[Fic] For What It is Worth
Title: For What It Is Worth
Author: cynical_prude @ Hikaru R. Kudou
Rating: PG
Fandom: Tiger & Bunny
Pairing & Characters: Barnaby/Kotetsu
Warnings: None that I know of...except maybe Fluff.
Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply.
Summary: Barnaby/Kotetsu. Set right after Episode 13. Barnaby escapes the hassle of celebrity life and appears at Kotetsu's door to share a quiet moment - and something more.
Crossposted at my AO3 and my DW. And eventually on FF.Net...
He figured he deserved a good night's rest after what had happened. It was nothing new - his getting injured and getting treated and then his request of being discharged. He preferred to be resting in his own quarters, even if the doctor did not think so. The attending doctor only let him go when Barnaby promised that he would not, in his own words, "let this Oji-san do something stupid to injure himself again".
He snorted. Even if it was stupid, it was certainly worth it. Everyone was happy in the end, no more threat in the form of plush bears blowing up the city, no more one-on-one melee with a psychotic telepath, and no more Bunny wallowing in despair.
Kaburagi Kotetsu grabbed the last can of beer from the refrigerator, making a mental note to himself to restock. He settled down in front of the television, wondering if there were any shows worth watching at this time. Shows that had nothing to do with the heroes success in bringing down Jake and Ouroboros.
Bunny's success, he corrected himself with a sigh. The public would be putting him on a pedestal and idolising him for weeks, at least.
Kotetsu never got to switch the television on, though, because his doorbell rang just before he clicked his remote. Kotetsu glanced at his watch. It was late, and he certainly was not expecting any guest at this time.
He rarely received guests, anyway.
He opened the door, and was pleasantly surprised to find a familiar face standing beyond.
"Hey," said Barnaby Brooks Jr, wincing in embarrassment. He was wearing a hooded sweatshirt over his usual black tee, and his signature red and white jacket was nowhere in sight.
"Hey," Kotetsu smiled. "I didn't expect you to come over. Shouldn't you be resting?"
Barnaby had with him two bottles of beer, and he held one out to his partner, like an offering. Kotetsu accepted it graciously, and moved aside for Barnaby to enter.
"You should be resting at your own place after today's battle," continued Kotetsu as he beckoned his partner to the living room. "You did great, you must be tired."
"I suppose," answered Barnaby, glancing at Kotetsu's home. It was small, and probably had a bit too many things around, but there was a homely feel to it.
"How'd you know where I live?" asked Kotetsu. "If I had known you were coming, I'd tidy up a bit. This is your first time, after all." He gave a nervous chuckle.
"I checked the company's database for your info," explained Barnaby. "That's all right, isn't it?" Barnaby noted a photograph of Kotetsu with his family - his late wife and his daughter. The latter looked familiar, and when Barnaby remembered, his eyes widened. "Isn't this girl--"
"Yeah, that's her. My little girl, you saved her at that time." Kotetsu rubbed the back of his head. "I can't thank you enough for that."
Barnaby raised an eyebrow. "Is that why you put up with me?"
"Are you actually teasing me, Bunny?" Kotetsu sighed. "Still, it's great that with the Ouroboros down, you're finally loosening up."
Barnaby sat down. "Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to serve your guest anything?"
With an apology, Kotetsu scrambled to his kitchen and rummaged through it for anything edible. "I have some leftover pizza, will it do?"
"Sure." Barnaby had the remote control in his hand, and was idly browsing through the channels.
Kotetsu came back with the pizza and two glasses filled with ice.
"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" asked Barnaby as Kotetsu filled his glass with the beer he had brought for him. "Maybe I should have called you first."
"Nah, it's all right. I had nothing to do anyway." He was feeling a bit lonely too, but Kotetsu stopped himself before he could say it. "And you? Why're you in…that?" He gestured at the pullover. "A new fashion statement?"
Barnaby sighed, pulled the hood down and removed the pullover. "I sneaked away from my apartment. A few reporters were already outside my door when I came back, ringing my doorbell and requesting for an interview. I can't rest peacefully at my own apartment, so I decided to seek refuge here. I figured they wouldn't know where my partner stays."
"You were from your place? Didn't you have a media conference or something? As the celebrated hero who brought Ouroboros down?"
Barnaby looked at his partner. "I declined the offer."
The older man was shocked. "What!? Why did you?"
"Well, I wanted you to be present as well so I asked them to reschedule to tomorrow morning," said the blond, sipping his beer. There was a tinge of blush on his cheeks, and he angled his head in a way that Kotetsu would not be able to see his face. "Couldn't have done it without you."
Kotetsu grinned, but said nothing.
"Besides," Barnaby resumed, "I wanted to check on you. How're your injuries?"
"I should be up and about by tomorrow." Kotetsu took a bite of the pizza, chewing it slowly.
"Don't push yourself too much, Oji-san."
And they were back to the nicknames, Kotetsu thought. Not that he was complaining, though. "Habits die hard, Bunny. But it's nice of you to check on me. Thank you."
Barnaby nodded, trying to appear nonchalant about it. "Thank you for trusting me."
"Hmmm?"
"Earlier today," murmured Barnaby as the events flashed through his mind. "When I held Jake, you didn't barge in. You had faith in me, trusted that I would be able to control myself. And you know…if you weren't there, I wasn't sure if I wouldn't kill him. It made me feel…I don't know, relieved? It was the right thing to do after all. So…Thank you, Kotetsu-san." Barnaby finally found the courage to look straight at Kotetsu, and he found that his partner was staring at him back, sitting upright. "Are you going to be like this each time I call you by your name? I might have to stick to the old way."
Kotetsu broke free from his frozen state. "You've really grown. Initially I thought you were just an uncute brat but…I suppose you grow up once you can let your unhappy childhood go." He grinned. "Or maybe I'm just getting too old."
"Maybe. Like I said, you're pushing yourself too much." Barnaby took another sip. "Maybe you haven't been spending enough time with your daughter that you worry about people too much."
"I have?"
"Your determination and commitment towards your duty is commendable. But the public doesn't seem to appreciate you much."
"They're too busy fawning after you." Kotetsu grinned, and Barnaby was relieved to find no malice in his words. "It's all right. Public acknowledgement is not the only reward. There's always personal satisfaction of doing what's right, of saving those in trouble…"
'Including me?' Barnaby added to himself.
"…and working with you."
Barnaby looked on, and Kotetsu was starting to feel awkward being stared down at. The silence that had started to set in was not helping either.
There was a foreign feeling surging in Barnaby's chest. The warmth was different though - it was not anger, or the desire for revenge. He had long past that stage, and now he was able to see other things that life could offer him. Aspects of his partner that he had not - could not - appreciate before. They probably got off on a wrong start, with Barnaby's focus on his unhappy past and the duo's poor communication, but they could work on that.
"Oi, Bunny, you're looking at me funny. Do I have sauce on my face?"
There was emptiness in Barnaby's life, and after the conclusion of Ouroboros, things seemed to have improved a lot. Perhaps something else was responsible for that.
Kotetsu was staring at him back, wide-eyed and red-faced.
Barnaby stood up to approach the other man. "Will you at least allow me to thank you properly?"
Kotetsu pursed his lips before responding. He saw something in Barnaby's eyes, the way he looked at him - it was akin to a burning fire, perhaps masked all along by his cold front that the blond had put up around him as a result of his traumatized childhood.
Kotetsu wondered if his partner's feelings mirrored his own. He had worried incessantly about the younger man, put up with all his ego. At times he dismissed it as a paternalistic feeling - probably a translation of his missing his own daughter - but it felt stronger, and definitely not platonic. And as everyone else celebrated Barnaby, he wondered if the blond would be lost to him. Barnaby was his partner, but he belonged to the public.
"No thank you is necessary, Bunny," said Kotetsu flatly. "That is…having you trust me is good enough."
"You deserve more than that, Kotetsu-san." Barnaby bent his knee, resting it just next to Kotetsu's. The contact made him aware of a shot of electricity upwards in his legs, but Kotetsu was then made to focus on Barnaby's face that was getting closer to his own.
The kiss came, although not entirely anticipated. Barnaby was leaning forward, pushing Kotetsu deeper against the sofa. Kotetsu's hands instinctively moved to stabilize Barnaby on him, until one hand snaked upwards, towards Barnaby's ridiculous golden locks, and held his head.
He had no idea how long it lasted, but Barnaby pulled away, face flushing and breathing heavily. Kotetsu slowly opened his eyes, but his hands remained.
Barnaby was trying to regain his breathing.
This was an unexpected development, at least for Kotetsu. Barnaby could be so difficult to read most of the time, but here he was, exposing his pent up emotions that Kotetsu never knew he had.
"Oji-san?"
Kotetsu pulled the figure down, adjusting him so that he was sitting on his laps. Barnaby said nothing, as if he was trying to process Kotetsu's own feelings from his actions.
"I'm probably not worthy of you," said Kotetsu. "You deserve so much more."
"You can think so if you want." murmured Barnaby darkly. "But I'm certain that you do deserve me, and I'm certain I can change your mind. Soon."
"That's not the alcohol talking, is it?"
Barnaby snorted at the idea. "I can hold my liquor."
"Good, then." Kotetsu paused. "Didn't you say we have an interview tomorrow morning?"
"Your point being?" Barnaby frowned in impatience. "I'll call them to cancel if we can't make it."
Kotetsu let out a small laughter, amused. "Good, then. I'll be looking forward to hear your real name over the course of the night." He proceeded to remove Barnaby's spectacles and moved in for another kiss.
Author: cynical_prude @ Hikaru R. Kudou
Rating: PG
Fandom: Tiger & Bunny
Pairing & Characters: Barnaby/Kotetsu
Warnings: None that I know of...except maybe Fluff.
Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply.
Summary: Barnaby/Kotetsu. Set right after Episode 13. Barnaby escapes the hassle of celebrity life and appears at Kotetsu's door to share a quiet moment - and something more.
Crossposted at my AO3 and my DW. And eventually on FF.Net...
He figured he deserved a good night's rest after what had happened. It was nothing new - his getting injured and getting treated and then his request of being discharged. He preferred to be resting in his own quarters, even if the doctor did not think so. The attending doctor only let him go when Barnaby promised that he would not, in his own words, "let this Oji-san do something stupid to injure himself again".
He snorted. Even if it was stupid, it was certainly worth it. Everyone was happy in the end, no more threat in the form of plush bears blowing up the city, no more one-on-one melee with a psychotic telepath, and no more Bunny wallowing in despair.
Kaburagi Kotetsu grabbed the last can of beer from the refrigerator, making a mental note to himself to restock. He settled down in front of the television, wondering if there were any shows worth watching at this time. Shows that had nothing to do with the heroes success in bringing down Jake and Ouroboros.
Bunny's success, he corrected himself with a sigh. The public would be putting him on a pedestal and idolising him for weeks, at least.
Kotetsu never got to switch the television on, though, because his doorbell rang just before he clicked his remote. Kotetsu glanced at his watch. It was late, and he certainly was not expecting any guest at this time.
He rarely received guests, anyway.
He opened the door, and was pleasantly surprised to find a familiar face standing beyond.
"Hey," said Barnaby Brooks Jr, wincing in embarrassment. He was wearing a hooded sweatshirt over his usual black tee, and his signature red and white jacket was nowhere in sight.
"Hey," Kotetsu smiled. "I didn't expect you to come over. Shouldn't you be resting?"
Barnaby had with him two bottles of beer, and he held one out to his partner, like an offering. Kotetsu accepted it graciously, and moved aside for Barnaby to enter.
"You should be resting at your own place after today's battle," continued Kotetsu as he beckoned his partner to the living room. "You did great, you must be tired."
"I suppose," answered Barnaby, glancing at Kotetsu's home. It was small, and probably had a bit too many things around, but there was a homely feel to it.
"How'd you know where I live?" asked Kotetsu. "If I had known you were coming, I'd tidy up a bit. This is your first time, after all." He gave a nervous chuckle.
"I checked the company's database for your info," explained Barnaby. "That's all right, isn't it?" Barnaby noted a photograph of Kotetsu with his family - his late wife and his daughter. The latter looked familiar, and when Barnaby remembered, his eyes widened. "Isn't this girl--"
"Yeah, that's her. My little girl, you saved her at that time." Kotetsu rubbed the back of his head. "I can't thank you enough for that."
Barnaby raised an eyebrow. "Is that why you put up with me?"
"Are you actually teasing me, Bunny?" Kotetsu sighed. "Still, it's great that with the Ouroboros down, you're finally loosening up."
Barnaby sat down. "Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to serve your guest anything?"
With an apology, Kotetsu scrambled to his kitchen and rummaged through it for anything edible. "I have some leftover pizza, will it do?"
"Sure." Barnaby had the remote control in his hand, and was idly browsing through the channels.
Kotetsu came back with the pizza and two glasses filled with ice.
"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" asked Barnaby as Kotetsu filled his glass with the beer he had brought for him. "Maybe I should have called you first."
"Nah, it's all right. I had nothing to do anyway." He was feeling a bit lonely too, but Kotetsu stopped himself before he could say it. "And you? Why're you in…that?" He gestured at the pullover. "A new fashion statement?"
Barnaby sighed, pulled the hood down and removed the pullover. "I sneaked away from my apartment. A few reporters were already outside my door when I came back, ringing my doorbell and requesting for an interview. I can't rest peacefully at my own apartment, so I decided to seek refuge here. I figured they wouldn't know where my partner stays."
"You were from your place? Didn't you have a media conference or something? As the celebrated hero who brought Ouroboros down?"
Barnaby looked at his partner. "I declined the offer."
The older man was shocked. "What!? Why did you?"
"Well, I wanted you to be present as well so I asked them to reschedule to tomorrow morning," said the blond, sipping his beer. There was a tinge of blush on his cheeks, and he angled his head in a way that Kotetsu would not be able to see his face. "Couldn't have done it without you."
Kotetsu grinned, but said nothing.
"Besides," Barnaby resumed, "I wanted to check on you. How're your injuries?"
"I should be up and about by tomorrow." Kotetsu took a bite of the pizza, chewing it slowly.
"Don't push yourself too much, Oji-san."
And they were back to the nicknames, Kotetsu thought. Not that he was complaining, though. "Habits die hard, Bunny. But it's nice of you to check on me. Thank you."
Barnaby nodded, trying to appear nonchalant about it. "Thank you for trusting me."
"Hmmm?"
"Earlier today," murmured Barnaby as the events flashed through his mind. "When I held Jake, you didn't barge in. You had faith in me, trusted that I would be able to control myself. And you know…if you weren't there, I wasn't sure if I wouldn't kill him. It made me feel…I don't know, relieved? It was the right thing to do after all. So…Thank you, Kotetsu-san." Barnaby finally found the courage to look straight at Kotetsu, and he found that his partner was staring at him back, sitting upright. "Are you going to be like this each time I call you by your name? I might have to stick to the old way."
Kotetsu broke free from his frozen state. "You've really grown. Initially I thought you were just an uncute brat but…I suppose you grow up once you can let your unhappy childhood go." He grinned. "Or maybe I'm just getting too old."
"Maybe. Like I said, you're pushing yourself too much." Barnaby took another sip. "Maybe you haven't been spending enough time with your daughter that you worry about people too much."
"I have?"
"Your determination and commitment towards your duty is commendable. But the public doesn't seem to appreciate you much."
"They're too busy fawning after you." Kotetsu grinned, and Barnaby was relieved to find no malice in his words. "It's all right. Public acknowledgement is not the only reward. There's always personal satisfaction of doing what's right, of saving those in trouble…"
'Including me?' Barnaby added to himself.
"…and working with you."
Barnaby looked on, and Kotetsu was starting to feel awkward being stared down at. The silence that had started to set in was not helping either.
There was a foreign feeling surging in Barnaby's chest. The warmth was different though - it was not anger, or the desire for revenge. He had long past that stage, and now he was able to see other things that life could offer him. Aspects of his partner that he had not - could not - appreciate before. They probably got off on a wrong start, with Barnaby's focus on his unhappy past and the duo's poor communication, but they could work on that.
"Oi, Bunny, you're looking at me funny. Do I have sauce on my face?"
There was emptiness in Barnaby's life, and after the conclusion of Ouroboros, things seemed to have improved a lot. Perhaps something else was responsible for that.
Kotetsu was staring at him back, wide-eyed and red-faced.
Barnaby stood up to approach the other man. "Will you at least allow me to thank you properly?"
Kotetsu pursed his lips before responding. He saw something in Barnaby's eyes, the way he looked at him - it was akin to a burning fire, perhaps masked all along by his cold front that the blond had put up around him as a result of his traumatized childhood.
Kotetsu wondered if his partner's feelings mirrored his own. He had worried incessantly about the younger man, put up with all his ego. At times he dismissed it as a paternalistic feeling - probably a translation of his missing his own daughter - but it felt stronger, and definitely not platonic. And as everyone else celebrated Barnaby, he wondered if the blond would be lost to him. Barnaby was his partner, but he belonged to the public.
"No thank you is necessary, Bunny," said Kotetsu flatly. "That is…having you trust me is good enough."
"You deserve more than that, Kotetsu-san." Barnaby bent his knee, resting it just next to Kotetsu's. The contact made him aware of a shot of electricity upwards in his legs, but Kotetsu was then made to focus on Barnaby's face that was getting closer to his own.
The kiss came, although not entirely anticipated. Barnaby was leaning forward, pushing Kotetsu deeper against the sofa. Kotetsu's hands instinctively moved to stabilize Barnaby on him, until one hand snaked upwards, towards Barnaby's ridiculous golden locks, and held his head.
He had no idea how long it lasted, but Barnaby pulled away, face flushing and breathing heavily. Kotetsu slowly opened his eyes, but his hands remained.
Barnaby was trying to regain his breathing.
This was an unexpected development, at least for Kotetsu. Barnaby could be so difficult to read most of the time, but here he was, exposing his pent up emotions that Kotetsu never knew he had.
"Oji-san?"
Kotetsu pulled the figure down, adjusting him so that he was sitting on his laps. Barnaby said nothing, as if he was trying to process Kotetsu's own feelings from his actions.
"I'm probably not worthy of you," said Kotetsu. "You deserve so much more."
"You can think so if you want." murmured Barnaby darkly. "But I'm certain that you do deserve me, and I'm certain I can change your mind. Soon."
"That's not the alcohol talking, is it?"
Barnaby snorted at the idea. "I can hold my liquor."
"Good, then." Kotetsu paused. "Didn't you say we have an interview tomorrow morning?"
"Your point being?" Barnaby frowned in impatience. "I'll call them to cancel if we can't make it."
Kotetsu let out a small laughter, amused. "Good, then. I'll be looking forward to hear your real name over the course of the night." He proceeded to remove Barnaby's spectacles and moved in for another kiss.