A/N: I have sinned to you guys, for denying the enjoyment of reading new chapters for two weeks. This was because I don't feel satisfied and kept re-writing the chapters (yeah, you may call that writer's block). But enough for excuses, I hope you'll forgive me with this double update.
Reply for some reviewers:
Sha Moli: Thank you for the correction, I'll fix it fast.
Mawe: though I can't understand Spanish, thank you for the review!
Rakuen91: One side means that Barnaby liked Kohime, but Kohime wasn't aware, at least until the last chapter. No, there won't be a detailed version of Mayor son's episode, but you'll get a Kohime and Barnaby date. Please look forward to it.
Kohime & Barnaby
Chapter 9: Love & Revenge
"Kotetsu-san."
"Yes?"
"Bring me along next time you go home."
"Why?"
"Because…because…" Barnaby hesitated before his eyes turned sharp and determined. "I want to meet your family."
Kohime blinked for several times before understanding dawned on her.
"I see. You want to meet my family because you want to experience family love once again, do you? Hum! Of course you can."
"Well, that's…" Barnaby didn't know how to explain that the reason he wanted to meet her family was to introduce himself and hopefully gain their approval. People might say that was very fast of him, but he knew how a slow, clueless idiot Kohime could be and decided to act bold.
"But make sure to disguise yourself. I don't want Kaede swooning all over you," Kohime warned, didn't aware that the one who was really in danger was her, not her daughter.
Barnaby accepted the condition and Kohime promised to contact him when she was going to go home.
But things didn't go as planned. Kohime suddenly got a paid vacation from Lloyd. Barnaby was aware that Lloyd wanted him to cover for her long absence. But that was not the thing that stopped her from going with her. It was the lead to his parents' killers that stopped him.
"Bunny-chan! I got a paid vacation from Lloyd. He wants you to cover for me, but do you still want to go with me? For a day maybe?" Kohime asked through the phone.
Barnaby wanted to say 'yes', but at the moment the computer finished downloading one of the criminal's data and displayed it. Barnaby's eyes went wide when he saw the picture. There was no mistaking it. It was him. The one who killed his parents.
"Bunny?" Kohime asked, stopping Barnaby from staring the picture with utter hate.
"Sorry, I was thinking about it," Barnaby lied. "I think…" Barnaby decided in a split second. "I'll pass." He could go to Kohime's family anytime, he thought. But his clue wouldn't stay there forever, judging from his previous experiences.
"I see. See you later then."
Barnaby quickly got up and went to Abas prison with his car. But in the middle of the way, HQ contacted and told him about the bridge bombing. Kohime said that he could go and let her took care of things. At that moment he was convinced by her words. She was the legendary Tiger Princess. She knew how to take care of things even if she was now just a shadow of her glory days.
But Barnaby's mind could not settle. He could not help but worry about his partner (and future lover, he embarrassingly admitted). As the distance grew between him and the bridge, his mind started to think about worst case scenarios. The broadcast from HERO TV also didn't help to ease his worries.
And finally the last string snapped when the HERO TV shown a scene where Wild Tiger in a pinch—stuck between saving a civilian and fighting robots. The scene where Kohime was struck by Lunatic's fire in order to protect him replayed in his mind.
Barnaby narrowed his eyes before doing a U-turn and went to the Brox bridge. There was just no way he'd let her get hurt again because of his selfishness. Even if he lost his clue again because of this, he wouldn't regret it if it was for her.
"It has been a while since I carried you like this. Did you gain some weight?" Barnaby asked, taunting his partner.
"Shut up. It's because of the suit!" Kohime protested. Beneath the mask, she was blushing from embarassment. This was the second time Barnaby carrying her princess style. Even Tomohiko had done only once in their wedding.
Kohime sighed at the memory. There she was again, reflexively comparing Barnaby with her husband. Recently that happened too often and Kohime was not sure if it was a good thing or not.
Kohime felt that dealing with Barnaby was like dealing with a teenage puberty boy—hence the reason she loved him like a son. Barnaby was adult-like and yet still child-like in certain aspects. He was the calm and collected one of the two, but sometimes the reverse could happen. Especially when he was involved in something connected to Ouroboros.
However, lately Kohime felt like she was dealing with a PMS-ing girl instead.
There was a time where Barnaby unexpectedly became happy for something she did. Like when she asked him to eat lunch together. Or there was this time where he was angry for no reason. Up till now Kohime still didn't know how did accompanying Keith and his dog John to walk in the park made him angry (Barnaby was happy again when Kohime invited him to go to gym and had exercise together as always, which added to the long list of mystery). Not to mention the time where Barnaby seemed to struggle with his words when all he wanted to say was 'let's eat together' or 'let's go home'. Kohime seriously started to prefer the Barnaby that was hell bent on revenge. At least he didn't do unexpected mood swings.
Speaking of Barnaby in his avenger mode, Kohime really had to do something to stop him from tapping his foot on the floor, making a sound that grated on everybody's patience.
"Calm down, Bunny-chan."
Barnaby looked at her as if she had accused him for the crime of kissing Nathan. "I am calm," he said with a tense voice.
"No, you are not. You are not calm or trust Origami-kun to do his job," Kohime said, more harsh than she intended. Seemed like she herself was having problem to stay calm.
"How can you be so calm?" Barnaby asked. "Origami never did this kind of mission before. He's practically powerless against Jake and that girl. What if his disguise is blown?"
"I know that. We all know that. I am just saying that instead of worrying, it's better to wait and trust him."
"I can hardly trust you. How can I trust him?" Barnaby blurted and his eyes widen in horror, looking like he just realized that he had made a huge, huge mistake.
"You still don't trust me? After all this time?" Kohime could tell that Barnaby hadn't mean to say that, but her hot head get the better of her.
"No, it's not like that. I mean—"
"It's alright. I understand. The Great Barnaby didn't need his partner, so he doesn't need to trust her," Kohime said mockingly.
"No! You don't understand! I—"
Nathan suddenly decided that this was the perfect time to stop the two of them. "Okay, stop fighting. This is not the time for that, Tiger-san, Barnaby-kun." Then she dragged Barnaby out of the room before the pair could react.
Now that Barnaby was out of her sight, everything started to dawn on Kohime. What had she just done? How could she destroy the relationship she painstakingly build just like that?
Unknown to her, Barnaby felt the same. When he was brought outside, he immediately slumped to the nearest wall, looking like he wanted to hit himself with his good-luck mode gauntlet. How could he say that to the person he loved? Why did his actions seemed to push Kohime away rather than bringing her close? Barnaby felt like he was the most stupid man ever alive. Even more stupid than his partner. He should just go to Alaska and hide from the rest of the world.
He was so deep in self despair that he didn't realize Nathan was putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Barnaby-kun, are you alright?" she asked. It should be obvious, but Barnaby knew she asked out of courtesy so he shook his head in reply.
Nathan didn't say anything to that. And for a moment they were in complete silence.
"I am so stupid," Barnaby said, deciding that the silence was too much for him. "Why did I say something like that to her?"
"People do stupid things, Barnaby-kun. Sometimes we unintentionally hurt our loved ones. Even lovers do have fights sometimes," Nathan said, showing her unexpected wisdom again.
"What should I do?" Barnaby asked, more to himself than to Nathan. "I can't just apologize to her."
"Why not?"
"She wouldn't forgive me."
"Why not?"
"I haven't been nice to her. Then I said something like that. She will not forgive me."
Nathan sighed. "I don't think so, Barnaby-kun. Just think of how many times you pissed her off with your attitude. If Tiger-san wouldn't forgive you, she'd left you a long time ago."
"But this time is different."
"It's the same. You only hurt her more than usual. She has been forgiving you without you apologizing and you think she won't if you ask?"
Barnaby saw the logic but was still skeptic about it. "If everything could be forgiven with just an apology, we would lose our jobs."
"Just keep in mind that you'll lost some love if you don't apologize. Come on, Handsome. Time to get inside and fix your broken relationship."
With that Barnaby went inside and apologize to Kohime. Kohime forgave him and he was relieved that his potential love life was saved. However, he didn't know that his apology was the thing that saved him and the whole Sternbild from the terrorists. For if he didn't, he wouldn't be able to trust Kohime and let his partner fool him into winning.
