"Now, Barnaby, I want to ask you about the civil service recognition ceremony a few nights ago," the morning talk show host crossed her legs and leaned forward. "The cameras caught you getting very cuddly with your partner, Wild Tiger, during the fireworks display!"
Barnaby covered his mouth with one hand, as if embarrassed, but his eyes twinkled with a 'guilty as charged' spark.
"Do you have anything you'd like to tell us about your relationship with him? Any new developments?"
"It's not what you think," Barnaby said, shaking his head. "Nothing worthy of reporting has happened."
A disappointed groan ran through the studio audience.
"But then, why were you two sitting so close to each other?" the host pressed.
"It was a selfish request of mine. I asked if I could sit closer to him for a few minutes."
"But this is the Untamable Omega we're talking about!" she gushed. "If he agreed to let you sit that close, then you've got a good chance at claiming him! You might be the mate he's been waiting for! His Alpha-Prince Charming!"
Barnaby shook his head again. "I'm sorry, but it's not accurate to think of this situation in terms of Scenting. I'm still astounded that my partner has a wonderful Scent, but there are many other things about him that are wonderful, too."
"What are some of those things?"
"He's an extremely dedicated person who always puts the well-being of others first. He gives his time and energy freely, never thinking of himself, and approaches every problem with a strong, positive attitude. Whether or not he scores well, Tiger has the best understanding of why hero work is so challenging, and so rewarding."
A hush fell on the studio as the audience and host alike tried to comprehend Barnaby's opinion of the unpopular veteran.
Barnaby continued, "When people, Alphas in particular, think of Tiger as nothing more than an Omega, they overlook many other qualities that make him a good person. From what I know of him, I completely support Tiger's decision to remain unclaimed, forever if he likes."
"But you still asked to sit close to him during the fireworks!" the host asked. "You're still interested in him, aren't you?"
Barnaby ran a hand through his hair and teased one of his fluffy curls—the coolest fidget possible. "Tiger was extremely generous to indulge me at the ceremony. I can't assume anything based off of that."
The host paused a moment and composed her next point. "Ever since his debut, Alphas have called Wild Tiger a prize Omega, and ten years later, that apparently still rings true. So, even though you've been in close contact with Tiger's Scent, are you saying you're willing to let him go?"
"I will support whatever decision Tiger makes," Barnaby repeated.
"Even if he doesn't choose you…?"
A pause—barely a second, but a very present pause—then Barnaby replied, "Yes. I will support that decision as well."
Not losing her stride, the host asked, "So if that's true, do you have any advice for your rival Alphas of Sternbild? Any tricks to Tiger's heart?"
The audience laughed, but Barnaby just smiled. "Actually, I do have some advice." He turned away from the host and looked directly into the camera. "I have one thing to say to any Alpha who wishes to pursue Wild Tiger: You had better be good enough for him."
Agnes paused the video. The TV froze with an image of Barnaby's challenging eyes staring directly at Kotetsu, who sat dumbfounded on the edge of a conference table. That interview was barely an hour old—Barnaby had appeared on the Lyra Heartstrings Show that morning—and just after the program aired, Agnes called Kotetsu in to discuss the interview's impact on Hero TV. Kotetsu had done well avoiding the aftermath of his and Barnaby's cuddle during the fireworks. Yes, there had definitely been cameras trained on the two of them, but Kotetsu avoided all the headlines and tabloids and pretended the gossip in the air wasn't about him. However, Agnes was dead-set on making Kotetsu a participant in this little scandal.
"Now do you get it?" Agnes asked.
"…No," Kotetsu scratched his beard and looked to Agnes. Barnaby had said many shocking things, things Kotetsu wanted the chance to ask his partner about, but he didn't know why it interested Agnes so much. "What does this have to do with Hero TV?"
"This is the next step. I don't know how Barnaby knew to take this angle without coaching, but it's brilliant."
"How is it brilliant? He just killed all your 'tension.' He's not interested in me anymore."
"On the contrary. He's more interested in you than ever."
"But he just said that he doesn't want to claim me," Kotetsu pointed to the TV. "He'll let me choose someone else. He's given up."
Agnes sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Tiger, do you have any idea how intricate this power-play is?"
Kotetsu frowned. "I guess not."
Agnes clicked her tongue and folded her arms. "Let me see if I can break this down for you," she said, and Kotetsu pursed his lips, disliking the talk-down tone. "There's a disconnect between Barnaby's words and his actions that will continue to build tension between you."
"A disconnect?"
"Barnaby says that he's not pursuing you. But at the same time, he's declared that any Alpha interested in you had better be 'good enough,' using his standard of merit," Agnes added air-quotes around 'good enough.' "This is standard Scented mating behavior, especially in the lounge scene. When an Alpha picks an Omega, the Alpha will stay very close and do everything possible to chase off other Alphas. Does that make sense?"
"Yeah, I think so," Kotetsu said. He'd never set foot in a Scented lounge before, but that strategy sounded plausible based on what Kotetsu knew. With so much Scent in a lounge, an Omega would likely sit back while the Alphas duked it out for dominance.
"Barnaby's framed it in a very friendly, supportive context, but it's all textbook Alpha behavior. He will only accept defeat if the Alpha you choose is better than him, and who could be better than the star hero Barnaby Brooks Jr?"
"I don't—"
"Rhetorical question," Agnes cut him off. "Barnaby has set the stakes impossibly high. There's no way anyone can win against him. Yes, he'll support your decision, but you're not stupid. It's obvious that the best choice is Barnaby. In that way, he's very explicitly claimed you."
"But he hasn't claimed me," Kotetsu said. "We haven't—done—y'know, anything."
"'That' doesn't matter. He's sent the very clear message that you belong to him, because he's the best."
Kotetsu frowned. Well, the possessiveness was something he'd have to talk with Barnaby about, just to see what he actually felt, but he still had some wiggle room. So long as Kotetsu always had his favorite escape route—the option to not choose anyone—he'd be fine letting Barnaby give this kind of impression. It'd be like a fake boyfriend, an Alpha beard, someone whose presence would deflect unwanted attention without actually expecting Kotetsu to live or act any differently. This could work… "Okay, I get it. This isn't all that complicated."
Agnes sighed again. "He says that you're his, but he has absolutely no action to back it up. You've constantly rejected any attempts Barnaby's made to get closer to you. The fireworks were Barnaby's first victory, but he's completely discounted it, calling it a 'selfish request.' Between that and his promise to support your decisions, he's reframed himself into the submissive role. When all is said and done, if you choose someone who isn't Barnaby, even someone with no redeeming qualities at all, Barnaby swears to honor that."
"Give me a little more credit than that," Kotetsu mumbled. Of course he wouldn't let a bad person claim him, not even out of defiance or spite. But sometimes, when discussing Scenting, it felt like people forgot they were talking about flesh-and-blood humans with feelings of their own."
"Barnaby wants to dominate you. It's his instinct. But he's going about dominating you by submitting to you. Just like you, a defiant Omega, were unprecedented, a passive Alpha is unheard of."
"…Okay, so this is getting more complicated," the veteran admitted, rubbing the back of his head.
"You can even leave Scenting out of it and get the same scenario. It's the torture of unrequited love."
"Love?!" Kotetsu repeated, but his mind caught on the word, torture?
"Being in love with a good friend, with an impossibly small chance of reciprocation," Agnes explained. "Barnaby is an alpha, and you two—finally—have a good relationship. But, you reject all Alphas, since 'you've never had one and you don't need one,' as you so famously declare. This means Barnaby lives in limbo, wanting you but never claiming you out of respect. Your happiness is more important to him than his own."
Kotetsu stared at his shoes hanging off the edge of the table. Why did Agnes have to throw his own words back at him? He had never meant for them to be cruel… okay, no, that was a lie, he had always meant for those words to be a tiny but cruel, but he never wanted those words to hurt someone he cared about.
"That's how we'll keep the tension up," Agnes summarized. "The Hero TV audience will watch you two closer than ever, looking for signs that you might be interested in Barnaby. Of course, that means your new role is to be completely oblivious. Act the way you would with a good friend. When anyone asks about your interest in Barnaby, call him a good partner. Simple as that."
He kicked his feet a bit, not sure what he wanted, but positive that he had never wanted things to turn out like this.
"Oh, don't make that face, Tiger," Agnes said. "Barnaby said some very nice things about you. And the idea of a prime Alpha still interested in a middle-aged, unorthodox Omega reinforces that you're something special, regardless of points. Your popularity should boost."
Not like this. Kotetsu thought. He didn't want a revival in sadistic fans that only liked him because he tormented Barnaby. Barnaby did nothing to deserve this! Unrequited-love torture? If Kotetsu could do anything to alleviate Barnaby's pain, he'd do it in a heartbeat. Hell, he took a flaming crossbow bolt to the shoulder for him, and that was back before Barnaby even cared about Kotetsu as a person. Now, understanding Barnaby's past, and seeing his hopeful future on the horizon, Kotetsu would give so much more.
"I don't like this," Kotetsu said. "It's unfair to Bunny."
"He knows how the business works, "Agnes said. "And besides, it's not like you're interested in Barnaby." Agnes turned the TV off, and Barnaby's face disappeared. "We're done here. I just wanted to make sure you were up to speed on latest developments. Stay friendly with Barnaby, and avoid discussing Scenting. Got it?"
"Got it," Kotetsu echoed hollowly, sliding off the table and letting muscle memory take him back to his desk. When did things end up like this? Five months ago, Barnaby Brooks Jr rescued Kotetsu with a princess-carry, tried to claim him, flipped his headlock, and assumed an attitude of superiority and dominance. In the five months that followed, Barnaby completely transformed, both in the way he acted and in the way Kotetsu's saw him. Now, Barnaby cared about Kotetsu's opinions, ideas, feelings. He took time out of his day to consider his partner. He had learned when to acknowledge and when to ignore Kotetsu's Scenting. And this was what happened to Barnaby after all that? Tortured for the media?
Barnaby's words echoed in Kotetsu's head as he walked. There are many other things about him that are wonderful… I completely support Tiger's decision to remain unclaimed… to any Alpha who wishes to pursue Wild Tiger: You had better be good enough for him…
His partner had come so far and learned so much; why did it all turn into a bad soap opera subplot in the end? On that talk show, he had sounded so real and honest, and before the fireworks, when his words had been for Kotetsu's ear only, his request was so shy and simple. Barnaby didn't deserve to be tortured over finally being free, but the only option Kotetsu could think of to solve this whole problem was to let Barnaby claim him. But Kotetsu would never do that. He made his choice, hero or Omega, long before he met Barnaby, and he refused to act like his purpose in life was to be a prize for someone who learned how to stop being a jerk.
When Kotetsu entered the office, Barnaby looked up. "Did you have a nice talk with Ms. Agnes?"
"Pretty good, yeah," Kotetsu sat down at his desk. "She showed me your Lyra interview."
"Oh? What did you think?" Barnaby asked.
Kotetsu paused, turning toward the other side of his desk for a few more seconds of clear thought. Was that question a kind of test? Did he want Kotetsu to respond to his startling declarations? Did Barnaby want a chance to explain his way out of what he had said, make it less serious, all rhetoric? This whole subplot of Agnes's played on the assumption that Barnaby was in love. Did Barnaby want to know if Kotetsu shared those feelings?
Yes, Kotetsu wanted answers about Barnaby's statements. But before that, he had to figure out what those answers would mean for Kotetsu's life. Once he had a better grasp of what he wanted, he could ask Barnaby for his perspective. But for now…
"You had that audience hanging on every word, Bunny," Kotetsu turned back and grinned at his partner. "Just like a star hero, huh?"
"Gentlemen, if you could get to work," the secretary nagged, killing the conversation.
Kotetsu picked up a pen and pulled some of his paperwork toward him, but his mind wasn't in it. He'd actually gotten a fair amount done while Barnaby was out with that interview, but with Barnaby's Scent present, his desire to do anything but roll across the desk and deposit himself in Barnaby's lap dwindled. He'd have to wait until something came up again on the schedule, or Barnaby went out on one of his walks.
Unrequited love torture. Kotetsu's happiness mattering more than Barnaby's. Making sure Alphas are good enough. I don't want it to be like this, Kotetsu thought, twirling the pen in his fingers. Besides, if anyone had asked Kotetsu whose happiness was more important, his own or his partner's, Kotetsu would answer 'Barnaby's' every time. But what did Barnaby's happiness mean for Kotetsu's freedom?
The pen fell out of Kotetsu's hand and rolled onto the floor. He didn't feel like chasing it.