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[Tiger & Bunny] - Without Reason	By : ChronoDragon Category: +S to Z > Tiger & Bunny Views: 3881 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Tiger & Bunny or any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 2
- 3
- 4
A/N: I’m sorry! I noticed I’ve been spelling Muramasa’s name wrong in the last two chapters! *cries* I fixed it now. I even double-checked it to make sure it was right. Maybe the source I got it from was wrong, or maybe I’m an idiot who can’t read her own notes correctly. Sigh…

Chapter 3

A groan escaped his mouth as Kotetsu stirred, his body slowly waking up from its sleeping state. He opened his eyes slightly before quickly shutting them again, the light coming into the room blinding him a bit. He grunted as he shifted around, rolling over to his side. He kept his eyes shut briefly before trying to open them again. Golden eyes locked onto something he didn’t expect to see and he squirmed backwards in shock. Barnaby was lying there next to him, curled up and sound asleep. Kotetsu sat up from his spot, ruffling a hand through his hair, staring at the younger man. Suddenly he shivered, the cold air surrounding his uncovered body. Maybe that’s why he’s here… He thought to himself, assuming Barnaby there was next to him because he was too cold. Kotetsu stood up walking over to the dresser in his room and opening the bottom drawer. He pulled out a thick blanket and stepped towards Barnaby, kneeling down and placing the blanket over the man’s frame, tucking him in. Barnaby stirred in reaction but did not wake up, only curling up even more. Kotetsu smiled to himself before standing back up, grabbing his clothes from a nearby pile and walking out of his room, closing the door slowly behind him.

Kotetsu jumped into the shower, lathering up his hair quickly before washing himself off. He was out within a few minutes, drying himself and changing into a buttoned up shirt and pants, preparing to lounge around like he had been since he came back home. A yawn escaped his mouth as he walked out of the bathroom and down the hall to the kitchen. His mother stood there in front of the stove, greeting him with a warm smile as she stirred the contents of the pot.

“Good morning Kotetsu.”

“’Morning!” Kotetsu greeted back, walking over to the table and pulling out a chair, sitting down as his mother handed him a cup of coffee.

“By the way, do you know where Barnaby is?” Anju asked, her attention going back to the pot afterwards. “I saw his door open but I didn’t see him in there.”

Kotetsu took a sip of his coffee, the image of Barnaby sleeping next to him, hair a mess and snuggled against his stuffed plushie entering his mind. “He’s in my room.”

“Hm?” Anju hummed in question, looking over her shoulder at her son. “Why is he in your room?”

“I’m not really sure. I woke up and saw him sleeping next to me.” Kotetsu explained, taking another sip of his coffee before standing from his seat. “I think he was just too cold.” He walked past his mother to the corner of the kitchen, plucking an apple from a basket there before wandering over to the sink to wash it off. He took a bite out of it, leaning against the counter as he watched his mother stir the contents of the pot. Yet the whole time he wondered what compelled the younger man to snuggle up next to him. His mind was starting to doubt his excuse that Barnaby was next to him huddled under the covers because he was cold. Knowing Barnaby and how independent he was, he wouldn’t waltz into his room and join him in bed, not to mention lay directly next to him as he slept. It was strange and not in his character to do so.

“I’m sure we have some extra blankets in the closest. I can go grab them and put them into his room.” Kotetsu’s mother spoke up, lifting the pot she was working on from one burner to the next, covering it with a lid.

Kotetsu smiled as he chewed, happy that his mother was taking in Barnaby so well as if he was just another son to her. “Thanks Mom.”

----

Barnaby rubbed his eyes as he woke up, letting out a small grunt as he moved about on the floor. He rolled onto his back, looking up at the ceiling. For a brief moment he forgot where he was until he vaguely remembered wandering into Kotetsu’s room the night before and nearly spooning with the older man. He let in a deep breath, inhaling a scent that reminded him of Kotetsu, most likely from the sheets he was bundled up in. He felt so calm, so relaxed. He felt happy for once. He wanted to wake up every morning like this if he could. Barnaby sat himself up slowly, looking over to his side, noticing the absence of his partner. Briefly he wondered how Kotetsu reacted to him being there, feeling a bit of sadness knowing that the older man probably freaked out, but wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case. Throwing off the covers, he stood up, stretching his back afterwards before walking towards the door. He strolled out of the room and down the hall, rubbing his face in an attempt to wake himself even more. He stepped into the kitchen, smiling slightly when he saw a familiar face sitting at the table and drinking his coffee.

Kotetsu looked up from his beverage when he saw Barnaby walk into the room. “Hey Bunny!” He greeted the younger man with his usual warm smile. “Gave me quiet a scare this morning…”

Barnaby blushed, looking away. “Oh…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“Hey, it’s okay!” Kotetsu reassured him, motioning to the younger man to sit down as he stood, going to prepare a cup of coffee for Barnaby. “It can get a little chilly in here sometimes, especially during this time of year.” He said, causing the younger man to perk up in surprise. “My Mom can get you a few more blankets if you need them.” Kotetsu placed a cup of coffee in front of Barnaby, sitting down again in his chair.

“Actually…” Barnaby began, wrapping both of his hands around the cup placed before him. He gained the attention of the other man but didn’t continue. He didn’t want to admit he had something silly such as nightmares and he sure as hell wasn’t going to mention is silly crush on him either. Barnaby stared down into his coffee, his faint reflection on the surface of the liquid looking back up at him. Even though his reflection was so tiny and hard to see, he still could make out his frown that he had on his face. It made him realize just how unhappy he was making himself hiding these numerous things. What happened? He had gotten to the point in their relationship that he could trust Kotetsu and tell him anything, but now he was keeping everything locked up inside him. Why was he doing this? Was it because that he liked Kotetsu more than just a friend? He could feel a vein pump hard at the side of his head as he thought too hard and he let out a stressed sigh, gaining the attention of the other man once again.

“You okay?”

Barnaby nodded, more and more of him telling him to stop lying and just tell the truth. Tell him something, anything. Open your mouth and just say it… He thought to himself, but he wasn’t exactly sure what truth he was suppose to reveal or which one to reveal first.

“As your partner, my duty is to support you through times like this.”

Those words sparked a faint memory in Barnaby’s mind, remembering that day Kotetsu tried helping him remember the day his parents were murdered. He knew now that Kotetsu was just looking out for him, even though he still pushed him away, not wanting the man to intrude in his personal business. Now that the whole incident was over and done with, all Barnaby wanted to do was pull the man close to him, but he wasn’t sure how to do it without making Kotetsu uncomfortable, without telling him how much he actually cared about him. Attachment issues--that’s what was wrong with him. He was afraid to get close to something or someone, afraid that they would leave him, die on them, or in Maverick’s case, betray him. He had detached himself from everything, he wondered even if he could even make a commitment to someone or something, or even try. Maybe that’s why he was keeping things from him.

“To be honest…I’ve been having nightmares.” Barnaby finally spoke up, becoming slightly nervous as he did so. He had to try; he had to try to let Kotetsu know how he felt, what was going on in his mind.

Kotetsu eyed the younger man in question. “Nightmares?” He asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

“About that day…that whole time…what Maverick did to me.” Barnaby hung his head, clutching either side with his hands. “And that moment when I held you in my arms and I thought…I thought you had died.” He rambled on, feeling a single tear roll down his cheek, his body tensing up as he remembered the day the two of them fought the android in the Justice Tower and Kotetsu passing out in his arms. “I keep seeing him hover over me like he’s going to change my memories again and I…” Barnaby paused, choking back a sob.

“Barnaby…Maverick is dead.” Kotetsu said, his voice low but stern. “He will never have his way with you again.”

“I know I just…” Barnaby trailed off, his emotions slowly overcoming him.

“I understand.” Kotetsu began, trying is best to reassure the younger man. “It’s hard to forget about that huh? I can’t blame you.” He paused, his eyes catching a glimpse of shiny ring that was around his finger, sparking his own memories that use to torment him, memories of his wife’s death. “But Barnaby you need to realize something…that nothing was your fault. Even with what happened to me when we fought that robot.” He watched as Barnaby’s trembling body began to relax, feeling the slightest bit of satisfaction that he could at least bring some comfort to the younger man with his words.

Barnaby sniffed, wiping his cheek while keeping his head down. Kotetsu was right, he had nothing to be sorry for; he was suffering like this for no reason. The memories would be hard to forget, but he was sure he could overcome them, as long as he had Kotetsu by his side. He scoffed in amusement at himself, leaning his head against his wrist. “I still can’t believe how you just popped up like that like nothing happened.” Barnaby tried to laugh, but part of his laugh came out as a choked sob.

Kotetsu chuckled, downing the rest of his coffee. “Well I wasn’t going to let some stupid blast from a rail gun keep me down!” He earned a laugh from Barnaby, who finally rose his head back up. His eyes were a little red and his face drained of color, but the smile he wore completely masked all of it, giving Kotetsu a sense of relief.

The two of them sat there for awhile, just enjoying each other’s presence. They watched each other, one of them occasionally having to blush and turn away. Despite knowing each other for over a year now, they still acted like new acquaintances whenever they sat together as they were. Barnaby himself tried keeping his eyes on the older man as much as he could without making it too obvious, studying all his features including his beard. Every time he looked at Kotetsu’s beard it got cuter and cuter and he finally realized why Kotetsu probably shaved it that way: it looked like cats. He was surprised he didn’t notice that sooner. But his eyes kept wandering back to Kotetsu’s amber eyes that were almost golden in color. No wonder he had ‘tiger’ in his name. Barnaby blinked away when Kotetsu’s eyes darted over to him, taking a sip of his coffee nonchalant.

“How about we go out for a stroll?” Kotetsu asked out of the blue, scratching the side of his face with his finger.

Barnaby blinked at the older man for spitting out the most random thing possible during that moment. “Okay…?” He agreed, still slightly taken back from the question as he set down his cup of coffee.

“After you eat breakfast first. No skipping out like you did yesterday!” Kotetsu pointed at the younger man, grinning.

“Okay Mom…” Barnaby teased, smirking at Kotetsu when the man narrowed his eyes at him, pouting. But soon after the both of them were bursting out in laugher as if they were holding it in for ages. It was then that Barnaby felt like he gain some sort of confidence that could keep him on his two feet and hold his head up high. Maybe he could tell Kotetsu his feelings today. Maybe…

----

Kotetsu slipped his hands into his coat pockets, shivering from the cold as he made his way up a stone-laden stairs that led up the side of the mountain they were climbing. Barnaby followed close behind, looking around him as he stepped up the steps, stopping whenever they came up to an old statue to get a closer look at it while Kotetsu explained the history or meaning behind it. He was surprised how eager Barnaby was to learn about the culture of his home. It was a whole new world for him, now that he wasn’t living for revenge or living to be nothing but a Hero. It’s no wonder Barnaby’s demeanor changed so drastically ever since the incident with Jake and the incident with Maverick. Still, it seemed like Barnaby had a lot on his mind, but he couldn’t tell whether or not it was related to the incidents or something else going on in his life. Even though he knew so much about this man’s past, he knew nothing about who he was, what he liked or didn’t like, all those traits that made him whole. Kotetsu realized he hardly knew Barnaby at all. While they took a break near the top of the stairway, the other man took note of him huddling within his jacket, shivering.

“You cold?” Barnaby asked, tilting his head at the older man watching him shiver in response. “I was wondering why you wanted to go out for a walk in the middle of Winter.” He chuckled.

“Yet you still came with me.” Kotetsu smiled. “I’m fine. I have this jacket on.” He plucked at the thick, winter jacket he was wearing. He turned, heading up the last few steps until he reached a small open plaza, a few statues surrounding the outside of it between the trees. “Besides, I thought the fresh air might clear your thoughts a bit.”

“Hm?” Barnaby hummed in question when he walked up to the other man.

“It just looks like you have a lot on your mind yet.” Kotetsu looked over at Barnaby, who stared at him in a bit of shock. “Oh…was I right?!” Kotetsu took a step towards the younger man. Barnaby tensed up slightly and looked away, blushing. “Did I actually finally figure out how to read you Lil’ Bunny?” He snickered to himself, feeling a bit victorious.

“I guess so…” Barnaby admitted, keeping his head turned away from Kotetsu and closed his eyes.

“Then what’s on your mind? C’mon, you can tell ol’ Tiger.” Kotetsu gave the younger man a thumbs up, even though the man wasn’t looking at him. “That’s what I’m here for right?” He said, reminding Barnaby of why he was staying with him in the first place.

Barnaby turned slowly, his eyes meeting up with the large grin Kotetsu had plastered on his face. He swallowed, the confidence he thought he had gotten before had completely vanished. “I can’t say…” He looked to the ground, not wanting to see the hurt on Kotetsu’s face for not being able to admit the truth.

“What?! Why not?!” Kotetsu stepped in front of Barnaby, becoming slightly frustrated. “Look if it has something to do with Maverick or Ouroboros then-”

“It has nothing to do with that!” Barnaby snapped, interrupting Kotetsu and startling him. He didn’t mean to say it so harsh, but he was angry, angry at himself. Kotetsu was just trying to help him, but he kept pushing him away. He knew Kotetsu was going to keep pressing for an answer and that answer was something he was willing to give. He was too afraid to.

“Then what is it?!” Kotetsu grabbed Barnaby’s shoulders, shaking the man slightly to get his focus up on him. “Bunny?”

“Ugh…” Barnaby squirmed from Kotetsu’s grasp, shrugging off the man’s hands off of his shoulders. Taking a step back from Kotetsu he turned away, shutting his eyes in the process. God dammit, he felt like crying. So many conflicting emotions where running through his mind. He was angry at himself for being such a child; he was upset that all he could do right now was push Kotetsu away from him even though he needed him desperately. He clenched his fist at his side. What am I suppose to do?

“Wait wait wait…Let me guess.” Kotetsu began, rubbing his forehead. Barnaby looked back at Kotetsu, watching him curiously, waiting for him to speak again. “You have a crush on somebody don’t you?” He held his hand out to Barnaby, gesturing to him as he grinned. “Is that why you’ve been as depressed as you have? You miss them don’t you?” The other man only stared at him, his anger growing. Kotetsu paid no attention however, trying to keep the smile on his face despite Barnaby scowling at him. “So who is it?”

“It’s no one Kotetsu…” Barnaby turned his head away again, trying to hide the blush that appeared on his face. “I don’t have a crush on anyone.” So Kotetsu wasn’t so blind to figure out that he was showing signs of liking someone. If the man only knew it was him.

“Yes you do! I can tell!” Kotetsu clapped his hands together, striding around Barnaby to get in the man’s focus again. “You’re going to make me guess huh? Is it…Dragon Kid?”

Green eyes darted to Kotetsu, locking on to his golden ones. “No.” He responded sharply, just wanting Kotetsu to shut up.

“Blue Rose?”

“No…”

“Um……It’s not Fire Emblem is it?” Kotetsu scratched his chin, narrowing his eyes at the other man.

“No Kotetsu…!” Barnaby groaned, looking away from Kotetsu once again. Please just stop Kotetsu…

Kotetsu continued to scratch in chin while he thought, trying to think of all the women that he knew, well that Barnaby knew. “Agnes?”

“No.” Barnaby could feel himself cracking, his mouth so desperate to spit out the truth. But he restrained himself, deciding maybe giving Kotetsu hints would be enough for the man to figure it out. “It’s…someone you know well.”

“Hm…someone I know well?” Kotetsu questioned. So he was on the right track, Barnaby did like someone. But who was it? He pondered, not coming up with any new females other than the ones he mentioned which raised a question in his mind. Did Barnaby actually like men? Was he attracted to guys as well and not just girls? It never crossed Kotetsu’s mind that Barnaby might actually be gay. The other man didn’t show any hints of being homosexual that he was aware of, unless he just never noticed. He ran down the list of the other Hero’s with Barnaby, each one being crossed off the list as Barnaby told him it wasn’t them. He quickly ran out of people, even going to his own family.

“How could I like anyone in your family? I just met them.” Barnaby crossed his arms.

“You’re right…um…” Kotetsu groaned loudly, throwing his hands in the air with defeat. “GAHHH I don’t know! You need to tell me because I can’t figure it out!”

Barnaby readjusted his glasses, his hand shaking as he did so. He felt like Karina, expressing his feelings for Kotetsu in so many different ways but he was still oblivious to it; he was just so dense about people liking him. There were only two ways Kotetsu would be able to figure it out and just coming out and telling him was out of the question. His heart began to beat fast, he literally had to clutch to his chest with his hand. He stepped closer to the older man, his body feeling like it was moving on its own without him giving it any commands. Soon he was right next to Kotetsu and luckily for him, the older man didn’t pay much attention to him getting closer. He swallowed, feeling the butterflies in his stomach flutter vigorously as he stood there staring at the man for what felt like ages. Suddenly Barnaby leaned in, his lips meeting up with Kotetsu’s, kissing him softly and briefly before stepping back. He stared at the ground for a few seconds before he turned and ran.

Kotetsu stood there for a moment in a bit of shock and confusion, feeling a bit of wetness on his lips. He didn’t even realize right away that he had been kissed. He blinked and his eyes focused in front of him, expecting to see Barnaby right in front of him. But he wasn’t and it took him a moment before he realized that Barnaby was running away from him, seeing the flash of red from the man’s boots as he ran behind some tress and up a stairway. “Hey wait! Bunny?!”

Barnaby ran as fast as his legs would let him without using his Hundred Power. He didn’t know where he was running to, but he didn’t care. He just didn’t want to see the fear in Kotetsu’s face after what he did. He didn’t even know if Kotetsu was chasing after him, he was too afraid to look behind him. Eventually he found himself in a building at the top of a hill, his feet coming to a halt inside the large room after he pushed through the wooden doors. Barnaby stood toward the front of the room, gasping for air as he stared at the various statues in front of him, a dim light casting down upon them. He wasn’t sure where he was, but from the looks of the building Barnaby guessed it was some kind of shrine. A few tears flowed down his face as he gazed upon the statues, one of a man and one of a woman, embracing each other and posed as if they were floating into the sky. He felt a bit lonely all of the sudden. His legs shook as he stood there, feeling weaker and weaker until eventually he fell to his knees, his butt resting on the floor in-between his legs. A choked sob echoed through the large room as Barnaby began to cry, hanging his head as he stared at the floor, smacking his hands against the stone floor. He felt like a failure, he felt worse than that time he found out Maverick was the one who had killed his parents. Kissing Kotetsu was probably the stupidest thing he could have done to show the man that he liked him, but yet he did it. This was it, Kotetsu was never going to speak with him again, probably going to kick him out of his home and leave him on the street, alone, weak, and scared. It was a mistake that probably would haunt him for the rest of his life.

Suddenly Barnaby felt arms around him, a warm body pressed against his back. His raised his head slowly, turning it slightly, seeing familiar dark locks of hair and part of a face next to his.

“You didn’t give me a chance to kiss you back.” Kotetsu whispered jokingly and ever so calmly next to the younger man’s ear. He could feel the other man tense up slightly before he turned around completely, his tear-streaked face facing his. Kotetsu smiled, bringing back a hand from around Barnaby to whip the tears from the man’s face. Before he could do anything else, Barnaby fell against him, burying his face against his jacket as his hands came up to clutch onto the upper part of his arms. His grip around the younger man tightened, bringing him closer to him as he rested his chin on top of his head. “I’m not mad at you. A little surprised but not mad.” Kotetsu began, listening to Barnaby’s muffled sniff come from underneath him. The man stayed silent, not responding to him even though he knew Barnaby was listening to him. “It must have been hard to keep that to yourself this whole time, especially now that you’re living with me.”

“I’m so sorry I can understand if you don’t want me to live with you anymore.” Barnaby quickly rambled, feeling a lump in his throat. “I…”

“I wouldn’t push you away like that!” Kotetsu was quick to reply. “You’ve suffered enough haven’t you?” He paused, a bit of sadness coming to him when Barnaby still trembled in his arms. “I care about you a lot, so much that if you’re upset, I’m upset, if you are happy, then I am happy. I want to cry in your place every time I see you cry. Although I kind of like it when you cry, you show your soft side then…w-well I still don’t like it when you cry and I don’t want you to cry!” He chuckled in slight embarrassment. “Um…I hope you know what I mean.”

“Don’t worry I understand.” Barnaby raised his head from Kotetsu’s chest, looking into the other man’s eyes, smiling. Despite Kotetsu’s awkward admission, Barnaby felt the tension in his body fade, being replaced by a comforting warmth.

“But…” Kotetsu started, his hand going to the other man’s face and wiping his cheeks. “I’m still uncertain about my own feelings towards you. I don’t know if I can call this love. I hope you understand.” He leaned in, kissing Barnaby on the forehead. He wasn’t even fazed by kissing the other man. Somehow it felt right. Maybe he did like Barnaby more than a friend, a partner. Only time would tell.

“As long as I can stay by your side…” Barnaby whispered. He didn’t even complete the sentence he wanted to say, but those words we’re more than enough to get Kotetsu to understand.

“Of course. What friend would I be if I just abandoned you?” Kotetsu smiled, his arms going back around the other man, squeezing him tightly in a playful manner.

Barnaby smiled as he was pressed against Kotetsu’s chest, his glasses being pushed up his face, but he didn’t care. “Yeah…” He whispered, shutting his eyes tightly. Thank you…thank you…

----

“It’s kind of funny that you ran here.”

“Huh?” Barnaby looked over to the man next to him. They sat on a bench inside the shine they ended up in not to long before, sitting with one another and looking at the statues in front of them. “What do you mean?”

“People come to this shrine with their partner if they’re having difficulties with their relationship or even just to pray that they have a wonderful life together.” Kotetsu explained, smiling at the other man who blushed in return.

“Oh…well…I just ran. I didn’t think about where I was going.” Barnaby smiled weakly, looking towards the ground before lifting his gaze to the statues again. Now he understood why he felt so lonely before. Although, it was slightly amusing to him how two statues could have that kind of effect on people. He grew up in a different environment he supposed. “I guess I picked the best place to go huh?” He heard the man next to him chuckle, which make him chuckle briefly as well. There was a pause between them for a moment, both of them just taking in each other’s presence. “To be honest, I’m questioning my own feelings I have for you.” Barnaby began, fiddling with his thumbs nervously as he spoke. “I do know that I really want to be with you. I want to live the rest of my life with you if I can, to be by your side everyday and wake up to see your smile every morning, to hear you say “good morning” to me. I don’t know if it is love or if it’s because you’re the only person I’ve ever opened up to and feel comfortable around. But…” He trailed off, bringing his focus on Kotetsu next to him after a moment. Some words were there but he couldn’t speak, looking at Kotetsu’s face made his thoughts jumble in his mind. His mouth opened to say something but he quickly shut it and looked away, sighing.

Kotetsu scratched the side of his face with his finger, slightly amused by how bashful Barnaby had become in such short of time. It seemed like yesterday he had just met the man, became his partner, and had to put up with his cocky attitude. But now Barnaby was blushing, smiling, pretty much the opposite of when he first met him. He was opening up to him, similar to that night they took care of the mayor’s son. It was that night that Kotetsu felt the first real connection between them because the both of them were able to open up to each other, talking about past events as if they were friends the whole time. It was something both of them seemed to have trouble with—opening up to each other. “You know, I had to work up so much courage just to ask Tomoe out on a date and I was still so damn scared during the whole thing.” Kotetsu randomly blurt out, earning a confused look from other man. “I even waited so long to ask her to marry me that she nearly was the one who asked.” He chuckled, feeling himself blush. He smiled when he heard the man next to him laugh. “My point is…take your time. Don’t rush yourself if you’re not certain about your feelings. At the same time, I can think about my own.”

Barnaby smiled in return. So kissing the older man actually turned into his favor and probably was the best thing he possibly could’ve done. He was happy that Kotetsu understood him; then again, Kotetsu was that type of person. “Thank you Kotetsu.”

Kotetsu grinned, giving Barnaby a pat on the back before looking at his watch, curious of the time. “We probably should get going. We’ve been out here for while.”

“Yeah.” Barnaby agreed, standing up from the bench. He waited for Kotetsu to do the same before walking towards the entrance of the building, opening the doors and shivering from the blast of cold air that came through. He had forgotten how cold it was. His brief run and emotional breakdown had heated up his body so much before that he was sweating. The cold caused him to pause and Kotetsu walked past him. He quickly sprinted up next to him, grabbing his left hand with his right which caused the older man to look over at him in surprise. “Can I hold your hand while we walk?” Barnaby asked, feeling the question to be odder than holding Kotetsu’s hand.

Kotetsu laughed. “You don’t have to ask to hold my hand Bunny!”

Barnaby blushed, laughing himself. “Sorry.” His heart skipped a beat when his thumb rubbed against the ring that Kotetsu wore on his finger, the oath he had with his late wife and a possible hurdle to overcome. But Barnaby was willing to take that chance. Kotetsu could love his wife and love him at the same time…right? “It’s weird, before I felt like Blue Rose somehow.” Barnaby said out of the blue.

“Hm?” Kotetsu quirked an eyebrow at the younger man. “What do you mean?”

“The fact that all those hints and you still couldn’t figure out that I liked you. I’m even surprised that you even could guess that I had a crush on someone, usually you’re so clueless.” Barnaby explained. He watched Kotetsu who narrowed his eyes at him, still confused.

“How does that have to do with Blue Rose?”

Oh that’s right... Barnaby chuckled, stopping when Kotetsu did, the man leaning towards him. “I guess if you couldn’t figure out that I liked you, then I guess you didn’t know that Blue Rose has had a crush on you for who knows how long.”

Kotetsu could feel his jaw drop in shock. “Blue Rose…has a crush…on me?” He asked, pointing to himself, dumbfounded. He stayed silent for several moments before bursting out into laughter. “You’re…you’re kidding me right?!” His laughing slowed when he saw the serious expression on the other man’s face, figuring out that Barnaby was actually telling the truth. “That’s…that’s just weird! I mean she’s in high school yet right?! She’s too young for me.”

“Kotetsu we’re pretty far apart in age as well.” Barnaby pointed out.

“Not as bad as the age gap between me and her! I mean, I could probably be her father!” Kotetsu shook his head from that absurd and disturbing thought.

Barnaby snickered, starting to walk again, turning around to face Kotetsu and pulling him with him when he didn’t start walking right away. “I just hope she doesn’t kick my ass for taking her crush.” He joked, earning a laugh from Kotetsu.

“I think she might do more than just kick your ass.”

----

Muramasa walked back to his van after hauling the last crate of liquor into the store he was delivering to. He shut the side door before opening and stepping into the driver’s seat, shutting the car door afterwards. He turned the key, blinking in surprise when the engine started and kept on running without stalling out like it usually did. Today must be a good day. He thought to himself, going to the shift to shift the car into gear only to pause midway. He gazed off into the distance, noticing his younger brother and his friend walking down the road towards home. But that wasn’t what shocked him so much; what shocked him: they were holding hands. Even though they were quite far away, he still could see both of their hands clinging to each other, their arms swinging back and forth as they walked. It’s as if they were a couple and they sure were smiling at each other like they were. Muramasa could feel a lump in his throat as he stared at the two of them until they were out of view behind some trees. Here he thought Barnaby was living with them so that he could do some relaxing and get his life on track before going back to Stern Bild. Obviously Kotetsu hadn’t told him the truth and he almost felt betrayed. But then again, that was just like his younger brother to hide stuff from him. He didn’t know what to think. Should he confront his brother about this? Should he just ignore it? Muramasa sighed, not even noticing that the engine had stalled out.

----

As they arrived back at Kotetsu’s home, Barnaby stopped the older man before they entered the house, still holding onto his hand. “Um…” Barnaby paused, looking up at Kotetsu who watched him in question. “Can I sleep with you from now on?”

“Hm?” Kotetsu titled his head, waiting for an explanation from the other man.

“The only time I remember not having any nightmares is that night before we came here. Remember? You stayed at my apartment and we shared my bed?” Barnaby chuckled in embarrassment. “I actually slept really well that night.”

Kotetsu grinned in response. “Of course! But are you sure? I mean you have a bed right now and if you share my room you’ll be sleeping on the floor on a pad that’s not very cushiony.”

“I’m sure it’ll be better than not getting any sleep at all. If you can sleep on the floor without any problems I think I can do it too.”

“Okay! Then let’s go move your stuff into my room!” Kotetsu pulled the younger man’s arm suddenly and Barnaby staggered towards him. He laughed as the other man fell into his arms and Barnaby laughed as well, the two of them heading inside while holding onto each other.

Soon after they were inside, Barnaby was moving his belongings into Kotetsu’s room, which could now be called their room. He neatly folded up his clothes, placing them inside the dresser in the room. “I think it’s a good idea to leave out relationship a secret for now.” Barnaby said as Kotetsu stepped into the room, placing a box with more of his belongings in the room.

“Why’s what?” Kotetsu asked, standing before the younger man with his hand on his hip.

“I just think we should.” Barnaby replied, continuing to put his clothes in the dresser, not looking up at the other man. The specific memory of the conversation he overheard between Kotetsu’s brother and mother lingered in his mind as he talked with Kotetsu. He felt the need to tell Kotetsu about it, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

“I guess you have a point.” Kotetsu rubbed the back of his head, the thought of his mother finding out about it made him cringe. It would be even worse if his brother found out about it. Not only that, what if the other Heros found out about it; what if the entirety of Stern Bild found out, being ex-Heros in all, all the tabloids would be printing about it.

“It’s not that I’m uncomfortable with it, I just don’t know how everyone will react if they found out or what they would do.” Barnaby stood up and faced Kotetsu, the bit of fear he was feeling showing though. “I don’t want us to become outcasts because of it.”

“Hey they wouldn’t do that to us! They’ll be really surprised of course but I doubt the other Heros would disapprove of it, same with my family.”

Barnaby tensed up from the last part of Kotetsu’s statement, questioning whether or not Kotetsu actually believed that his family wouldn’t mind their relationship. His attention came up from the floor when he noticed Kotetsu leave the room, heading to get more of his things. Barnaby sighed and went back to packing his clothes in the dresser in front of him. Keeping a secret like this wasn’t going to be easy.

Kotetsu headed into the guest room and picked up the last box of things in there, grabbing Barnaby’s bunny plushie and throwing it on top. As he left the room and turned the corner he nearly dropped the box as he jumped in shock, nearly running into his mother.

“What are you doing?” Anju asked, eyeing the box filled with Barnaby’s belongings before eyeing her son.

“Oh um…Barnaby’s going to be sharing my room from now on.” Kotetsu admitted, trying to keep himself from blushing or showing any other facial expression that would give away his embarrassment.

“Why? Is there something wrong with the guest room? I told Muramasa to fix that leak ages ago.” Anju scoffed.

“No Mom it’s just…” Kotetsu paused, looking for the right way to explain the situation without giving away too many clues. “Barnaby’s having a bit of trouble sleeping on his own and thought he might sleep better if he shared a room with someone. And I offered so…we’re moving his stuff in there.” Kotetsu shrugged, smiling at his mother when her face softened, the stern and confused look she was giving him vanishing.

“I see. Well then I’ll put the extra blankets I brought up in your room. I’m sure you’ll need them.” Anju waved before heading further back into the house.

Kotetsu sighed in relief and headed towards his room. It was just the first day and he was already having trouble explaining things away, he could only imagine if they’re relationship went further and he had to then start explaining marks he had on his neck. He wondered if their relationship would actually get that far. Stepping into his room, Kotetsu let out a huff as he set the box he was carrying down, the other man already picking out his stuff from the other box he brought in earlier, setting up some of it on the right side of the bed pad which he seemed to have declared as his side. He walked over and knelt next to Barnaby, watching him place the photo of his parents and him up next to the toy robot he got from them. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth and he placed a hand on the blonde’s shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze. “I’m sure they’re happy for you.”

“I know they are.” Barnaby responded, staring at the photo. “Even though I still don’t understand everything that happened; Ouroboros is still a mystery and whether or not it’s the organization Maverick had allied with.”

“But you figured out who really killed your parents and why.” Kotetsu fell back, sitting down behind the younger man. “At least that brings you some closure right?”

“I suppose so.” Barnaby closed his eyes. Honestly, why did he feel the need to grieve over this any more? A sigh left him as he tried reminding himself that his parents were gone and nothing was going to bring them back. But he knew that they probably were happy for him. He had led a successful life, even if his career as a Hero was set up by Maverick, and he had met someone that could truly make him happy than he could possibly be by himself.

“Cheer up myself!”

Barnaby opened his eyes as he heard Kotetsu in a higher pitched voice, glancing over to the right to see his stuffed bunny right next to his face, bouncing back and forth.

“You’re the King of Heros and the person who saved Stern Bild~! Yayyy!” Kotetsu smiled from behind the plushie, making the bunny’s arms bounce up and down in excitement as it danced in front of the younger man.

“Give him to me.” Barnaby snatched his plushie from Kotetsu’s hands, holding it away from him. “He doesn’t talk like that. He’s quiet but is very profound and well-mannered.” He narrowed his eyes at the older man, placing the plushie next to him and against the pillow there.

“Oh God you gave him a personality?!” Kotetsu giggled, his hand going up to cover his mouth when Barnaby narrowed his eyes at him. “That’s so cute Bunny!” He watched the younger man’s face go completely red before he turned away, continuing to laugh at him. But as quickly as he tried to hide his embarrassment, Barnaby lunged for Kotetsu, tackling him and attempting to pin him down on the ground. Both of them laughed as they wrestled with each other, eventually calming down after several minutes of playing around.

Barnaby ended up lying on top of Kotetsu, his head resting on the other man’s chest. The two of them stayed that way for awhile, a few laughs escaping their mouths a few times as they caught their breath. “Touch my bunny again and I really will beat your ass.” Barnaby eventually spoke up, shifting his head so that he could look up at Kotetsu who grinned back at him.

“You’re just jealous because he gave me a whole bunch of kisses already.”

“Did he now?” Barnaby muttered, his eyes narrowing at the older man.

Kotetsu grinned at the blonde. “Yes and I have to speak the truth!” He spoke steadfastly, placing a hand against his chest by his heart. “We are in love and we are going to elope! I hope you understand Barnaby.”

Barnaby watched Kotetsu preach his love for his stuffed bunny, trying to hold back his laugher. But he couldn’t contain it and he bursted into laughter along with Kotetsu.

----

“Dinner’s ready!” Anju called out from the kitchen as she set the table with Muramasa’s help. Kaede came running in, grabbing a plate from her grandmother.

“Mmm what it is?” Kotetsu asked as he strode into the kitchen soon after, Barnaby following behind him. “It smells good.” He took a plate of food from his mother, eyeing the mixture of meat and noodles on it.

“It looks like beef stroganoff.” Barnaby asserted as he accepted a plate from Anju as well, the two men setting themselves down at the table.

“And that’s what it is.” Anju responded, smiling at the blonde-haired man. “I heard you liked it Barnaby, so I decided to make it.”

“That’s very kind of you.” Barnaby smiled back, instantly digging into his meal.

“I’m not sure if I got it right though. There’s a variety of recipes out there.” Anju set herself down at the table as well along with Muramasa and Kaede.

“It tastes very good.” Barnaby answered between forkfuls of food. He glanced over to Kotetsu who was poking at his food with his chopsticks, his face questioning the food before him. “You don’t like beef stroganoff Kotetsu?” Barnaby asked.

“I’ve never had it before.” Kotetsu replied, picking up a piece of meat and holding it in front of his face, staring at the sauce covered beef chunk.

“Oh eat it Kotetsu!” Anju scolded her son. “It’s good for you. What do you think of it Kaede?” She turned to her granddaughter next to her, chuckling when she saw Kaede stuffing her face.

“It’s yummy!” Kaede responded after chewing and swallowing what was in her mouth, eating more afterwards.

“Good! I’m glad it tastes okay.” Anju laughed and began eating.

Kotetsu groaned as he watched his daughter and mother eat without skipping a beat. He brought the piece of beef that he held closer to his mouth, sniffing it before nibbling on the end of it slowly. He paused when he heard a chuckle from Barnaby next to him, eyeing the man as he turned away and back to his meal. Kotetsu scoffed, looking at the piece of meat again before tossing it into his mouth, chewing on it slowly, trying to get use to the new flavor.

“See? It’s not going to kill you.” Barnaby chuckled, watching the older man’s face scrunch up briefly in disgust before he swallowed.

“It’s not bad.” Kotetsu cleared his throat as he picked into his food again, putting some noodles into his mouth this time. “I’ve tasted worse.”

“Like that time you tried making that layered cake?” Muramasa spoke up, pausing on his own meal. “How do you even burn a cake Kotetsu?”

Kotetsu narrowed his eyes at his older brother, frowning as well when he heard a few snickers from around the table. “It didn’t help that the instructions used a different measuring system! I had to convert it all!” He grumbled, stuffing his mouth with more noodles, letting one piece hang out of his mouth as he chewed.

“It’s no wonder you can only cook fried rice.” Anju shook her head before looking at Barnaby. “Do you know how to cook Barnaby?”

“Not really.” Barnaby admitted, taking a drink from his tea. “But I wouldn’t mind learning how to cook some more things.”

Anju smiled at the blonde. “While you’re here I could teach you a few recipes.”

“Sure. That would be great.”

A half hour later everyone was finished with their meal. Kotetsu munched on a rice cake since he was still hungry from not eating his entire meal. Luckily Barnaby was willing to eat the rest of it for him, but forced him to eat the vegetables what were with it.

“I never said I didn’t like it!” Kotetsu scowled at that younger man next to him on the couch, shaking his hand holding his rice cake at him, crumbs from it falling onto the cushions. “It was decent.”

“Yet you were making so many faces full of disgust while you ate it.” Barnaby smirked at the other man before going back to his computer and searching through the files on it.

“Dad! Pay attention!” Kaede griped loudly from next to Kotetsu, hitting him with her notebook. “I don’t get this problem!” She held her notebook up to him, pointing to a math question.

“Sorry sorry!” Kotetsu plucked the notebook from Kaede’s grasp, reading over the question. “Every Halloween Green Fields sees about 374 trick or treaters and on average they collect about 126 pieces of candy each. Halloween candy is usually purchased in bags of 14. How many pieces of candy were collect in all how many bags of candy were handed out?” He mumbled as he read off the question, pausing briefly as the problem processed in his mind. “Kaede that’s division. Divide the numbers to get your answers.” He said, handing the notebook back to Kaede.

“No that would be multiplication.” Barnaby spoke up, his gaze lifting from his computer, earning a confused glance from both Kotetsu and Kaede. “Multiply the numbers to get the first answer then divide.”

“No it’s division for both of them! Or did I read that wrong?” Kotetsu muttered the second half of his statement, taking the notebook from Kaede again to read over the question again.

Kaede groaned when her father grabbed the notebook again, looking between at the two men as the spoke.

“You multiply the amount of trick or treaters with the number of candy collected to get the first answer.” Barnaby explained, pausing and smirking when he saw Kotetsu narrow his eyes further as he stared at the notebook. “Then you divide that answer by now much candy is in each bag to get the second answer.”

Kotetsu continued to stare at the notebook for a short time before handing it back to Kaede, frowning. “Yeah you’re right.”

“It’s not rocket science Kotetsu.” Barnaby chuckled, his attention going back to his computer.

“Yeah Dad…you can’t even figure out a simple math problem.” Kaede pouted at Kotetsu in a playful manner.

“That’s not it! I just read it wrong the first time!” Kotetsu yelled. “Geez, why are you guys being so mean to me right now?” He pouted, neither his daughter nor his partner paying attention to him. Huffing angrily after being ignored, Kotetsu leaned towards Barnaby, getting a better look at his computer screen. He frowned when he saw stuff about Ouroboros on it but said nothing, not wanting to argue about it with him in front of Kaede. He sat back up, staring out in front of him, not thinking or looking at any in particular. For some reason he had the urge to wrap his arm around Barnaby, but with Kaede there, it would be really awkward. He really did feel something for the other man. The only question that remained in his mind was whether or not it was actually love.

----

Within a few hours, everyone else was asleep, save for Kotetsu, who was just getting ready to go to bed. He slipped on a long sleeved shirt and switched off the lamp in the room before slipping himself under the covers, pulling them over him. It was already warm underneath the sheets, thanks to Barnaby already curled up in them. Kotetsu let out a drained sigh as he lay there, closing his eyes. Not to long after, Barnaby rolled over to his side, resting his arm across his chest.

The younger man let out a content sigh of his own, his hand gently gripping onto Kotetsu’s shirt. The other man was so warm, it made him feel relaxed and comfortable. This really was love. He was fairly certain of it now. Nothing else made him feel this way, made his heart pound this hard, made him blush or laugh. It was bliss for him.

“Hey Bunny?”

“Yes?”

“Will I ever get to try out your fried rice one day?” Kotetsu opened a single eye, peeking at Barnaby next to him.

“Maybe…If you behave.” Barnaby smirked, earning a dissatisfied grunt from Kotetsu. “I’m surprised you remember me saying that.”

“Of course I do. I meant a lot to me.” Kotetsu smiled, his focus going to the ceiling above him. “Even though you never ate any of my fried rice.” He muttered.

The blonde chuckled. “I’m sorry.”

Kotetsu simple smirked in response, closing his eyes again in an attempt to drift off to sleep. Barnaby shifted next to him, getting closer to him and burying his face against his shoulder. He smiled again, snaking his hand between their bodies and resting it on his stomach, for some reason resisting the urge to wrap it around Barnaby. His mind and body was still hesitating, still lingering on that first base of the relationship when it seemed like Barnaby was trying to jump to second or even third base already. Which brought up a question that had been nagging him ever since he found out Barnaby liked him earlier that day.

“Bunny?” Kotetsu smirked to himself when Barnaby sighed in annoyance at him.

“Kotetsu…please go to sleep.”

“When would you saw you noticed that you liked me?”

Green eyes slowly opened, hesitant to answer Kotetsu’s question. Barnaby really hadn’t given it much thought before. “I…I don’t know. To be honest, after we fought Jake and I felt that I could trust you again, I…really wanted to spend more time with you, even though I wouldn’t admit it then.” He earned a chuckle from the older man next to him, much to his embarrassment. “But I think…it was that one morning you came to check up on me, after Kreim told me that Jake didn’t kill my parents, you made me fried rice. I was actually happy to see you and I was glad you came.”

“Yet you didn’t show it.”

A chuckle escaped his mouth then, realizing the evasiveness in his actions also. “Yeah…” If he wasn’t showing it then he was showing it now, showing how much Kotetsu meant to him. Barnaby closed his eyes once again, hoping this will be the last of the interruptions of the night.

“Bunny?”

Nope. Didn’t think so. “For the love of God Kotetsu…” Barnaby groaned.

Kotetsu frowned. “Fine, I’ll save it for tomorrow.”

“No I’m still awake so tell me now.”

“……Want to go out on a date with me?”

Barnaby opened his eyes again from the odd question, lifting his head just enough so he could twist around and look at Kotetsu who grinned warmly at him. He hesitated for a moment, eyeing the older man before letting his head fall back again the pillow and tightening himself against Kotetsu, attempting to get comfortable again. “I lied. Ask me again tomorrow. I’m too tired to think.”

“It’s a simple yes or no answer Lil’ Bun-ugh OW!” Kotetsu flinched when Barnaby smacked his hand against his chest, cutting his sentence short. He sighed, finally wrapping his arm around the frame of the man next to him in defeat. “Fine, I’ll be quiet now.” Slowly a smile grew on his face and he couldn’t help but let his head roll to the side towards Barnaby, nearly laying his head on top of his, quickly drifting off to sleep.

----

A/N: I’ve been trying to add Barnaby’s ‘verbal slips’ in this or stuff similar to that he’s known to do in the series, so if you see Barnaby saying weird things like when they were talking about fried rice and he said “If you behave”, that’s why; just to clarify. XD I still wanted to hint to the fact that Barnaby is a little bit socially awkward yet, despite he can do interviews so well.
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[Tiger & Bunny] - Without Reason