Title: Ne Pas Oublier
Author/Artist: Cheza-chan
Pairing/Characters: Antonio Lopez / Keith Goodman
Rating: T
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, and I definitely don't own the sponsors that they wear.

Despite all he'd begged for at their faux dinner date, Keith was still reluctant about spending time with Antonio, and it took a full week before he approached him in the gym. Nathan continuously swatted at Kotetsu's arm before the brunet grabbed his hands and held them tightly. Everyone waited with bated breath, not realizing this was the former couple's second meeting.

Antonio tried not to drop the barbell onto his chest after Keith's smiling face appeared above him. Instead, he managed to grin, and ask breathlessly, "Are you spotting me?"

Keith visibly relaxed, his smile growing brighter. "You're almost finished. Besides, I'm sure you heard of my spectacular failure, so I'm not allowed to touch anything heavy like this." The hesitation was more obvious in the scrunched up look on his face than the long pause between his words. "I was wondering… if we could train, as Sky High and Rock Bison."

Antonio nodded his head and Keith was there to help him lift the barbell back onto the rack. Keith looked at the amount on both ends, his eyes widening in mild surprise. His cheeks colored and he shook his head vehemently, banishing the dirty thought. The soft squeal behind him made him blush an even deeper red after remembering they had an audience.

Antonio smirked, hooking his towel around his neck after wiping his face. "Wanna go someplace a bit more private?"

"This is private enough," Keith smiled. "We're having a discussion as fellow associates." Antonio frowned, and Keith recognized it as a thoughtful expression; Antonio was studying him. He couldn't help but wonder if he'd said the wrong thing again.

"Have you been taking John out for his runs?" Antonio questioned, an eyebrow arched.

"No… No. He usually curls up with me while I watch the news. Should I…?" The sky blue eyes grew wide.

"Hey." Antonio placed a hand to the golden crown. "John understands. Has he shown you in any way that he's been displeased with you?"

"No." Keith peeked up from under the large hand. "He won't leave me alone. He's like a big puppy."

"He is a big puppy," Antonio chuckled, tousling the short hair. "How 'bout you skip physical training today and we'll go for a run this evening?"

"Sounds like a date!" Nathan crowed from the opposite side of the gym.

Keith ducked out from beneath Antonio's hand, finally managing to escape. He shared a brief smile with Kotetsu before heading for the automatic doors. They opened, but he didn't step through, not yet. Keith turned back around, looking Antonio's way. He didn't say anything, just gave Rock Bison a bright smile before disappearing out into the hall.

Antonio knew he should maintain a safe distance, but… it was Keith—that was the only excuse he could think of. Immediately swarmed by the other Heroes, he was glad to have something to take his mind off of the amnesiac NEXT.

X X X

The minute the elevator doors opened, Antonio was thrown back into the car by a golden blur. He could see a sheepish Keith a few yards away, which meant John was the culprit.

"I told him we were going for a run with you and… he's been like that ever since. John," Keith called out pleadingly. The Golden Retriever lowered himself back onto all four paws, trotting out of the elevator. Keith reached for him, but the canine sidestepped his hand, circling his legs to walk back into the car.

Antonio smirked, crouching to playfully scratch behind the ear of the animal now at his side. "He's saying you need to get in here."

How do you know my dog so well died on his lips as Keith forcibly reminded himself that he had possibly shared a bed with this man once upon a time. With a put-upon huff, but a playful smile, he joined them in the elevator, the doors slowly closing behind him.

X

The run was amazing, and felt more routine than anything else he'd ever done. John shared his sentiment, but he had finally burned off his excitement, and settled for a praising pet before heading for the bedroom. Once the tuft of his tail disappeared, Keith turned to his companion, his smile wide. "Do you… want to clean up?"

Antonio shook his head, waving a hand to dismiss the offer. "I…" He cleared his throat, averting his eyes. "I have clothes here. I can change my shirt so I don't mess up the seat."

Keith wrung his hands together, almost painfully. "I'm—"

"Stop."

"But this is obviously painful for you—spending time with me! The funny thing is… I feel more comfortable around you, and Mr. Kotetsu also." His head snapped up, eyes wide.

Antonio glared. "Don't you dare make that assumption," he hissed. "And how the hell do you remember that and not anything else?" Antonio tangled his fingers in his hair, shaking his head. "Even without your memories, your innocence continues to amuse and befuddle me."

Keith smiled nervously and returned to wringing his hands together, until the skin started to turn red. "Tonight, felt like a date, somehow. There was nothing romantic about it, but…" He kept his fingers locked together, but pressed the palms of both hands against his stomach. "There are butterflies here."

Antonio made a noise that sounded like a growl, lifting his hands to tangle his fingers in his hair. "Ignore it. Right now, we need to focus on getting you airborne again. After that… maybe—maybe."

"A date?" Keith laughed softly, the butterflies dancing rapidly. He forced himself to calm down. "Okay. Business before pleasure, right?"

Antonio groaned, dragging his hands down his face. He dropped them to his sides and smiled tiredly. "Business before pleasure," he reaffirmed. "Stay out here, I'll go get some clothes." He kept his distance walking past Keith and into the bedroom. John gave him a yawning acknowledgement before lowering his muzzle back onto his paws.

Antonio dug through the bottom drawers of the dresser on the left side of the large bed until he found a sweater. He stood, yanking his sweat-dampened shirt, and quickly pulled the sweater on in replacement. It was getting difficult to maintain a casual distance. Everything the current Keith did or didn't do reminded him of the man he'd courted. Now he was being courted, and deep down, he couldn't help but feel as though he was cheating on Keith's memory.

Antonio turned around and found Keith staring at him from just inside the room.

"Sorry," the blond whispered. He winced, ducking his head. "Sorry, that I keep apologizing." John whined, lifting a paw to cover his face. Keith laughed, stepping aside so he no longer blocked the door. "John's feeling second-hand embarrassment for me."

"He's a smart kid." Antonio walked to the bed, where the Retriever had made himself comfortable, and gave the dog an affectionate pat. "I'll see you around." John licked his hand in reply. Antonio's grin remained even after facing Keith. "I'll see you around, too. Try to stay out of trouble."

Keith smiled, nodding.

X

Antonio ended up drinking with Kotetsu that evening. He'd torn his steering wheel off in a fit of frustration and had to call a tow truck to take it away. After that, he'd called Kotetsu to pick him up, and was now crashing on his couch after trying to solve his problems by reaching the bottom of the bottle. The answer to his problems, unfortunately, had not been in any of the bottles littering the floor around the couch.

It took another three weeks before Keith was able to hover without fear of crashing into the nearest solid object. Antonio still trained with him, but Barnaby and Kotetsu would also offer their assistance since they were the only other Heroes that could take a solid impact and keep going.

Kotetsu dropped beside Keith on the bench in the locker room after another unsuccessful session, both of them still dressed in their bodysuits. "Wanna go out to eat?"

X

"Kotetsu." Keith had been ordered to drop the "mister", and had felt even more comfortable after doing so. Kotetsu hummed softly, never once taking his eyes off the road. "Everyone's so busy worrying about me... You know Barnaby likes you, right?"

Kotetsu scoffed out a laugh, slowing when the traffic did as well. "He likes me as much as I like him."

"Does that mean you love him?"

Kotetsu turned to his passenger, a wide grin on his face. His grin slowly shrunk as he realized Keith was serious. "What...?" His voice sounded small, even to his ears. The honking of a horn forced him back to reality and his SUV jerked a little as he began moving.

"I thought you knew," Keith whispered, staring down at his hands, clenched in his lap. "The way he looks at you..."

Kotetsu gripped the steering wheel tightly and Keith fell silent, not wanting to be the cause of an accident. The SUV pulled up to a curb parking space and Kotetsu leaned forward against the steering wheel. "Why would Bunny... like me?"

Keith's head snapped up, blue eyes wide in earnest. "The same reason I do—you're an honest, good man. You're amazing, really. From what I've heard, you were the only person that didn't roll over and let him walk all over you."

Kotetsu chuckled at the other's choice of words. "Who are you?"

Keith tilted his head in an innocently questioning manner. "Keith Goodman, I believe."

"When you get your memory back, please let me know if you were always this insightful."

Keith smiled, "If I get my memory back."

"You will, don't worry." Kotetsu looked away, pressing his forehead against his hands, which still clutched the wheel. "What should I do, about Bunny?"

Keith's smile widened. "Nothing." Kotetsu melted into his seat with a groan and the blond laughed, "I'm serious. Just let things run its course. You're aware of it now, and you'll unconsciously put forth the effort, but hopefully you find the answer you're looking for and not end up just doing 'the right thing'."

"Who are you?" Kotetsu laughed again, drawing himself upright to lunge at his passenger.

Keith caught him, laughing as he struggled to keep them both upright. "I'm supposed to be Keith, right? Maybe this is a side of him that he buried. I'm just talking nonsense now, sorry."

"No. You could be onto something. A fragment of Keith Goodman that was buried away in order to create the image of a perfect Hero!"

"I'm not..." Keith whispered. He hadn't even mastered flying properly, and could just barely hover. He smiled sheepishly after being squeezed tightly. "Alright. I'll stop talking profound. Let's go get a cheeseburger."

"Yeah!" Kotetsu rejoiced.

X X X

Kotetsu returned to Apollon Media after spending a two hours walking around the city with Keith. It helped him work off his large lunch, which would have been threatening to present itself again the moment he spotted the blond at his desk. He turned around to escape, but of course his partner spotted him.

"Kotetsu," Barnaby called out.

Kotetsu forced a grin as he spun around. "Bunny!"

Barnaby's brow furrowed at the nickname, but he chose to ignore it. "How did it go with Sky High?"

"If you're asking if he's any closer to getting his memory back, I say no." Kotetsu took a deep breath, recalling Keith's words, and moved to his own desk. He dropped into the chair, spinning to grin at his partner. "He has become a bit prophetic, though."

Barnaby arched an eyebrow, then shook his head, silently telling the older Hero he had no desire to know. Kotetsu chuckled and spun back around so he properly faced his desk. He wouldn't make this awkward; Bunny was Bunny, and that's all that mattered.

Keith had given out all that advice a few days ago, but was now struggling himself. Antonio was back to avoiding him, and he couldn't understand why. They had been getting along so well—some might have said 'too well', but Keith thought that's what everyone wanted. He'd even allowed Kotetsu to plan a get-together, with everyone, at a popularly recommended sushi restaurant. Nathan and Ivan had flanked him the entire night. When one had to leave for the restroom, Kotetsu quickly filled the spot until they returned. None realized that Keith had long since gotten over his fear of being alone with the Bull Tank of the West.

But now it was Antonio that walked out the moment he walked in.

Keith, now accustomed to his phone, easily pulled up Antonio's contact information and hit CALL. It rung several times, almost reaching the point of voicemail, before the deep voice huffed out a 'hello'. "Hey." Keith hoped the other could hear the smile in his voice. "I know we can't predict what the criminals have on their mind, but I was wondering if you might want to join me for dinner this evening. My treat," he added as incentive.

A pregnant pause continued to grow until Antonio let out a soft sigh. "Sure. It's been a while. We can even cook my favorite dish."

"I don't... We're going to cook together." It wasn't so much a question, as a breathless exclamation. The first time Antonio had reminded him of the kitchen life, he hadn't been interested in anything but learning. Now, he just wanted them to spend time together. "Should I... pick up anything?"

"How 'bout this? We meet at the Tower, do some training—see if we can get you to stay in the air, shop for the ingredients, and then head back to your place?"

"Okay!" Keith blushed red after realizing he'd put too much enthusiasm into his response, especially after receiving annoyed glares from the men and women that sat with him in the lobby. "Okay," he whispered.

"Where are you right now?" Antonio questioned.

Keith could clearly hear him moving about. "Sitting in Poseidon Line's lobby. People are glaring at me because I think I'm talking too loud." Keith smiled sheepishly at a young woman that glanced his way. She rolled her eyes, but returned his smile with a gentle one of her own. Keith finalized his plans before ending the call. He slipped his phone into the pocket of his jacket, leaving his hand there as his thoughts wander. There wasn't much time for thinking.

A shadow fell across his lap and he tilted his head to find the eye-rolling young woman standing over him. "I decided to talk to you before you leave. Your love life seems interesting."

"It is," Keith laughed, "in the worst possible way."

x

Keith ended up spending almost an hour talking 'relationship' with Alice that he had to be collected. Alice stopped mid-sentence, her eyes widening. Keith spun; he didn't have far to look. "Keep him," Alice whispered when he stood.

Keith turned back around, leaning down to hug the young woman around the shoulders. "If you missed an important meeting because of me, I'll talk to the CEO for you." He walked away, leaving Alice with a look of shock, her mouth slightly agape. Keith kept his head lowered until reaching Antonio. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "She's one of the people that thought I was speaking too loud. And before you jump to the wrong conclusion—we were talking about you, and my date with you."

The crease in Antonio's brow lessened and he shook his head with a smile. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You weren't at the Tower, so I figure you'd still be here." He looked over the blond's head and found the woman still staring. "What did you tell her...?"

Keith laughed, tugging on the brunet's arm to start him moving. Antonio took a few reluctant steps before finally following.

X

Training went surprisingly well—Keith only collided with a padded wall once, and he managed a few acrobatic turns as well. "That deserves a treat," Antonio told him in jest. "We'll indulge in your dessert of choice."

"Banana cream pie." Keith's eyes widened and he froze, turning to stare up at an equally shocked Antonio. "I don't... It just came to me. Do I really...?"

"Yes," Antonio whispered, torn between excitement and almost a touch of depression. Was Keith finally regaining his memory? Would he remember them? "We'll figure it out after dinner. Let's go." Antonio tossed Keith his helmet before heading for the entrance of the simulation room.

Keith held it carefully in his hands and activated his abilities, along with his jets, to follow at a sedate pace, keeping an even three feet off the ground. Antonio was waiting at the door, and he lowered himself back onto the floor, shutting off his jets to follow the burly man out.

X

This was his second dinner with Antonio. Keith didn't want to follow the pattern of "third time's the charm"; tonight was going to be perfect. It started with them shopping for ingredients. He learned how to pick out fruits and vegetables that were ripe and fresh. Antonio instructed him on what they needed to make a banana cream pie and let him pick out the ingredients himself. After everything had been purchased, they headed back to his suite, where John enthusiastically greeted them.

Keith learned that Antonio's favorite meal was a French dish: Beef Burgundy—

Keith had his phone in his hands, checking his Internet resources. "Boeuf Bourguignon?" His pronunciation was perfect.

Antonio sighed, but his eyes held a smile. "Yes. Beef burgundy."

It took roughly two hours to prepare, so there was plenty of time for Keith to work on his own dish. He lost two eggs, and had to scrape egg shells out of the bowl, but cutting the bananas was somehow too much fun. Keith put his all into making sure every slice was the same as the previous. He could feel Antonio watching him and only hoped the other man was smiling at his antics.

Antonio was smiling, but also hurting. He was half-expecting Keith to turn around and offer him a slice, just as he'd done many months ago. He shook his head and went back to tending to his pot. The kitchen was large enough to accommodate them both, but they ended up crossing paths, sidestepping, and brushing against each other far too much for Antonio to keep thinking it was accidental.

Keith was finally finished, and his pie was placed in the fridge for cooling. Antonio was already seated, since his stew had been in the oven long before Keith's dessert joined it. Keith exited the kitchen for a few minutes before returning with a tablet and a book. He placed the tablet in front of Antonio, keeping the book for himself. Antonio smirked, glancing from the sparkly blocks of candy on the screen to Keith's innocent smile. Ever since Kotetsu introduced him to online games, Keith had developed an unnatural addiction, which meant Antonio would be the one to suffer through each level of Candy Crush Saga.

Time flew by faster than they imagined, and the stew was ready to be served. Keith cleaned up the table and placed down settings while Antonio took care of removing the container from the oven.

Dinner was perfect, in Keith's opinion, and so was his banana cream pie. Keith wanted to enjoy dessert a bit more, however, and took it without asking.

The moment their lips touched, Antonio pulled away as though burned. As brief as it was, he still managed to get a taste of the cream that had accompanied their dessert. "I… can't."

"It's still me," Keith whispered, hands gently clasping the other's biceps even though he fought to keep from surging into the other's personal space. "If and when I do remember, I'll probably love you even more for cherishing my memory. And if I don't remember… you'll still have me. Antonio…"

Antonio had never been able to resist Keith, and his mind eagerly supplied him with the fact that Keith had fallen in love with him twice, and seemed willing to stick around for the long run. He laughed, clasping the blond's face between his hands. "Why are you so perfect?"

"Far from it," Keith grunted, brushing his nose against Antonio's before tilting his head to seal their mouths together.

-x-x-

"Why are you so perfect?" Antonio groaned, lifting his head from the pillow to turn and stare at the profile of the man lying next to him.

Keith laughed, reaching over to smooth aside a damp curl of dark hair. "Far from it, and I notice you only say this after we sleep together, in that sense."

"Still so innocent," Antonio snorted.

Keith ignored him. "I'm starting to think you just like me for my body."

With a huff, Antonio reached out, snagging Keith's wrist, and pulled him down beside him. Once there, he proceeded to smother him by way of muscular arm. "I love you, all of you. From your naive personality—" Keith wiggled in protest, but Antonio continued with a grin, "You are a good lay, so there's that."

Keith pulled himself free, glaring at the other man, his cheeks flushed from exertion. His expression softened and he grinned. "I love you, too, Mr. Lopez."

-x-x-

"Mister… Lopez…"

"Keith?" Antonio shot out of the chair, resting one knee on the bed as he leaned over Keith's prone figure. Right after they'd kissed, Keith's eyes had rolled back into his head and he'd passed out in his arms. After carefully carrying the unconscious man to bed, he'd called Kotetsu and could do nothing but wait.

Keith's eyelids fluttered, opening only halfway, but Keith saw all that he needed. A distraught and slightly terrified Antonio loomed over him. Smiling weakly, he reached up to cup the side of the strong jaw. "Mr. Lopez. I called you that, didn't I?"

Antonio laughed, snagging the blond's hand to squeeze it tightly. "Yes. Yes, you did."

"I can't remember, what I just remembered…" Keith laughed at his own words. His eyes slid shut, as it was taking too much energy to keep them open. He curled his fingers around Antonio's, sighing softly. "I'm sorry I ran away from you before. I'm sorry I've caused you so much pain. I've finally realized now… that I love you. I think..." He chuckled nervously. "That's not what you want to hear, is it? I know I'm still not the man you fell in love with, but—"

"You are," Antonio argued, bracing his right arm on the bed beside Keith's head, tangling his fingers in the golden strands. His left hand still clutched Keith's tightly. "It'll be twice as fun now, because I'll be the one teaching you, instead of vice versa."

Keith's smile widened. "Don't get cocky," he whispered, trying to stay away from the hands of slumber that kept dragging him down. He heard Antonio's chuckle, and a few whispered words, and then his breathing evened out; he no longer fought it, and embraced sleep.

X X X

Kotetsu had kept quiet about having access to Keith's suite just as easily as Antonio did—the amnesiac already believed they were in some sort of polyamory relationship, but was now using it to his advantage as he slipped inside. Figuratively speaking, he had his thumb ready to dial all Heroes and emergency rescue teams.

John's head snapped up and he trotted away from the closed bedroom door to meet the familiar scent. Kotetsu knelt after spotting the Retriever, opening his arms to let him nuzzle close. "Are they all right—Keith and Antonio?" John whined softly, licking a line up the side of Kotetsu's face. The brunet laughed softly, playfully tousling the floppy golden ears. "Can I peek in on them so I know to tell Bunny stand down? He's got an armada on hold."

With a grin, Kotetsu stood, tiptoeing to the closed door. He opened it as quietly as possible, needing only just a sliver of space to see. Both Antonio and Keith were curled together on the bed, the larger taking on the role of "big spoon", and holding Keith protectively against his chest. Kotetsu closed the door as quickly as he'd opened it. He contacted Barnaby via his CALL band.

"Is everything alright? How's Keith doing?"

Kotetsu's warm smile was directed at John, who stared up at him imploringly, but meant for the young man who couldn't see it. He wiggled his fingers at the Retriever in a wave, and let himself out of the suite. "Everything looks okay. They're fast asleep." The door closed as he began his journey back to the elevator, blocking him and his voice from John. The Retriever let out a yawn and headed back to his previous location to keep guarding the bedroom door.

X X X

Keith woke from his sleep with a soft moan, trying to figure out why he felt like he was locked in a furnace. At his first shift, strong arms tightened around him, and he realized he was indeed trapped, by a human furnace. Keith smiled, lifting a hand to cover the arm curled around his shoulder. It was easier falling asleep the second time around, because he knew Antonio wasn't going to disappear.

A/N: I'd honestly started this ages before "Stolen Tiger"; Keia-Marie knows~ I showed her a snippet of it. It's supposed to be a one-shot, but I cut it in two 'cause it was looking kind of long. My editor gave this capital "LOVED IT", so... I hope you guys do, too~ I'm gonna bury my head in the ground now... my muse has run away and I. am. empty. Void of any and all inspiration.