"Hnnng…" Kotetsu Kaburagi groaned, his arms pumping upward with effort. Sweat glistened on his cheek, down his exposed arms, across his muscled chest. He grumbled, his eyes closing as he inhaled deeply. His head dropped forward, his stomach clenching taut. He bit down on his lip and with a shudder replaced the free weights back on the rack.
"Don't kill yourself, Old Man." Barnaby Brooks Jr. teased, taking a deep breath between leg reps. Barnaby swallowed uncomfortably, his eyes darting away from Kotetsu's outline quickly.
"325." Kotetsu said proudly, wiping his sweaty hands on his towel. He sighed in exhaustion and leaned against the machine Barnaby was sitting on. "If I can lift 325 pounds without using my powers, that means that I can lift up to-"
"Yo!" Antonio Lopez called out, waving his hand in gesture. "You started without me; Thank God!"
"Tch." Kotetsu shook his head. "Get on the treadmill, fat ass."
"Fat? F-fat ass?" Antonio stammered, his eyes blinking in surprise. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me, tubby." Kotetsu teased, slapping his dear friend on the back. "Let's get going."
"Who're you showing off for?" Antonio whispered, punching the buttons on the treadmill reluctantly. "Didn't things… end… between…?" Antonio trailed off.
"What do you mean?" Kotetsu asked innocently, the machine beeping beneath his fingers.
"Okay…" Antonio said slowly, shaking his head in confusion. "You're starting to scare me…" Antonio broke into a slow jog, rolling his eyes as he did so. "Who are you?"
"Shaddap…" Kotetsu growled, reaching over and turning the speed up on Antonio's machine. "It's Bunny," Kotetsu admitted quietly. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to, you know, keep up? He's just like me physically, twenty years ago…"
"I ain't as good as I once was. That's the cold, hard truth…" Barnaby sang teasingly.
"Ohhh…" Antonio nodded in realization. "I see now." Antonio turned down the speed on his treadmill to a comfortable walk. "But why do you need me?"
"Because!" Kotetsu said in exasperation.
"I'm old." Antonio said with a shrug. "You're old. Working out won't change the fact we're old."
"Thanks, Antonio." Kotetsu muttered breathlessly. He ran quickly, his feet pounding against the belt of the treadmill. "Always a friend…"
"Anytime, man, anytime." Antonio said with a wide grin.
"It's okay, Old Man." Barnaby called across the room. "I'm in great condition. At least one of us is useful."
"Fu-" Kotetsu began, his eyes creased angrily. His heart skipped a beat in his chest and he nearly stumbled. It was becoming increasingly painful to share the same air as Barnaby.
"Now, now," Keith interrupted, shaking his head in disapproval. "If you want a workout buddy, I'll join you." Keith gestured around the gym with his arms. "I'm usually here."
"Ah, well, Keith…" Kotetsu began awkwardly. "Thanks, but, well, how do I say this…?"
"What?" Keith asked, his head tilting to the side.
"Well, it's just that, well… You're a bit…" Kotetsu and Antonio shared a look. Kotetsu grimaced and cleared his throat before speaking, "Never mind."
"What?" Keith asked with a nervous laugh.
"It's nothing…"
"Well," Keith reasoned. "You obviously wanted to say something…"
"I obviously did not…" Kotetsu argued, his hands curling against his abdomen as he ran.
"Just fucking say it!" Barnaby demanded irritably. "I'm tired of listening to it."
"You're a bit of a goody two shoes…" Kotetsu admitted reluctantly.
"What?" Keith asked, his face twisting into an expression of disbelief. "A goody two shoes?"
"Well, that's the tame way to put it," Antonio muttered, looking straight forward as he continued walking. "I probably would've said a pu-"
"Ya know what?" Kotetsu interrupted loudly, his arm slinging against Antonio roughly. "Sure. I will take you up on your offer. Thanks."
"Yeah?" Keith asked, his handsome face spreading into a smile. "Great."
"So I'm off the hook, right?" Antonio asked hopefully.
"Yeah, fuck off." Kotetsu grumbled, waving his hand dismissively. "Get your useless ass outta here."
"Drinks tonight?" Antonio asked as he hopped off the treadmill.
"Yeah." Kotetsu agreed.
"See ya!" Antonio called out.
"See ya, stupid cow." Kotetsu replied, his voice shaking as he ran.
"Alright, I'm out." Barnaby sighed as he stood. He stretched his arms above his head, his shirt sliding up his toned stomach. Kotetsu struggled to keep his attention off of Barnaby's smooth, flawless skin. "Don't overwork yourself. We won't get any points if you're out with a sprained back."
"No faith." Kotetsu muttered, shaking his head. "None of ya."
"Ignore them." Keith said with a smile. "Just focus on your workout. If you've got the breath to argue you're not doing it right…"
"I'm 39 years old, Goodman," Kotetsu explained irritably. "I know how to work out. But thanks."
"Oh okay…" Keith shrugged, leaning against Kotetsu's machine. "I figured you just didn't know better, I didn't know it was willful ignorance…"
"What?" Kotetsu snapped, eyeing Keith suspiciously.
"Oh nothing…" Keith teased. "It's nothing."
"You're diabolical…" Kotetsu wheezed. "Everyone thinks you're so sweet…"
"I was sweet." Keith answered. "But now I'm your accountability buddy. Now I'm like a cruel tyrant that's gonna ride your butt until you're in the best shape of your life."
"Scary…" Kotetsu murmured, shaking his head. "I need Antonio to come back…"
"Oh, there's no escaping, Wild Tiger." Keith teased, his palm smacking against Kotetsu's ass. "Do you see the shape I'm in?" Keith flexed purposefully. "I'm not showing off, I'm just letting you know. Fitness and John are the most important things in my life."
"J-John?" Kotetsu stammered. "Ah, yes, John the dog."
"He's not just a dog…" Keith explained passionately. "He's family."
"Ah… how… nice…" Kotetsu replied, eyeing Barnaby's broad back and willing him to come back.
"Why are you here?" Keith asked seriously once Barnaby had disappeared.
"What do you mean?" Kotetsu asked, halting to an abrupt stop as he turned off his treadmill. "I'm a hero. I work out all the time."
"But not with this… intensity…" Keith pointed out quietly. "Is it the breakup?" Keith questioned cautiously.
"What breakup?" Kotetsu snapped. "Bunny and…" Kotetsu's words trailed off miserably. "I just decided I wanted to get back to where I used to be. Is that weird? Am I not allowed to have goals?"
"Hey," Keith raised his hands peaceably. "I'm just offering to help."
"I know…" Kotetsu murmured apologetically. He rubbed his sweat towel over his damp face and hair and sighed. "Fuck Barnaby."
"'F' Barnaby?" Keith laughed nervously. "Okay…"
"That's all." Kotetsu waved his hand in the air dismissively. "I want to look fucking hot, because fuck Barnaby, that's why."
"Great." Keith nodded in support. "You've defined your goal and now you can aim for results."
"You're so weird." Kotetsu teased, slapping his sweat towel against Keith's arm.
"Everyone says that." Keith admitted, his finger tapping against his cheek thoughtfully.
"Imma hit the shower." Kotetsu waved in farewell, walking sorely toward the locker room.
"It's been a while…" Antonio noted, swishing his whiskey on the rocks.
"Yeah," Kotetsu breathed in agreement, his tanned cheeks stained pink. The strong scent of soju curled from his lips into the air. His amber eyes were glassed over, his fifth bottle emptied.
"So…" Antonio pressed carefully. "Ready to talk about what ever's bothering ya?"
"Don' be-a' ass.." Kotetsu slurred. "I'm not drunk 'nuff for that shit…"
"Any more soju and I'll be carrying your drunk ass home." Antonio groaned.
"He's callin' me Old Man ag'in, ya know…" Kotetsu groaned, his head sinking into his hands.
"Yeah, I noticed." Antonio murmured, patting his friend on the back sympathetically.
"Ya know…" Kotetsu said, lifting his head, his amber eyes glittering brightly. "I don' even know wha' I did wrong…" Kotetsu groaned loudly in irritation. "'n' it makes me so damn mad tha' I care!"
"Well…" Antonio began unsurely. "Have you asked?"
Kotetsu turned and looked at Antonio. He studied Antonio silently for several moments before a peculiar grin spread across his mature, handsome face. "He said th' o'ly time he felt 'cited was when we're fightin'…"
"What did you say?" Antonio asked, shaking his head in disbelief.
"I hit 'im." Kotetsu admitted with a shrug.
"W-what? And what then?" Antonio gasped, his head continuing to shake in disapproval.
"We fucked." Kotetsu stated matter-of-factly.
Antonio was silent for an awkward stretch of time. He sighed heavily and took a gulp of whiskey before replying, "You're no good for each other. It's better this way… You did break up, right?"
"We were nev'r datin'…" Kotetsu explained.
"And how would I know? Did you ever tell me what was going on? No! Everyone knew the two of you were a thing. It's not like we never noticed the two of you disappearing together all the time… You could've told me you were dating Barnaby. I don't care… if you… date a guy…"
"We didn't date, Antoniooo…" Kotetsu drawled stubbornly.
"Well, you guys were doing something… it's been months since we've had a drink out. You've been MIA, spending all your time with Barnaby." Antonio argued. "So dating or fucking or whatever… it's over, right?"
"Yeah." Kotetsu exhaled heavily.
"Good." Antonio said simply, rasping his knuckles against the countertop. "He's a complete ass."
"Oh, please…" Kotetsu snapped. "He's a gold-en child… can do no wrong…"
"I'm your friend." Antonio said firmly. "And he treats you like shit. So- he's a complete ass…"
"Yer such a good fr'end…" Kotetsu slurred, slinging his arm over Antonio's shoulder. "I love you, stupid cow…"
"Alright, let's get you home now…" Antonio suggested. "I can't stand sappy drunks. They make me itch all over."
"You're late." Keith snapped, twisting the cap off of his sports drink.
"Yeah…" Kotetsu nodded. "Sorry…"
"And you look like crap." Keith added.
"Yeah…" Kotetsu nodded again. "Sorry…"
"Don't apologize," Keith chuckled humorlessly, shaking his head. "Why do you do that?"
"Do what?" Kotetsu asked, pushing his gym bag off his shoulder and onto the floor with a thud.
"Why do you allow people to treat you like crap?" Keith asked, folding his arms over his broad, muscled chest. "I just insulted you."
"Well, 'cause right now I'm sure I do look like crap…" Kotetsu laughed dismissively. "You're not wrong."
"F' Barnaby, right?" Keith asked loudly. "Well, then F' all of it. F' the bad attitudes. F' the negativity. F' the unfriendly competition…"
"You know," Kotetsu interjected. "You can totally say 'Fuck'. I promise. Your Grandmother won't find out…"
"I don't need to say it." Keith replied. "I'm not angry. I'm not hurt. I'm not scared…"
"So you have said it, then?" Kotetsu asked, grinning mischievously.
"Of course." Keith shrugged, a smile gradually crossing his face.
"Alright then, say it." Kotetsu insisted, placing his hands on his hips.
"What? Why? I don't want to…" Keith shook his head, covering his mouth as laughter escaped his lips unwittingly.
"Okay, you don't have to…" Kotetsu said. "But I don't believe you either…"
"What?!" Keith leaned backward, his head shaking in disbelief.
"I don't believe you've ever said a bad word in your life, Keith Goodman." Kotetsu claimed.
"You're distracting me." Keith announced abruptly. "It's leg day. We've gotta get started."
"And you're changing the subject." Kotetsu spoke quietly. "Goody Goodman…"
"Oh, come on!" Keith exclaimed. "Cut me some slack. We need to start our workout or we'll be here forever."
"Just say it…" Kotetsu beseeched him. "Just one little word and I'm all yours."
"Just one word?" Keith asked, his voice growing sensually thick. "And… you're… mine?"
Kotetsu's eyes narrowed and then, in an instant, widened in surprise. "What are you saying?"
"Nothing." Keith said, clearing his throat. "Let's get started."
"They've sure been buddy/buddy recently." Barnaby commented, nodding his head toward Keith and Kotetsu. They were on the other side of the gym, Kotetsu spotting Keith during free weights. Kotetsu said something and Keith burst into laughter, nearly dropping the weights on the floor. Kotetsu caught the bar with one hand, his arm bulging attractively. Keith's grey-blue eyes shone thankfully, and across the room, Barnaby felt like hacking in disgust.
"Mmhmm…" Nathan Seymour murmured. "And they are looking goooood…"
"If you're into that sort of thing." Karina Lyle replied.
"I am. Yes, I am. Thank you." Nathan pressed his hands together as if in prayer. "It's like a present, just for me."
"I don't think it's for you." Karina said pointedly, her finger wagging in Barnaby's direction.
"I'm sure Sky High feels the pressure." Barnaby said with a nod. "He's got real competition this year. He's gotta defend his King of the Heroes title, tooth and nail…"
"Not quite what you meant, is it, dear?" Nathan asked Karina, his dark, thin hand mussing through her light brown hair.
"Let him pretend." Karina said with a sigh.
"What?" Barnaby asked, irritation etched across his features. "I don't care what he does or with whom." Barnaby's hands clenched and unclenched at his waist. "We work together, that's it."
"Okay, hun." Nathan said simply, a patient smile on his face.
"Think what you want." Barnaby muttered. "I've been there, I've had that…"
"And because you're stu-pid," Nathan snapped. "You let it go?"
"It's not any of your business." Barnaby barked. "But…" Barnaby's features softened and, after a pause, his voice lost its bitterness. "He's not as good natured as he seems. He's dark and sad, a lot. The sex was the only good thing… At least it was the one thing we could agree on…."
"He's dark and sad? Shit!" Nathan said, rolling his eyes. "You mean, he's human after all?"
"Hmm…" Barnaby laughed humorlessly. "I suppose you're right. It was a major blow… discovering that he was just as vulnerable as everyone else."
"What did you expect?" Karina asked.
"I expected Wild Tiger, 24/7." Barnaby breathed. "And Kotetsu couldn't give me that."
"Great work tonight, Goodman." Ivan Karelin said in a playfully deep voice. He high-fived Keith as he passed.
"Thanks, Ivan, thank you..." Keith nodded his head slowly, his hand scratching through the back of his hair. He sighed and shrugged out of his thick undershirt. "I just did what anyone would do."
"Jeez, save that crap for the press." Ivan groaned, letting his head flop loudly against the front of his locker. "I was talking about you-know-who needing saved again…" Ivan turned to face Keith, arching his pale brows and blinking his violet eyes.
"Oh well…" Keith felt a blush filling his cheeks and he looked down hurriedly.
It was very simple. He loved his smile, he loved his laugh. Hell, he even loved the raspy whine the older man's voice took when things didn't go quite his way. He watched with admiration as that broad, strong chest heaved up and down. He snuck glances in the locker room, eyeing his muscled back desirously. He loved the warm, deep tone to his skin, and in contrast, his bright, enchanting eyes. He tried hard to pinpoint one thing, just one that he didn't find absolutely endearing about the other man. There was nothing. He spent hours in his bed or in the shower recalling every little thing that made Wild Tiger, Kotetsu Kaburagi.
Keith smiled, biting down on his lip to contain the gesture. "You're making a stupid face again, Sky High…" Ivan teased good-naturedly. Keith shook his head and cleared his throat, his thoughts suddenly interrupted by approaching footsteps.
"Way to go out there!" Barnaby groaned, throwing his helmet against the row of lockers. He slammed his back against the tiled wall as Kotetsu edged past. "What were you thinking tonight?"
"There're more things to life-" Kotetsu began to explain. Than points, Keith finished in his head as Barnaby interrupted Kotetsu. Keith shut his locker and walked toward the shower awkwardly.
"There're more things to life than points!" Kotetsu finally managed to say, shaking his head as Barnaby verbally tore him down. "I'm sor-ry I messed up. But I am not gonna delay a rescue for a damn commercial break!"
"And that! That is why you are the absolute worst hero!" Barnaby insisted, storming toward his locker and sliding his glasses on his face.
"Well… I don't think I'm the worst…" Kotetsu muttered.
"Not counting Origami Cyclone?" Barnaby asked pointedly, his arms folding across his chest.
"Hey!" Ivan complained, his shoulders slouching in defeat.
Keith wrapped his towel tightly around his waist and took a deep breath. Barnaby could be a complete shit, but Keith wouldn't let Barnaby be a complete shit to Ivan. Just as Keith opened his mouth to speak, Kotetsu groaned in irritation.
"He didn't mean that, Origami," Kotetsu assured the teen, his large hand slapping Ivan on the back affectionately. "He's just in a pissy mood and needs a fucking nap."
"And you need to retire." Barnaby snapped. "You fucking relic."
"I can't retire." Kotetsu snapped, tugging at the collar of his tight, black under-suit.
"Why?" Barnaby asked, lifting his arms up in gesture.
"Because it would give you satisfaction…" Kotetsu grumbled. "And I'd rather die than do something that made you happy…"
"That can be arranged, Old Man…" Barnaby threatened, his upper body roiling like he was about to strike. Kotetsu squared up, his chest bumping against Barnaby's in challenge.
"Whoa! Whoa! Let's just calm down." Antonio interjected, stepping between Barnaby and Kotetsu. He raised his hands calmly and smiled at Kotetsu sympathetically. "We're all good guys here… Save the crushing for the villains, okay?"
"Let this asshole fall next time, Sky High." Barnaby snapped, rounding on Keith.
"I-" Was all Keith managed to say.
"Don't yell at Keith now!" Kotetsu barked. "What the hell is wrong with you, Bunny? I made a mistake. No one got hurt…"
"Points are important! That's the whole fucking point of the show!" Barnaby shouted. "And you just single handedly gave our toughest competition two hundred points…"
"You're not as perfect as you think you are." Kotetsu said calmly. "Remember that."
"What's so great about you?" Barnaby demanded, the veins at his throat protruding. He twisted around, facing Kotetsu angrily. They shared a look; a look that made Keith feel as if he were swallowing dry ice.
"Everything!" Keith yelled, his fist striking the tile shower partition beside him. Barnaby and Kotetsu both straightened up suddenly, turning to look at Keith in shock. Keith swallowed and continued, "You're too hard on him, Barnaby. Kotetsu's… Kotetsu's wonderful. He's the most genuine hero out there…"
"Oh, I'm sure you just love him." Barnaby whispered coldly. "He's just great for keeping your point lead."
"Screw the points!" Keith shouted, every eye in the room on him. "Forget the god damned points for a second!" Keith took a deep breath, his heels returning to the tiled floor as he regained his composure. "Can you just shut up for once, Barnaby?"
"Excuse me?" Barnaby took a step back in shock. "What?"
"I don't know…" Keith admitted, exhaling heavily. "Just stop yelling… please…"
"Hey," Kotetsu said, approaching Keith worriedly. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine…" Keith said, nodding his head. "I just feel… off…"
"You're tired. Tonight was crazy busy…" Kotetsu reasoned. "You even had to save my ass earlier… Sorry 'bout that…"
"You don't need to apologize all the time." Keith murmured, his head spinning.
"Sorry…" Kotetsu laughed. He ushered Keith toward the bench and pushed him until he sat down. "Rest a minute before you shower."
"Yeah, sure…" Keith agreed. He sat quietly as the other heroes busied about the locker room. Barnaby and Kotetsu didn't speak to one another, but they kept stealing looks when they thought the other wasn't looking. A strange, painful sensation filled Keith's belly and he swallowed thickly.
"Mornin'!" Kotetsu called out cheerfully. "I brought kolaches!"
"Oh my God!" Ivan groaned, tossing an empty water bottle at Kotetsu. "Those aren't kolaches! Kolaches don't have meat. Those are koblasniky!"
"W-w-what? Hey! Don't throw!" Kotetsu complained, waving his hands in front of himself. "I didn't know! I'm sorry."
"In "Merica," Keith began, sauntering toward Kotetsu playfully. "We call 'em kolaches. And we eat 'em like there's no tomorrow…"
"Well, don't let Ivan hear you." Kotetsu warned, eyeing Ivan distrustfully. "This side is cheese, the other side is no cheese." Kotetsu opened the box and displayed the pastries. "Take as many as you want."
"Thanks." Keith said with a nod. He grabbed a koblasnek in each hand and took a large bite, turning toward Ivan. "These Texan kolaches sure are good."
"Har har." Ivan muttered, pressing his earbuds into his ears. "Only Americans are so purposefully ignorant."
"Aren't kolaches Czech?" Keith asked, looking around in confusion. "Why do you even care, Ivan?"
"I can have friends, can't I?" Ivan said loudly, music pouring from his earbuds.
"Awww, it's okay…" Kotetsu said playfully, patting Keith on the shoulder. "I still like you."
"At least someone does. Thanks for breakfast, thanks a lot…" Keith said softly, scratching absently behind his ear.
"How are you feeling this morning…?" Kotetsu asked, tossing the box of pastries on the counter.
"I'm fine. I'm great." Keith said quickly, beaming brightly as if to prove it.
"Good." Kotetsu nodded. "I was worried you were coming down with something."
"I'm healthy as a horse." Keith answered.
They stood closely together, a heavy silence filling the space between them. Keith tapped his hands against his legs and sighed. "Are we gonna work off these kolaches?"
"Nah." Kotetsu shook his head adamantly. "Even God got a break…"
"Okay… okay… Don't get so dramatic." Keith laughed.
"Hey… Antonio and I… we're going out for drinks tonight…" Kotetsu began slowly. "Wanna join?"
"Oh, well, I don't want to impose…" Keith answered politely.
"No, no. It's nothing like that." Kotetsu assured him quickly. "We just sit around and drink too much and talk crap."
"Oh, well…" Keith said, looking down at his hands.
"It's more fun than I made it sound." Kotetsu insisted.
"Tonight?" Keith asked, looking up. His grey-blue eyes were bright and stunning and Kotetsu felt a strange sensation in his chest, almost as if he couldn't catch his breath.
"Yeah, tonight. We usually go for drinks around 6 or 7." Kotetsu explained. "We just play it by ear."
"Yeah." Keith said, pursing his lips decisively.
"Really?" Kotetsu asked, surprise evident in his voice.
"Yes. I'll go. Sounds… fun…" Keith replied.
"Guess I'm chopped liver." Ivan pouted, his voice decibels louder than necessary.
"I'm Asian…" Kotetsu said with a smile. "I love chopped liver." Ivan looked at Kotetsu, his mouth open in disgust. He rolled his eyes and shook his head, muttering under his breath. "Ah… teenagers…"
Keith pulled one of the earbuds from Ivan's ear and then he leaned in closely and smiled, "You're not even old enough to drink, Mr. Karelin."
"I was kidding." Ivan answered, pushing his earbud back into his ear. "It's cool."
"Well, I've got paperwork to do." Kotetsu sighed. "I'll see you tonight…?"
"Yeah, I'll be there." Keith agreed, nodding his head.
The moment the door clicked shut behind Kotetsu, Ivan pulled his earbuds out and tossed his phone onto his messenger bag. "Oh my God…"
"I know." Keith enthused, covering his mouth and squatting beside Ivan.
"Oh God…" Ivan murmured, worry crossing his face. "You're in trouble…You're so awkward…"
"Hey!" Keith complained, flicking Ivan's arm in warning. "I'm not awkward."
"You're my friend and I love you." Ivan said softly. "But you're awkward."
"Well…" Keith spoke slowly. "Kotetsu's a little awkward too… I mean, isn't that part of his charm?"
"True…" Ivan said thoughtfully. "But don't order a Coke or anything…"
"I won't." Keith agreed with a laugh.
"No Sprite either!" Ivan insisted.
Keith laughed loudly, his eyes creasing in the corner, his hand stifling the noise. "Believe it or not, but I have been to a bar before."
"You're just a pure soul." Ivan whispered, looking around the empty breakroom suspiciously. "You're too good for this dark, twisted world, Goodman."
"Pull back, Ivan." Keith replied, knocking his shoulder against Ivan's. "Your crazy is showing."
"Rock Bison is gonna be an ass." Ivan continued, ignoring Keith's teasing comment. "Be prepared. He's gonna roast you every chance he gets." Ivan knocked his fist against his palm, deep in thought. "That's his job. I can respect that, but you've still gotta have a counterattack…"
"It's not a date…" Keith whispered, pushing himself up from the floor into a standing position. "I think we're both getting ahead of ourselves."
"No, it's not a date…" Ivan agreed. He looked up at Keith, his youthful face spread into an enchanting, yet mischievous, smile. "But you'd be an idiot not to realize what he's doing."
"What, and what, is that again?" Keith asked, his whirring brain tripping up his tongue.
"You're submitting an official application." Ivan beamed.
"Oh goodness…" Keith sighed, shaking his head and walking toward the door. "Please. I think we've been silly enough for one day."
"Text me." Ivan instructed.
"Sure, if I don't get home too late." Keith reasoned. "Growing boys need their sleep."
"You can use me as a personal reference." Ivan called after him.
"For what?" Keith asked, turning around in confusion.
"On your application!" Ivan answered.
"Good day, Mr. Karelin." Keith called out, waving absently.
"Bye-bye!" Ivan replied cheerily. "Have fun!"
"I didn't know they served milk here!" Antonio chided.
Keith sat down on the barstool beside Kotetsu and smiled stiffly at Antonio. "Good evening, Mr. Lopez."
"Is he the designated walker?" Antonio asked, looking at Kotetsu critically.
"Aww, leave him alone, stupid cow…" Kotetsu scolded Antonio lightly. But then something seemed to switch in Kotetsu's demeanor. His jaw twitched irritably and his almond eyes narrowed. "He's my accountability buddy. Remember ditching me? Yeah, well he didn't. So I invited him out to drink. Is that a problem?"
"No problem for me…" Antonio said quickly. "I'm just not too sure he can hang… Ya feel me?"
"I can drink beer. I drink beer all the time…" Keith insisted, hating himself for how childish he sounded.
"Beer?" Antonio and Kotetsu shared a look. "We don't drink beer. We're grown ass men. We drink liquor."
"You know what?" Keith gestured to the bartender, smiling politely. "I'll take whatever my friend right here is drinking. Thanks, and again-" Keith stopped himself, shaking his head.
"Alright a whiskey on the rocks coming up." The bartender said, nodding politely in gesture.
"I'm not sure straight whiskey is a good choice." Kotetsu warned quietly. "It's gonna taste like shit. We can only drink it because we're old and sad…"
"You're not old." Keith replied, his legs bouncing nervously against the foot rail along the bottom of the bar.
"If you like beer, order a beer. If you'd like a fucking appletini, order an appletini." Kotetsu said, turning around on his stool to face Keith. "Ignore the stupid cow."
"If you order an appletini, you can drink it. Sure, I don't give a fuck! But if you order an appletini, you're drinking it over there…" Antonio claimed, his glass sloshing slightly as he gestured to the other side of the bar.
"Well, I suppose I am confident enough to order and drink an appletini." Keith reasoned, looking up with a brilliant spark in his eyes. "But when you look like me, you can pretty much do whatever you want anyway."
"Cocky bastard." Antonio growled under his breath.
"You asked for it." Kotetsu muttered in response.
"Here's your drink, Sir." The bartender said, sliding the drink in front of Keith.
"Thank you." Keith picked up the glass, the ice clinking delicately. He sniffed the liquor and closed his eyes, steeling himself. He wasn't sure what to expect, and he didn't want to make a fool out of himself.
"Well… Cheers…" Keith murmured before placing the glass against his lips. He downed the glass quickly, the ice settling noisily. He gulped loudly, wiping the liquid off his mouth with his forearm. His eyes watered, a strange heat erupting from the middle of his belly all the way to his throat.
"It's not a shot!" Antonio yelled, looking from Keith to the emptied glass in disbelief.
Keith wiped at his mouth again, inhaling deeply. He looked up at the two older heroes and smiled. "Can I hang?"
"Yeah, you're good." Antonio said, rather impressed. "I'm buying your next drink. Anything you want."
"Alright," Keith said with a lazy nod, a bizarre heat spreading across his cheeks. "I want a beer."
"A beer?!" Antonio shook his head.
"Yeah, a beer. You said anything…" Keith repeated.
"Done, man." Antonio said, raising his hands.
"I'm afraid I'm a bad influence." Kotetsu breathed, sipping from his cup measuredly. "You've been here less than ten minutes and you're already giving into peer pressure."
"Hey, if I gave in I wouldn't have ordered a beer." Keith pointed out.
"True." Kotetsu agreed quietly. "Don't let people bully you."
"Same for you." Keith shot back.
"W-what?" Kotetsu shook his head, setting his drink back down on the countertop. "I certainly don't let people bully me."
"Oh?" Keith's eyes widened in mock surprise. "What about your partner?"
"B-Bun-ny?" Kotetsu scoffed, shaking his head. "He does what he wants. I don't allow or disallow anything…"
"You don't deserve to be treated that way…" Keith snapped.
"Well, I can't kill 'im!" Kotetsu exclaimed in exasperation.
"But why do you still love him?!" Keith shouted.
Kotetsu sat back on his stool. He studied Keith for a long moment before speaking. "I do. I still care about him. I still want him to be happy. I still want him to succeed…" Kotetsu took a deep breath and looked down at his hands. "But I'm not in love with him. And I'm not sure why that feels so terrible to admit…"
"I'm sorry." Keith said quickly. "I am being unbelievably rude."
"No, man." Antonio interjected. "I'm with you. Barnaby is bad news. All they do is fight. That's not healthy."
"And I told you…" Kotetsu snapped at Antonio. "Bun- Barnaby and me, it's over. It's done. It's not a thing anymore."
"I don't know…" Antonio argued. "We can all see the way you look at each other…"
"Fuck it!" Kotetsu growled. "He changed his mind. Okay? He decided that he didn't love me. He decided I wasn't what he wanted. Okay? He decided we were too different. He decided I wasn't fun anymore. Okay? And whatever you think you see, it's bullshit too. I can't just turn it off. One day I wanted this person. And then the next day I hated this person. It's confusing. And it makes me angry. And no one, I mean no one, can just say they've stopped loving me and then expect to fix that later…"
"See! Now don't you feel better talking about it?" Antonio said, almost as if he were proud to have drawn out the outburst.
"Don't make me a murderer." Kotetsu warned.
"I'm sorry. I brought it up." Keith apologized. "Sorry, really, I'm very sorry."
"Like I said, Fuck Barnaby." Kotetsu nodded. "I've been working my ass off. Let him look. Let him want this. He ain't getting it."
"Spoken like a strong, independent woman." Antonio replied.
"Would you prefer I send your mother lilies for your funeral or orchids? I do know how she loves orchids…" Kotetsu cautioned.
"Orchids." Antonio agreed. "She thinks they're classy."
"Have I ruined the evening?" Keith worried.
"Nah, we're always like this." Kotetsu replied, patting Keith's knee gently.
"Always." The bartender agreed, his eyebrows raised pointedly.
Kotetsu's cellular phone rang and he searched his pockets helplessly until Keith pointed to the counter. Kotetsu smiled embarrassedly and grabbed his phone, answering quickly. "Ah hello? Oh! Hi, hi!"
"Who is it?" Antonio asked, his lips smacking against his glass. He swallowed sloppily, his tongue wiping away the spilt whiskey.
"Shaddap…" Kotetsu whispered, pushing his hand against Antonio's chest. "It's Kaede."
"Don't worry, he won't be long." Antonio explained, leaning forward to speak around Kotetsu. "She's 9. She's not a very engaging telephone conversationalist."
"I sometimes forget he has a kid." Keith admitted quietly. "He's just like a kid himself."
"Yeah, a bit." Antonio agreed with a chuckle.
"So, do you, uh, like kids?" Keith questioned, attempting to revive the conversation.
"I like them in their space. I like them in theory, I suppose…" Antonio said thoughtfully. "But I can't imagine having any. No thanks. I like sleeping and drinking and fucking whenever I want to."
"Dragon Ki-, I mean Pao-Lin, she's cute… She's not so bad…" Keith added. "Kaede is cute. She looks like a little beardless Kotetsu."
"Ya know, Kotetsu didn't always have a beard either…" Antonio reached for his phone, flipping through the menu quickly. He extended his phone to Keith, "Here, here's a picture from high school. We started hanging out senior year…"
Keith studied the picture on the screen intently. It was a picture of a picture; the image was grainy and shiny in some spots. Despite the quality, the picture was breathtaking. Kotetsu was handsome, young and strong, his arm slung around his future wife, Tomoe. His smile was the same, but his eyes were less creased. His skin was even darker, surely tanned from summertime adventure in Oriental Town. Keith could hardly force himself to look away. He smiled brightly, pointing to Antonio, "You were so skinny."
"Yeah, well…" Antonio shrugged. "I actually didn't get my powers until after I met Kotetsu."
"Late bloomer…" Keith nodded. "Me too."
"What're you doing here?" Antonio asked seriously, eyeing Keith.
"Kotetsu invited me." Keith answered.
"You're too nice." Antonio shook his head disapprovingly. "Kotetsu is feisty. Barnaby was feisty."
"And that didn't work out, did it?" Keith shot back.
"There was magnetism there… You… You're just so… vanilla…" Antonio continued.
"Do you wanna know why nice guys finish last?" Keith pressed, his grey-blue eyes narrowing.
"Why?" Antonio surrendered with a shrug.
"Because once you get a nice guy, you stop looking." Keith sat back on his stool, a strange look of victory twisting his handsome face.
"Touché." Antonio nodded his head. "Not bad, Goodman."
"Sorry about that." Kotetsu interrupted, pushing his phone into his trouser pocket. He looked from Antonio to Keith expectantly. "What did I miss?"
Antonio grinned widely, "Nothing much."
"Bonjour, Heroes…" Agnes purred through their communicators.
"What's the situation?" Barnaby asked, lowering the faceplate of his helmet.
"Bank robbery." Agnes explained quickly. "Three suspects in a vehicle, South Bound. Fire Emblem is first on the scene. Two suspects on foot, west on Main…"
"We'll take the runners." Kotetsu replied.
"Hop in." Barnaby instructed, his gloved hands flexing around the handlebars of his motorcycle. Kotetsu climbed into the sidecar obediently, bracing himself as Barnaby lurched to a start. Barnaby drove recklessly, weaving in and out of traffic until Kotetsu finally caught sight of the two suspects.
"Found 'em." Kotetsu murmured, standing in the sidecar.
"Hey!" Barnaby gasped. "Be careful… wait until I've stopped."
"I've got it." Kotetsu called, jumping neatly from the moving vehicle. He landed with an impressive boom and the two suspects faces seemed to drain of color. "Excuse me!" Kotetsu called out. "You are under arrest!" Barnaby climbed off his bike, watching as Kotetsu cut off the suspects' exit. "Psst, come get your points…"
"Oh, sure…" Barnaby nodded slowly, before remembering himself. He detained the two men easily; their pulsating NEXT powers barely strong enough to tickle the air. "You did pretty well, Old Man."
"You're not so bad yourself." Kotetsu replied simply, removing his faceplate. "Pretty easy ni-"
And then Barnaby's lips were against Kotetsu's. Kotetsu felt breathless and cliché; Weak in the knees from a single, passionate kiss. Kotetsu wanted to reach out, wanted to run his fingers through Barnaby's soft, blonde hair. Kotetsu wanted to stay there, in that small space of time for ever.
And then, like a knife, Barnaby's words came cutting through him. Kotetsu staggered backward, his hand pressing against Barnaby's chest roughly. Suddenly the kiss felt stale and lifeless. "Don't… please, don't do that…"
"Kotetsu," Barnaby whispered. "I'm sorry… Maybe I was wrong…"
"Oh my God." Kotetsu shook his head, a strange, delirious smile on his face. "Fuck you."
"Wait," Barnaby cried out, grabbing Kotetsu's arm as he moved away. "I-"
"You're giving me whiplash!" Kotetsu shouted.
"Hey!" Keith called out, landing in the alley. His face, hidden by his helmet, turned from the captured criminals to Kotetsu and Barnaby and then Ivan as the young hero ran into the alley. "Is everything okay, Wild Tiger?"
"Mind your own fucking business." Barnaby snarled. "Fuck off."
"I was asking Wild Tiger." Keith said simply, standing tall and broad. Ivan looked from Keith to Barnaby quickly.
"It's fine." Kotetsu sighed, squeezing the masked bridge of his nose tightly.
"Shame you missed out on those points." Ivan said, patting Kotetsu's back. The suit made a clanking noise that seemed to echo throughout the alley.
"Eh, we're a team. A win for the team is good enough for me…" Kotetsu flashed Ivan a wide smile. "There's more to life than points."
"Can I talk to you?"
Barnaby looked up in surprise. He nodded and placed the weights back on the bar above his head. He sat up and sighed, wiping his hands on his gym shorts. "How may I help you?"
"Don't be weird." Kotetsu complained. "It's just… Well… We've gotta work together…"
"Yeah." Barnaby said simply. He watched Kotetsu with critical eyes. "That's what we've been doing."
"Okay, jackass." Kotetsu spun around on his heels, crossing the gym floor quickly. "You've got issues."
"What?" Barnaby groaned. "What did I do now?"
"I was trying to talk to you…" Kotetsu snapped angrily.
"About what? What do you want me to say?" Barnaby barked.
"I… I… I don't know!"
"Let's be friends?!" Barnaby ridiculed. "Is that what you want to hear?"
"Just shaddap!" Kotetsu yelled, pushing through the door without looking back. He walked straight into an immovable object and with a huge 'umpf' he bounced back against the closed door.
"Whoa there…" Keith said, laughing as he grabbed Kotetsu, righting him. "Do you have any idea how fast you were going, Sir?"
"Sorry…" Kotetsu sighed, forcing himself to return Keith's wide, handsome smile. "Are you okay? I kinda bumped right into you."
"Surprisingly, I'm fine." Keith said, patting himself all over as if he needed to check. "I've managed to escape the clutches of the Crusher of Justice."
"Ha-ha…" Kotetsu mumbled dryly.
"Hey, I was kidding," Keith apologized, his hand lingering against Kotetsu's chest.
"Sorry. I'm a klutz." Kotetsu mumbled, looking around the empty hallway absently.
"Good grief." Keith sighed. "You're hopeless, you know that?"
"I hear that a lot." Kotetsu admitted.
"Not from me." Keith said firmly. "And not for the right reasons."
"I don't want to work out right now." Kotetsu changed the subject. "Want to grab a coffee or-"
"Do you think I'm vanilla?" Keith asked, his voice full of concern.
"W-what? Va-nil-la?" Kotetsu spoke slowly, as if he didn't recognize the word.
"Bo-ring." Keith clarified. "Do you find me boring?"
"No…" Kotetsu answered, still unsure.
"People tell me I'm boring…" Keith began. "People tell me I am too plain. People tell me I'm lame. I'm an airhead. I'm slow. I'm ego-centric. I'm a point hog… Do I believe them?"
"W-well, I d-don't know, you seem to let it roll off of you." Kotetsu answered.
"It doesn't just 'roll off'. It stays. It's always there." Keith continued. "And it feels terrible. It sucks, ya know? People are always telling me who I am. What I am. What I think. What I feel. What I do."
"But you're Sky High…" Kotetsu breathed. "You're amazing… The King of Heroes…"
"No, I'm just Keith Goodman." Keith amended. "And I'm just human, like everyone else."
"You're not just anything, Keith." Kotetsu argued.
"No, you're right, I'm not. And neither are you." Keith agreed. "You are Kotetsu Kaburagi. And no one gets to tell Kotetsu which single trait defines him…"
"Well…"
"You're strong, brave, smart, funny, handsome, kind, silly, passionate, impatient, and a million other things. And you let them call you 'klutz' or 'old' or 'bumbling'…" Keith's hands began to shake he was so angry. He lifted off the floor, the toes of his sneakers brushing against the linoleum. "I don't even know what I'm saying anymore. I don't know why I'm so frustrated…"
"Well, you're certainly not boring…" Kotetsu said softly. "I've never had anyone else float away while we were talking…"
"Sorry…" Keith murmured, his feet sinking back to the floor.
"Don't apologize." Kotetsu said. "It's cute."
"How do you see me Kotetsu? Because when I see you, when I see you, I just see everything. And it's… it's beautiful…" Keith looked away as he spoke, a blush staining his cheeks and ears.
"And you call me hopeless…" Kotetsu muttered. "Look at me…" Kotetsu paused until Keith's eyes met his. "When I look at you, what I see changes. At first I saw a blinding light," Kotetsu explained. "And it was almost impossible to look at. But then it felt warm, and it felt good, and soon I didn't want to stop looking at you. It was too bright and then suddenly it wasn't. And now, when I look at you, I just feel… happy… I don't know, I don't know if I make sense…"
"You make perfect sense." Keith said, closing the space between them.
"Oh good." Kotetsu breathed. "I was worried. You seemed to have a whole speech prepared and I'm just over here winging it…"
"Kotetsu, I really…"
Kotetsu fell against Keith roughly as the opening door slammed into the back of him. Keith stumbled backward several feet before catching himself. He grabbed Kotetsu tightly, refusing to let the other man fall on the floor. Kotetsu looked up into Keith's face and smiled guiltily. "Ah, thank you, Keith."
Keith took a step back, patting Kotetsu's shoulder awkwardly. "Ah, sure, anytime."
"Are you okay?" Ivan asked sheepishly. "Sor-ry… But you were kinda standing right in the way… I mean, I'm not blaming you, but that was a silly place to stand…"
"Yeah, my bad." Kotetsu agreed, laughing it off. "I mean, I'm not blaming you, but you kinda came through the door like a charging rhino…"
Keith flashed Ivan a warning glance, arching his brows pointedly. "Well, I better go… See ya later, guys…" Ivan said, stepping around the two men and walking down the hall, whistling a cheery, little tune.
"It's clearly dangerous here." Kotetsu murmured, nearly skipping away from the gym doors.
"Do… Would you still like to get a coffee?" Keith suggested.
"That'd be great." Kotetsu agreed. They walked side by side, down the hall and into the beautiful garden atrium.
"And then…" Keith began nervously. "I'd like to ask you to dinner."
"Dinner?" Kotetsu said curiously.
"Yeah, dinner." Keith repeated. "You and me, in the evening, some place with cloth napkins?"
"Are you asking me on a date, Keith Goodman?" Kotetsu asked, blinking his eyes so innocently Keith almost believed his sincerity.
"Yes, ah, yes I am, Mr. Kaburagi, Sir." Keith replied, smiling hopefully.
"Well fuck." Kotetsu gushed, his tanned skin blushing pink. "I was beginning to wonder if you'd ask."
"Really?!" Keith asked with such surprise that he and Kotetsu both erupted into laughter. "Man, I'm in sad shape. I am pretty lame, after all…"
"You're not lame." Kotetsu assured him. "I mean your catchphrase is pretty damn lame, but you yourself are not lame…"
"Thank you, and again, thank you." Keith called out playfully, his hand brushing against Kotetsu's arm briefly.
"You're not lame." Kotetsu said seriously. "I was just waiting, is all… I prefer not to make the first move. It gives you youngin's a chance to escape…"
"Well, I sure am sorry, Sir…" Keith drawled playfully. "I didn't mean to keep you waiting."
"So about dinner…" Kotetsu pressed.
"We'll get to that in a minute." Keith said. "First things first. I would hate to keep you waiting again…"
Kotetsu certainly didn't expect for Keith's lips to press against his. And he couldn't have ever imagined they would feel as soft and warm as they did. Even when he imagined kissing Keith, he couldn't even get close to how brilliantly he kissed. Kotetsu's eyes closed slowly, a hand wrapping around Keith's neck. He wound a strand of Keith's sandy blonde hair around his finger and pulled back for a breath.
"You're a very good kisser." Kotetsu breathed. He smiled and pulled Keith closer, feeling as if his entire body was weightless. He initiated the second kiss, his teeth gently tugging on Keith's bottom lip. They kissed passionately, Keith's hands sliding down Kotetsu's shoulders to his waist. He held him firmly, their bodies separated only by the clothes they wore.
"I feel like…" Kotetsu began dreamily, pulling away for another breath. "I'm floating…" Kotetsu finished. He nuzzled against Keith's chest, hiding his face from view. He intertwined his legs with Keith's, his eyes finally settling on the grassy earth, several feet below.
"You're floating," Kotetsu said simply. He held Keith tightly, the lush greenery below them blurring into a single swirl of color.
"Sorry, it just happens sometimes. Usually when I'm excited…"Keith whispered. He kissed Kotetsu's temple affectionately.
"No, floating is good…" Kotetsu said. "Good job. Nice touch…"
"So about dinner…" Keith adjusted Kotetsu slightly in his arms, giving him space to see Kotetsu's face.
"Oh, are we still doing that?" Kotetsu asked softly. "I've changed since then…"
"So, you don't want to go to dinner anymore?" Keith questioned, lifting Kotetsu's chin. "I was excited about going."
"Nah, we're still going." Kotetsu answered.
It was several minutes, and kisses, later when they finally touched back on the ground. Keith released Kotetsu, pulling his hand into his. "You okay? You seem subdued…"
"I'm okay." Kotetsu said with a smile. "It's just that I'm still floating."