Written as part of a multi-fandom soulmate AU challenge; because I mentioned I had totally not considered that I could use these boys for the next story in the set and give them ridiculous Tiger & Bunny soulmarks and my dear friend M said omg yes please, please. (Tiger & Bunny marks the . . . third of my new fandoms this year that M is responsible for? . And I haven't even finished watching season two yet and here I am with fic.)
The prompt for this one was Seize.
The quiet beep and vibration from his wristband on the nightstand woke Barnaby, though he was reluctant for a few moments to respond to it or rise. After listening to it for a while, though, he stretched and yawned, pulling away from the sprawling warmth near his side and kneeling on the bed to reach the wristband and quiet its alarm. He checked for any important alerts, then put it back down when nothing urgent caught his eye.
Still, there were things to do today all the same. Barnaby reached for his glasses and slid out of bed as he put them on. He ran his fingers through his hair with a distracted wince for a few knots pulling loose around them, then moved to put on the lights - though he kept them low.
He looked back at the bed and smiled with wry fondness at the messy sprawl of Kotetsu tangled in his blankets.
Barnaby returned to the bed and put a knee on it, not wanting to climb back in fully but having to venture across the mattress to get close to Kotetsu. "Good morning." Barnaby said, giving him a gentle nudge to the arm. There was no response beyond a formless, somewhat jerky shift running through his body.
"Kotetsu." Barnaby said, leaning down over his partner. "Come on." He arched an eyebrow as Kotetsu let out a very fake snore, stealing a peek at him from one half-open eye. Very sneaky. Barnaby was so impressed. He fought a smile. "Seize the day!" he said, rolling his eyes.
He wasn't quite looking at Kotetsu, and missed it as he quickly pulled himself together and rose - until he lunged. Barnaby went down on his back half under Kotetsu's weight, landing with a whoosh amidst the rumpled bedclothes, Kotetsu's arms wrapped snugly around his waist. Barnaby blinked and looked down his own body to where Kotetsu was now using his lower chest as a pillow.
"What are you doing?" Barnaby asked, attempting to lean up a little only for Kotetsu to press closer and squeeze him tighter.
"Seizing." Kotetsu said even as his arms tightened.
Barnaby's eyes narrowed. "I am not the day." he pointed out dryly. And he did have things to do, even if his partner did not - or was pretending he did not.
Kotetsu smiled, propping his chin against Barnaby's stomach just beneath his lowest ribs, thumb rubbing over his hip as he snuggled closer. Barnaby's eyes slid to the soft pink Mark on Kotetsu's shoulder, the bunny that at this angle sat on a bunched curve of muscle. "I'm seizing the best part of my day." Kotetsu said, nuzzling Barnaby's belly and making him catch his breath against the tickle of it, fighting a smile.
Barnaby opened his mouth, then closed it, running his fingers through Kotetsu's disastrously messy hair. "How do you make being lazy sound so sweet?" he asked wryly, the backs of his fingers brushing Kotetsu's temple.
Kotetsu lifted his head again and grinned up at Barnaby, eyes warm with affection. "I'm good that way." he said playfully, then tipped his head away and yawned. Barnaby petted Kotetsu's hair absently, tracing his brow with two fingertips as he met Barnaby's gaze with sleepy eyes. Barnaby put the back of his free hand to his mouth as he yawned as well. He shifted, closing his eyes, and sighed.
"Lazy's not so bad, mm, Bunny-chan?" Kotetsu said, his lips barely brushing against Barnaby's belly as he spoke.
Barnaby snorted and lightly flicked his partner's shoulder, glancing back at the Mark he carried. Kotetsu wriggled his shoulders in response to the mild sting, and Barnaby met what were recognisably his own eyes, wearing his own glasses, in the bunny's fluffy face. "When there's no calling to work." Kotetsu added almost as an afterthought.
Barnaby hummed and didn't answer, but he closed his eyes and settled his head more comfortably on the pillow, which he had landed on rather haphazardly when Kotetsu took him down. Just for a bit longer, perhaps. Since there wasn't a schedule for today, nor even a real plan. Kotetsu's hands slid over his lower back as his partner stretched and settled deeper into the bed himself, and Barnaby arched into his embrace, his weight.
Kotetsu made a low contented sound, rubbing his cheek against Barnaby's ribs before going still again. Barnaby idly rubbed his partner's shoulder, breathing settling into the same rhythm as Kotetsu's as he relaxed.
His wristband beeped quietly, some time later, and Barnaby sighed. He didn't bother to reach for it immediately - it wasn't an alarm call, nor one of the alerts he had set, so it likely wasn't imminently pressing. He didn't let it pull him completely from his semi-doze, absently trailing his fingers over Kotetsu's shoulder without opening his eyes.
"Barnaby! Tiger!"
Barnaby twitched as Agnes' voice rang through his apartment, then scowled. She had pushed a channel through without authorisation, which he had requested they not do when he was in his off time, particularly when he was at his apartment.
"Hello Agnes." Barnaby said, opening his eyes and gazing with some dismay at the ceiling. At least Agnes could not force a video call through here.
"I was expecting you in headquarters by now." Agnes said pointedly, and Barnaby's eyes narrowed.
"We have no official engagements." he pointed out in return, flexing his shoulders against the bed, suppressing a lazy yawn and taking a deep breath.
"Well what are you doing instead of coming in and working with the others?" Agnes asked, her tone abrupt. "The possible new heroes are here today, touring the facilities, meeting their potential senpai, running practise interviews. . ." Her trailing sentence somehow sounded pointed.
"That doesn't strictly concern us." Barnaby said; he'd considered going in before the students got there, both to get through his own workout in peace and possibly to meet them, but he had no particular desire to do so. If they became colleagues properly there would be plenty of time to meet them when they had graduated and become heroes.
"You have something more pressing concerning you today than meeting your kohai - and possibly your future competition?" Agnes asked, clearing her throat. "What are you doing?" she asked again.
"I'm seizing the day!" Kotetsu called, voice slightly muffled into Barnaby's belly. He cleared his throat and glared down at his partner, and Kotetsu grinned, not even lifting his head. Half his smile was hidden against Barnaby's skin.
Barnaby sighed and stroked Kotetsu's hair, and he closed his eyes under the touch.
"Excuse me?" Agnes demanded. "I-"
"We haven't got anything scheduled today." Barnaby reminded pointedly, kneading the nape of Kotetsu's neck; he made a tiny purring sound more appropriate to a housecat than a wild tiger. "And we're busy." Kotetsu grinned again, not opening his eyes but once more moving to nuzzle his cheek affectionately against Barnaby's lowest ribs.
"Busy." Agnes repeated flatly.
"We'll see you possibly later." Barnaby confirmed dryly, arching an eyebrow at Kotetsu when he snickered.
Agnes shut off her call with a huff.
Kotetsu snuggled contentedly against Barnaby's stomach. Barnaby stroked his Mark, fingertips following the slope of the bunny's shoulder and side before continuing down, following the lines of muscle down Kotetsu's arm.
"We can't do this every morning." Barnaby reminded, arching his back and stretching lazily, getting more comfortable after talking to Agnes had left him tense.
Kotetsu grumbled - almost a growl, if growls could be sulky - against his stomach, a faintly ticklish feeling, then slid a little further up his body, still pressed close. "I know." he said on a sigh. "I wouldn't expect to be able to get you to be lazy too often, anyway." he added, eyes slitting open.
Barnaby pressed his lips together, holding back a smile, and Kotetsu nuzzled his breastbone, then leaned up fully over him. Barnaby arched an eyebrow, and Kotetsu grinned, boxing him in, their noses nearly touching. "We're busy, hm?" he repeated.
"Shut up, old man." Barnaby said, lips quirking, bringing his hands up to rest on Kotetsu's shoulders but not pushing him away.
He pouted at Barnaby, eyes bright with mischief, then dipped his head to give him a soft brush of a kiss. Barnaby sighed, and Kotetsu stretched out on top of him, kissing one corner of his mouth and then pulling away again, though he didn't go far.
Barnaby huffed and tugged him down, one hand splaying behind his neck to keep him close, meeting him with a firm, warm kiss. Kotetsu let himself be moved, and Barnaby shifted to take his weight comfortably as he eased down, twining their legs and nibbling lightly at his partner's lower lip.
Kotetsu gave his soft little growl again, sounding much more pleased this time, and Barnaby smiled against his mouth. "Busy." he confirmed in a low murmur.
Kotetsu laughed, one hand sliding down Barnaby's side as he smothered his own laughter in another kiss. Barnaby arched up a little as his partner's fingertips trailed over his own Mark, the languid, alert tiger lounging below his hip, and smiled into the kiss, tightening his arms around Kotetsu and opening to the playful coaxing of his tongue with pleasure.
Barnaby's Mark is a tiger, as stated - because of course it is - lounging on its side but head up and looking out alertly, and surrounded with a blue NEXT aura. It is on his right hip/upper thigh.
Kotetsu's Mark is a fluffy pink bunny (fur echoing Barnaby's hair), with green eyes and wearing wire-rimmed glasses. It sits upright with one paw raised. It sits on his right shoulder/upper arm.
(On Kotetsu's left shoulder, in the same spot, sits a slender white tigress wearing a blue masquerade mask, for Tomoe.)
. . .this was actually written before I'd seen the second-tier cadre of heroes in season two. XD Go me with that, er, accidental prediction?