Disclaimer: I don't own Tiger & Bunny in any way, shape, or form. I just like to play with the characters.

Summary: What does clothing say about the person wearing it? The Heroes discuss Wild Tiger's choices over a curry lunch. [Future Fic]

"I'm really, really sorry Kotetsu! It slipped out of my hands-"

"And landed in the curry, which then splatted on me. Ivan, it's fine," Kotetsu laughed, looking at the large orange stain spreading across his white vest, small bits already making their way to drip down onto his green shirt. "We're still pretty close to work, so I'll just go get a spare from my locker, okay? Be back in about ten minutes."

"Dibs on his beer if he's a second late!" Antonio shouted after his friend, chuckling at the single finger given in response.

"Does he actually wear anything else besides that shirt and vest combo?" asked Karina, holding onto her drink instead of putting it in the small lake of curry Ivan and Keith were currently trying to contain to a corner of the table. Out of the corner of her eye she could see a staff member hurrying in their direction with several towels. "Besides his workout clothes of course."

"Nah... he's been wearing that getup since high school. Just the colors have changed."

"Really Antonio?" Nathan turned their gaze on him. "The deep green sets off his amber eyes beautifully! What were they before?"

"Used to be a dark red shirt, and a black vest. Tomoe's favorite color combination. Kotetsu wasn't that fond of it actually, he thought it made him look like a villain, or the textbook definition of a brooding Hero"

"It would suit his complexion and hair color, but I think I like the green better," interjected Barnaby, nibbling on a piece of garlic nan. "It's also easy enough to understand why he might have wanted to change it from what it originally was."

"We should get him something new for his birthday then," Dragon Kid pipped up. "It's in February*, right? Only about a month away."

"Yeah," agreed Karina. "And he'd wear it too, wouldn't he, no matter what we picked? I mean, he told me and Pao-Lin that gifts given should be worn."

"Umm..." Antonio played with his beer bottle, lips twisted. "He might. Kinda depends on what we'd get. I wouldn't hold your breath though, it's easier for him to give advice sometimes than to take it."

"Well, what does he like about his shirts?" asked Keith, finally looking up from curry containment duty and smiling at the man who had come over to help. "Thanks, and thanks again!"

"Heh, I'm a Sky High fan too!" the man said as Ivan tried to elbow Keith. "Enjoy, and enjoy the rest of your meal!"

The two of them started laughing while the rest of the table hid their faces behind an array of drinks, pieces of food, or in Karina's case, an ovious face palm.

"We could match it," continued Keith, oblivious to Ivan's jabs and waving goodbye to the Sky High fan. "Color? Fabric?"

The entire group of Heroes look at Antonio, Nathan's eyes glittering with the promise of a shopping trip.

"So, spill. What exactly does he like?"

"He's gonna kill me," muttered the cornered man, trying to ignore the stares. Barnaby stabbed at his salad, shaking a little of the excess orange dressing off of the top.

"For saying why he likes his shirts? We'll ask him when he comes back then, don't worry about it."

"He won't give you the true answer." Antonio flushed, then took a swig of his beer. "Shit... look, I know you just gave me an out there, and I appreciate it, but... I'm sick of keeping it a secret."

Now he had everyone's undivided attention.

"Well, what's this terrible, horrible secret you've been keeping from us," prodded Nathan, taking a sip of their lassi. "It better be a good one. Is Kotetsu a robot in disguise?"

Barnaby flinched, then attacked his vegetarian curry with a spoon to hide the involuntary movement.

"His shirts started when we were younger," Antonio began, tracing a finger over the name on the beer bottle. "The two of us got into a lot of fights during our high school years. Started them in my case, ended them in his, and both of us would jump into others without a backwards glance. Afterwards, when we graduated, we immediately became Heroes."

"And? So the two of you were in a lot of fights back then, big deal," said Karina. "I can't think that any of us would be surprised at that. Did he wear those shirts instead of a school uniform or something?"

"Back then, it was because of Anju and Muramasa. Then, it included Tomoe. Kaede. Even us," Antonio sighed, gesturing around the table. "He wears it as a type of concealer."

Now it was Nathan that flinched, dropping a stolen nan piece back onto the community plate.

"Hmmm..." they said in a deep voice, accompanied by bright pink nails tapping the table. Then they nodded. "I see. I think most of us have done that at some time."

"I don't understand," confessed Keith, reaching across a curry dish for a samosa. "What is Kotetsu trying to hide from us? We're his friends."

"Injuries." Barnaby's voice was flat, and if he had been a real bunny then his ears would have been pinned back against his head in anger. "That's what he's always hiding from us, isn't it? Especially since his time's dropped."

"It started out with bruises, but at one point the two of us were hiding broken bones from Anju and Muramasa. His bones at any rate." Antonio huffed at the memory. "I didn't have any problems with that. Tomoe threatened to tell the teachers, or to go to Anju herself, but we convinced her that it was fine, that Kotetsu would heal and she'd worry people for no reason. Her response was to read up on how to set bones, and then figure out how to diagnose the really serious injuries. Thankfully, we didn't need her for that, but the three of us just continued from there."

"...that's how you knew," said Keith, the epiphany clear in his voice. "Back when we were in the hospital. That he couldn't heal himself."

"Yeah, he's tried that shit before." Antonio took a pull of his beer. "His power does heal the small stuff, but the problem is that he always thinks it's small stuff. Anyhow, long story short, that's why he likes long sleeves. And a second covering."

"Does he..." Barnaby's voice tailed off, eyes looking off at the Bollywood movie opposite him, but his glower was evidence that he wasn't seeing it. Either that or he really disliked the current musical number. "He does, doesn't he." It wasn't a question.

"Does what?" asked Ivan, watching his curry with narrowed eyes as he dipped a piece of cheese nan in .

"When we were fighting Lu-" Barnaby broke off, looking around the room. "Everyone's favorite murderer, he took a hit for me. Right in the shoulder, where his vest would cover it."

"His worst injury was right below his ribs," said Keith thoughtfully. "That would have been covered too."

"Wasn't covered enough," quipped Barnaby. "It still bled through afterwards. Hard enough that I noticed blood smears on metal."

"The hat's a distraction, isn't it?" asked Karina, almost slamming her drink down on the table. "I should've figured it out, it's an old idol trick. He fiddles with it, and the movement draws eyes away from other places."

Antonio held up his empty beer bottle, half as cheers, half as a signal to the waiter.

"It could be both," said Pao-Lin, interrupting everyone's dark thoughts. "Look, maybe it started as a way to hide his wounds until they healed, but now it allows him to act normal, and it brings him comfort."

Everyone looked over at her as if she had suddenly grown a third head, but she stared right back.

"Antonio, you like jeans right?"

He nodded.

"They're durable and comfortable. Karina likes layered clothing, and Keith likes simple shirts. I like my jumpsuit, and when my parents bought me a dress, I had to keep reminding myself not to kick so high. We like what we like, it''s sometimes as simple as that."

"And sometimes clothing can be a way of expressing yourself," added Ivan, a soft smile on his face as he touched the jacket hanging off the back of his chair. "Of feeling true to yourself, no matter what happens."

Antonio took another beer bottle from the waiter.

"...that could be true too," he admitted. "I just can't see anything past what it started out as."

"Family." Karina suddenly half-sighed, half-laughed and exchanged knowing glances with Pao-Lin. "I bet that's the other reason. We're too used to having him to ourselves."

"What do you mean?" asked Barnaby, looking to her.

"If I came back from a fight with a bruise, would you guys say anything? Even if it was big and obvious?"

There was a chorus of nos and headshaking.

"Exactly," Karina said triumphantly. "If you did say anything, it would be along the lines of asking if I was hurt or in pain. You would have all been there when I'd gotten it, and known why. My parents, on the other hand, would go through the roof and start lecturing me about being careful, and that maybe I shouldn't be... doing what I was doing. After the first lecture, I just started carrying around concealer; it was easier. Pao-Lin probably has the same problem."

"Not really," interjected the Chinese girl. "Since I don't live with my parents."

"But how would Kaede-chan react if she saw bruises on him?" said Nathan. "Because I don't think he's worried the adults in his family."

"Now that she knows..." Antonio sighed as Nathan shook a finger at him. "She'd worry even more than she already does."

"So it's really less that he's hiding his injuries, and more that he's trying not to worry others," Ivan finished. "And still be himself."

There was silence at the table, each one thinking over what had been said.

"Sooo... what are we gonna get him for his birthday?" Pao-Lin asked again, reaching for more yellow rice. "Because I'm thinking we should leave clothing choices to him."

"A stuffed tiger. Lime green."

"Just admit that you love the bunny he got you Handsome!" laughed Nathan.

"Hey, I'm back!" called out Kotetsu, sliding into his seat near Barnaby. "Did I miss anything important?"

"Nah, just talking about the good old days," said Antonio. "And you should have waited a minute."

"Why?"

"'Cause then your beer would've been mine!"

(おまけ) / (Bonus)

"Hey, Kotetsu, I have a question." Barnaby laid down on the bed and wrapped his arms around his partner.

"What's the question, Bunny-chan?"

"Why do you always wear a vest and long-sleeved shirt?"

Letter from the Soup - V for Vest

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*Kotetsu doesn't have a Bandai given birthday, unlike Barnaby, but I've seen over the internet that fans have given him February 17th, so that's what I went with.