Genos x OC

Chapter Eight: "I'll call you"

STOCKING cereal boxes on a shelf while there was barely anyone around, Umiko hummed a popular pop song to herself.

       'Stay with me' Umiko was the song she hummed as she began to pick up the now empty box on the floor to dispose of the cardboard box. As she made her way to the back of the store to dump the box, her manager, a polite old lady whom Umiko absolutely adored, stopped her. "Umiko dear, could you take out the trash by the entrance for me?" Asked the little old lady. "Absolutely Ms. Sumiko." Umiko smiled warmly. Umiko did as she was told, taking out the trash.

             It was the graveyard shift, and it was slow, as per usual. The convenience store Umiko worked at was located somewhere in the backstreets of city Y.

             Umiko entered into the alleyway, where she made her way to the large blue dumpster where all the trash went. Umiko skipped over to the dumpster, and began to open up the flap, tossing the trash inside. As she slammed the flap shut, she froze. Her eyes widened and the hairs on the back of her neck began to stand.

             Monster.
  
             Umiko had a knack for attracting monsters to her area, and she knew it. Umiko panicked, beginning to run back twords the convenience store's back door. The monster, now revealing itself in the dim light to be a grotesque aquatic creature, with sharp fangs that reminded her of those barracuda's her second eldest sister would never stop raving about as a child. The monster reached out a webbed hand for her, yanking her by her hair.

            Umiko screamed out in pain, alerting the old lady who owned the store. "Umiko? Is everything alright?" The old lady asked as the back door opened up.

            "No! Get away! I can handle this!" Umiko yelled as the monster threw her into the alleyway wall, her spine cracking a bit in an unsavory manner. Umiko groaned in pain, getting up.

            The old lady ran back inside the shop, locking the monster and Umiko outside. "God- agh!" Umiko got flung to the side again, this time her arm dislocating as she got slammed.

            "Ooooohhh~! You smell different! Where you from? The Mediterranean? The pacific? The-" The monster was cut off with a weaker punch to his face.

            "Huh, and I thought you were different." The monster grabbed her by her wrist, Umiko screaming in pain as that was her injured arm. "Let me go!" She screamed out in pain. Umiko kicked and screamed for help, the monster trying to eat her, Umiko struggling for her life to not get eaten.

            "I usually don't eat people like you, you taste too familiar-" Umiko kicked the monster in the jaw, panicking as the monster slung her to the side. "You're pissing me off. I should eat you right now." The monster growled.

             Umiko's eyes fluttered shut from weakness as the monster closed in on her. 'Why am I so weak? Why can't I take care of myself?' Thoughts ran through her head as she passed out.

              Umiko felt a burning warmth in front of her a few feet away, and a cold metal hand touch her cheek, and scoop her up into someone's arms.

              'Genos?' She thought to herself, opening her eyes to see his familiar blonde hair. "Be silent Umiko, I took care of it. We will arrive at a hospital shortly."

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             Genos felt lucky that he was able to get to her when he did.

              Genos had traveled to City Y to check out some grocery stores for cheaper prices and whatnot, and came across the  Convenience store she worked at. An old woman ran (hobbled) out and begged Genos to help her employee who was getting attacked. Genos immediately ran over to help.

               Genos found the fishey monster leering closer and closer twords a girl to swallow whole. Genos killed the monster with relative ease, setting it ablaze. He went to check to see if the girl was okay, and to his shock, it was Umiko, injured and unconscious.

               Genos immediately picked her up in his arms, beginning to run twords the nearest hospital, his feet acting for him.

                He shushed her every time she spoke, telling her to keep her voice, and he kept on running for the nearest hospital.

                'She's going to be okay.' Genos would think, holding her tight in his arms. Umiko was going to be okay, he told himself. He managed to get to a local hospital, where she was rushed into a hospital room.

                Genos held onto her hand as Umiko laid in her hospital bed. "You don't ever think, do you?" Genos mumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose as he sighed. "You're human. You're weak, and yet you still fought. Was it to give the old woman a chance to escape?" Genos questioned, staring deep into her blue eyes.

                "I- yeah. Basically." Umiko replied quietly. "I just didn't want her to get hurt. I didn't want anyone to get hurt." Umiko wispered, looking away.

                "Look at me Umiko." Genos said, cupping her by her cheek, pulling her face twords his. "I'm happy you're okay, but what you did was incredibly idiotic and reckless." The blonde cyborg sternly added.

               What was he doing? Why was he so close? What was he thinking?! This was a girl that was stupid enough to fight a monster on her own. And here he was- caressing her like they were married!

                He pulled his hand away, folding them nearly on his lap. "But nonetheless, I expect you to make a quick recovery." Genos stated calmly.

                 With her good arm, Umiko reached for his hand. "I... I didn't expect the monster to attack today. Really." She said honestly, guilt burning in her eyes. Genos groaned internally. She was making it awfully hard to be mad at her. "Don't be a hero. Next time I expect you to call me, okay? And me only. I will be there, wherever you are." Genos affirmed Umiko, clasping his other hand on top of hers, squeezing a little bit as if to solidify his words.

                Genos's eyes picked up a little blush on her cheeks, and her eyes widening.

                'She must be shocked by my actions' Genos thought, shrugging her obvious fluster off like it wasn't anything more than surface level.  "Okay." Umiko whispered in reply. "I'll... I'll call you more often." Umiko replied softly, smiling a little.

                "I'll call you."