Welcome to the first Tuesday release of many! It's Tuesday... somewhere... as I'm uploading this. xD

Let me know if the timeline is confusing so far, or if there's anything I should address or rewrite or fix. Thank you for all the reviews and support so far!

Completely unrelated side note: this story was the 300th English fanfic submitted in this fandom. Celebration! ~(づ ̄ ³ ̄)づ~~


Chapter Two: The Invitation


Thursday before the move

Antonio pounded him on the back a little too heavily to be comfortable as they laughed over another memory.

"I swear, the look on your face when Fi- ah, when Nathan crashed into your bike for the first time… I thought you were going to cry like a little kid! I felt so bad for you. But then I remembered how you destroy everything that's not yours on a regular basis."

"Heh heh." Kotetsu wiped tears of laughter from his eyes and took the last sip of his second drink before catching the bartender's eye and raising the glass of ice in a request. "I still think you and he make a great couple."

"Oh, you just shut right up. We've had this conversation before. He's not my type, you're not my type, and men are not my type."

"Relax, 'Tonio. I'm sorry I still get such a kick out of teasing you when you obviously don't find it funny anymore." And he laughed again, rewarded by a punch in the shoulder. "He honestly liked you for the longest time, though. You didn't know that?"

"That makes sense, with how damn much he fawned over me." The bull of a man shrugged his massive shoulders and twirled the stirrer in his tequila. "At least I'm not the only object of another hero's affections." He sent a pointed glance at Kotetsu, who looked confused.

"What? Nathan liked me too?"

Antonio roared with laughter once more. "You kill me, man! No, no… not Nathan."

Kotetsu was truly baffled. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, never mind, Kotetsu. Here's your refill." The bartender had turned around gracefully and switched glasses for the bearded man. "Drink up. I'll walk you home if you need it." His friend's alcohol tolerance was exponentially proportional, it seemed, to his size - Antonio Lopez could drink any of his bar companions under the table several times over.

They sat and drank in companionable silence for a while. "Hey, Antonio…?" Kotetsu felt his mouth getting harder to control, his eyes getting more difficult to keep open. "You're one of my best friends…"

He nodded and replied, "And you're mine."

"Thanks, man. You know I've gotten really close to Barnaby 'cause he's my partner and all. Does that bother you?"

"Nah, you know I'm a quiet kinda guy most of the time. I don't think I'd do as well as you with a partner. It wouldn't bother me if you consider him closer than me. If that's what you mean." He sipped at his drink, staring straight ahead instead of at his old friend, but meaning every word.

"You're the best."

They sat for a while, facing their drinks, and just about when Kotetsu's eyes fell heavily shut in contemplation, Antonio spoke again. "You worried about seeing everyone again after you move?"

"...Yeah. That's been buggin' me."

"I thought it might. I dunno, maybe we can have parties every now and again. You're always welcome back at headquarters with an invite from one of us. And you can always sleep at my place, like old times."

"Thanks, 'Tonio… Oh hey!" Kotetsu pried his eyes open and turned his head a bit more quickly than his senses could follow, and when the information hit his brain, it made him dizzy, but he shook it off and set down his drink for the final time. "You guys can always stay at my place out in the country, if you ever get the time off. Any one a' ya can crash at my place." Bunny can stay... He thought about it. Having his partner visit him might occupy his otherwise-idle time, as well as keep their friendship strong. Bunny-chan...

With some effort, he focused again on Antonio. "If it's not too out of the way. If you have any interest in small towns. We've got a great liquor store, though, that's for sure."

"I'll remember that, buddy. Thanks."

The walk back to Kotetsu's house was wearily pleasant for him, with a sturdy shoulder for him to grasp if he needed steadying, a good friend at his side, and some more laughs about old times and new prospects. Their farewell was not to be their final one before the move, but nevertheless, there were a few more amiable thumps on the back than there might have been any other time. Antonio's place was within sight distance of his own doorstep, so Kotetsu leaned against a railing after unlocking his door and watched his friend continue down the well-lit but empty street. With a sigh, he headed inside and to bed.

Three days remained until the move.


Friday before the move

The next morning marked the third day before Kotetsu headed back to his hometown. He arose with no hangover, just a little more fatigue than usual (the benefits of drinking in moderation were oft-forgotten but well-appreciated when encountered). Today was the day he would pack his books, since two nights prior, he and Barnaby had killed time stacking boxes before taking a walk around town that led them to Barnaby's place, and the night after that had been spent at the bar with Antonio. His books had to be conquered now, he thought, as he put away the leftover fried rice he'd made for breakfast and washed the frying pan.

Four hours later, three quick, sharp raps came on his door as only Barnaby could produce. Kotetsu peered into the box he'd been filling, and there were more piled up in front of him that he'd wanted to browse through than were actually in the box. He sighed, rose wincing from the floor as blood flowed too suddenly to his legs, and yelled, "It's open, Bunny!"

Barnaby, dressed casually as always, opened the door and stuck his head through first, almost cautious. Kotetsu idly thought that it was a cute sort of departure from the younger man's confidence.

"Oh, hey, Kotetsu-san," he said after catching sight of his partner. Barnaby straightened up and stepped inside. "I'm sorry for dropping by without calling first. I thought that if you were here you could use some help packing."

"Got that right! I was actually working on my books. I'd get caught up reading all of them if I had my way, but then I'd be screwed on Monday when the movers come and I'm not even halfway through the bookcases." He laughed. "I started this at nine o'clock this morning. Check it out."

The corners of Barnaby's eyes tightened in a smile. "I'll help you out if you'd like."

"That'd be great!"

"Do you want them organized in any way, or-"

"Oh, hey, Bunny!" Kotetsu interrupted him as a thought came to mind. "Sorry. Uh, I was talking with Antonio last night and he made me think of something." He was about to extend an invitation to stay at his family's house any time, but then he thought about the more immediate question about which he'd been concerned lately. "Actually… I was gonna ask you something else too… Damn."

"What is it, Kotetsu-san?"

Kotetsu wasn't quite confident that he was going to bring this up with tact, but he wanted to ask Barnaby about his plans for the remainder of… well, his life. "Bunny-chan… I never really… well, what I mean to say is, uh… what are you going to be doing when I'm go- I mean, when I move?"

"That's a good question."

Kotetsu grunted. "So you really don't know?"

Barnaby shook his head, removing his hands from his pockets and sitting down near a new bookshelf. "It actually scares me, knowing that when you leave town, I'll be kind of aimless."

That's what he'd been afraid of. His partner was a hero to the core, as Kotetsu himself had been from when he'd first accepted his own NEXT powers until he fell in love with Tomoe. His family had become another reason for him to live with purpose, and although it contended with his desire to protect the city as a hero, he'd been able to balance them moderately well so far. Barnaby had nothing apart from being a hero. The dark-haired man chuckled softly at the thought that Barnaby needed to get laid, or something like that. But then he realized that having a family might just be what his partner needed…

"Hey, Barnaby, the thing I was talking about with Antonio last night might just help you."

Barnaby looked up at him from his position on the floor, leaning his forearms on his crossed legs. "Do tell."

"I've never had to be a hero without my family. I started this job at about the same time Kaede was born. Now it's something that I can go back to, and there's nothing aside from being a hero that makes me as happy as my daughter makes me. Maybe that's what you need."

"A family?"

"Yeah. That kind of love is unparalleled."

"One problem, smart guy. You fell in love with the right woman a long time ago. The right one for me isn't just going to saunter up and offer me a nice domestic life, you know?"

"I know… but would it help to settle down in a small town?"

"Just what are you implying, Kotetsu-san?"

"I was just thinking," he said as he knelt down to meet a bespectacled gaze. "Would you like to visit my family in Oriental Town? It would at least give you a sense of small-town life, and you could decide whether or not you like it. And we'd keep you busy for as long as you can stand being there."

Barnaby's eyes widened. He apparently hadn't thought of that. "Maybe… maybe that would at least occupy me…" He broke his gaze with Kotetsu as he considered this. "Does that imply that you have a place for me to stay in your house?"

"That's the spirit! Of course. My house is nothing grand, but I'll be damned if I can't treat an important guest to quality Kaburagi hospitality! Does that mean you're in?"

"I actually like the sound of that." He sat up straight as Kotetsu rose and practically danced into the living room.

"You're gonna love the cooking, if nothing else. My mother will be sure to feed you well."

Barnaby sighed.

But he smiled, too. Maybe that partner of his actually had a good idea.