the center of something. Not good, simply different.  God, he wishes there was more to this, this vague sense of unfamiliarity, the emptiness in his chest devouring any possible nervousness, any anticipation, any expectations he could possibly begin to have. There is only unjustified frustration, with himself and himself alone, with the lacking, the inhuman, and the strongest alive. 

Come back alive.

" Why would I not ? " He asks the cyborg all too quickly, eyes sharp and callous as they stare intensely. It doesn't take long for him to realize where his irritation is going, what it targets, and he catches himself and deflates in well hidden shame that disguises itself as softness. Genos didn't deserve that, he really doesn't, he deserves a better person to care for, better than the asshole who's throwing accusations instead of offering reassurance ... far more better. But Saitama isn't that, and it doesn't change the fact that Genos still cares. 

Why are you worried ?  I'm just too strong. Why would you think otherwise ?  Don't be like that. Don't give me hope. 

" You know what, Genos ? " A smile slips into his visage, a smile that -in its guilt and fondness- aims to correct a mistake, and he steps closer & he points a swift berating finger up at his student. " This kind of attitude can really affect a battle outcome !  How do you intend on winning if the first thing you think about is failure ? Lighten up. " For your own sake, at least. Saitama thinks, even if he can't look positively at this situation in any way. For him, thinking positively here means he gets a chance to maybe bleed to death ... but he's sure that's the exact opposite of what Genos would look forward to. And Saitama doesn't know what to make of this nor that. 

It doesn't matter. 

" I'll be back in no time. " He says with dismissive lighthearted air, and carefully taps two of his knuckles to Genos' forehead before turning to walk away. " Don't forget to take Rover on his walk, okay ?  " And invite Kuseno over for dinner, and Visit old man Bang for hotpot, and give Mumen Rider a hand every once a while. It won't be empty, and it won't be lonely, he's sure of that. Sorry for leaving you behind. He wants to add, but it dies -gets killed- the moment he thinks of it, and just what the hell is that ?  Too conclusive, too sad it's almost like a goodbye, but there is no way this could be it. In fact he doesn't think there would be any it at all, but is it a cynical fear of disappointment, or an underestimation of what could possibly turn Genos' anxieties reality ? 

" Genos, " He pauses, centimeters away from his door, and spares a look behind. He's obnoxiously blank as ever and most likely unaware of it, of everything warping together into nothing, conflicted confusion canceling itself out in its pointless mindless collision. 

" It's cold in here, so don't stay for long. " 

His cape is sickeningly white as it flutters through the void darkness of the portal, the space remains as bright and as colourful.