A Missing Step

Alternate Identity

A week had passed since she got injured. While Saitama wasn't hounding her with calls or texts, he was still worried.

His hand hovered over the phone, debating whether or not to text her to meet up,

" He probably knows." She thought, her head buried under her pillow. She groaned in frustration, ignoring her vibrating phone.

Genos was summoned at HQ and was walking down the hall. He notices Tatsumaki floating down the same path as him, an even more sour look on her face.

"Tatsumaki." She scowled and turned back around. He sighed in frustration, opting to instead let her find out the news for herself.

After trying to slog through an almost uneventful day, she finally decided to check her phone. Slightly surprised, she opened it to find a singular message pop up on her screen.

S: Hey, do you wanna meet at the ice cream parlor?

Her fingers danced over the keyboard, typing and retyping. Her heart fluttered, slowly typing a singular word.

T: Sure.

S: Ok. See you at 3 then.

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She turned down the alleyway, sneaking a glance at the parlor.

He was already there, looking around to see if she was near.

Gently fixing up her wig, she walked over to where he was. He looked up from looking at an object in his hand and gave her a small wave.

"Hey. I brought your headband." He handed it over to her. "I think Genos and I fixed up pretty well." He jokingly commented. She gave it a small lookover before putting it away. "Thanks." she muttered. "Hey, um." Saitama started, oddly embarrassed, "I don't mind." He looked at her face for her reaction. To his surprise, she was blank. "Uh.."

"You mean it?" She asked shyly, fiddling with her hair.

"Yeah, To be honest, it's not really my business." He shrugged. "So, ready to eat, Tam?" "Tam? Oh, yep!" They walked inside the parlor.

Genos lurked in the nearby store, analyzing their movements before Saitama revealed his concerns.

He halted at Tatsumaki's reaction, feeling a pit in his stomach.

"I should tell her." He thought to himself, briskly moving out of the store to avoid being caught by either of them.

He thought back to Saitama's words when it came to Tamaki's 'situation'.

"But to compare the two..it doesn't make sense."

Back at home, she felt content with their get together. She brushed her hand slightly, a warm memory of it in his crossing her mind.

Digging her headband out of her purse, she placed in her dresser.

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With her being in a blissful mood the day after, it made it harder for Genos to break the news to her.

"Tamaki's origins are still not found." He repeated in his mind the entirety of the day, in hopes that it would somehow get to her mind.

The first time he passed by her, there was no response.

The second time, he thought he saw a flash of something other than happiness.

The third time he got through to her. A look of relief was present on her face.

However, he didn't know why she slowly began to frown.