Barnaby jumped, the flick of his fingers sending one of the windows he had open skittering across his screen by accident. He sat back a little, wincing as his shoulders ached, and tipped his head to look up at Kotetsu, whose soft footstep had startled him so badly. It shouldn't have, but he had been distracted.
Kotetsu met his eyes and gave him a look that was half concern and half disbelief. "Bunny. . ." Barnaby waited for a tease about his jumpiness, but Kotetsu only bent, wrapping his arms around Barnaby from behind. "Come to bed." he said softly, nuzzling into Barnaby's hair.
Barnaby sighed, squeezing his eyes closed for a moment. The screens were bright but the rest of the apartment was dark, and he hadn't intended to work for so long tonight. His eyes protested the shift from the eye-searing screen to the shadowy darkness of the real world.
"I'm just finishing up with this." Barnaby nodded towards the screen, eyes already sliding back to it. He squinted for a moment, adjusted his glasses, and then collected the window he'd sent flying and pulled it back down. A quick skim of its contents and he could close it - it didn't have any useful information.
"You've been working for hours." Kotetsu said gently, voice low in Barnaby's ear. "It isn't a crisis, baby," he squeezed gently, wordless comfort, "not now, so let it rest and get some sleep, please?"
Barnaby shook his head slightly. "I'm just," he started again, then stopped, frowning, "I'm busy." he said instead, though he couldn't help but lean a little into the pressure of Kotetsu's arms folded around him. "I will," he added, absently placatory, "later." He let out a soft breath, not quite a sigh, blinking a few times and then forcing his eyes to open fully again.
Kotetsu pulled gently - not enough to try and make Barnaby move, but enough to make himself harder to ignore. The back of Barnaby's chair was between them, keeping Kotetsu from closing the space entirely, but the comfortable feel of Kotetsu's body warm and close was making it harder for Barnaby to ignore the realisation of how tired he was.
"Bunny. . ." Kotetsu murmured, hugging him a little tighter.
"What time is it?" he asked automatically, before his eyes dropped to the corner of the screen. He flicked his fingers and brought up the clock, but the numbers didn't really register to his brain for a long few moments. Which really told him more about how late it was - how long he had been working - than the time itself.
"Why do I ever expect you to come to sleep when you say you will?" Kotetsu asked mournfully, startling an amused snort from Barnaby.
"Sometimes you are not very clever." he suggested dryly, lips twisting.
Kotetsu snorted, resting his chin on Barnaby's shoulder. "So difficult, Bunny-chan." he said, but his voice was fond and one hand was trailing up and down Barnaby's arm in a light caress.
"All right, I. . ." Barnaby sighed, pushing his glasses up lightly and rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I'm coming."
Kotetsu hummed, his jaw snugging a little closer against the crook of Barnaby's neck as he hugged tight, then straightened, arms sliding away. Barnaby sank into his chair for a moment, sighing, staring at the array of windows open on his screen. Through them, really; given a brief break, his eyes now refused to focus properly.
"If you need help to get there," Kotetsu said in a light, innocent tone, smoothing his fingers over Barnaby's shoulders, "I could carry you to bed."
Barnaby gave him a wide-eyed, dubious look. He smiled winningly.
"I thought our first meeting established fairly well who needs carrying," Barnaby countered, arching a brow and rising to his feet, "or, indeed, rescue." he added with a smirk.
Kotetsu took a step back, looking somehow wounded and splaying one hand dramatically over his chest. "Bunny!" He gave Barnaby a pleading, liquid look, and he swayed towards Kotetsu for a moment before mastering himself and drawing back.
A swipe of his hand sent the windows on his screen shuffling over each other towards one side, and a murmured instruction to the computer collected them into a file for later perusal even as the screens dimmed.
"Well," Barnaby said, straightening again, "I'm going to bed." He cleared his throat, wobbling slightly. He really should have gone hours ago, probably.
Kotetsu made a triumphant sort of noise and Barnaby twisted to look at him. He was posing as though he'd just won a- "I win!" Kotetsu declared happily.
Barnaby quirked a brow at him. ". . .I am now considering locking you out of the bedroom." he said, tipping his head to look at Kotetsu around the rim of his glasses before walking away.
If he'd expected to provoke a further dramatic reaction he wasn't disappointed.
"Bunny-chan!" Kotetsu protested immediately, pouting and holding out his hands in entreaty, eyes gone huge as the wounded look returned in an instant.
Kotetsu was far better at pleading, hurt, you wouldn't tell me no, would you? eyes than he should possibly be for a man his age - and as ridiculous as he was.
Bunny swallowed, steadying himself. "I said I was considering." he said, frowning.
"I don't think that's fair." Kotetsu said playfully, taking a step closer.
"Well, hurry up then." Barnaby replied from the bedroom doorway, shifting his weight to one hip. Kotetsu made a face at him, but moved to his side as Barnaby waited. He smiled and turned away, only to stop when Kotetsu caught one of his hands.
He looked back to find Kotetsu's expression had gone serious again, and raised his eyebrows.
"You push yourself too hard, too often." Kotetsu said quietly, his eyes soft. "I know it's important, what you're doing, but. . ."
He kissed Barnaby's fingers then released his hand again without finishing the sentence.
Barnaby sighed, rubbing his face with his other hand. "I-" he began, then broke off. "It's hard for me to shut my brain off, you know that." he said with a small frown. "Especially when I've been working for a while."
Kotetsu's hands smoothed over his sides, coming to press against Barnaby's back, a familiar warmth and contact that made him first stiffen, then relax. "I do know." He nuzzled Barnaby's cheek, arms looping around his waist. "So let me help you quiet your brain." he said playfully, nose bumping against Barnaby's ear and knocking his glasses ever so slightly askew. "After all, you need your beauty rest, don't you, baby?"
Barnaby twisted in Kotetsu's arms to meet his gaze, arching an eyebrow. Kotetsu grinned, and Barnaby laughed softly, turning a little more to trail his fingertips over Kotetsu's cheek, drawing him in for a kiss.
"Mm. . ." Barnaby put just enough space between them to allow himself to speak. "Do your worst." he invited.
Kotetsu laughed, breaking the disapproving expression that had briefly crossed his face. "Oh, my worst is hardly what I plan to do to you, Bunny." he said archly, nudging Barnaby backwards into the bedroom.
Barnaby smiled and let himself be pushed along, hands sliding up to Kotetsu's shoulders.
This was first drafted (in part at least) when I was - surprise - up too late working (on a too-bright screen in a too-dark room), because I'm predictable when I'm tired and stressed and domestic fluff is soothing.