Pairing: Barnaby/Karina
Rating: Pg-13?
He had the same issues with Blue Rose as he had with Dragon Kid: too young and not easy to approach. Unlike Pao-Lin though, she seemed torn in many aspects of her life as well as strongly disliking her position as a hero, affecting Barnaby in ways he never thought possible. He didn't understand her and that was the problem. He had silently been brain-storming for weeks when Kotetsu had mentioned her birthday coming up. Barnaby had instantly gotten out of his office chair, asking the older man the exact date.
A few days later, a party was thrown for the occasion. Armed with chocolates, he gave her the dark blue box they were carefully wrapped in. Karina smiled, eyes sparkling with excited curiosity, and extended her left hand toward the box, her right one slowly lifting as if intending to hug Barnaby in thanks. Catching it, he slowly bent, lightly brushing his lips along her knuckles before firmly pressing them between her forefinger and thumb.
Raising his eyes towards her face, he saw her clutching the chocolates against her chest, flustered in embarassement. When he relaxed his grip, her hand quickly joined the other.
He turned around, ignoring Kotetsu's yell of "What the hell, Bunny?" and the other heroes' expressions varying from shock to amusement. Finished with his business, he left without looking behind.
Her fingers had been cold but her wrist had been pleasantly warm, throbbing with her fluttering pulse. Collecting the taste of her on his lips, he hummed in wonder. It was hard to pinpoint - what with vanilla slowly but surely filling his senses - but the sweetness of blueberries lingered long after he had gone home.
Criticism greatly appreciated~
