Disclaimer: All Tiger & Bunny elements belong to Sunrise.

Practice
Chapter 10: Development
by archfaith

He had to admit-things were not doing as downhill as he had expected them to.

The thought was pessimistic, and Barnaby quickly acknowledged it. Still, by nature he was not a very hopeful person. Few of the events in his life had ever encouraged anything but a suspicious caution that the next day the sun would rise. But things with Karina were...different.

On a physical level, the damage had already been done. Their halfhearted attempts to take things slowly had already been poisoned by a taste of sex. The tension between them had built up so much in the past few weeks that it was all they could do to release the frustration. Sometimes they would stay late in the training gym, waiting until everyone had gone home before quietly entering one of the locker rooms. A few times she accompanied him back to his apartment-he never explicitly invited her, but she would come along all the same. They had even found time together backstage after a HeroTV live special-he slipped into her dressing room after the event, before the reporters and cameras came searching him out for an interview. He had quickly learned to bring protection with him wherever he went; although it made him feel uncomfortable, it was necessary if he and Karina were going to be unpredictable in their encounters.

Barnaby was not particularly proud of that uncontrollable aspect of their relationship, but found himself unable to resist. The first few times they had sex, the aftermath had still come out awkwardly; he wasn't sure exactly what to say to her, and Karina seemed to have the same problem. They would quickly slip on their clothes, and would leave the scene of their tryst in virtual silence. Although Barnaby was eight years older than her, he still lacked the experience to try and make things more comfortable for them. He never knew what to talk about with her, and it seemed she had the same problem.

As for the few conversations they had, he was unsure what exactly he could reveal to her. Karina knew something of his past, the same story that everyone else knew-how his parents had been killed by Maverick in an attempt to hide his involvement with the crimes on HeroTV, how he had been raised in an orphanage as a child, and his rise through the ranks in the Hero Academy. He remained guarded about certain details however, and Karina did not try to pry into these painful memories. Not yet, anyway.

The possibility that she may want to know more about his past was enough to unnerve him. He was already so careful about the things he revealed to her-how could he bring himself to talk about such painful happenings? He hadn't even brought the matters up to Kotetsu, and he had been close to his partner far longer than he had with Karina.

Then there was the fact of their colleagues.

Karina was closer to all of them than he was, with the exception of Tiger. Although it was inevitable that their friends would find out about he and Karina's arrangement, the thought of it still embarrassed him to no end. Nathan and Pao-lin, of course, had been the first to know. Barnaby had entered the gym late one afternoon to find the Girls' Team sitting in a booth, sipping milkshakes and giggling. He did not greet them at first, but crossed the room when Karina waved him over.

"Hey," she greeted, a light smile on her face.

"Hey," he said back, pleased to see her smiling but less certain about the reasons. He slipped in next to her in the booth, across from Nathan and Pao-lin. "Good afternoon," he said politely.

Nathan regarded him with an interested look on his face. "Hey Handsome," he greeted.

Pao-lin smiled. "Hey Barnaby," she said enthusiastically. "So you and Karina are a thing now?"

Barnaby raised his eyebrows and stole a look over to Karina, who had been sitting calmly next to him. With Pao-lin's statement, however, her carefree look turned to embarrassment. "I mean, we're not exactly a 'thing'", she began. "We're just..."

"...we are seeing each other," Barnaby decided to finish for her. Surprised, she widened her eyes at him as Nathan and Pao-lin let the amusement show on their faces. Although Barnaby was still uncertain exactly what their labels were, he knew nothing but disaster would come if he and Karina tried to hide their relationship.

"Hmm," Nathan said thoughtfully. "I've already told Karina, but I'll repeat myself again: I never imagined you two would ever like each other, let alone date each other. I still can't really believe it."

"It is a little surprising," Pao-lin added. "But Karina seems a little happier lately. Maybe you're the reason why?"

Now it was Barnaby's turn to grow embarrassed. Truth be told, he hadn't observed any real changes in Karina's demeanor since they decided to see each other. "Has she?" he asked playfully, looking over to her. Karina remained silent, sipping her shake as her cheeks grew red.

"Well, that is true," Nathan answered. "She's been a little more animated lately."

"Thanks for talking about me as if I wasn't here!" Karina finally exclaimed. "But I haven't felt different at all since we started going out."

"Well of course you wouldn't notice, dear," Nathan chided. "But why would you try to hide it? Are you embarrassed or something? Handsome, if there's anything you can be happy about, it's that you're causing such a change in her!"

Barnaby could not find a suitable reply to this. "Thanks," he finally settled on. Was Karina happier? He couldn't imagine being the source of it. Karina herself certainly wasn't letting on that anything was out of the ordinary.

Pao-lin slurped up the remainder of her shake. "I think I'm going to get back to practice," she said. "Coming?"

"Of course, babe," Nathan answered. "We'll leave you two to talk for a bit," he said with a wink. The two stood up to head back to the equipment area, and Barnaby was finally able to let out a sigh.

Karina was still red. "Sorry about that," she explained. "I wasn't sure if you were alright with me telling them. But they are my closest friends, so..."

"It is a little odd," he admitted.

"I know," she replied. "I'll keep quiet about it from now on."

"You don't need to," he said. "This doesn't need to be a secret. It would honestly be far worse if people thought we were sneaking around."

She raised an eyebrow, and he wondered just exactly what she was thinking. "I thought you would be a little more secretive about it, I guess."

He sighed. She would think that, knowing their interactions with each other in the past. "It would be no use keeping it from anyone," he said. "They'd find out about it one way or the other."

She nodded, and they sat in silence for a few moments until he decided to prod. "Have you been feeling different?" he asked, unsure how to broach the situation.

She lowered her eyes. "To be honest, I haven't felt anything too crazy," she admitted. "Nathan and Pao-lin like to exaggerate sometimes."

He nodded, though a part of him felt let down. Once again, he found himself battling a paradox; he and Karina had agreed to give the relationship a chance, yet he was trying not to get too involved in her business. And though he could not be too sure about this, he felt that Karina was trying to hide her feelings from him as well. This kind of arrangement was never going to work if they wanted anything substantial to develop in the long run.

Long run? He quickly decided to dismiss the idea from his mind. Although he was enjoying the time he spent with her, he had still not yet figured out his feelings towards Kotetsu. And if he was going to take a wild guess, Karina was in the same boat. We'll deal with it later, he told himself.

"Want to try?" Karina was holding out her shake. He took it from her and had a cautious sip. "Not bad," he responded. "What flavor is it?"

"I forget," she said, a smile playing on her face. "I just kind of ordered the first thing I saw."

"That sounds like something you'd do," he said as he took another sip. "Does anyone else know about us?"

"No," she admitted. "I've only told Nathan and Pao-lin, and that was only because they asked. Have you told anyone?"

Although she said anyone, he could tell that she was referring to Kotetsu. "I haven't," he admitted. "I'm not a very talkative person, you know. Especially about things concerning my private life."

She cocked her head. "Right." She put down the now-empty cup down on the table, and tapped her fingers on the counter. "I was thinking..." she began. "Would you you want to go out anywhere this Friday?"

"Out?" he echoed. "On a date?"

"Yeah. Something like that." She cocked her head. "We haven't really had a real one, unless you count that time we ate together at the Honey Diner. We've just been..."

"Having sex whenever we catch a free moment?" he finished for her.

She brought her legs up to the seat, tucking them underneath her. "Thanks for being so blunt about that," she said, setting her mouth in a line. "The Harvest Festival is at the end of this week. In Stern Bild Gardens. I'm not sure if it would be too public for you."

He considered a few moments. If he and Karina were to be seen in public together, the tabloids may or may not start buzzing-it was always difficult to tell in Stern Bild. There were times when he was mobbed with fans asking for autographs, and times when the masses had the decency to leave him alone. Still, being seen with Karina in such a public place would probably alert everyone to the fact that they were seeing each other.

Although he did not want to be overly secretive about their new relationship, he was still struck by the incredible strangeness of it all. He had been mobbed by women and men all through his teenage and early adult years, yet he had never gone an actual date with anyone. Unless he counted nights where he accompanied a drunken Kotetsu through his escapades, and those had hardly been romantic.

"It would be fine," he told her firmly.

She cracked a smile. "You sound a little nervous."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not. It's just new to me, that's all." It was odd that although they were comfortable having sex with each other, they were still unused to the idea of being together in a public place.

"It's new to me too," she pointed out as she rose from the booth. "I guess it will be an experiment as to whether we can stand each other with our clothes on."

He couldn't help but smile at this. "That will be something worth trying out," he said as he got up to accompany her inside the gym.

...

Karina was the proud owner of a vintage yukata handed down to her by her mother, who had used it at festivals past in her own days as a young woman. It was light blue in color, decorated in a simple pattern with small red rose petals. Although the theme damnably reminded her of her hero alter ego, Karina resolved to wear it nonetheless. The Festival would be beginning in two hours, and she had had no time during the week to run out and find a new yukata. It had taken some fussing to finally put it on correctly, but she had finally managed to get her yukata to the right length on her petite frame. Her mother had helped with the obi, all the while asking her who she was going to the festival with.

"Is is a boy?" her mother had asked, a mischievous smile on her face.

Karina sighed. Although her parents would have to find out eventually, she was not ready to disclose to them that she was seeing someone. Let alone Barnaby, one of Stern Bild's most visible celebrities. "I'm just going with some friends," she insisted. Which was technically true, as Barnaby could be considered something of a friend. Rationalizing, she admitted to herself as she she held the front of the obi up to her waist, holding it against her as her mother tied the obi high on her back.

Her mother shook her head as she placed the finishing touches on the obi. "Well, just make sure you're careful," she warned. "If you ever want to talk to me about anything, you know I'm here."

Karina looked up at her mother with a small smile. She was grateful for her mother's interest, though this was a path she would have to navigate alone. "Thanks Mom," she said.

Her mother smiled, and left the room to give Karina time to finish putting her make-up on. She carefully applied the eyeliner and blush, as well as a variety of other cosmetics. It all felt very...surreal. She was used to putting on make-up as Blue Rose, but had never spent much time on it when she was going out to do ordinary things-going to school, heading out with friends, running errands, and the like. When she dressed up for the Club Phoenix opening a few weeks ago, Nathan had assisted with her make-up.

She found herself growing embarrassed that she wanted to look nice for Barnaby, of all people. But she realized that she had to get over her initial aversion to the relationship if she wanted it to work. She had been the one to confess that she thought they could build something together, and was incredibly glad that he had agreed to try. The embarrassment otherwise would have been too much to handle. So I should be happy to be getting ready for him, she thought, not anxious.

She arranged her hair into a wispy bun, securing it with bobby pins and a pair of silk flowers. Only one more thing was missing-her mask. She was certain that there would be media coverage at the event, and photographers snapping away. They had been lucky when they had eaten together at the diner. It had been so late at night, and Barnaby's presence so unexpected, that their late dinner had hardly attracted any attention from the fans. But the Harvest Festival was a highly visible place-if pictures of her and Barnaby surfaced on the Internet the next day, her classmates would never leave her alone.

Luckily, it didn't take much to trick the fans. If Kotetsu could get away with a domino mask concealing his identity, so could she. The small domino mask she had chosen was colored a pale blue, with a small star near the upper right corner. She had purchased it from a costume store earlier that day.

She tucked the mask into the small pouch that contained her wallet and apartment keys. Checking herself one more time in the mirror, she decided that she was ready and stepped out of her room, sandals on her feet and pouch securely fastened to her wrist. She padded through the living room, passing her parents on the way out.

Her parents were seated on the couch, watching a news channel on television. Her mother beamed as Karina entered the room. "You look so elegant, dear," she said dreamily.

"Thanks," Karina answered, smiling. There was no doubt in her mind that her parents know she was meeting someone in particular. She never really dressed up to go out with her friends, after all. She decked herself out as Blue Rose, but that was different.

"You need a ride, hon?" her father asked casually, momentarily looking away from his newspaper.

"No...I'm fine, Dad," she said. She would be normal for once and take the local bus to the Gardens. There was less chance her parents would see she was meeting Barnaby. Besides...she wanted to take the bus and pretend that she was just like everyone else. Although Barnaby was continually recognized for his own efforts as himself, and not some fake persona, she did not envy the crowds of fans he tended to generate. She would have never been able to endure a loss of anonymity, and had come to terms with it. Though it would be nice if someone thanked me at least once...

She gave her parents a brief goodbye and headed to the elevator. It was going to be an interesting night.

...

"What was so important that-"

Barnaby stopped mid-sentence. Although he wasn't exactly shocked, he hadn't thought he would stumble into any more awkward situations than he had in the past few weeks. Apparently, he was wrong.

Kotetsu stood in front of him, wearing both a dark blue striped yukata and the stupid goofy grin he always displayed when something was afoot. "Bunny!" he greeted.

Barnaby let his mouth fall into a line, and tried not to let his discomfort show. "What are you up to, old man?" he asked impatiently, leaning against the door frame. As soon as Barnaby had finished dressing for the festival, Kotetsu had called him, requesting that he come to his house right away. Barnaby had arrived as soon as he could; truthfully, he had expected to find Kotetsu drunk, or passed out. Both, more likely.

It did seem like Kotetsu had indulged himself, as the faint blush on his tan cheeks was evident. "Well, it looks like you had the same idea I did!" he said as he looked over Barnaby's plain red yukata, tied with a checkered black and white band.

No way, Barnaby thought as he evaluated the situation. Is he really going to-?

"The Harvest Festival is tonight!" Kotetsu explained happily. "It's a tradition back in Oriental Town. I used to go every year with Tomoe. Even when she was gone, I used to take Kaede." Kotetsu's eyes grew wistful for a moment before he snapped back to himself. "Anyway, I never get to go to the one in Stern Bild Gardens. Something always seemed to come up every year, but this year is different. I thought I'd surprise you, but you've already dressed up!"

Barnaby crossed his arms over his chest. He had to admit-he was amused and intrigued by Kotetsu's offer. Despite the sudden onslaught of his and Karina's relationship, he knew that they both still harbored feelings for Kotetsu. They just hadn't dealt with those feelings yet.

Still, it would be crazy if...

"You've driving, right?" Kotetsu demanded. "Because I plan to taste the sake all night long. Not to mention the beer..."

"Kotetsu," he began firmly. "I'm meeting someone tonight. It's more of a private matter," he decided to say.

Kotetsu cocked his head. "Private?" he echoed. "Oh, is Bunny meeting a cute girl there?" he teased, flashing a sly smile. "Or a cute guy, maybe?"

Barnaby sighed. "It's really none of your business," he answered, despite his desire to elaborate more on the situation.

"Oh, it's not a sponsor meeting, is it?" Kotetsu's face dropped momentarily. Barnaby knew how boring Kotetsu found any business meetings, and wondered if he could angle it in that direction.

"It might be," Barnaby said suggestively. "I-"

It was at that very moment that Barnaby's call band sounded, flashing bright with the familiar clanging noise against his wrist. Kotetsu noticed, then looked down to his own band. "That's kind of funny," the old man said. "Only yours is flashing..."

"It's probably nothing-" Barnaby began. Before he could move, however, Kotetsu had grabbed his wrist, eagerly pressing the call band even as Barnaby attempted to twist away.

"Let's see who it is!" he shouted as Barnaby's struggle failed.

"Barnaby?" came Karina's familiar tone, and Barnaby felt himself ready to cancel the entire thing in frustration.

Kotetsu furrowed his brows, but before he could ask any questions Karina continued on. "Sorry, I forgot my phone at my apartment," her voice continued."I'm on my way to the Gardens now. I just wanted to check that we were still meeting at six."

Barnaby managed to shake his arm free of Kotetsu's grasp, his mortification rising in a slow wave. "Hey," he answered, breathless as Kotetsu scratched his head. "Yes, six will be just fine."

"Alright," he heard her say. "Are you okay? You sound a little weird..."

"I'm fine," Barnaby replied insistently, and his words came out harsher than he intended. "I'll see you in half an hour," he finished, tapping his call band.

"You're meeting Rose?" Kotetsu asked. Standing there, his wides wide, he suddenly looked younger than his thirty-eight years. "But I thought you two couldn't stand each other. I mean, I know that you slept in her bed when we stayed at Nathan's that one time, but I thought it was only because you didn't want to sleep next to me!"

This is going to be impossible, Barnaby realized as he gazed back to Kotetsu's confused face. There was no way he could tell Kotetsu that he couldn't attend the Festival with them. He loathed the idea of leaving the old man alone in his apartment while he and Karina enjoyed themselves. With Kotetsu still in the dark about their new relationship, he would never be able to fathom it.

"Karina and I are trying to get to know each other a little better, outside of HeroTV," he said carefully. "We arranged to go to the Festival together tonight."

"I get it," Kotetsu answered glumly. "And you don't want an old man like me tagging along..."

"That is not it," Barnaby said firmly. He automatically took a step forward to grasp Kotetsu's shoulders. "I didn't know you wanted to attend. If I had known..." I wouldn't have arranged to go there with Karina this same night. "It would be fine if you came with us."

"Really?" Kotetsu asked, staring back into his eyes. Barnaby realized that their sudden proximity was making him breathe a little faster, and quickly let go of his partner.

"Of course," he answered, trying his best not to seem flustered. "I'm sure she wouldn't mind you coming." Truth be told, she would probably be delighted. Barnaby found himself growing slightly annoyed at this thought, and pushed it away.

"Are you sure?" Kotetsu asked cautiously.

"There isn't anything to interrupt," Barnaby answered, and he wasn't quite sure if that statement was true. "Karina wouldn't mind."

"Hmm," Kotetsu mused, bringing a hand up to stroke his chin. After a moment of thought, his expression turned back to the light-hearted smile he had greeted Barnaby with a few minutes earlier. "Alright!" he agreed. "So it will be Tiger, Bunny, and Rose!"

"Just don't get as drunk as you did at Nathan's club," Barnaby warned him as he turned back towards the door, Kotetsu following him.

"Hey, that's a tall order!" the older man complained as he shut the door of the house behind him. "What, you don't want to drink to you and Karina's growing friendship?"

Barnaby shook his head as the pair walked down the front steps, to the red sportscar parked in the front of the house. I think we skipped the part where we were supposed to be friends first, he thought as he walked over to the driver's side. "Get in, old man."

...

Barnaby had agreed to meet her at the entrance to the festival, which was being held in the well-manicured grounds of Stern Bild Gardens. The Gardens encompassed acres of landscaped meadows, paths, and forest trails, and were open to the public on a daily basis. The Harvest Festival was one of their largest events; fashioned after a traditional Japanese festival, the event featured games for children and families and a variety of food selections. Brightly lit paper lanterns hung from the the trees, which were slowly beginning to turn vivid hues of red and orange.

Karina stopped near the gates, pulling out the small mask from her bag as the rest of the crowds passed. She quickly slipped the mask onto her face, securing the elastic around the back of her head. The mask settled comfortably onto the bridge of her nose.

There, she thought. This should settle it. Though a few of the passerby looked at her curiously as they walked by, most of them seemed to pay her no mind; almost all the festival goers were dressed in brightly colored yukata, all of them too excited and focused on the festival to care about an anonymous girl wearing a small mask. She stood near the gates under the welcoming lanterns, slightly anxious as she waited for Barnaby to arrive. She had been more nervous than she initially thought-she had left her phone at home, and had contacted Barnaby by using their ever-present call bands. But he hadn't sounded pleased to hear from her.

I hope I didn't make a mistake by asking him here, she thought as she watched the people go by-the families, young couples, groups of teenagers. She just wanted a normal situation for once-one that did not involve criminals, cameras, or rehearsals for a half-baked storyline. Well, this was as normal as it could get-a girl waiting for her date to arrive. Although the way we started on this relationship was anything but normal...

She did not usually wear a watch, and could not tell precisely what time it was, having left her phone at home. She surmised that it was nearing six o'clock, and resolved to be patient.

The minutes ticked by, and she was beginning to wonder if he would show up at all. As her eyes wandered over the crowds of people heading into the gardens, she suddenly became aware of someone standing next to her. She lifted her eyes, and her anxiety quickly turned into relief. "Bunny!" she could not help but let out. "I was beginning to think you changed your mind."

He knit his eyebrows and gave her a sigh, although she could see a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "It's Barnaby, not Bunny," he corrected her. "Did you have that little faith in me? Besides, it's exactly six."

"Yeah, well," she said, feeling the blush grow on her cheeks.

He cocked his head as he looked down at her face. "Nice mask."

"I thought it would be best if I had a little disguise," she responded. "It would be a little weird if anyone snapped a picture of us together. My classmates might recognize me if it showed up on one of those gossip blogs."

He nodded. "Understandable." He came closer to her, speaking in a lower voice. "Listen, there's something-"

"Rose!" came an exuberant sounding voice. Karina peered behind Barnaby, and suddenly it felt as though her heart had frozen solid.

Kotetsu came up to them, dressed in a dark blue yukata. "Sorry, I had to adjust my sandals for a minute back there. Bunny didn't want to keep you waiting, though," he said, giving her a smile. "He told me that you two were going to be attending the Harvest Festival tonight. I thought I would come with you. It's been a long time since I've been to one!"

"Uh..." She genuinely did not know how to respond to this. On the one hand, she could never say no to Tiger if he asked to come along with her, anywhere. On the other hand, this date should have been a chance for her and Barnaby to grow more comfortable around each other in a public setting. And her feelings for Tiger were still so tangled up...

She looked towards Barnaby for some direction as to how the handle the situation, but the blonde had folded his arms over his chest in a self-protective gesture. "Barnaby told me that you two are trying to get to know each other better," the old man continued on, giving his less-than-enthusiastic partner a nudge. "Since I think I know both of you pretty well, I thought I could help you out!" Barnaby was staring at Kotetsu with a look of uncertainty, although Karina could have sworn that she saw a hint of amusement flicker in his eyes.

"Ah," she said simply. "That was nice of you, Tiger."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's head inside. I think I smell sake..." Kotetsu winked at her as he grabbed Barnaby's sleeve and pulled him towards the entrance to the gardens. Barnaby looked back at her with a defeated look on his face, but offered his hand to her nonetheless. She automatically reached out, grasping clumsily at his fingers as Kotetsu maneuvered through the crush of people standing by.

She knew she would get a chance to ask Barnaby about the development with Kotetsu, but decided to hold her tongue for the time being. Kotetsu just looked too excited, too happy for her to ask just yet. "Don't worry!" he told them as the trio advanced past the gates. "Things won't be so awkward for you guys now that I'm here!"

...

To be continued.

Notes: Thanks for hanging in there, everyone. I have been incredibly busy lately, and this chapter has been in the works for quite some time! Hope you enjoyed it. In the next chapter, we'll see what happens on Tiger, Bunny, and Rose's date...