Chapter Text
You opened the sliding doors of your adoptive grandfather’s dojo to a bouquet delivery. White orchids, tulips, pink camellias, and red roses were arranged in a light gray vase.
Though you couldn’t see the delivery man’s face, he was quite built for someone to just be a delivery man. He walked away before you could even examine the courier for further clues as to who sent the vase of posy.
Your eyes flickered down to the pretty flowers in your hands and you couldn’t help but dip down to bury your nose in them. A smile appeared on your face.
It was lunchtime and you were planning on making hotpot for grandpa and his friends. Or at the very least, you assumed they were friends. Bang’s brother had sent in a large quantity of lobster. You couldn’t believe your eyes at the expensive seafood in front of you. Charanko was excited for a feast and if it weren’t for your traitorous stomach agreeing audibly with him, you wouldn’t have shown your own excitement to the idea of eating the delicacies.
But wasn’t this a bit too much food?
You were sweating at the idea at first at having to store such a large amount, but Bang had his own plans. He made his calls and you were left to fetch the hotpot burner while Charanko was sent off to get vegetables.
When you came back with the utensils and burner, you had just placed the items down and left once more to find the master of the dojo. It was rude to eat without everyone present afterall.
Coming back from finding Bang didn’t take long...but apparently the dojo took a beating in that small amount of time. Some rivals came, Charanko tried to defend the place, the two guests gramps invited helped fight back apparently, and…
Damn. They started eating before you even got a chance to taste it.
You didn’t even care anymore as you plopped down in front of the hotpot and helped yourself to the food while gramps berated the rival dojo for challenging Charanko and making havoc in the place. When the rival team left- with swears to come back to clean the property up for the wrongs they’ve done- Bang was finally able to settle next to you and join the feast. Charanko grumbled, sitting on the other side of you, and helping himself as well. It was nice they were all able to eat without worry now.
You eyed the bald male and his cyborg companion. Charanko looked incredibly annoyed at the two whereas Bang was laughing heartily at something they said. It was obvious he wanted to put them under his wings, but to you, you knew it was all futile with how indifferent the heroes seemed. Who could blame them? If they’re as powerful as they seemed, why would someone need a master anymore?
You tried not to humor that thought as a certain someone popped up in your mind.
Charanko took a sideglance over at you and gave an embarrassed pout at the fact he lost to a couple of assholes. You looked back, holding your chopsticks loosely as you took a nibble of some seafood.
So pouty.
Charanko may not be the strongest guy, but he tried. He shouldn’t feel embarrassed just because he couldn’t take on a gang of hooligans! It was best he had the help from these two guests.
You patted his shoulder lightly to which he smiled in appreciation for before glancing back at the two in front of you. You did the same. Your eyes went up and down their form before hardening.
Just because you didn’t talk didn’t mean you’re stupid. You knew who they were as soon as grandpa called for visitors and you knew just how strong they really are. The Demon Cyborg was the infamous S-Class hero Genos and many people would be more interested in him than his bald sensei. He fit the description of tall, dark, handsome, and mysterious.
But if Bang’s retelling of the meteor story were anything to go by, Saitama is the strongest person to exist. Despite his laidback physique and his seemingly laissez-faire attitude, he was the one to be careful around to not get on their bad side.
Caped Baldy and Demon Cyborg, huh? You recalled grandpa talking highly of them during dinner one day and you could only smile when appropriate.
You’ve actually met them before. When you first met them, it was during an S-Class meeting just before the alien invasion that destroyed A-city. Saitama had asked for tea during the gathering and if you had the ability to laugh outloud, you probably would have with how little care he had in such an intense place. You had merely smiled and handed over the tea while everyone else talked.
It was the second time you met them, but to them, it may as well have been the first time. Especially with Saitama asking a small,
“Who are you, by the way?”
The question wasn’t rude no matter how much Charanko sputtered and coughed. Bang merely reached forward with chopsticks to take a thinly sliced meat piece. You glanced up from your side of the hotpot group, eyes peering right into their own curious ones. You ignored the fact Saitama’s mouth was full of cooked cabbage and rice.
You were unfortunately unable to speak. Your eyes lacked so much shimmer in them that it was painful to you that others thought you were devoid of emotion. That was far from the case. But nobody had to know that.
With how rude Genos was with Charanko before the start of the meal, you were slightly afraid he’d take your silence the wrong way and tell you to speak for his supposed master Saitama.
Thank god grandpa spoke up for you.
“They’re my grandchild- they can’t speak so please be patient with them.” You didn’t miss the fact he purposefully left out the part of you being adopted by him. That made you really happy so you attempted a smile, but a twitch of the lip was all that you could muster.
“Ah...you are mute?” Genos asked curiously, tilting his head. His oculars observed you in a way you weren’t sure how to feel. Your cheeks flushed in embarrassment.
Bang smiled as he took another piece of meat. You gave a grace of a nod, hoping to prove a point by backing up his words.
Before either of the men could ask for your name, Charanko decided to introduce you. He also thought it necessary to state you were a delicate flower of the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist Dojo. Whatever the hell that was. You never agreed to any such nickname!
You decided to stuff your face with some vegetables to ignore that part. Charanko was adorable for being overprotective but god he was embarrassing sometimes.
Saitama blinked, watching you curiously.
“Ah...Well, nice to meet you. This broth tastes pretty good.”
Genos decided to give his quiet thanks as well, hopping behind his sensei’s words.
“It is delicious.”
A few days passed since that day. It was an interesting one for sure. Not only had you met more heroes in your grandpa’s circle, but you received a vase of flowers. It feels a little...foreboding, honestly. Is it bad? Is it good? You weren’t so sure.
You didn’t think about those flowers until you found a strip of purple hyacinth in your path towards the dojo. You stopped right in front of it then glanced around curiously; wondering where it came from and how long it’s been there. You picked it up when you realized nobody else was around.
They were pretty and just freshly cut.
Your nose pressed against the middle of a flower and you sniffed it with closed eyes.
Purple hyacinths meant ‘sorry’.
Garou was perched up on a tree a few feet away from where you were. Hidden by branches and leaves, he watched with half-lidded eyes as you accepted the flower in your path. A smug smirk appeared on his face when you decided to place one of the purple flowers behind your ear. You always did have a weakness to flowers.
When Garou had came back, he made sure to see you again. That was the first thing he wanted to do before going forward with his plans to become a villain.
He had disguised himself as a courier, wearing an outfit he had (forcefully) borrowed. The flowers were handpicked from a botanical garden.
Honestly the only thing he did buy was a vase from a dollar store.
It was the first time in a long time since he was back at the property. The hat he borrowed hid his iconic hair and his facial features. If it weren’t for the fact he wanted to see you, he would never have stepped foot in this damned place again. But like Bang, you practically lived here.
Lord knows he was regretting his actions at first. It was when you gracefully opened the sliding doors that made him stop regretting it. You had stared at his disguised form with those curious, dull eyes. They seemed to brighten at the sight of flowers and he couldn’t help but part his own lips in surprise as he handed the gift over. He won’t admit it, but the feeling of your fingers brushing against his caused him to tense ever so slightly.
He missed you a great amount.
However, he was not back in the city to woo you. He had a different mission, a different path to pursue. Like the day he forced himself to turn around and walk away from you, he stood up from his hiding space on the tree and jumped away.