[fic] & bunny - chapter thirteen

[taintedkibou]

Title: & Bunny - chapter thirteen
Author/Artist: Cheza-chan
Pairing/Characters: Kaburagi Kotetsu / Barnaby Brooks Jr.
Rating: R (M for Mature)
Genre: Alternate Timeline; science-fiction; superheroes.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, and I definitely don't own the sponsors that they wear.
Summary/Notes: Taking Ben's advice, Kotetsu decides to separate himself from Hero TV and the Heroes of Sternbild.

[ chapter one ] [ chapter two ] [ chapter three ] [ chapter four ] [ chapter five ] [ chapter six ] [ chapter seven ] [ chapter eight ] [ chapter nine ] [ chapter ten ] [ chapter eleven ] [ chapter twelve ]


Kotetsu was able to see the new Wild Tiger in action late Friday afternoon.

Radboud was out, and so was Dark Star. Evelyn took pity on their prisoner and removed his bonds. He was also in need of another bath. Seated in the sudsy water of the tub, Kotetsu stared at his arms. They no longer tingled-the blood flow had returned to normal-and it was surprising to see he had no rope burns. ‘Vine burns,’ he corrected with a private smile. Taking a deep breath, Kotetsu closed his eyes and sank under the water. He stayed submerged for as long as his lungs allowed him. Behind his closed eyelids was darkness, but his subconscious graced him with a rare mind’s eye image of Barnaby smiling.

Slowly Kotetsu rose, water falling from his hair, into his face, and down onto his shoulders. He wiped at his eyes, clearing away any stray soap suds, opening them to stare at the red designs on the wall opposite him. “I’m worried about him,” he spoke aloud, slouching against the wall of the tub. “Worried…” He was worried, but was there something else hidden beneath that concern? “No…” He slumped lower until his chin touched the still surface of the water. “Nothing…”

Evelyn bit her lip when Kotetsu emerged from the bathroom. He looked far less energetic than when he entered, almost depressed. “Is… Are you okay, Kaburagi-san?”

Kotetsu smiled weakly. “I think the heat got to me. Or I could be hungry.” Life returned to his eyes as he managed to grin.

Evelyn smiled, “You’re hungry. Please. Allow me to cook you a meal. You’ll enjoy it. It will have more nutrients than your chahan. Belofte-promise!” She looked so excited, who was he to deny her?

“Okay.”

X

Radboud returned before Dark Star and didn’t bother masking his surprise after finding his sister and their “prisoner” seated on the white couch. He glanced from the bowls in their hands to their lively faces. “What is it?”

Kotetsu grinned and the Ouroboros NEXT closed off his expression to appear impassive. He’d gotten too comfortable once, but it wouldn’t happen again. “Voorja…” Kotetsu looked to Evelyn, but she smiled sweetly, shaking her head.

“Voorjaars Groentesoep met Balletjes?” Radboud supplied.

“Yes!”

He couldn’t help but smile at the man’s excited exclamation. “Save any?”

“Yes.” Evelyn carefully set her bowl down, rising from the couch to hurry into the kitchen.

Rather than take her place on the couch, Radboud moved to the hanging “open egg” style chair, sitting in it and leaning forward, arms draped across his thighs and hands clasped.

“That’s the pose of a man with a lot on his mind. Care to talk about it?”

Radboud sneered. “Why would I talk to you? You have no future.”

Kotetsu’s smile wavered. “That may be true, but you’re stuck with me and I’ll listen to your problems.”

Radboud tightened his clasped hands, glaring at the floor. He had no reason to bare his soul, but the urge to vent was strong. He opened his mouth, but snapped it shut with an audible click after hearing the front door slam.

“TV!” Dark Star’s voice reached them before they saw her. Thankful for the distraction, Radboud stood from the “egg”, moving forward to retrieve the remote control. Evelyn avoided a collision with her friend, holding the bowl out of the way.

Dark Star looked at the dish. “What is that?”

“Voor-”

“If I can’t pronounce it, I don’t want it.”

“It’s good,” Kotetsu stated from the couch. His empty bowl on the low table solidified his words.

“Later! TV… on!” The brunette sprinted forward, dropping into the open egg, forcing Radboud to take a seat next to Kotetsu. Evelyn managed to squeeze by, placing down the filled bowl before resuming sitting beside Kotetsu. The television was finally switched on, the channel already where it needed to be.

The soup now sat heavy in the pit of his stomach. Kotetsu pressed his hands between his thighs, squeezing tightly as he worried his bottom lip between his teeth. Wild Tiger wasn't on screen yet. Rock Bison and Sky High were working together to detain a high-jacked tractor trailer. Kotetsu smiled briefly. Like his replacement had commented: they did complement each other. Antonio would help bring Keith out of the shell he'd built around himself to keep others at bay, and Keith would be like a breath of fresh air to the other man.

Kotetsu let his mind wander, wondering how they'd even crossed paths in the first place, but his attention was drawn back to the television after an exclamation of "They're here! The formidable duo: Tiger and Barnaby!" Cold fingers reached into his chest and Kotetsu stiffened where he sat. Radboud spared him a glance, before turning back to stare at the television.

The infamous duo entered the scene via motorcycle with the sidecar. The suits-both of them-were completely different. Both suits were of a similar color scheme, consisting of mostly black-some dark gray was thrown in, and no sponsor logos were present. The camera zoomed in on Barnaby, and Kotetsu shuddered at the red eyes of the suit’s mask. Sinister was the only description his mind provided. Kotetsu didn’t look away from the screen as he asked, "Did you... make those?"

"No," Radboud mumbled, leaning back in the chair, brushing his shoulder against Kotetsu's. He turned away from the television, no longer interested, and stared at the grinning brunette. "Ours?"

"You mean yours. I'm independent. But, nah. Just some random NEXT. One of 'em has a cool power, though." Her grin widened and she freed her hands, which were locked around her ankles, using them to imitate an explosion. As if on cue, an explosion once again drew everyone's attention back to the television.

Once the mushroom cloud receded, and the smoke cleared, nothing remained, except for the large crater in the middle of the highway. The camera stayed trained on that particular location, however, never wavering. The cameraman’s patience proved to be with good reason. Dark Star released a cackling giggle at the telltale sign that a NEXT’s powers had been activated. The blue glow had no distinction-almost like a hovering amoeba, or a cloud of gas-until the second ticked by and a scowling man appeared.

“The two of you would make an explosive team,” Radboud quipped with a lazy smirk.

“Too bad I like to perform alone,” Dark Star sighed. “And he’s pretty cool-looking.”

Kotetsu found nothing ‘cool’ about the NEXT. He was destruction personified. How far was his blast radius? Were they any harmful side effects to others? Unconsciously, he sat forward when Wild Tiger attempted to approach their target. The human bomb smirked, cocking his head in an almost haughty manner, daring the Hero to get closer. Wild Tiger accepted the challenge, rushing headlong into battle. The screen burned a bright orange before any real contact was shown, and the process of waiting for the mushroom cloud to clear was replaced with Sky High and Rock Bison’s victory capture of the trailers hijacker.

A change of scene again-the NEXT’s shoulder length hair was tossed about in the wind, possibly caused from the effects of his own explosion. The cameraman zoomed in and the NEXT's head snapped towards his direction. Hazel eyes glared at the viewers, the light around him increasing. There was a distant shout of "stop him" and a crackle of electricity, followed by the glimmer of ice. Screaming from Dragon Kid's attack, and barely able to keep himself upright, he had no way to escape Blue Rose's attack. But the ice shattered before it reached the man.

"Is there another?!" the announcer exclaimed. Carefully, the camera zoomed out, panning in all directions to look for the supposed newcomer. Every movement captured a Hero, but also helped the viewers in looking around to see what the city’s saviors could be dealing with.

"They're just buying time..." The trio of young adults looked at him. He sat, shoulders hunched as he slouched. "They're buying time," Kotetsu repeated, throwing a dejected glance at the television. “Testing the waters to see what they’re dealing with. The unseen NEXT is probably looking for weaknesses.”

Behind him, coming from the bedroom, he heard his other self shout the same thing, possibly to Barnaby. The King of Heroes responded, but only the tail end of his words was captured. "-High and Rock Bison!" Another explosion rocked the camera and the viewers.

Kotetsu smiled as he pictured Agnes grinning as she thought only about her ratings. His smile didn't last, overpowered by the dejected feeling and hopelessness that now crashed over him. He closed his eyes, but everything seemed to increase in volume. "Stop," he whispered, the sound a desperate plea.

Dark Star huffed, lifting the remote to turn off the television. That only made the sounds coming from Evelyn's room more obvious. The red-haired girl stood, but the order of “zitten” from her brother brought her back down to the cushions. Radboud rose, stretching languidly, and walked by them to reach the bedroom. As he passed, he placed a hand lightly to Kotetsu's head. The house fell silent moments later; an awkward, heavy silence.

Dark Star threw herself backwards into the "open egg", groaning loudly. "Vee! Lemme have some of your cooking as well."

"I'll get you a bowl," Radboud told her, already in the main sitting room once more. He smirked, picking up what was meant to be his bowl as he passed the low table. "But only if you can pronounce it."

"Ray...!" Dark Star scrambled from her perch, following the young man as he headed for the kitchen.

Evelyn and Kotetsu remained seated on the white couch, the air heavy between the two most comfortable with each other. Kotetsu had nothing to say. He was being held captive for almost a month now and it was taking its toll. "Leave me alone," he muttered beneath his breath. Evelyn pressed her lips into a thin line, nodding as she stood. Once alone, Kotetsu took the time to bury his face in his hands, knowing they would be bound for the remainder of his time.

X x X x X

Only the older Heroes were gathered back at the Justice Tower. Kotetsu was the only one of the group that didn't look depressed, or "constipated", as he'd told them once stripped out of their suits. "They'll be back," he exhaled, groaning softly as he let his head fall against the back of the circular couch.

Barnaby sat up straight, studying his partner to see whether he had taken more damage than he let on. Reckless as always, Kotetsu had run right into the fray, managing to land a hit that seemed to have a reverse effect, speeding up the NEXT's explosion. Origami Cyclone barely got to him in time; both were still thrown, but had not been caught in the blast.

"The trailer wasn't captured. There were no casualties. We should call this a victory."

"Lunatic will probably show his face," Antonio grunted, combing his fingers through his hair.

"To enforce... justice," Keith added, lowering his head, as though in memory of those whose lives were lost to the vigilante NEXT's blue flame.

Nathan exhaled deeply, crossing his arms. "There's also the matter of whether our walking bomb had a partner. None of Blue Rose's attacks would connect. Her ice just kept shattering, no matter how she executed."

Kotetsu groaned, letting himself slide down in the chair, arms still stretched along the back. "Let's look at the big picture: we're here to stop him if he tries again. Right, Sky High?"

Keith looked stunned for a few moments. He glanced at Antonio and obviously saw what he needed there. The bright smile returned to his face and he nodded firmly. "Wild-kun is right."

"Of course I am," Kotetsu drawled, catching Nathan's eye and drawing a smile from the dark-skinned man.

Small talk floated amongst them before Barnaby excused himself. He passed Keith on his way towards the door, touching a hand to the other blond's shoulder. He cocked his head in Keith's direction, whispering softly. Both men soon walked out. Rather than eavesdrop, Kotetsu teamed up with Fire Emblem to grill Antonio.

"Is something bothering you, Barnaby-kun?" Keith looked genuinely worried for the younger man.

There was something bothering him, but the problem was... he didn't know what. "You and Rock Bison..." Keith's smile brightened at the mention of the older Hero. "How did you know?"

"That he had a special place in my heart?"

Barnaby shuffled his feet unconsciously, lifting a hand to rub the back of his neck. "Yeah..."

"Really, I should be thanking you, Barnaby-kun." Barnaby's eyes widened as the other blond laughed. "It happened around the time when you became the new King of Heroes. I went through a slump, but there were two people there that pulled me out of it. Antonio-san was one of them. From there..." Keith shrugged, a blush finally rising to his cheeks as he tried to figure out the best explanation. "He's been there for me, and John! And somehow… I just didn't want him to leave. I wanted more than his friendship and safety. I wanted Rock Bison and Antonio Lopez." He ducked his head, exhaling softly. "I sound selfish, don't I?"

Barnaby smiled, "Not at all. You're lucky, that you know what you want."

Keith's head snapped up. "Is there… someone, Barnaby-kun?"

Barnaby crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't know..."

"Has this person always been there for you?"

"Always, even when I don't want them to be."

"Does this person make you smile?" Keith didn't receive a verbal answer, because all that needed to be said was on the young man's face. Just thinking about Kotetsu's grinning face lightened Barnaby's spirits. "Barnaby-kun. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but do you believe you like Wild-kun?"

Barnaby closed himself off, his expression shuttered and impassive.

Keith grinned. "You do. Your reactions speak for you when your voice doesn’t. You used to be better at hiding them, but Wild-kun has changed that about you."

"What have I changed about whom?" The man of their discussion shot both Heroes a puzzled look, having walked out of the meeting room. "You were gone a while and I just wanted to make sure Bunny didn't hurt you."

"Why am I the culprit?" Barnaby walked towards the brunet, poking an accusing finger against his chest; the bodysuit blocked his way. "And it's Barnaby."

Keith chuckled softly at the interaction. His face brightened, his smile suddenly shy after Antonio walked out of the room, Nathan following close behind. He'd already informed the Fire NEXT that he took no offense if he desired to keep groping Rock Bison. Unfortunately, Antonio did. Nathan waved sweetly to the group, drawing a long finger over the well-defined muscle of Antonio's bicep. He giggled, disappearing down the hall.

"We should probably all change." Kotetsu faced his partner, who he held captive after snatching the poking finger. "Ne, Bunny?" Barnaby, startled by the closeness of Kotetsu's face to his, nodded numbly. "Let's go!" Twisting his wrist to link their fingers, Kotetsu raised their joined hands triumphantly, beginning the march down the hall. Keith followed suit, slipping his hand into Antonio's.

X x X x X

Kotetsu gasped, startled from his sleep, and stared into the glowing red eyes of the android created to replace him. "What do you want?" he sighed, too tired to be bothered.

"Your body."

All thoughts of returning to sleep disappeared in that instant and Kotetsu scrambled away, getting nowhere before his ankle was grabbed. "Let go... Eve-"

"No one's here." The entity fondly named 'Ebitsu' smirked darkly. "My master took the girls out. It's just you... and me."

Kotetsu felt his heart plummet, and could only stare with wide eyes as the other carefully climbed onto the bed.

"Your… Bunny has finally realized he has feelings for you. Since I’m the one that will be on the receiving end, and will be on the receiving end of many other things, I would like to be able to create the proper response."

"Then tell your master to program them into you!" Kotetsu kicked out with his free leg, gasping when the ankle was also snagged. Both appendages were spread wide, pinned to the bed.

Ebitsu grinned, inching forward until he was nestled between Kotetsu's thighs. "I think it's more fun this way, don't you?"

"No," Kotetsu whimpered, his eyes pleading with his doppelganger. "There's no fun in this..."

"It'll be fun for me."

Had something gone wrong with the AI? Was it supposed to behave like this?

With a firm yank, he pulled Kotetsu into his lap, letting the other's legs drape over his thighs. "You feel... warm. And your skin is flushed." Ebitsu tilted his head, dark bangs falling to one side. "Is your whole body flushed?" He reached out and slowly, carefully, began undoing each button of Kotetsu's shirt. Feeling the body atop him shudder, he glanced upwards. Kotetsu's eyes were screwed shut and his face turned away.

"You're not going to protest?"

"You're not going to stop if I do," Kotetsu forced through gritted teeth; he found it unnerving to hear his voice in such a dark tone.

“I’m sure you’ll make some noise eventually.”

Kotetsu cut his gasp off-snapping his mouth shut-and shied away from the chilled fingers trailing down his chest. He attempted to press himself further into the mattress, but it was unyielding. A strained grunt escaped him as the wandering finger followed the sparse trail of hair below his navel, stopping only at the waist of his trousers.

“Squirm for me. Show me what you would show him.”

Kotetsu unconsciously shook his head. Ebitsu smirked.

“Then cry for me.”

Without warning, Kotetsu was flipped over onto his knees. His shoulder to the mattress, he craned his neck to look over his shoulder, honey golden eyes wide. “Wha… What are you-”

“You have a vivid imagination, Wild Tiger. Guess!”

There was a surprised cry as his pants were yanked down to his knees, which was a far as they would go. “Stop!” Kotetsu buried his face in the sheets. “Please stop…” The heavy body stretched out along the length of his back and he released a choked, painful sound after feeling the android’s arousal press against the back of his thigh.

“I won’t stop…” A wet tongue trailed along the shell of his ear. Kotetsu whimpered, a fearful sound. “Not until I’m satisfied.” His knees were pushed further apart and a rough hand cupped him through the cotton of his boxer briefs.

Kotetsu would have preferred taking a chunk out of his arm, but he settled for biting down on the bunched sheets, breathing harshly through his nose. The hand continued to rub along his length, more gently than before, teasing him, and of course his body responded to the playful touches. Kotetsu twisted his arms against his bonds, wishing Evelyn hadn’t been so diligent in her work. The vines never gave, and showed no signs of breaking. So deep in thought of how to free himself, Kotetsu didn’t realize the cotton barrier had been breached until the chilled fingers came in contact with his heated flesh. His hips jerked, back bowing, and his voice was muffled by the sheets.

Ebitsu’s smirk darkened as he curled his fingers around the hard length, giving an experimental tug. Kotetsu’s moan was loud to the android’s fine-tuned ears. He slid his fingers from base to tip, gently squeezing the glans at the head. Kotetsu trembled beneath him and he felt a wetness on his fingers. Ebitsu removed his hand, lifting it to eye level. He stared at the sticky substance coating his fingers before slipping them into his mouth. There was no taste; he had no way of tasting. ‘I’m still incomplete…’ His brow knitted as he scowled and he pushed Kotetsu onto his side before turning him over onto his back. The remainder of his clothes left him.

Kotetsu refused to let go of the sheets, the material still trapped between his clenched teeth. “You’re not playing fair,” Ebitsu chuckled. He pushed Kotetsu’s thighs apart, his hands still resting atop Kotetsu’s knees, and slowly lowered his upper half. “But neither do I.”

Kotetsu arched from the bed, positive he would tear a hole out of the sheets if he didn’t let go, but he didn’t. Where the other’s fingers had been cold, his mouth was warm, and his hips sought to push himself deeper into that warmth. There was a bit of pressure, with a touch of pain, as his assaulter attempted to divest him of the sheet. Kotetsu never would have released it had it not been for the firm suck to the head of his cock-the pressure continued for several long moments-that had him crying out into the empty apartment.

Kotetsu wished his arms were free, only if to cover his face and hide his shame. The skin was probably rubbed raw at this point. Would they care? He dug his heels into the mattress, back arching, and bit down on his bottom lip to stay silent. His eyes were squeezed shut, so he couldn’t see the ruby eyes that studied and catalogued his every move; his every reaction. Ebitsu lifted his mouth free, leaving butterfly kisses against the taut flesh as he made his way down to the base, licking his way back to the crown, teasing the slit with his tongue.

Kotetsu made a sound in the back of his throat, desperate for this to end-desperate for release. Tears prickled his eyes and he unlocked his lips long enough to gasp out a plea, “…please.”

Ebitsu grinned, straightening up from between Kotetsu’s thighs. “Please, what?” he drawled.

“Please… get it over with.”

“That’s not romantic.”

Kotetsu laughed harshly, “There’s nothing romantic about this at all.”

“You wound me.” Ebitsu fisted the base of Kotetsu’s cock, beginning a slow pump. His lips met his fist on an upward sweep, focusing solely on the engorged head. Kotetsu squirmed, trying to find solid ground to thrust himself deeper, but his feet slid feebly against the sheets, and his doppelganger was unyielding, his bruising grip holding his hips down. The scrape of teeth against the sensitive underside of his head was what pushed the Hero over the edge. Kotetsu made no attempt to hold back his voice as he climaxed.

Ebitsu swallowed, unsure of how his body’s functions would process the substance, but uncaring at the same time. He laved at the softening member until it was clean and sat back on his haunches, smirking down at the flushed, trembling figure. “I want to keep you both,” he hummed. “You-the missing part of me, and Barnaby-your other half. Only then would we be complete.”

Kotetsu had no verbal response for the droid. He turned onto his right side, burying his face into the pillow beneath his head, and wished the nightmare to be over.

Ebitsu climbed from the bed, smoothing the wrinkles from his outfit, and walked out of the bedroom. He grinned at the glowering figure standing on the opposite side of the living room. “Welcome back.”

“You knew we were back,” Radboud hissed.

“Did I?” The android feigned innocence, raising a hand to his chest.

Radboud shook his head, giving the dark figure a onceover. The corners of his lips curled upward, his smile far from pleasant. The crimson eyes narrowed. "You seem to have a… problem. Want me to take care of it?" He didn't wait for his creation to respond, closing the distance and guiding the taller man backwards.

They fell onto the couch, Radboud on top, his hands braced on the back of the chair. "Do you want to feel pleasure?" he murmured, his hips rocking slowly, covered groin brushing against the other's obvious erection. A soft grunt was the reply he received. He smirked, tangling his fingers in the dark hair to tilt Ebitsu's head back. Radboud scowled, pushing the emergency shutdown switch at the nape of the android's neck. Wide red eyes stared up at him, the light in them slowly fading. "Don't do what you're not programmed to or I will scrap you." He climbed off of the lifeless figure, his body outline in blue to move the deadweight. Once the android was tucked away in his workroom, he made his way back to Evelyn’s bedroom, staying outside and looking in.

Kotetsu hadn’t moved from his previous position and appeared to be asleep. Radboud cleared his throat and the older man tensed, drawing himself into a tight ball. “…don’t touch me.”

“You need to be cleaned up.”

“This is your fault…”

Radboud shrugged his shoulders, neither denying nor accepting the fact. “You don’t want Evy to see you like this, do you?” Slowly, Kotetsu unfurled himself from his fetal position, lifting his head to stare in the young man’s direction. Radboud pulled a pocket knife from his jacket, grinning as he twirled it.

x

Kotetsu had barely finished drying his hair-the damp towel still hung over his shoulders-when he fell asleep, worn out and exhausted from the day’s events. Radboud pried the towel away, casually tossing it aside, and smoothed back the slightly damp hair. “Sleep. I’ll try to keep him away from you, but I can’t make any promises.” He exhaled deeply and walked out to reach his own open bedroom. Letting his legs hit the bed, he fell face first onto the mattress. This was turning out to be not the most ideal job.

A/N: *bows head* Ask and I shall deliver. The “mature” scene was for Kotetsu T. Kaburagi (lawl, irony? no? xD) over on FF.net; I hope I did good. My editor is like love-hating me right now. I wanted to post this next week, but it was finished, so I decided to go ahead and post… now. I also realized I’m gonna be busy for the next two weeks-cleaning, packing, and convention’ing. Seriously? No one’s gonna be at Otakon? *pouts*

And those random words I tossed in:

- Beloven: promise
- Voorjaars Groentesoep met Balletjes: Spring Vegetable Soup with Meatballs
- zitten: sit

[ chapter fourteen ] [ chapter fifteen ]