A/N:
[All characters except for the obvious OCs (Edmond, Sharon, Layla, etc.) belong to Sunrise/Bandai Namco Pictures, the creators/owners of Tiger and Bunny. All OCs in this fanfiction were created by me.]
Hello, readers, it is with great pleasure that I can share my first multi-chap for this fandom with all of you. Now, this was originally supposed to follow the plot of Pixar's Up! but it doesn't follow the movie all that closely, and it really strays way off track the further into the story we get. I know I said the fic would be Kaede-centric too, but it will start focusing more on Kaede next chapter (this chapter is mostly TaiBani for the moment). As for the timeline, the story begins about two years after Tiger and Bunny: The Rising. I likely screwed up consistency with Bunny's age, but eh, it's not too big a deal, I think. Also, turn back if you don't want your heart smashed into nine million little pieces because this fic has plenty of FEELS to go around.
Anyhow, I hope you enjoy!
-Reddie
"Well, nothing lasts forever anyway." Kotetsu leaned back, staring back at the Hero suit on the wall, then to his empty palm. He wasn't quite ready to believe it yet. Summoning the focus back to his mind, he tried powering up, hoping to see at least a faint flicker of the familiar blue glow. But the only thing surrounding him was the darkness of the lockers. He couldn't help the way his heart sank like an anchor at the thought. How could this happen now of all times, while the ratings were dropping and crime rates rising? Kotetsu had so much left to do. He wasn't ready to deal with this just yet.
But when he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder, he was at least a little soothed to know he wouldn't deal with this alone.
"You going to be okay, Old Man?" Barnaby asked, his voice even but lined with the subtlest hint of concern. Kotetsu shifted towards the glowing figure behind him, making a fist with his empty hand. Whether anyone liked it or not, it was happening now, and sulking would help no one.
Teasingly, he punched his partner and laughed heartily, "What are you talking about? I'll be fine! This has been a long time coming, so it's not like I'm surprised."
"Kotetsu." Barnaby glared at him, hurt surfacing through the watery glint in his blue eyes. Kotetsu sighed, knowing Barnaby saw right through him. His true sentiments probably gave themselves away on the inflection he used in "surprise". That was probably it.
"Okay, maybe I take back the last part. But I meant it when I said I'd be okay, so don't worry too much about me."
At last, Barnaby powered down, settling beside his partner. They looked to one another for a long quiet moment, trying to communicate through a gaze what lips could not.
Turning away from him, Barnaby said, "You can still keep going. I mean, if that's what you want…"
"But… what do you want, Barnaby?"
A pale palm fell over a calloused tan hand, forcing amber eyes up to green.
"I just want to stay by your side, no matter what." Barnaby said, his voice gentle but edged with such an air of dedication that Kotetsu couldn't help but feel so blessed to have him of all people as a partner.
Chuckling, Kotetsu brought a hand through Barnaby's blonde curls before pulling him in for a brief kiss. As they parted, Barnaby tried furiously to hide the blush on his face without any success. Kotetsu suppressed a snicker, heart bounding in his chest at such a precious sight. He really was like a cute little bunny.
"Then that's what I want too."
Hero TV could only go downhill from that point on, to the point where even Agnes knew they were beat. A generation trend had started where many NEXTs were opting to go to police academy in lieu of becoming commercial Heroes. Faraway dreams of reaching for glory and endless points were replaced by more obtainable goals of graduation and donning the badge. On top of that, state scientists were developing powerful armored suits for use of the police, reserved for cases involving more dangerous NEXT criminals. And even Saito couldn't help but whisper words of envy and dismay once he'd seen those police suits in action.
Then there came a day at last when Barnaby and Kotetsu stood before a large notice on the door. It was a familiar sight to Kotetsu, but that didn't make it any less heartbreaking than the last time. Slinging an arm around his equally distraught younger partner, he pivoted on his heels back towards the elevator.
Barnaby leaned against the wall, looking as if caught in a dissociative daze. A couple of years ago, after he and Kotetsu had been reinstated as a team, the world held so much endless potential. He felt like he could just keep going, and he was willing to stretch his dreams to whatever length of infinity they could reach, so long as he was standing by Kotetsu's side all the while. But with the death of Hero TV, there came a sort of sentiment of desolation, of constraint and limitation, a feeling that there was no such thing as forever.
But with one look at amber eyes, he was able to shake his head of the thought.
"Hey, I got a text from Antonio." Kotetsu piped up weakly.
Leaning over to peek at the phone, Barnaby inquired, "What'd he say?"
"Having an unofficial company farewell party tonight at seven."
"At the bar?"
"Yup. You wanna go?"
Closing his eyes and smiling, Barnaby replied, "Well, there's no reason not to."
On that note, the elevator doors open up, and the two headed back to their ride.
The sounds of piano and smell of alcohol wafted about the air, clashing and complementing one another as they mingled in the bar atmosphere. While Ryan was prattling grumbles with Antonio about how unfair that the show had to fall through while he was just starting to really get into it, Nathan glanced over to Kotetsu with concern, noticing the way those amber eyes flitted between his watch and the front door, and how he kept digging through the left pocket of his slacks. A stray cordovan strand fell out of place, leading Nathan to scooch over from their seat and slick it back with the rest of Kotetsu's hair. Kotetsu sent a grateful look their way, but the nervousness in those amber eyes wasn't hard to detect.
"It's going to be okay, honey." Nathan comforted, earning only a weak nod and smile. They persisted, "Even if he says no, remember he said he wanted to stay by your side no matter what."
"I know." Kotetsu sat back, straightening out his back. At the sight of Barnaby emerging through the doorway, he took in a deep breath, puffing out his chest as a stance of confidence.
"Looks like it's show time." Antonio piped up from his corner with a laugh, holding up his bottle. Ryan hooted, obviously drunk. Adjusting his collar, Kotetsu stood up and made his way over to Barnaby.
Nathan giggled, cheering him on, "You go get him, tiger."
Greeting his beloved Bunny with a hearty embrace, Kotetsu's heartrate picked up in his chest at the thought of what was to come, all his hopes for the future being determined by the answer to a yes or no question.
Taking a step back, Barnaby smiled, "So, what was that surprise you mentioned earlier? Gonna show me or what?"
"Right this way, Lil Bunny." Kotetsu said, swinging one arm around his partner and the tucking his left hand back inside his slacks pocket. Huddling close to him, he whispered, "I got you something."
Barnaby groaned, "I'm not sure I want a tangible item to commemorate a farewell. That's just sad."
"Oh no, you've got it wrong. This is for something entirely different."
"Huh? What do you mean by that?"
"Heh. You'll see. But we've talked about this before, so don't act too surprised."
The team greeted from the corner, with Karina glancing over to them from the center stage as she took a bow. It had taken her a while to come to terms with Barnaby and Kotetsu's relationship, but she'd finally come to accept them after battling her impossible and childish dream of being with Kotetsu. She could face it, that he was far too old for her and that in the end, those special sentiments belonged to someone else. And as she let go, she was able to find a smile on her face at the sight of them happy together.
She ran over to them as the next performer took over, not wanting to miss the look on Barnaby's face for that moment. As she made it to the corner, she gasped, delighted to find that she'd made it just in time, as Kotetsu dropped a knee to the ground.
"I've been down this road before," Kotetsu slipped the ring out of his left pocket and held it up, "And if you're willing to come with me this time, I'll go again. What do you say?"
Barnaby covered his mouth, his face taking on the shade of his favorite jacket. And when the right words formed in his mouth, they slipped off his tongue as a choked up response.
"Old Man, you sap!" he said, sinking to his knees to embrace Kotetsu. The older man brought Barnaby to stand up, placing a kiss on one of his flushed cheeks.
"So is that a yes?" He whispered, causing Barnaby to shove him.
"Don't be an idiot!" Barnaby readjusted his glasses, "What reason could I possibly have to say no?"
With this, Kotetsu let out a roar of a laugh, drawing Barnaby back into his arms. His heart welled up with delight when the younger man's arms came up around him too, clinging tightly. The noises of the whole bar applauding (and Ryan's incredibly loud "YEAH!") were drowned out by the sound of Kotetsu's heartbeat. Barnaby was glad to hear it, a song of life echoing in this old man's chest, a sound that wasn't about to fade out anytime soon.
Leave it to Kotetsu to make him feel like there was no such thing as a real ending.
"Oops, you got a bit of frosting there, Bunny," Kotetsu dabbed at his groom's face affectionately, eliciting a snicker from Barnaby as he leaned against the older man's shoulder.
Kaede sipped her glass of apple cider as she watched the pair across the table, the way Barnaby grinned so earnestly at her dad, and the fond, tender look her dad sent in reply. And as Antonio proposed a toast, she also couldn't help but notice how the light caught in their wedding bands as they held their glasses of rosé up to the ceiling before clinking them together.
"How happy…" she couldn't help but whisper to herself, against the edge of her glass. "How very, very happy." But there was an air of emptiness to the words.
She remembered first finding out about her dad's relationship with Barnaby, and when she gave the idea of them together some thought, she wasn't upset to have to let go of her little celebrity crush. She came to love the idea of them together, especially since it made her dad look that much happier and that less longing. So initially, the news had delighted her when she'd found out her dad was getting married again, and to Barnaby of all people, a man she knew she could trust to hold her father's heart. But as time went on, Kaede grew less excited, grew more encumbered as her ruminations piled.
Did this marriage mean that her mother had been replaced?
That was the question that bothered her the most, the one that tapped against the back of her skull as she walked home from school each day. There was nothing wrong with Barnaby as her dad's husband. But to accept the man as her stepdad was an entirely different story. No one could ever replace her mother, no matter how wonderful they were. And she wanted to be able to look at Barnaby with utter confidence and be able to call him family too, to really accept him. But part of her heart kept telling her that would be wrong, that accepting Barnaby like that would mean rejecting her mother. It sounded like an immature thought to her the more she turned it over in her head, but she still couldn't bring herself to really feel that way.
The lights had gone down, and now they were dancing together, Kotetsu stepping all over Barnaby's feet like a klutz. Their laughter geared her away from those thoughts, and she sipped her cider again, glancing down hopefully at the wristwatch her dad had given her for her birthday.
Maybe if she gave it a bit more time, these reluctant feelings would change.
After much back and forth discussion/argument, it was decided that the pair would move into Barnaby's apartment, and see how that worked out. At first, it went well, but after receiving a couple of complaints for noise, they found the walls to be perhaps a bit too thin for their liking. Kotetsu thought nothing of it the four times they'd answered the door, but Barnaby was just praying such complaints were of the sounds of argument rather than anything else. The embarrassment of that other possibility, however, finally got to him after about a year, and that was when Barnaby suggested they live elsewhere.
They then shifted over to Kotetsu's place, which had been permeated with the inspirational odor of fried rice. Barnaby took up attempts to make Kotetsu's favorite dish once again, only to end up spilling it all over the floor. The attempts had stopped for a while, only to resume after Kotetsu had made some for them to share for dinner one night. After a few more attempts, Barnaby had finally gotten it right, albeit the result was still a little dry. Even so, Kotetsu had told his husband it was the best fried rice he'd ever eaten.
Months went by, bringing with it impromptu unpaid crime-fighting sprees thanks to Kotetsu's nosiness, and phone calls from Kaede, who seemed increasingly out of it each and every time. Her eyes developed a faraway look, and she started blanking out in the middle of her sentences at the sight of Barnaby passing by in the background. Kotetsu couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with her, but Barnaby assumed the reason to her dejection: she missed her father. So, as any decent spouse would do, it was only appropriate to bring her father back home to her, especially with the frost beginning to form at the corners of their bedroom window. The holidays were drawing near, and such a season was meant to be spent with family.
After visiting the Brooks grave on Christmas Eve, Barnaby proposed they go to Oriental Town to pay a visit to Kotetsu's family as well. And that was how they ended up gliding down the chilly bridge out of Sternbild around moonrise, the stars and streetlights catching on the glint of Barnaby's glasses as he sped towards their destination.
When they arrived, they'd found Kaede asleep on the couch, the television still running with broadcasts of a skating competition. Kotetsu smiled warmly at the precious sight, before carrying her back to her room and tucking her in for the night. Barnaby meanwhile, greeted Muramasa who had just come home from work. He seemed troubled, to Barnaby's concern, and that was when Muramasa revealed the fact that Anju's health was in decline, and that she likely didn't have much time left. It couldn't help but hit a sour chord with Barnaby, as he glanced back at Kotetsu coming back from Kaede's room. Later that evening, Barnaby turned restlessly on the futon, waking his spouse with words of concern and worry. He filled Kotetsu in on Anju's condition. And that was when it was decided between them that this visit should become a move.
A week later of shuttling back and forth between Sternbild and Oriental Town, the pair settled into the home for many years to come into the rest of their marriage. Over two decades, they shared both the best and worst experiences, from Anju's funeral to Kaede's graduation from high school. They shared a passion for helping others in whatever way they could, giving talks at schools, feeding the local homeless, donating new toys to the orphanage around the holidays. They shared years filled with fond and bittersweet anniversaries, ones that celebrated life and death and love they'd come to know. They shared stories at the liquor store, trips down memory lane from their separate childhoods, and breathtaking views from the top of the neighboring mountain. They shared bottles of the same rosé and shochu and whiskey, drunken and hungover kisses, inebriated and sleepy embraces as tears rolled down wrinkling cheeks over everyone they'd lost in their lifetimes. The fact that they were both still here made them want to hold onto one another even tighter.
Then they'd think of Kaede, and her future, and both of them agreed that they didn't want to leave her with an empty, lonely one. So they shared constant promises to take better care of their health, to take care of each other, to live and not die just yet, for her sake if not their own.
But as time swept on, immunity and health decreased in their aging bodies, and no amount of vinegar could ward off the progressive weakening of Kotetsu's heart. Twenty years of marriage were finally rolling to a close, much to Barnaby's aggressive disbelief.
On the night Kotetsu first spent alone in the hospital, Barnaby ran to the mountains, banging his fists against the rough bark of trees until blood and bruises formed on his glowing blue skin. It took Muramasa and the town police to get him to calm down, to return him home where he cried bitterly in the bathroom until sunrise, begging through the whole night with the hopes that if there was some higher being up there to answer prayers, that his would be answered, or that the inevitable be delayed just a while longer.
Waking up with an aching side against the ceramic tile, he looked at his haggard reflection in disgust, glad at least that Kaede wasn't here to see him like this. At the thought of her, he found strength, and he slowly began to accept what was to come. He needed to pull together for her sake, to be someone she could lean on and rely on for support even long after Kotetsu was gone. He needed to be a hero for her if she needed him.
So Barnaby began laughing along with Kotetsu's jokes, how he was surprised it was the old man's heart that gave out first and not his liver. He began discussing funeral plans, helping Kotetsu organize his will, and staying long past visiting hours were over as Kotetsu insisted. Barnaby began powering up in the middle of the night when he received calls from his dying spouse, so he could pass by Kotetsu's window just to wave hello or blow a kiss shortly before returning home.
Then Kotetsu would ease back into his bed, slightly happier from just having seen Barnaby outside his window, before he closed his eyes with the knowledge that the next morning possibly didn't hold an opportunity for him to wake up.
He couldn't help but liken this to his waning powers, feeling as though his time limit for consciousness was ticking off second by second with each passing month. And that made it easier to accept and deal with coming towards the end of the road. He'd gone through something like this before, so he could definitely deal with this kind of situation again.