A/N:

I have been procrastinating on homework with this fic and I have no one but myself to blame. Also, I keep adding in OCs. Forgive me ;w; And lastly, to save you the trouble of searching, haphephobia is the fear of being touched.

This chapter contains hints or mentions of sensitive subjects such as depression, suicide, emotionally abusive relationships, and assault, so proceed with caution.

-Reddie

"Watch the road!" Barnaby screamed, Kaede braking so hard that he could feel the seatbelt squeeze his chest as he was forced forward. Graying blonde hair cushioned the backlash as his head fell back against the seat. He watched with relief as a family of ducks proceeded across the road safely.

"Whew, that was a close one." Her heart dropped to her stomach when she heard the click of his seatbelt coming undone. She shot her sights towards the backseat, "What are you doing?"

"Get in the back and rest. I'm driving you home." Barnaby asserted, reaching for the wheel, his hand dangerously close to her shoulder. Panicking, she swatted his hand with the folder. "Ow!" he hissed, moving his hand back. Kaede exhaled in relief.

"No. I can drive back to my place just fine, thank you." She affirmed, releasing the brakes before he could try it again. Rubbing his hand, he harrumphed, watching as the scenery began moving again.

"Well, if you're gonna be stubborn about it, at least get some coffee at the pit stop coming up on the right."

"Just twenty more minutes, and we'll be there."

"Kaede, I swear—"

"I can do it, geez!" She said, accelerating ever so slightly. "Just stop talking at me like I'm a child."

"I will if you quit acting like one."

"…tch." Grudgingly, she pulled over at the pit stop. Looking back at Barnaby, she put on a sassy smile and replied, "Are you a happy camper now?" With that, he shifted to open the car door.

"I'll get it for you."

"No, no, it's okay. Spare me at least this much independence, oh noble keeper." And before he could open his mouth to protest, the sound of the car door shutting behind her met his ears. Crossing his arms, Barnaby couldn't help but think such sarcasm just ran in her blood.

"Guess the apple didn't fall that far from the tree, Kotetsu," he muttered, looking down at his wedding ring with a bittersweet smile.

"Stupid!" Kaede hissed, as she passed into the gas station shop, "He's lucky I even thought of him! It's not like I need his help. I could solve this case on my own." She punched the numbers into the vending machine, "Just thought he'd care enough to want to find out too."

"Don't get the wrong idea. I'm only coming along to make sure nothing serious happens. Kotetsu would come back from the dead to haunt me if I let anything bad happen to you."

"Hmph. You'd like that, wouldn't you, Barnaby?" She muttered to herself, watching the dark liquid pour into the paper cup. "It's not like you don't miss him or anything."

Shortly after purchasing the coffee, Kaede pressed the cup to her lips simply to suck in some of the steam, leaving a little rosy stain against the white plastic of the lid. It brought a smile to her weary face, because for her nothing was better than the sweet scent of freshly brewed coffee. She barely cared for the taste, so long as it kept her awake. But the aroma was somehow both invigorating and soothing, akin to the smell of Yun's mint cologne.

"Please promise me you'll never leave, Kaede. I'd rather die than live without you."

She shook her head of the thought and looked towards the ground shamefully, wondering if Yun was okay.

Upon coming back to the car, she found Barnaby looking through her phone.

"Hey! Give it back!" She demanded, keeping hands firmly at her sides despite her desperate urge to grab the phone. Thankfully, her trust had not been misplaced, and Barnaby tossed it back onto her seat. She snatched it up, snarling, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Sorry. I was trying to nap and it kept buzzing, so I tried turning it off." He mused, reclining, "This Yun person seems awfully invested in you."

"Mm." She grunted, powering off her phone as she started up the car again. A few minutes passed down the road, and Barnaby couldn't help but ask.

"Not to pry, but who exactly was that? Your significant other?"

"Ha! Not anymore, he's not, thankfully." Kaede couldn't help the acidic way the words rolled off her tongue. At the stoplight, she took a swig from her now slightly cooler coffee, smacking her lips at the bitter taste. It smells so great black, but everything else from there is just downhill.

"Did something happen between you two?" He said simply, not understanding how she could talk about Yun so nastily when every text she'd received contained nothing but love and concern.

"What? Oh, no!" She replied, her voice saccharinely sarcastic, "Everything is perfectly fine! We had a healthy break-up! It's definitely normal for ex-boyfriends to text you constantly, after all!"

Barnaby looked to her with concern, "…what'd he do?"

"Oh, nothing really," she snorted, her tone still laden with sarcasm as she pushed the gas, "just, you know… threatened to kill himself if I ever broke up with him, that's all."

"Goodness," He blinked. "I'm almost sorry I asked."

"Yeah, you should be, snooping through my private life. Anything else you'd like to know while you're at it, Old Man?"

"Well… now that I think about it, I never really knew much about your love life. You kept it a secret from me and Kotetsu, didn't you?"

"Pff! You can't keep a secret of something that's practically nonexistent."

"Oh, so what about that little crush you had on me?" Barnaby teased.

"Shut up! I was nine, for fuck's sake, and you swooped in and saved my life, all cool and whatnot. I didn't know how else to feel, and it didn't count in my book in the long run anyway." She cleared her throat, downing a little more of her coffee. "Anyway, did you ever see me bring anyone home? Ever hear me mention a name in reply to Uncle Muramasa every time he asked if I was dating anybody?"

"No."

"Then there you have it. I have no love life, and therefore nothing to divulge."

"But then, Yun? What about him?"

"Ah, yes. The worst and only boyfriend I ever had! Wow, what a dreamboat!" She laughed, doling out the sass in full, before returning to a regular tone, "I met him in my last year of high school. We became good friends and on Valentine's Day, he gave me chocolates and asked me out. So I took him up on the offer because I thought he was pretty cute. And it was a bit nice, for a while at least." She takes in a deep breath and sighs, "Now, here's where I start to sound like a bitch: I could not deal with his depression. He ended up overly-dependent on me, and it got to the point where I felt awful for hanging out with my friends in my free time, because he made me feel so obligated to be with him, to make sure he was okay. It was draining the life out of me, and I'm surprised I was able to graduate honestly, with him dragging me down like that. He constantly said he'd rather die than live without me, and one day I was just so fed up that I got mad at him, broke up, and then called the cops before I left his house because I didn't want him to die. Call me stupid too, because even now, I'd feel like it was my fault if he did end up killing himself. And so, dear Old Man, that is why I do not want to date anyone ever again. Now are you sorry you asked?"

"…I'm sorry you had to go through all of that, Kaede." Barnaby shook his head, looking at her with pity. "Why didn't you say anything to me or Kotetsu at the time? Or even Muramasa at least?"

She shrugged, "I didn't want to worry anyone. I thought I could handle it by myself, so… I did."

"Ah," He looked back down at his wedding ring.

"That was the whole point of keepin' it a secret, you dummy."

Maybe she was a bit too much like Kotetsu, perhaps in the worst possible ways. "Don't… act too much like your dad, okay?"

"Mm."

She pulled up to the driveway of her flat at last.

"Anya!" Kaede called, her voice much higher and cutesier than before, "Anya, baby, come here!" She patted her knees and the cat came running towards her, mewling happily as she rubbed her head against Kaede's leg. Kaede dotingly ran a hand over Anya's head, pushing back the precious cat's ears.

"Ah, so you're a cat person?" Barnaby smiled.

"No. Didn't really have a preference, but I wanted a pet I could snuggle up with." Lifting her cat off the ground, she then plopped back onto her couch and slipped Anya onto her lap. The small cat curled up, purring as Kaede ran her fingers through the silky coat. "I like dogs too, but when it came down to it, I didn't have time to spare for walking one, so I adopted Anya." She babied up her voice again, looking to her cat, "And you're my precious little baby, aren't you?" Anya meowed at her, the sound coming out more like a chirp. That was when it occurred to her to ask, "Say, you aren't allergic, are you?"

"Not at all, so no need to worry."

"Heh, so what are you doing standing around? Sit down already, before your forty-something year old bones give out on you."

"Hmph, if you insist." The minute he joined her on the couch however, she scooted away from him uncomfortably. By this point, he'd noticed her habit of keeping distance, but he wasn't sure if it was just a coincidence. He stretched out a little, putting his hand within close proximity of her. The way she squirmed was obvious, and though she was already at the end of the couch, she was still trying to move further to the side away from her. In addition, her eyes flickered constantly back between him and Anya. She was paying attention to her space bubble far too closely for it to be a coincidence.

"Why do you do that?"

Kaede gave him a pointed look, "Do what?"

"Um… avoid contact with me like I'm diseased?"

"I haven't been doing that."

"Yes, you…" Barnaby began slowly, "wait. Is that why you hit me earlier when I was reaching for the steering wheel?" Kaede remained silent, torn between strictly keeping an eye on Barnaby and looking down at Anya in embarrassment. Why should she tell him? It's not like he'd understand. He continued, "Are you haphephobic?"

"So, what?"

He then pulled his limbs to himself, hunched forward with his elbows on his knees. "You weren't like this when you were younger…"

"The reason doesn't matter. But now that you know, I'd appreciate you not touch me, alright?"

"Of course. But…"

"But what?" Kaede glared, hostility practically pouring past those fiery red lips.

"Don't mistake me. I'll do everything I can to closely mind your personal space. I would never dream of intentionally making you panic…" He explained at last, "But what I'd like to know is if there was something you weren't telling me about Yun that made you this way now. If it's a sensitive subject, you don't have to explain it in detail. But I need to understand so that I know if there's anything I should avoid doing in the future to trigger you." He cast his eyes to the side for a moment, readjusting his glasses, "Believe me when I say I know your pain on at least some level, and I want to be as sympathetic as I can to your needs."

This wasn't any news to her, seeing as she already knew he had been coping with PTSD and anxiety brought on by his parents' murder for a long time now. Her dad had been there for Barnaby when the nightmares rolled in, and when agonizing flashbacks of the event plagued him. She knew about that, and that he'd been learning to cope much better with it on his own over the years. But she had no personal triggers to speak of, because nothing of that nature had happened to her. She was about ready to brush this old man off and leave him out in the living room.

But then she looked at those tired green eyes, aged by loss and burdened by pain… but also riddled with concern, worries directed at her. Why did he care so much? It's not like they really kept touch once she started college. He talked to him once or twice on the phone maybe through the first two years, but they never really paid that close attention to one another.

"The thought of him living all alone again just… it breaks my heart, you know?"

Kaede realized: she was all he had, the last of his family. And with Muramasa always so busy, Barnaby was the last of hers. That's the reason she built up the nerve to visit his apartment, even though it put her at risk for it. So then why should she shut him out on something as important as this? She already ended up telling him about Yun, so she might as well…

"It's… not like that." She breathed a sigh, "At all. If anything, one of Yun's most redeeming qualities was his sense of boundary."

"So it was someone else?"

"No. Like I said. It's not like that." She laughed sheepishly, "I mean, you didn't forget that I have a NEXT power, right?"

"I was aware of that. I saw you power up before you left my apartment."

"And what power was I using?"

"It was the Hundred Power, wasn't it? I chased you out the door, and it ran out five minutes down the stairs."

"But you never touched me, remember? I made sure of that. So guess whose Hundred Power I was using."

Barnaby connected two and two.

"No way," He blinked at her. "Wasn't Kotetsu out of power when he died?"

"Yeah, but apparently I still absorbed it."

He sat back, "How did that happen?"

"I don't know. But I found out on the night Dad died. I got mad at Uncle Muramasa for not taking enough time off work to see him in the hospital, and by mistake, I powered up," Kaede smiled a little to herself. "I guess that means his power had just been dormant the whole time. So he never really lost it after all. And now, it's mine, so long as I never touch another NEXT again."

"…but, now I don't get why avoiding contact with me matters so much." Barnaby furrowed his brows. "I have the exact same power, so it's not like there'd be any real difference."

"But there would!" Kaede huffed. "Because if I touched you, it wouldn't be his anymore. And I'm not about to lose the very last thing he could ever give me."

Kaede looked to the clock on the wall longingly, wishing she could just spin back those hour hands to a few months ago, so that she wouldn't have forgotten her purse on the taxi, the purse that held her old wristwatch and the blue flower clip. Both were gifts from her dad. Now they were gone.

Barnaby jarred her from her musings with a yawn.

"Tired?"

"You guessed it."

Kaede stood up, leading Anya to leap off her lap and into Barnaby's.

"Well! Looks like you got a cuddle buddy for the night." She bent down towards an ottoman and opened it up, tossing a throw blanket and a couple of pillows Barnaby's way. "Sleep tight, Old Man."

Before he could say anything, she turned out the lights.

Kotetsu and Barnaby sat hunched together at the end of the room, looking down from Barnaby's window at the view of the city. The sky was dyed in warm colors, with some hints of indigo and violet creeping along the fringes of the clouds. Night was drawing near, and it was only a matter of time before one of the two would have to stir out of his comfortable stupor to drag himself back home.

But with the warmth of Kotetsu's arm around him, and the way the older man would sloppily but lovingly brush his lips against Barnaby's face, Barnaby didn't think he could really bear to have the moment end. It was nice to be tipsy with Kotetsu after a long day at work, to feel safe and at ease with someone he could trust in his most vulnerable state. And something about being with Kotetsu in quiet moments like this made him feel endless inside, even though he knew that, in reality, things come to an end.

For every night that ended, Barnaby always found himself wishing there was more time. He wished they could keep their powers up for maybe a minute or so longer in the very least. He wished he could've spent more time with his parents. And, looking down at his partner's wedding band, he wished Kotetsu could've spent more time with Tomoe.

A drunken question couldn't help but stir his tongue to life.

"What was it like to be married, Kotetsu?" Barnaby hiccupped, slumping onto Kotetsu's shoulder. "To Tomoe? What was the feeling like?" Rubbing at his beard thoughtfully, Kotetsu took another sip of the whiskey, before handing the flask back to Barnaby.

"Wow, how can I even begin to describe this?" He chuckled, "I could probably answer this better sober, but let's see…"

"Well?"

"Hang on a second, Bunny, let me think." Kotetsu slapped a fist against his palm, "Oh! I've got it. With Tomoe, marriage was like… like… movement."

"Movement?"

"Yeah! Like, driving down a road." Kotetsu started making hand gestures, "She would trust me with the steering wheel, and I would trust her directions. Like, the whole way, I feel as though the point of it all was inspiring the other to keep going, because they were doing alright, and to make sure they were on the right track. So when things were going great, it felt like…movement. As if we were further down the road to getting somewhere, except… neither of us really wanted to leave the car until we absolutely had to. We just wanted to enjoy the journey for however long it lasted more than anything else."

"Ah. I see." Barnaby smiled.

Kotetsu laughed, "I don't get why you of all people would bother to think about her though."

"Well, she's important to you, isn't she? And if she's important to you, then to me, just as well…"

"That means a lot," Kotetsu said, pressing another kiss to Barnaby's jaw this time. He sighed nostalgically, "Yeah. Sometimes I really miss her. But I'm happy I can look down at my ring, and think… damn, that was one hell of a great road trip."

At this, Barnaby couldn't help the words that tumbled out next. "I know I can't replace her. But… can't I still…? Agh." He scolded himself mentally for not knowing how to finish his own sentence. Kotetsu then shifted to remove his partner's glasses, to which Barnaby rejoined, "What was that for?"

"Heh. Sorry, Bunny." He teased, "Just wanted to make sure you weren't crying."

"Hmph. Come on, Old Man, I'm not a kid."

"I know." Kotetsu laughed, sliding his arm around Barnaby's waist, pulling him closer. He looked forward, back out the window, "And, no, you really can't replace her. But I don't want you to feel for even one second like I don't love you, Barnaby. You're more than enough." He tried not choking up himself, suddenly burdened by the thought of losing Bunny too, "You make me real happy to be here right now, you know?"

"Kotetsu…"

Neither of them really knew who moved first, but their lips met at last, slow-moving and still tinged with the taste of whiskey. Barnaby could feel his heart swelling with that sweet, endless sentiment, the kind he'd never grow tired of, and really, if lungs would permit him, he just wanted to stay like this with Kotetsu for at least a hundred more years.

As, they parted to breathe, Kotetsu pressed his forehead to Barnaby's and murmured, "Say. Do you want to know what marriage feels like, Bunny?" Barnaby couldn't help the flush that spread across his face, struck speechless. Was Kotetsu really asking him this right now? The older man only chuckled, placing a gentle hand on Barnaby's face, "Because…if I had to get married again, it wouldn't be half bad to be married to you." The younger man remained silent, unable to push any form of speech past his lips.

But where words failed Barnaby, the shimmer in his green eyes said more to Kotetsu than lips ever could.

And just as Kotetsu moved to kiss him again, Barnaby woke up.

Anya sat curled atop his chest, nestled comfortably there. Not wanting to wake the poor sleepy creature up, Barnaby allowed himself to remain trapped under her barely substantial weight. He stared up at the ceiling, remembering that night, the memory that played through his head as he dreamed. That was the only time they'd ever talked about marriage before Kotetsu proposed.

Careful not to wake Anya, Barnaby lifted his hand to mouth, smiling as he kissed his ring finger.

Kaede pretended not to see as she shuffled groggily towards the bathroom.