Landslide
song by Stevie Nicks / Fleetwood Mac
x
I took my love and I took it down
I climbed a mountain and I turned around
"Kotetsu-kun! When are you going to tell me where we're going?"
Kotetsu grinned and clasped Tomoe's hand a little tighter, his breath coming out in clouds before his face. "It's just a bit farther, you'll see!"
It was winter. The tree limbs were bare and the world was quiet except for the teenaged couple's footsteps making crunching noises in the snow.
Tomoe's breathing was heavy by the time they neared the top of the hill. Kotetsu had always been athletic, but she usually preferred to stay inside with her books… and Hero TV.
Noticing she was getting tired, Kotetsu slowed to a stop. He snickered. "Don't laugh!" she snapped.
"Sorry!" he said, and with a smooth sweep of his arms he lifted her into the air. He was met with a shriek of surprise and protest.
"Kotetsu-kun!"
Kotetsu laughed again. "What? I'm just carrying you like the princess you are!"
"I am not!"
Kotetsu started running the rest of the way up the hill, making Tomoe shriek again and grasp him tightly around the neck. She buried her face in his shirt. His cheeks flushed with delight.
"Look, Tomoe-chan!"
Tomoe turned her face from Kotetsu's chest as he stopped at the top of the hill.
"Oh, Kotetsu…" she breathed.
He let her down. Pride welled in his upper body as she gazed over the view he had taken her here to see, her fingers wrapped firmly around his sleeve.
From here you could see all of Oriental Town. If you looked far enough, you might even catch a tiny glimmer of Sternbild, everything in-between covered in sparkling white. "It's beautiful, Kotetsu-kun."
"Hee hee," giggled Kotetsu, taking her hand in his again. They stood there in quiet for a little while before he said, "When I go to Sternbild, to be a Hero…" He swallowed, nervous suddenly, though he had planned this for ages, "You'll come with me, right?"
Tomoe blinked and stared wide-eyed at her boyfriend. Kotetsu realized that he was holding his breath.
"Kotetsu T. Kaburagi, did you just propose to me?"
The embarrassment that hit Kotetsu's face was hotter than anything he had ever known. Any feature that wasn't already pink from the cold was now the color of Tomoe's scarlet winter coat. "W-Wha- I- If- If you want to take it like that- I dunno! MAYBE!"
Tomoe's mouth turned upwards into a disbelieving grin before she doubled over, laughing. Kotetsu frowned at her for a second, but her laughter was contagious and soon he was laughing too, and the pair laughed there together in that instant of perfection. Tomoe wiped a tear from her eye.
"Kotetsu-kun, you know I'll support you no matter what! But…"
Kotetsu's stomach lurched. But…?
"You have to become a Hero first. Then I'll marry you."
Kotetsu clung to those words.
And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills
'Till the landslide brought me down
"We heroes fight for justice and for the people of Sternbild."
Kotetsu wasn't sure how long ago Barnaby's face on the giant television screen had said that, but it was still ringing in his head when he regained consciousness to the feeling of rain on his face and the smell of the alleyway dumpster. His whole body ached. He was soaked to his core and now the voice from the television was talking about Lunatic and the man Kotetsu had meant to arrest. The man he could have arrested. If only…
"No matter what happens, never stop being a hero."
Kotetsu could still hear her voice, like it was yesterday. Whether it had been a week, a month, a year or six, he would always remember her voice.
"Promise me that."
A strange tremor ran through Kotetsu. Like he was going to cry, but he couldn't.
He felt… empty.
Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love?
"Kotetsu-san, will you tell me about her?"
Kotetsu looked up from the bubbling pot of noodles he was stirring. Barnaby was standing in his living room, eyeing him cautiously. Tomoe's picture was in his hands.
Kotetsu laughed, brows together, like he usually did when things of a personal nature came up. Barnaby thought for a moment he would dodge the topic. He hoped he wouldn't.
"Sure, Bunny-chan. What about her, though?" The older hero turned and busied himself with the noodles again. Bunny blinked, a little surprised, and looked back down at the picture.
"What kind of person was she?"
Kotetsu smiled.
"She was a huge dork," he said. He might have sounded condescending if every word wasn't heavy laden with affection. "Cared too much about rules. And downright brutal when she was mad." Barnaby put the photo down and joined Kotetsu in the kitchen. He faltered for a second, looking for something to do, before he picked up a knife and began to chop green onions. There was a moment where the only sounds were the burbling pot and Barnaby's chopping before Kotetsu continued.
"But she was also the one gentlest people I have ever known."
He gave a light chuckle, absentmindedly stirring the spoon around. His eyes were distant.
"You know, you two'd probably get along."
Can the child within my heart rise above?
"Kotetsu T. Kaburagi, you stop that this instant!"
The boy struggled against his mother's grip around his arm. He wanted so badly to be free. The second he was released, he would thrust himself out the front door and bound down the street. He would run until he couldn't run any more, and then find somewhere to hide, where he could sob without anyone seeing him until it was dark and he was cold and tired and hungry.
It had been almost two weeks since the incident at the bank, when the boy had first met his idol. It hadn't taken him long to make up his mind about something very important.
"It's not my fault!" he shrieked at his mother. "He hit a girl for liking Heroes and said they were freaks!"
"And that gave you the right to tackle him using your powers?" his mother said sternly and very clearly. Not quite shouting, but close enough to make Kotetsu shrink slightly, though only for a second. Muramasa was at the dining table, trying his best to have nothing to do with the situation.
The bully had been hurt pretty badly. Kotetsu didn't want to think about it.
"My powers are to protect people like her!" Kotetsu roared with all the strength in his small body, his youthful eyes fiery and hot tears running down his cheeks. His mother's anger turned momentarily to surprise. Muramasa finally turned around.
"I'm going to be a Hero, like Mr. Legend! I'm going to protect people!"
It had been the first time he had said it to anyone but himself.
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?
The sky was overcast but refused to grant anyone the decency of rain.
Kaede's small hand in Kotetsu's was a blessing. It seemed to tether him to reality. He gripped it a little tighter.
Tomoe's urn was placed gently into the family grave.
He said his last goodbyes.
"Papa, is Mama really gone?" asked Kaede.
Four years old. Too young, really, to understand. Kotetsu was too young to understand. He somewhat doubted he ever could.
How could she just be gone? Just like that?
Later, when he had kissed Kaede goodnight and closed her bedroom door, he wept.
Well, I've been afraid of changing
'Cause I've built my life around you
Tomoe cradled the bundle in her arms, cooing softly.
Kotetsu grinned, tightened his arm around Tomoe's shoulder and waggled his index finger in front of Kaede's little face. The baby made a gurgling noise and wrapped a tiny fist around his finger. "Not much longer until she becomes your number one fan, Mr. Wild Tiger," Tomoe said with a smile, stroking her perfect daughter's quickly thickening brown locks, "Well, after me, of course." Kotetsu thought his joy would pour out of him.
No man could be happier in the entire world, he thought.
But time makes you bolder
Children get older
And I'm getting older too
"I'm telling you Grandma's alright. Why don't you understand? Besides, Papa's here today-"
"You're the one who doesn't understand! I hate you, Dad!"
The sliding door couldn't slam shut but it seemed like it did to Kotetsu.
She had just been a baby in Tomoe's tender arms.
When did she get so big?
I've been afraid of changing
'Cause I, I've built my life around you
"I have no intention of wearing any suit other than my own. I need that suit to be a hero!"
Or so he had said.
It wasn't that his old suit had become any less important to him, but they forced the new one on him. It was far more complicated than the one before it. Kotetsu had never really been good with tech. It might take a while to get used to all the foreign new features, but it fit him nicely and he thought it looked pretty cool. Maybe he could even learn to like it.
"Let's go, old man."
This partner, on the other hand!
But time makes you bolder
Even children get older
I'm getting older too
I'm getting older too
"I'm all for this. Things will be much easier for me when you're gone."
Barnaby didn't mean it. Kotetsu knew he didn't mean it. But it hurt nonetheless. Barnaby knew it did. He was good at aiming for people's weak points.
Because even if Barnaby didn't really think like that…
Kotetsu was "vintage." His powers were abandoning him.
What if he did just get in the way?
He loved his partner too much to do that.
So, take this love, and take it down
Climb a mountain and turn around
If you see my reflection in the snow covered hills
Well, the landslide will bring you down
"There's no point in being a hero without you, Kotetsu-san."
Ah. There were Bunny's true feelings.
A lot had happened in not so much time. Cameras flashed and Kotetsu's battle wounds throbbed. His head was blurry. He swayed a little, and carefully tried to use Kaede's shoulder to keep himself steady without her noticing.
He was pretty sure he was happy. He was happy for his partner, finally leading his own life. Happy – overjoyed, even – that Kaede finally called him cool.
But there was still a vague sense of discontent somewhere deep in the very pit of his stomach.
For some reason, he thought of Tomoe.
And if you see my reflection in the snow covered hills
Well maybe
Maybe
"Kotetsu-san."
Kotetsu had wanted to feel Barnaby's embrace for a long time. A year. It seemed like longer.
Barnaby's arms were warm and strong and Kotetsu smiled. He hugged back firmly, breathing in the scent of his partner's sea-salt cologne. They stayed that way in the entryway of Barnaby's apartment for a few minutes, savoring their reunion.
"I missed you, Kotetsu-san."
"Yeah," said Kotetsu. He ran a hand through Barnaby's curls. Soft. He remembered this feeling. "Me too."
A dirigible drifted by outside Barnaby's vast window, advertising Hero TV. The Christmastime lights of Sternbild at night glistened the way they always did.
The pair spent the evening how they had multiple times before. Barnaby brought out the alcohol and they sat and they drank and they talked for a long time. This time, about the year they had spent apart.
Barnaby had spent the time soul-searching. He told Kotetsu he was glad he was a hero again.
Kotetsu told him he was glad too.
They ended up sitting on the floor together, ignoring Barnaby's lonesome chair. Kotetsu swirled his drink around in its glass and held it up to the window, looking at the city lights through the liquor. Then he looked at his partner, who was resting his head upon his knee, nearly drowsing. He stroked his hair.
He thought of Tomoe.
"Hey, Bunny. There's a place I want to show you."
the landslide will bring you down
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Wild Tiger | 1 minute
Power to the Future!