Thank you, dear reader, for correcting me on Dr. Saito's name!
...
Antonio wakes up first, somehow alert even though he's only gotten maybe a couple good hours of sleep. He checks on Kotetsu, first thing, but Kotetsu's snoring away, sprawled like a starfish on the couch, blanket mostly lying on the floor. Antonio adjusts the blanket over him and then starts the coffeepot before he showers.
When he gets out of the shower, there's a missed call from Brooks, and Antonio scowls as he heads into the kitchen to get his coffee. He's got to figure something out, since it's clear that Barnaby's concern for his partner means he's going to keep calling.
Of course, he's got every right to be concerned. Antonio would be, too. Kotetsu without his memory just isn't right.
Antonio goes to pour two cups of coffee and pauses. He should really let Kotetsu sleep, give him a chance to recover from yesterday. Plus, Antonio thinks, it's another way to keep him for himself a little longer. Antonio feels a pang of guilt at the thought.
He's feeling a lot of strong emotions lately, and it's making him a bit dizzy.
Just, he thinks, as he drifts over to peer at Kotetsu, sleeping, and really looks at his face. The face he's practically memorized from all the years of knowing him – since their rivalry in high school, then becoming friends, then delving into a sort of rivalry as Heroes. Not much of one, though, since Antonio consistently ranks last and Kotetsu's caused so much building and structural damage, he isn't much better. Except, though, that he is. Kotetsu's never let inconsequential things like fines and unpopularity get in the way of being a real hero.
And it's that thought that really drives the point home, the one he'd realized late last night, alone and insomniac in bed. Antonio can't do this. Not to his best friend, not to the man he loved. Was in love with.
He'd tell Kotetsu. Something. The truth. How much Antonio really felt for him, it took him forever to figure it out, how he'd pretended otherwise since then, and then, he'd just blurted it out at the worst moment, the absolute worst, but he hadn't meant to mislead Kotetsu.
Just, Antonio thinks again, as he bends to touch the wild, dark hair, irresistibly drawn to touching Kotetsu. Just give me a couple of hours more, then I'm good.
He sits on the chair next to the couch, away from Kotetsu and takes a drink his coffee. Hell, if he's only got a couple of hours, then, shit. He'll make the most of them.
He heads to the couch, gently lifts Kotetsu's feet out of the way, and sits himself on the cushions, replacing Kotetsu's feet on top of his lap.
Koetetsu doesn't stir. Antonio rests one hand on Kotetsu's ankle and strokes the thin skin there. Kotetsu has skinny legs, he decides, and smiles to himself, amused. It's better to focus on that then the edge of guilt that resides in the back of his mind.
After a few moments, he sends Brooks a text, saying they'll meet him at Apollon Media to sort things out later in the day. Then he reads some fan mail sitting out on the coffee table – he does have fans, still, believe it or not – and some notes from the companies he's representing. Fairly standard stuff, but he tends to put it off, so now is as good of time as ever.
Kotetsu wakes up fairly soon. He yawns, jaw cracking, and sits up, rubbing the back of his neck.
"How's your head?" Antonio asks, when Kotetsu finally blinks at him sleepily.
"Hm," Kotetsu touches the back of his head. "S'okay, how's yours?" He quirks a smile at Antonio.
"It's fine, stupid," Antonio snorts.
Kotetsu yawns again and kicks Antonio's leg lazily. "Coffee?"
"If your head's fine, you get it," Antonio swats his legs just as gently back.
Kotetsu pouts for a moment before he sighs and heaves himself upward. Antonio feels disappointed for moment as the skin beneath his hands disappear, and he's left holding onto nothing. Then Kotetsu scratches his ass and turns to shuffle off to the kitchen, and the feeling slips easily away.
"Hey, get me one too!" Antonio holds his cup up for a refill.
Kotetsu mutters something from the kitchen, but shuffles back out with the coffee pot and pours some for Antonio. Then he falls into the couch, a few inches away from Antonio but close enough for their knees to knock together.
Halfway through his cup, Kotetsu starts to wake up, and sits up a little straighter.
"So, what's the plan? Do we have the day off?" He yawns a bit at the end of his sentence, and stretches out more. His knee bumps Antonio's.
"Sorta?" Antonio says, and sips at his coffee.
"Hmm?" Kotetsu is shifting around on the couch, and his knee bumps Antonio's again.
"Well, we're always on call –" Antonio lifts his left arm up to show his communicator strapped to his wrist, "but I was thinking we should go in and visit the doctor – " Antonio lowered his arm and grabbed Kotetsu's bony knee to keep it from bumping his, again, "and see if there's any more info on the NEXT that knocked you out." And meet up with Barnaby, although Antonio hesitates to say that out loud.
"Sure," Kotetsu says, although his leg keeps jiggling, and maybe he's nervous? Antonio keeps his hand on his knee, and squeezes it softly in reassurance. He hadn't thought of that. Kotetsu seemed so much like himself, even though he couldn't remember the past few years, that Antonio kept forgetting that nothing probably made sense.
Well, Kotetsu'd never been the type to freak out easily. And he remembers being a hero, and so that wasn't anything for him to stress about. And he remembers Antonio, a fact that makes Antonio feel fortunate and responsible all at once. He's so open and trusting towards Antonio, and why not? They were friends back then, so Kotetsu still thinks of him as a friend.
(Not anything more, though.)
Antonio's startled from his thoughts by Kotetsu touching his wrist, and he jerks his hand away, embarrassed to have been squeezing Kotetsu's knee so hard.
"Sorry," Antonio mumbles, and then Kotetsu pokes him in the arm. "Ow! What was that for?"
"You're thinking too hard," Kotetsu says, and leans closer to poke Antonio in the forehead. "Why?"
Antonio leans away and rubs at his forehead. He hesitates, uncertain what to say.
"I'm going to get my memories back," Kotetsu says, squinting at him, and Antonio winces at his optimism. "And even if I don't, well. Who cares?" He shrugs philosophically. "I've got you, right?"
Always. The answer springs to mind instantly, no hesitation or uncertainty, and Antonio nods because there's no way he can put such emotion into words. But he tries. "Of course you do. Couldn't get rid of me if you, well, you know," he stumbles to a stop, leaving the rest to be untangled by Kotetsu.
Kotetsu smiles anyways, understanding. "Yeah. So stop it," he says, flicking Antonio's head, ow, and settles back down, a little closer to Antonio, and knocks his bony knee against Antonio's. Again.
...
Eventually, too soon for Antonio, they're up and moving, getting ready to leave for the Apollon Media building to visit Dr. Saito. Kotetsu's rooting around his pocket for his mask as he follows Antonio out the door.
He really likes the idea of wearing it, he must not have had it by the date he last remembers, Antonio thinks.
Kotetsu finds it and gets it adjusted on his face, smoothing out the edges with his fingertips. Then they walk down the street – more like stroll, actually. Kotetsu tucks his hands in his pocket and looks around as they walk, and Antonio's getting a little warm in his leather jacket when all of a sudden he hears the emergency beep of his communicator. Shit, he thinks, and lifts his arm.
"Heroes!" Agnes Joubert's voice is clear and commanding over the line.
Kotetsu says, peering at his arm, "Mine's not working!"
Antonio would roll his eyes, but he's glad for once that it isn't going off.
"I've got it," he says, and he dials his location in to the company vehicle so he can get suited up. "You stay here!"
"But –" Kotetsu's arguing, and of course, he's not going to listen.
"Kotetsu!" Antonio barks, and tries to put as much authority in his voice as possible. "I know – but," and he has to sigh, because Kotetsu is glaring at him, and he's not going to say no, and why did Antonio ever expect otherwise?
He exhales, and doesn't say please be careful, because that would be pointless, Kotetsu will always do what he thinks is right, will always put himself in danger to save others. So instead, he says, "Don't be stupid," and Kotetsu, just grins that confident grin, and Antonio feels his chest tighten because it Kotetsu is still Kotetsu, no matter what.
He takes a second to help Kotetsu work his wrist communicator, so that his company vehicle will pick him up and get him suited up properly. Antonio makes him stay put for that, at least, and since Kotetsu doesn't know the situation or where to go, he agrees. Although he's not happy about it, Antonio can tell, but Antonio leaves him and heads off to change into Rock Bison quickly. Hopefully he can get there first and get things stopped before Kotetsu can get there.
10 seconds, and Antonio's feeling deja vu all over again. It's the same NEXT as yesterday, and although he's not first on the scene – Origami and Dragon Kid are already there – he's not much use, either. He keeps getting shoved aside, like he weighs nothing.
Origami and Dragon Kid are having trouble as well, although Dragon Kid's lightning is pretty effective at keeping the NEXT from leaving the scene, they still can't seem to get near them.
Antonio grits his teeth and balls his hands into fists and lumbers as fast as he can back towards them. Sometimes, he hates his armor – he doesn't really need it, not when his invulnerability is activated, and it just slows him down. But it's good show, good theater for the audience, even if he races past the NEXT and into a wall, because at that point he can't slow himself down.
"Fuck," he growls, as he tries to pull his horns free from the cement wall, and Agnes chides him from the comm, because the audience members might hear him.
"Sorry," he mutters, even though he's not, because he's way too worried Kotetsu will arrive and get blasted by that NEXT woman with the mind-erasing powers, and Kotetsu losing even more memory would just be horrible.
So of course, his worst fears are realized. Or even worse, because Wild Tiger blazes onto the scene, and he's in the sidecar attached to Barnaby.
Antonio just barely refrains from cursing again.
It descends into mayhem, then, for a moment, because Wild Tiger rushes the scene, and manages to get the male NEXT guy with a good, solid hit, but then the NEXT woman turns on him with a fury and knocks him through twenty feet of air with a blast.
Again.
10 seconds is all it takes for Antonio to be there, but he's too late – Barnaby is already kneeling down by Kotetsu, hands on his shoulders, shouting.
"Wild Tiger!"
Antonio leans over – he can't kneel, not with this armor – desperately trying to check on Kotetsu, but Barnaby's in the way.
"Kotetsu," Barnaby whispers urgently, and Kotetsu doesn't respond. Antonio can feel his chest tighten, and has to remember to take a breath, because Kotetsu's not moving.
That woman – the NEXT woman – is laughing, and Antonio feels fury wash over him, making his breaths even shallower, sharper, and he whirls around and charges.
He almost gets her – sweeps by her by less than an inch, and sees her face, angry and contorted and full of malice – and she leaps out of the way, grabbing her companion, and starts to take off. Antonio and Origami, on his flying shuriken, try to stop her, but Antonio's off balance and useless.
Origami manages to get rope around her ankle, though. She slams to the ground, but throws up another blast, and Antonio barely has time to shout a warning before Sky High sweeps Origami out of the way. And then she's gone.
Agnes is demanding they go after her, and Sky High rockets off after her, followed by Origami, after a moment. Antonio is shaking, staring at the stretch of buildings she's disappearing into, and knows he can't catch her. Too slow, too slow.
(10 seconds too slow.)
He whirls back around to go to Kotetsu, and staunchly ignores the stab of jealousy when he sees Barnaby with Kotetsu, hands around his face, leaning over him. Dragon Kid's standing next to them, worry on her face, and Antonio feels another twinge – guilt, this time. They're just worried for Kotetsu, but Antonio wants to shove them all out of the way and gather Kotetsu up in his arms and never let go.
He settles for standing next to Dragon Kid, and after a few minutes of worry, Kotetsu starts to blink, coming around.
"Eh?" Are his first words, and the relief is like a wave, crashing through Antonio.
"Mr. Tiger!" Dragon Kid cries, and Barnaby is smiling.
"Kotetsu," Barnaby says fondly.
"Who?"
The shock is palpable. Barnaby goes pale and Dragon Kid gasps. Antonio stiffens his knees to keep from swaying. This couldn't get any worse, he'd thought, but apparently he'd thought wrong.
Then Kotetsu grins. "Kidding," he says, and everyone freezes.
And stares at him. Like – how could he be joking at a time like this.
"Asshole," Antonio says, and Kotetsu turns his grin to him.
"Aw, you love it," he says, and his eyes say something else to Antonio, and Antonio's so thankful his mask hides his face, because. Fuck. Yes, he does love it. He loves him.
Barnaby draws back, and looks over at Antonio. Antonio can't meet his eyes, even through the mask.
"Don't do, that, Mr. Tiger!" Dragon Kid scowls, breaking the silence.
Kotetsu shrugs and winces and smiles apologetically, and it's fine, for a moment.
Then Barnaby talks.
"Do you remember us?" He asks.
Kotetsu glances at all of them, and his gaze seems to linger on Antonio, but he shrugs. "Just the stupid cow over there. You guys new?"
Antonio doesn't even respond to the insult. Shit. No good. "Do you remember this morning?" He says, and Barnaby looks at him like he's done something terrible.
"You mean at your place? Coffee and – uh, on the couch?"
Now Barnaby's looking at Antonio like he's scum.
"Right, uh. Well, at least you didn't lose any more memory?" Antonio fumbles.
Barnaby looks unhappy, but he rallies himself. "I'm your partner, Barnaby Brooks." He offers a hand, and helps Kotetsu up.
"Oh right, Antonio's mentioned you," Kotetsu shakes the proffered hand, and Barnaby looks slightly less furious.
"I'm Dragon Kid!" The younger hero announces, and Kotetsu grins at her and pats her shoulder.
"Nice to meet you too, young lady."
There's an awkward moment where they all look at each other. Antonio's about to speak when Barnaby touches Kotetsu's shoulder.
"Can we talk? I'd like to see if we can work on getting back your memory. Dr. Saito –"
"He said there's nothing to be done," Kotetsu said, interrupting.
"Yes, but we've gathered more information of the NEXT, now that we've met them again – and it's possible that more could be done." Barnaby is firm. "And we should at least get you checked up again, now that you've been hit twice."
Dragon Kid is nodding and voicing her support. "They might have caught them by now!"
Agnes chimes in with a "No such luck, heroes."
Crap. That sucks. "Well, go in and get your thick skull checked out," Antonio adds. It can't hurt, after all. Even if it does work and Kotetsu ends up remembering – well, Antonio is prepared to beg for forgiveness for awhile.
And honestly, he knows he can't keep Kotetsu away from the others forever. If they understand the situation, and learn about Antonio's lie – well, so be it. He'll beg forgiveness from everyone if he has too.
"Tch, fine." Kotetsu shrugs, although he gives Antonio the evil eye first. "I'll come over after that, okay?"
They all look at Antonio, although Dragon Kid just nods, because to her it's Wild Tiger's buddy watching out for him.
Barnaby's another story. He shoots Antonio a sharp glance. "I think you should stay with me. After all, we're partners," he says to Kotetsu.
"Nah, I'm good with the cow," Kotetsu says, an odd little smile on his face.
"But –" Barnaby starts.
And here it is – Kotetsu's going to say something about them being together, Antonio's sure, but he shrugs instead, and waves a hand.
"We'll catch up on the way there," he says, and drops a hand on Antonio's arm, that part that's uncovered, and lets it linger before dropping off. "See you soon," he says quietly, and walks on, and Antonio's breath catches in his throat.
"Yeah," he says uncertainly, and hopes no one – especially Kotetsu – heard the tremble in his voice.