07/29/12
Welcome to my newest obsession Tiger and Bunny. I thought of this while talking to Dracophile on deviantART, you can also thank her for editing it for me. Enjoy!
It Started With a Gift
Barnaby awoke to someone touching his face. Before he even opened his eyes he knew something was off; he lived alone and no one had keys to his apartment except for Mr. Maverick. But he always rang the doorbell if it wasn't an emergency, and then he would have called his cell or the hero band that he always wore around his wrist.
Feigning sleep, Barnaby moved as if to turn over but found that he couldn't. His hands were bond above his head and tied to something, more than likely his headboard. Though the bonds were tight he knew he could break through them with his hundred power. But surely whoever did this would know that too, he hadn't kept his identity secret like the other heroes.
Not wanting to attack blindly, Barnaby opened his eyes to find himself looking down the barrel of a gun.
Behind the gun, Wild Tiger smiled. "Happy Birthday my pretty little Bunny."
It took a lot of effort for Barnaby to shout for the older man not to call him that like he usually did but he wasn't really in a position to much more then glare.
"Such a face," Wild Tiger made a show of pouting, "And after all the effort I made to see you on your special day."
"Excuse me for not being thrilled at being tied up," Barnaby glowered.
"Don't forget the gun," Wild Tiger grinned.
"Trust me, I wish I could," Barnaby kept his eyes on it.
Wild Tiger was a man who appeared in Stern City the day after Barnaby became a hero, calling himself Barnaby's partner but beside having the same powers they were more like adversaries. There were times Wild Tiger would help out the heroes but most of the time he hindered them or simply got in the way without really trying to stop or fight them. For the most part he liked to annoy Barnaby with variations of the nickname he bestowed upon him based on his mecha suit helmet antennas, which he insisted looked like bunny ears.
With the exception of his blood red shirt and bead bracelet along with a bit of white on his shoes and mask, Wild Tiger wore all black. From his hat and fingerless gloves to his vest and pants. Even his watch and tie, with a single line of vertical white dots on, were black. He was always dressed so nicely and without protective gear for someone often fighting against fully suited heroes.
There was one other thing that Wild Tiger wore that Barnaby hadn't noticed before; the shape of a ring on his left ring finger making a slightly bulge from under the glove. He had to wonder what kind of woman would marry a man like Wild Tiger.
"She died," Wild Tiger stated, then at Barnaby's stare added, "You were staring at my ring."
"Is that why you're such an ass?" Barnaby couldn't stop himself from asking.
There was a moment of silence before Wild Tiger shrugged, "Maybe."
More silence followed before the captor suggested to his gun, "I'm going to put this down now but remember I can pick it up and shoot it faster then you can power up and break free."
"I'm well aware of that old man," Barnaby returned with his nick name for his nemesis, one that started almost quickly as Bunny had.
With a roll of his eyes, Wild Tiger put down the gun and picked up something he had left on the floor. A slice of strawberry shortcake, with a giant strawberry on top, on one of Barnaby's plates and a fork.
"I had considered getting carrot cake," Wild Tiger cut into the slice with the fork, "But I think you would have rather been shot then eat it." He turned to Barnaby with the fork, "Say ah."
"You have got to be kidding me," Barnaby wondered if his face was as deadpan as it felt.
"I'm not leaving until you eat it," Wild Tiger waved the fork in front of Barnaby's mouth like a parent would whole pretending the fork was an airplane for their child.
"I am not a child," Barnaby snapped in what he grimaced as a really childish tone.
"Children don't have abs like yours," Wild Tiger suggested to Barnaby's bare chest with the fork.
It was tempting to raise his knees to try and block his torso from the masked man's sight but Barnaby didn't want to give him the satisfaction and glared at him instead. "Are you some sort of pervert?"
"If I was a pervert you would have woken up without pants," Wild Tiger practically pressed the fork against Barnaby's mouth. "Now eat."
Barnaby turned his face away, "How do I know it's not poisoned?"
"If I wanted you dead, you'd be dead," Wild Tiger spoke in such a way that Barnaby had to suppress a shiver.
When Wild Tiger offered the cake again, Barnaby ate it. He wouldn't admit it but the cake was rather delicious.
"I'm actually surprised I was able to come into your room and tie you up without waking you," Wild Tiger said. He fed Barnaby another bite of cake after he swallowed the first bite. "You secretly trust me or something?"
"I would never trust someone like you," Barnaby turned his face away from the fork, though Wild Tiger had posed a legitimate question; why hadn't he woken up? Even when he still lived with Mr. Maverick he always awoke whenever the man so much as opened the door to check on him unless he was sick. Had he caught something?
"Maybe I'm just that good," Wild Tiger grinned obnoxiously.
"Please don't talk like that," Barnaby kept himself from rolling his eyes. He avoided the fork for a few more attempts but sighed and took the bite when Wild Tiger wouldn't stop moving it in front of his mouth.
There was silence between them for the next few bites, Wild Tiger breaking it when they reached the halfway point of the cake.
"Since it's your birthday I'm going to give you a present."
"I thought being tied up and force fed cake was my present," Barnaby ate another bite with a scowl.
"It's the bonus, not the actual present," Wild Tiger smiled. "For your birthday," he paused, scratching his cat shaped beard and then smirked, "you may ask me one question and I will answer with complete honestly."
Barnaby almost spit out the cake when his jaw dropped but quickly recovered himself. He swallowed as quickly as he could, his mind buzzing.
Since they day they met Barnaby's mind burned with questions. Why did this man call himself his partner? Why did he help one day and hinder the next? Why didn't he wear armor or try to protect his identity outside of a single mask? Why didn't this man become a hero like Barnaby had? But, almost urgently, he had to know…
"Who are you?"
Even with the mask, Barnaby could see Wild Tiger raise an eyebrow at him.
"You're smarter than that Bunny," Wild Tiger shook a finger at him. "You should have asked 'what's your birth name' or 'what's your full name'? Now I can simply say 'Wild Tiger' and you would already know that but it's still the truth."
This time when Wild Tiger tried to feed him, Barnaby grabbed onto the fork with his teeth, pulled it out of his hand and spat it out onto the floor.
"Tell me your name! Your full name! The one your parents gave you!"
Wild Tiger ignored him, picking the last few bites up with his fingers to eat himself, leaving the strawberry untouched.
"Don't go getting mad at me because you wasted your question, Bunny."
A barely audible growl escaped Barnaby and Wild Tiger saw his hands tense in his bonds. He could practically feel the young hero about to activate his powers.
"But," Wild Tiger finished the cake, pausing a moment to lick the frosting off his fingers, knowing that Barnaby would wait to hear what he had to say. "Since it is you're birthday I will give you a hint as to my first name now. And then if you ever manage to catch me like I have caught you here, I'll tell the rest to you."
When Barnaby didn't speak again, Wild Tiger continued, "The reason I call myself 'Wild Tiger' is because a character in my name means 'Tiger'."
"That isn't much of a hint," Barnaby seemed to grumble.
"I didn't have to give you one at all," Wild Tiger reminded him. He picked up the strawberry and held it up to Barnaby's mouth. "I finished the cake for you but you should eat this; it's the best part after all."
"If it will get rid of you," Barnaby did grumble this time and opened his mouth.
The look on Wild Tiger's face looked particularly devious as he pushed the whole strawberry into Barnaby's mouth, fingers grazing lightly against the young hero's lips before withdrawing his hand. Though he couldn't explain why, Barnaby's face felt hot as he chewed. The strawberry was delicious and filled his mouth with its juices but he swallowed it as quickly as he could to try to get rid of that heat.
"Was that so bad?" Wild Tiger's voice almost sounded like a purr.
"Untie me and get out," Barnaby didn't answer.
"So you can chase after me? Not tonight birthday Bunny," Wild Tiger put the plate onto the floor and picked up a glass of milk, "Now for your glass of milk before bed." He smirked at Barnaby's expression. "You always have a glass of milk before bed, don't you?"
Deciding that saying nothing was in his best interest, Barnaby simply opened his mouth to accept another round of force feeding, or rather force drinking in this case.
Still smirking, Wild Tiger scooted closer to Barnaby and put a hand behind Barnaby's head to steady it. Barnaby would pretend, or rather hope, that he did not feel Wild Tiger just give his hair a little caress before cupping the back of his head. Not having a straw, Wild Tiger tilted the glass so Barnaby could drink. He tilted too much at first; causing some milk to escape the corners of Barnaby's mouth and pour down his face and neck. But the hero didn't gag, instead gulping down the milk.
Once the milk was gone Wild Tiger placed the glass on the floor and reached into his vest, "Before I forget," he took out the key to Bunny's apartment, "Please return this to Maverick for me and thank him for letting me borrow it."
"How did you get that?" Barnaby demanded, "You better not have hurt him!"
"Hurt him?" Wild Tiger scoffed, "I'd get in trouble if I did that." He smiled and put the key onto Barnaby's nightstand. "I just asked him nicely and he lent it to me."
"Liar," Barnaby wanted to say more but he was starting to feel light headed.
"Bunny, when have I ever lied to you?" Wild Tiger asked, smiling as he watched the drugs in the milk take effect, sending Barnaby back to sleep.
Barnaby woke up to the feeling of someone massaging his wrist. He tried to open his eyes but his eyelids refused to do anymore then flutter. A groan escaped him, his body wanting to return to sleep.
"Oh, stayed longer then I meant to," Wild Tiger's voice rang in Barnaby's ears but he couldn't quite process it, "Time to go."
When Barnaby's arm was put back down onto the bed, he groaned and reached for the retreating hands. He wanted those hands back on him, touching him gently.
A small chuckle escaped Wild Tiger and he patted the half conscious hero's hair, "You may want me to stay now but trust me that won't be the case when you wake up." He patted his hair again and headed for the door.
"Let's do this again next year."
It wasn't until after the door shut that the world started to focus for Barnaby. He managed to open his eyes and stare out blankly for a minute or two as what happened the night before returned to him.
"That bastard," Barnaby moved to get up but realized on of his arms had been wrapped around something. He held onto it as he sat up to get a better look at in.
In his arms was a dark pink stuffed rabbit with a stitched on face and a green bow stuck to its chest.
"How old does he think I am?" Barnaby wondered and looked over the rabbit, feeling it over to find there was nothing hard enough on it or in it to have any sort of surveillance equipment or weapon inside.
Just as he finished his observations of the stuffed bunny, Barnaby noticed his wrists. They were a little red but not nearly as bad as he would have suspected from being tied up. In fact the redness wasn't bad at all but how was that possible? Vague memories of gentle hands massaging his wrists returned to Barnaby. Such massaging would have increased circulation and helped him heal faster, but Wild Tiger would have had to massage his wrist practically all night for there to be such little damage.
"Stupid old man," Barnaby didn't know why his face was warming up again. He ignored it, leaving the stuffed rabbit on his bed to go see what he could manage for breakfast.