Agnes Joubert was a refined woman. Everyone involved with NEXTs knew her name. She directed Hero TV as if she were born in the studio. Some of the stars joked that she cared more about ratings then their lives. Some considered it truth. She could spit out a hundred insults, and then turn around and ask for a favor—and they couldn't say no if they cherished their jobs. Agnes was not only a woman everyone knew, but just about everyone who knew her had a reason to fear her. She was well aware of it too.
So if she was supposed to have such a backbone—have nerves of steel—why did the sight of that blonde pansy in a pink robot rabbit costume make her mind go wild?
Agnes had mastered the poker face before high school; she could lie to a figure of authority without batting an eyelash. She doubted a lie detector would even catch her. So why did she flinch when the King of Heroes walked into her office alone?
She hated it.
She wasn't a lovesick schoolgirl. She was an adult. She could use her feminine wiles to get a stranger to get anything she needed. And she could use her assertiveness to get anyone she knew to do the same.
Maybe that was the difference. She didn't need to bat her eyelashes at Barnaby, nor did she have to raise her voice at him—unlike his useless partner. He was a gentleman. He never argued, never complained, he cared just as much about his image as Agnes cared about the entire show. They were a lot alike. Or at least she kept telling herself as she sat behind her desk. It was late at night, it always seemed like it was by the time she got back to her seat. There was a single desk lamp illuminating her room. She kept quiet as she signed various papers on her desk, and sorted out anything she needed a hero to sign—quiet on the outside at least.
In her mind she was trying to sort out her thoughts. She knew when it all started; it was when she left the mayor's baby in the hands of the heroes. She had been rescued by Barnaby, and for a moment, when he gazed into her eyes and asked if she was alright, she could see why all his fans were so crazy about him.
Was that what she was? A fan girl? That term left a bad taste in her mouth. She couldn't stand the thought of such a thing. Fan girls were brainless virgins humping pillows at night. She was anything but. She was a career woman.
Who was she kidding though? She dozed off on her desk most nights, with her police scanner turned up high, in case material for a new live episode might wake her. She couldn't remember the last time she had been with a man. Was she going to blame that on Barnaby Brooks Jr. too?
Just as those thoughts crossed Agnes's mind, the sound of three hard taps against her door echoed through the room.
"Who is it?" She asked without looking up from her paperwork. She didn't expect, or even want, company at this time of night.
"It's me, Ma'am." Barnaby's voice said, muffled by the closed door.
Agnes cursed inwardly when she felt her heart skip a beat. She'd be surprised if she could feel any more embarrassed by her own body. She closed her eyes and quickly composed her thoughts, put her poker face back on and spoke up.
"Can I help you, it's rather late." She asked.
The double doors to her office were pushed open, but not by a pale hand of a young blonde, but the tan one of a scruffy old man. "Yo, Agnes! We're both looking for you." The veteran hero shouted with his other arm up in the air.
Agnes grimaced. "I'll help you in the morning Tiger, you can leave now." She said and turned her swivel chair's back to him.
Kotetsu's arms fell to his side. "Oy, Agnes, why are you so nice to Bunny and so mean to me?" He sobbed.
Barnaby patted his partner's shoulder. "This is why I said we shouldn't just break through her doors. She's a busy woman, and you're voice isn't helping anyone concentrate."
Right you are, Handsome. She thought, and then bit her tongue, reminding herself to keep her thoughts inside. Agnes turned her chair back around and put her elbows on the desk in front of her, resting her chin in her folded hands. "Really now, can I help you boys with something? Or are you here to put me behind schedule."
"Yeah! We need your help drinking!" Kotetsu said with the goofiest smile she had ever seen. His partner sighed and pressed his palm against his own face. Agnes wanted to do the same. Kotetsu's next words caught her attention however, "Bunny wanted to invite you with us, so won't you come?"
Barnaby did? Agnes repeated in her mind, but made sure to not have as quick of a reaction visibly.
"Wait, I just said that we never have invited her and it seemed rude of us." Barnaby explained, "I thought she might feel left out." He continued, "You're the one who dashed up the stairs to invite her, Old Man." Barnaby brushed his hair off his shoulder with a notable bit of sass with his last line. Agnes couldn't help but release a chuckle, however, she instantly regretted it.
"The she-devil laughs." Kotetsu's face quickly met Agnes's nameplate from her desk, which she had thrown in response to his comment.
"You will not use such terms towards your director, on or off air." She instructed him with a huff. "You can forget inviting me. We all know all you and the other heroes would be too scared to drink with me anyway. That's why you never invite me." Agnes spun her chair back around again, "You may leave."
Agnes heard the clank of her nameplate being placed back onto her desk. "Well, it was worth a try. Let's go, Bunny. Everyone's waiting for us." Barnaby hummed some sort of sound of agreement, but no other audible response.
She listened to feet tap the ground as they left, and listened to the door close behind them. She turned her swivel chair around, looking down at her paperwork, and then covered her face with her hands and sighed. "What am I going to do with myself?"
"I ask myself the same thing from time to time."
Agnes shot up from her seat, eyes wide open, to find Barnaby had never left. The door had only closed behind Kotetsu, and the younger of the duo still stood at the doorway, leaning against the steel double doors, staring across the room at her. "If you're not coming out drinking with us, what will you do? Spend the night in your office, dozing off on top of your paper work?"
She felt as if he were reading her mind. She straightened her stance, and swept a hand through her hair, throwing it back over her shoulder. "What if I do? This work doesn't do itself." She said, and sat back down into her chair.
She could see Barnaby frown a bit, and it hurt her a little; treating him like a jerk like all the others. Yeah, she had it bad for him, real bad, but she wasn't about to show it. Her image was too important to her.
Barnaby leaned forward and walked towards her desk. "You know, Ma'am, I'm not scared of drinking with you." He said, rather matter-of-factly. He almost sounded like it was something to brag about. "And I don't think you're a she-devil, or an evil queen, or any of that." Agnes looked up towards him as he stepped closer to her desk, and then softly sat on the edge of it, right across from her. "You're always nice to me, even when barking orders. Maybe it's because I'm polite, but I don't think I could be scared of a woman." He reached a hand out towards her, "So what do you say? We'll get a drink, just you and me."
Agnes's face softened in response to his invitation. She could feel her cheeks grow rosy, and quickly made up for it. "No pansy heroes crying at the sight of their boss?"
Barnaby chuckled, "Not one. We can just go back to my place."
Agnes's hand was in Barnaby's before she could even think of how it looked. She wasn't passing up this opportunity. She couldn't care any more. She stood up, Barnaby doing the same, and walked around her desk to his side without letting her hand slip from his. "I don't want any rumors about us floating around the office in the morning."
"Of coarse not, Ma'am." Barnaby said, not even seeming hurt by the accusation.
"Agnes will be fine." She corrected him, and then let another chuckle out again. She told her self it was definitely just because she was correcting Barnaby, and definitely not because she was holding his hand.
"The first time I've seen you laugh has now become two." Barnaby continued his sweet talk. She would consider it mere ass kissing until proved otherwise. "Very well, Agnes, please follow me to my car."
With that, the two colleagues stepped out the room hand-in-hand, and made their way down the Hero TV halls.
The wind blew through Agnes's hair as the young couple drove through the streets with the roof down on Barnaby's red convertible. The ride was quiet; the sound of the road and the wind in her ears gave Agnes peace of mind. She turned her head towards Barnaby, and found him peering at her out of the corner of his eye. She kept her composure, despite being slightly surprised.
"You should concentrate on the road, Mr. Brooks." She told him sternly.
Barnaby smiled and looked back out towards the road again. "It's alright, no one else is on the street at this hour." He tapped his finger against the car clock to bring her attention to it. It read "1:47 am." She hadn't realized she'd been in her office for so long. She was sure she'd only sat down around 10 pm.
She let a sigh escape her lips, though light and quiet. She was heading towards Barnaby's house, it would just be he and she, drinking alone. They were both adults, anything could happen. She did her best to keep her mind free of such unprofessional thoughts.
"You're not worried about being caught alone with your star hero, are you?" Barnaby asked, still looking out onto the road.
Agnes shifted her eyes over to him, "Why, are you planning on calling the paparazzi?" She snickered a bit.
Barnaby also laughed a bit, "No, not at all. I was just hoping you could let go of your stress tonight, and if you were worried about things like that, you wouldn't be able to unwind."
Oh, I can think of ways to unwind with you, Mr. Brooks. Agnes almost bit her tongue again, keeping her thoughts in her head. "Thanks for your concern, Mr. Brooks, but I'm quite alright drinking with a hero like yourself."
"Alright." Barnaby said. The car slowed as he neared his house. He turned the steering wheel and then pulled into park right in front of his home. The blonde man opened his door and made his way over to Agnes, opening hers and offering her his hand again.
"Where did you learn to be such a gentlemen, Mr. Brooks?" Agnes asked, and took his hand as he lead her from the car, clicking a couple buttons on his key holder to pull up the top and lock the doors.
"I guess my parents just raised me right." He said nonchalantly. "And Barnaby is fine." He flipped his hair back with his free hand, and began to lead his young director towards his house, hand-in-hand once again.
Agnes had been in Barnaby's house once before, when she had brought a box of toys and food for the mayors baby. Just thinking of that day brought a rush of repressed memories back to her mind. Barnaby holding her like a princess, looking into her eyes, it made her shudder.
"You alright?" Barnaby asked, walking into the living room behind her, back from his kitchen with a couple cold cans of beer. "I thought I saw you shiver."
"It was nothing. Just a chill." Agnes lied without a thought. She turned around and took the can offered to her, clanking it against Barnaby's before opening it and lifting it to her lips.
"Oh, Miss 'nerves of steel' gets chills?" He teased.
"Tch. You sound like your partner." She growled in response, and tossed her now empty can at Barnaby. He caught it, and stared into it. "That was fast, Agnes." He said and looked to her to find her hand pointed towards him, palm open. "More. You said you'd help me unwind, and a single can of weak beer isn't going to do the job."
Barnaby was taken aback, but then smiled his gentlemen smile at her, and placed his open can in her hand. "I took a sip already, but you have it. I'll find something stronger."
Barnaby began to walk towards the kitchen, and Agnes stared down at the can just handed to her. "I've heard that in Japan, sharing glasses is consider a secondary kiss." She said, before downing the can.
"Good thing neither of us are Japanese." He responded, then after a moment, "Wait that is disgusting. The Old Man and I share cans all the time. Do you think he knows that?"
Agnes laughed, not a cackle, not a snicker, she just let out a laugh. Weak or not, the alcohol was doing it's job. "Well, he is old. Maybe he forgot." She laughed more, and heard Barnaby walking back towards the room again, "You should stop kissing your partner!"
Barnaby grimaced, "Not so loud, please. There are enough rumors as is." He didn't seem to enjoy the teasing nearly as much as Agnes. "Keep up the jokes and I won't share these." He held up two bottles of liquor, both glass, one clear, one dark in color. They looked expensive, but he'd torn the labels off, so there was no knowing what was in them.
Agnes threw another empty can behind her, and snatched the clear bottle from him. "Oh you're sharing, Barnaby." She ordered him, and popped the top without even caring what was inside. She took a sip, and decided it was worth savoring, instead of chugging like the last two beers. She smiled at Barnaby, and received one in return as he popped his bottle's top too.
The two sat down on his floor, sipping alcohol and giggling the more drunk they got.
"Hey, Barnaby, thanks for offering to drink with me." Agnes said in between sips. "And for not being terrified of me."
"Ah whatt're you talking 'bout?" Barnaby responded, obviously already drunk. She'd remembered hearing Kotetsu calling him a "light weight" once. It was probably why he brought beers to start off and didn't bring the good stuff out right away. "Kotetsu's an idiot." He continued, "they aaall are. You. You are a be-a-utiful young woman and ssshould be treated as such."
Agnes blushed. She was sure he was just sweet-talking again, but with the alcohol clouding her judgment, she couldn't help take him seriously. "Not quite as good looking as you though."
SHIT. Agnes honestly wanted to bite her tongue off; she couldn't control her mouth any longer. She looked over to Barnaby to see his reaction, but there was none. He had passed out with the half empty bottle in his hand.
"Well shit." She said audibly, and held up her bottle, chugging the leftovers down. "A woman compliments you and you think you can just pass out. So much for gentlemen."
Agnes received no response. It aggravated her. She didn't understand why. She didn't want him to hear her thoughts, but now when she let them out and he didn't respond, it just pissed her off. It had to be the alcohol's fault. Well, if she could blame her anger on the alcohol, she could blame anything else on it to.
"We'll see what happens when you pass out around Agnes Joubert." She said, then came to her knees and scooted across the floor. She crawled up right next to the unconscious blonde and leaned in close. Holding one hand on his face and the other balancing her above him, she lowered her head and laid a kiss on his lips. She felt Barnaby flinch underneath her but didn't care. She continued to kiss his lips until he opened them enough for her to sneak her tongue in. The man underneath her let out a groan as she found his tongue and pressed hers against it, eliciting excitement from both of him. Agnes heard Barnaby's bottle clink against the ground as he reached up and touched her side. She forced her tongue in further and she felt him rub his hand down her back to her butt.
Agnes gasped and freed Barnaby from the lip lock, face red from both intoxication and the feeling of the young man's hand on her ass. The young man who she hadn't even realized she was pursuing until tonight.
"Agnessss?" Barnaby whispered out.
Agnes couldn't think of an excuse. It was his fault for passing out; and for getting her drunk; and for getting wasted before she did. "I said you were good looking, ass hole." She said. He must have still had alcohol on his tongue before the kiss, because she had less control over her words than before.
"I heard you." He laughed. Agnes blushed, but he managed to get a laugh out of her too. "I wasss just going to ask you if you wanted to…" Barnaby clumsily sat up and leaned on Agnes. "…take thisss to the bedroom?" He whispered in her ear.
Agnes's entire head felt like it would pop off. She thought of all the huffy responses, all the coy responses, all the expected responses possible, but what came out was "Oh yeah, like you can walk Princess."
Barnaby looked a little hurt, having been shot down so rough. He must not have been used to it. He really was like a princess. Agnes smirked. "Right here is just fine."
Barnaby had little time to respond before Agnes has sat right in his lap, legs on either side of him, and wrapped her lips around his again. He let out a low grown as she pushed him back onto the floor under her and stayed on her knees as she laid sloppy wet kisses on him.
Barnaby's hand ran up her leg and she pushed her tongue past his lips again. She gasped into the kiss and his groped her butt. He ran his fingers around the hem of her skirt before running up her ass and finding the zipper. Agnes broke the kiss as she felt him push the skirt to her knees.
"I bet you can think of a few girls who would be jealous of me right now." She said, and moaned softly as his fingers traces her panty line.
"I bet you can think of a few men." He responded. Agnes laughed softly, and then spoke again, "Barnaby. When you saved me that one time…"
"When the mayors child was kidnapped?" He asked. She flushed just realizing that he too remembered. His hand was stilled on top of her ass now, no longer greatly distracting her.
"Yeah…" She breathed out, "what… did you think of me at that moment?" She wanted to kick herself. She sounded like some weak little girl that needed someone else's opinion just to keep a positive one of her own. But that wasn't it. She just wanted to know that she wasn't the only one dwelling on that very moment of time.
"I was surprised that our she-devil director could be a damsel." Agnes punched his side. "Owww kidding!" He laughed in response. Agnes continued to fume. "I thought you were beautiful. And I wished I knew more about you."
Agnes aggravation stopped in a split second. She rubbed her hand against where she'd punched him, apologizing without words. But she avoided eye contact—afraid she looked like an emotional schoolgirl.
Barnaby's hand began to move again, slipping below her stomach and gliding along her trim of her panties, eliciting a gasp from the young woman above him. "You think I brought you here just to drink?"
"You think I came just for one?" She retorted, and boldly rubbed herself against his hand, bringing a moan out of both of them. "Now hurry it up, pretty boy."
"Fair enough." Were Barnaby's last words, and he snatched her panties off and sent them to her knees with her skirt. Agnes pressed her chest down onto his as his fingers found their way into her entrance, scoping her out. She moaned in unison with him again, though he was responding to the full breasts displayed for him right under his chin. He never knew her habit of never buttoning her shirt completely would come so in handy.
Agnes gasped as Barnaby's middle finger found her "magic spot" and began rubbing it. She let out an "Ooooh…" and then breathed right into his ear. Barnaby's glasses were quickly fogging up, and mostly from his own breath. She was making it hard on him to let her finish first. "Aaah Barnaby…" She moaned into his ear, and then bit his neck softly. Barnaby felt chills run through his whole body, and began rubbing her faster. "AAH!" she let out a yelp and bit onto his shoulder, but just got a mouth full of his red leather jacket. He had to get his clothes off. He has to get both of them out of their clothes.
He felt Agnes shudder against him as she came onto his fingers. He continued to rub her as she rode it out, then slipped out right before she collapsed onto him. He put a hand behind her back as he sat up, she kept her balance in his lap. "Mmm Barnaby, you are exactly what a woman needs." She moaned, and kissed at his neck as she pulled his jacket off his shoulders. "This is not, however." She grabbed the bottom of his shirt and ripped it off over the top of his head before pressing herself against his chest again.
"No way. This too." He interrupted her cuddling and pushed her back, unbuttoning what was left on her blouse to unbutton and pulled it away from her. "Agnesss did you forget your bra this morning?" He teased, blatantly staring down at her bare breasts.
"Who says I own one." She responded and pushed her breasts against him again, much to his excitement. She felt his bulge press up against her. "Oh, looks like someone's ready for some action…" She whispered into his ear, and then rubbed herself against him.
Barnaby clenched a fist at the feeling of her against his clothed erection. "Agnesss I like these pants…" He groaned, but was ready to come in his pants right then and there if she kept it up.
"Well excuse me, Princess." She responded, and sat back a little. She unbuttoned his jeans and unzipped them, before pulling back their rim and the rim of his boxers to reveal his very erect manhood. She ran her finger up him as a tease.
Barnaby kicked his head back and bucked his hips in reaction, then breathed out "And stop calling me 'Princess'."
Agnes places a hand on his chest and pushed him back to the floor with ease. She crawled close and laid a soft kiss on his lips. "Not while I'm toppin', Princess." She winked at him, and then positioned herself over him, rubbing the head of his erection against her entrance.
"AGNESSS…" he groaned at the top of his lungs before she pressed herself onto him, letting him fill her cavern. They both let out airy moans and Agnes bucked her hips until she was comfortable, grabbing Barnaby and pulling him up to her.
Barnaby wanted to tease her, "on the floor or not" or something, but the feeling of her all around him was just too much. He let out a grunt as she slapped herself against him. He thrusted into her, getting a great moan from her.
"Barnaby…" She whispered and nipped his neck. Barnaby grabbed at her breasts, pulling at her nipples softly, but enough to elicit another moan from her. He was pretty sure he heard her curse once or twice when he hit her spot just right. Agnes bounced on his hips, obviously anxious for her climax, but only brought Barnaby to his. With the feeling of her falling back onto him, Barnaby's body tensed, and his head fell back with a breathless groan, shuddering as she continued bucking her hips and he rode out his release.
Agnes followed shortly behind, biting onto his shoulder, and getting a mouthful of skin this time. She gasped through her teeth and bit harder, but the feeling of her coming onto him made the pain feel like a kiss. She slowed down her bucking and then came to a stop, before slowly sliding off of him, both letting out groans in reaction.
Agnes collapsed against Barnaby, and snuggled her head next to his.
"…Shit…" Barnaby sighed. Was he regretting it already, Agnes tried not to show her disappointment. "I forgot the condom." He reached under the rug, only feet from where they were, and pulled an unopened condom out from it.
"Why the hell do you keep condoms under there? You have flings like this that often?" Agnes was not hiding how put off she was now, she pulled her head from him and rolled onto her side.
"What?" Barnaby almost shouted. He reached out and grabbed her, pulling her back to him, turning her face back to his. "It was for us." Agnes pulled her face back from his and blushed, "Agnes, don't you get it? I've been planning this day for months. I've just been looking for the opportunity. When Kotetsu brought up drinking, I never planned on drinking with them, I wanted to drink with you. I have more condoms in my room, but I left one in here in case you were too drunk to get there." His cheeks turned rosy, "I never thought about how it might be me who couldn't walk…" He mumbled. "I just… thought you'd need more alcohol, more convincing… I didn't think you'd um… 'open up' so quickly."
Agnes reached behind Barnaby and pinched his ass, almost getting a scream out of him. "Don't say it like that, you make me sound easy. I'm not some 20 dollar whore." She kissed at his neck again.
"I know…" Barnaby conceded, and poured himself into the feeling of her hands wandering up his chest.
"I've been mad about you since the day you rescued me." Agnes continued, "I just… couldn't deal with my feelings. They made me feel weak."
"Hey." Barnaby said, and used his thumb to bring her face to his, "Love may be a soft emotion, but it makes us strong."
"Sounds like something that geezer would say." She said looking away from the man feeding her corny lines.
"It is something he said." Barnaby responded, and pressed his lips against hers. Agnes wrapped her arms around him and felt his around her. She let one hand wander up his back and get into his hair, while the other ran along the rim of his jeans, still attached to his thighs. Barnaby let his hand travel up to her cheek before he broke off the kiss. "Mmm…" he sighed, "but you know, the Old Man says some good things some times." He finished his last statement, and then gasped as Agnes grabbed his ass.
"I guess…" She teased him, running a finger under his chin. "Ready to find your way to the bedroom?"
Barnaby rolled to his knees, slipped one arm under Agnes's knees, and the other under her shoulder and stood up with her in his arms. Agnes let out a gasp, her head spinning as she remember the last time he held her in the same fashion.
"Ready when you are, Princess." He replied, and turned towards the bedroom.
"Oh two princesses? How scandalous." Agnes replied, "We don't need the papers to know just yet." Her voice trailed off as they disappeared into Barnaby's room and the door shut softly behind them.
Anyone who's read this far, I can't thank you enough. I've been shipping these two since episode 9 and not only am I mad about them, but I'm sad that they're such an unloved pairing. I thought of the fic when I saw a fan art piece called BunnyAni (アニバニ) by "KYB∞6.24/セ27b" on Pixiv. It is (I believe) only the 4th image in my fan art collection of them, but now one of my favorites.
I haven't decided if this will be a one shot or if I'll write more, so follow if you're interested to find out! Please review if you like!
-Neko of OnitoNeko