This takes place between the end of the show and the epilogue, and will eventually be what I personally would like to see happen between Wild Tiger and Lunatic. I kind of wanted to draw out the start of their relationship a bit more to make it smoother and maybe more believable, but since this was originally a commission from my best friend Ghosty (who helped me with the title. Thank you~!) I didn't want it to be a longfic. (It was actually supposed to be a oneshot but I got carried away eheheh)

Anyway, please enjoy!

Christmas was drawing ever nearer, and the whole city seemed to have exploded with the holiday. This time of year more than any was particularly difficult for Yuri Petrov. The nostalgia of the brightly coloured lights, the trees covered in ornaments, and the general aura of family cheer seemed almost mocking. With each new Christmas, one cannot help but remember every one before, and the good memories in their evanescence were even worse than the bad ones that came after.

Setting up the Christmas tree, finding presents sitting beneath it, opening them as his mother and father watched on merrily. It was a kind of irreplaceable happiness.

Then, that was all gone. Papa was too busy, too distracted to bring home a tree. Mama was too weak to put up the ornaments, and in the end it never got done. The small number of presents he received were not wrapped and had been bought without care. Christmas day passed with his father drunk, his mother sleeping, and himself sitting alone in his room and wondering if it was really Christmas at all.

Eventually, Christmas became a thing left uncelebrated in the Petrov home, right up to present day. In fact he made it his personal mission in December to keep his ailing mother from knowing it was this time of year. Before that she would go into another one of her mindless timeslips and try to find the ornaments, ask him how big he thought the tree would be this year, and hope that Papa would come home soon. That incident had been more painful than he would like to admit, so from then on, December, as well as the months of his birthday, his father's birthday, and his parents' anniversary, were omitted from their calendars.

Now he sat alone in his house so painfully bland compared to the vibrancy of the outside world, sipping his tea and going over case files just like every other night. However, this mundane ritual was soon broken by the sound of the doorbell.

Getting up, Yuri made sure to lock the door to his study behind him. "I'll get it, Mama," he called towards the livingroom just in case she would think to try to stand up and answer, herself.

A glance out the peephole told him that of all people, Wild Tiger was standing outside his front door, looking as awkward as always. 'What on Earth...' Yuri thought to himself as he opened the door.

Kotetsu Kaburagi let out a small yelp, as though he had not been expecting that, but quickly regained his composure. "Ah! Mr. Petrov! Uh.. Hi!"

Yuri stared at him dully.

Seeming to remember why he had come, Kotetsu held out a small, white box. "Well, it's Christmastime and all.. I know I've caused you a lot of trouble lately, and since I'm retiring now.. It's not much, but as an apology for being such a pain in your side, I baked you this Christmas cake!"

Looking from the box, then up to Kotetsu's beaming face, Yuri repressed a tired sigh. "Wild Tiger, I would rather you have apologized by lessening the damage you are so prone to causing."

Wilting, Kotetsu looked like a scolded puppy. "I know.. I'm sorry. But I can bake a really good cake..! C'mon, it's got homemade frosting and everything!"

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Yuri wondered what the best thing to do was. Obviously he wanted to turn Kotetsu and his cake away to avoid the –though innocently– prying man seeing his home so lacking in festivity, not to mention his mother. But turning him away would in the long run probably makes matters worse. Kotetsu was a caring person, and dim-witted on top of it. If he was willing to bake a cake, find out where Yuri lived, and then come all the way here to give it to him, there was no telling what he would do if he got it in his head to find the best way to apologize. And dim-witted though he may be, it would be unwise to underestimate his intuition. If Kotetsu got too close, he might realize the truth. Either about his father, or about Lunatic. There was no way to know which was worse.

So, with the sensation of a headache coming on, Yuri opened the door further and stepped aside. "Come in, then." The best thing to do was play it as normal as possible and hope that Kotetsu would forget about him after returning to his family.

"Thank you, Your Honor!" Kotetsu said brightly as he followed the taller man into the diningroom. "You won't regret it!"

'I certainly hope not.' "There's no need to call me 'Your Honor' outside the courtroom."

"Eheheh.. right."

"And you may take off that mask, Mr. Kaburagi. I already know your identity." The last thing he wanted was for his mother to see a Hero. Pretending that knowing his real name was a matter of course was worth the risk if he could avoid the two of them getting into a conversation about Mr. Legend.

Kotetsu blinked a few times in surprise, then shrugged and removed the mask, slipping it into his pocket. And just in time, as well.

"Yuri, dear? Who was it?" At that moment, his mother rolled in on her wheelchair. When she saw Kotetsu, her face lit up with pleasant surprise. "Oh! Sweetie, is this a friend of yours from school? You should have told me you were expecting company!"

Of course she would be having another timeslip. Yuri sighed. "No, Mama. He's a colleague; I'm not in school, anymore. This is Kotetsu Kaburagi."

Kotetsu noted the blank look that came over the woman's face and quickly stepped forward. "It's very nice to meet you, Mrs. Petrov! I brought over a Christmas cake I made, since I've been something of a headache for your son."

Instantly she returned to herself. "Oh! What a sweet thing to do!" Taking the box from him, she opened it up and gasped. "My, what a lovely cake it is, too! Look, Yuri! And you made it yourself? Such talent! Thank you, dear!"

"Ah, it's really nothing.." Kotetsu chuckled bashfully.

"No, I'm sure this means so much to Yuri! He doesn't have many friends at school, I'm afraid. And things have been tough around the house since his father is so busy with work these days. But he's been such good boy, not mentioning Christmas once! We haven't even put any lights up, yet.." She reached out and patted her son's arm fondly before smiling up at the Japanese man. "Kotetsu, dear, why don't you stay for dinner? Yuri's father will be home soon, so we can all share this wonderful cake together!"

Yuri opened his mouth to once again remind his mother that her husband would not be coming home, but realized that it would be a very bad idea to trigger her memory right now. Kotetsu glanced at him, looking for approval or rejection. As much as Yuri wanted him to leave as fast as possible, he thought that it might not be so bad to have him stay for dinner. Though certainly an endless source of irritation, Kotetsu was an amusing and pleasant fellow. He was loathe to admit it, but the "wild tiger" had begun to grow on Yuri. And now he would be leaving the city for good.

Giving the man a small shrug only he would be able to catch, Yuri decided that perhaps his infernally cheery disposition would be good to have around for a while.

Looking both surprised and delighted that he was given permission, Kotetsu nodded eagerly to Mrs. Petrov. "Don't mind if I do, then, ma'am!"

She clapped her hands, sharing his enthusiasm. "Wonderful! Why don't you boys go play in Yuri's room while I fix dinner? Have fun, you two!"

Yuri was already headed out to the hall, and Kotetsu quickly followed after.

"I should have perhaps warned you about my mother's delusions."

"Eh? Nah, it's no trouble! She's a very sweet lady." As they stepped into Yuri's large bedroom, he lost a bit of his steam and grew more serious. "Must be hard on you, though. Is she always like that?"

"Sometimes she remembers certain things. But the doctors say it's her own subconscious choice that's keeping her in the past, so there's nothing anyone can do about it." Taking a seat on the edge of his bed, Yuri shrugged again. "Sit wherever you like."

Kotetsu took the stool sitting in front of the mirrored dresser nearby. "So.. Your father..."

"Died many years ago. It's the main cause of her dementia, that she witnessed his murder."

"Murder! I'm sorry.. Did they ever catch the culprit?"

"No. To this day no one knows who did it, other than he was a NEXT."

Kotetsu winced, but Yuri smiled slightly. "I don't hate NEXT because of it. It could just as easily have been a normal human. People, no matter who or what they are, are capable of evil. Humans, NEXT... Even Heroes."

"So I guess that's why you became a judge? To make sure evil people pay for their crimes." Yuri nodded. "And you take care of your poor mother, too. Well, now I feel even worse for giving you such a big workload all the time, eheh..."

"You are prone to disaster, I'll give you that. Do try to be a little less clumsy, would you? For everyone who has to clean up your mess. Now that you're not a Hero, I will have no excuse to save you from all the lawsuits, you know."

Kotetsu rubbed the back of his head, looking like a fool who had been caught acting foolish. "Yes, Sir."

"Speaking of clumsy, how are your injuries? You haven't given them much time to rest."

"Oh, I'm fine!" Kotetsu laughed and patted his chest, then winced slightly. "I'm a fast healer."

Yuri's lips twitched again. "I see."

They continued to talk about various things until Mrs. Petrov called them into the kitchen. The casual mood that had built up promptly dive-bombed again when they found the table set for four people.

"Don't worry, boys," she said cheerfully. "I'm sure Mr. Petrov will be home soon."

Frustration bubbled up inside Yuri, but he once again repressed the urge to pull his mother back down to Earth. As he tried to decide how to handle the situation, Kotetsu suddenly spoke up.

"Uhh, ma'am.. He just called to say that he won't be back in time for dinner." Yuri looked at him in surprise, but the other man was playing it surprisingly cool.

Mrs. Petrov's face fell. "What? But I didn't hear the phone ring..."

"We were right next to it, so Yuri answered pretty quickly."

"Oh, I see... What a shame. He's been so busy these days..." She made a concerted effort to cheer up. "Well, the three of us can still enjoy ourselves, right? Come, let's eat!"

Yuri remained quiet throughout dinner, speaking only when it was required of him as his mother and Kotetsu chatted away like a couple of birds. She was still convinced that the Japanese man was her son's schoolmate, and Kotetsu seemed to have no problem with playing along. It was perhaps the most pleasant and relaxed meal he had had with his mother since before his father had started drinking.

It felt surreal to be sitting there eating Christmas cake baked by someone who had once made his blood boil for more reasons than one, and who was now pretending to be in middle school again for the sake of a woman he had just met. Of course it was to be expected of the kind-hearted man, and Yuri found himself less irritated and more appreciative than he thought he would be.

When it was over and he was walking Kotetsu out, Yuri was at a loss as to what to say to him. "I'm.. sorry you had to deal with my mother."

"No, no! Not at all!" Kotetsu waved away his apology with a grin. "I'm the one who should say I'm sorry for going that far. It just seemed too sad to have to break her bubble, you know?"

"Yes.. You made her very happy tonight. She may not remember it for long, but I should ..thank you.. for indulging her fantasies." And he meant it.

"Hey, any time."

"And good luck with your retirement, as well. Wild Tiger will be missed."

Kotetsu winked at him. "But not the law suits and damages that come with the package, eh?"

"Indeed."

That was how they parted, and did not see each other again for many months. Life in Sternbild went on as usual.

Then, the news came that Kotetsu, his powers available now for but a minute, would be returning as Wild Tiger.

Of course, a party was held to welcome him back, and as the Heroes' curator, he was expected to attend. Not at all partial to such gatherings, he socialized only as much as he was expected to, and though accepting of the wineglass offered him, drank not a drop. Just the sharp scent of alcohol made his stomach churn, and it did not take long for the bright lights and festivities to put a dull pounding in his head.

As soon as he felt it safe to do so, Yuri retreated onto the nearest unoccupied balcony for fresh air and quiet. Although he knew that to keep up appearances and to hide his true identity, he had to attend these parties, but he would rather be out in the city as Lunatic instead of pretending to agree with a system whose "heroes" only cared about points and ratings instead of the lives they could be saving by eradicating the scum that infects the world.

"Your Honor! Bet you weren't expecting me to end up back in your hair, huh?"

Yuri turned to see Kotetsu approach, a sheepish grin plastered on his face as usual.

Well, all except one Hero.

A smile crossed Yuri's face without effort for the first time in a long time. "Honestly, I was hoping to never have to see you again at all. Sternbild was running so smoothly without you stumbling about."

"Eheh.. I'll do my best to be more careful."

Leaning back against the railing, Yuri flicked his long hair back from his face. "So, was the quiet family life too dull for you?"

Kotetsu poked at the plate of mini wieners carried with a toothpick. "That's not it. Even though the time is down to a minute, my powers seems to have stabilized, and so long as I have them, I want to be able to help people. And Kaede wanted me to become a Hero again, too. Who am I to turn down a chance to be cool in my daughter's eyes, you know?"

Yuri chuckled. "Well, Sternbild could always use more heroes."

"Speaking of which, have there been any leads concerning Lunatic? I kept hearing about him on the news."

The judge sighed and shook his head. "He's like a ghost."

Kotetsu looked out across the city, as though half expecting to see the vigilante NEXT somewhere amongst the towering spires. "He's someone I'd like to catch with my own hands," he said quietly, a thoughtful expression on his face, making him look older and wiser than Yuri usually gave him credit. "I want to be able to ask him personally why he saved me that time. What his real sense of justice is, and why. I'll never be able to agree with his methods, but after that day, I feel like maybe he's really doing what he believes is right. How are you supposed to try a man like that?"

Yuri watched him closely from the corner of his eye. "Perhaps he is. Perhaps if the circumstances of this world were just a little different, Lunatic would be a Hero alongside you. But our justice system does not work that way, and so no matter how honest his intentions, he will always be just a 'lunatic' in our society."

Kotetsu glanced over in surprise. "That's.. You seem to have him pretty figured out."

Yuri shrugged. "There was a time in my life when I had doubts about 'justice' and what was 'right'. I became a prosecutor and then a judge for reasons not so different than Lunatic's– to see justice served without corruption or exemption for the guilty. But when even I do not have the power to change the law and make it stronger, people like Lunatic are bound to appear."

Humming thoughtfully, Kotetsu nodded. "When you put it that way... It's sad, isn't it. A sad existence for him."

"I suppose so." Yuri smiled at the Hero. "If you can manage to catch him alive, I will make sure he receives a fair trial."

Kotetsu grinned. "I'll count on you, then. Oh, hey! I just remembered what I came over here for. I baked you another cake!"

"Let me guess, as an apology in advance?"

"..How did you know."

"Call it a hunch."

"Well.. Yeah. And since your mom liked it so much, and all.. Speaking of which, how is she these days?"

But of course Kotetsu would remember. Even so, Yuri felt a little touched. "The same as always, really. I'm sure she would love to see you, again."

To his surprise, Kotetsu seemed delighted. "Really? That's great! So when can I drop it off? Tonight?"

"That's fine."

"There you are." They both turned to see Barnaby in the doorway. "Will you come back inside already? This is your party, after all. Everyone is wondering where you are."

"Ah. Right. Sorry, Bunny." Kotetsu chuckled sheepishly. As he went to follow Barnaby, he turn to wave at Yuri. "I'll be seeing you, then!"

His secret adversary smiled and nodded. "It's good to have you back, Wild Tiger."

The Hero blinked, momentarily floored by the kind sentiment. "Thanks." Recovering, he grinned and flashed a thumbs-up. "It's good to be back."

After the party, Kotetsu stood once more outside Yuri Petrov's home. He knocked on the door, but received no reply. Hoping that he had not come too late, he rang the doorbell next, but still there was silence from inside. In one last attempt, he tried the doorknob and found it to be unlocked.

"Uhh.. Hello?" he called, poking his head in. Nothing. Stepping inside, he shut the door behind him and wandered farther into the house, listening for some sign that anyone was even home.

Reaching the end of the hall, Kotetsu found him sitting on the kitchen floor amidst shards of broken plates and a vase, silverware, and the flowers and water that had been in the vase. His hands and arms were cut from the glass, and his clothes were soaked. A bruise was darkening on his cheek.

"Oi, Yuri!" Kotetsu yelped in shock, rushing over to kneel next to him. The cake box was tossed carelessly onto the table. "Are you alright? What happened?"

Yuri blinked slowly, as though he had not at first realized anyone was there. Coming out of his daze, he sighed and pushed his hair back. "Ah.. Mr. Kaburagi. Nothing to worry about. My mother.. She had an episode."

"An.. An episode? Never mind, you can tell me once we get you up. Come on." Helping Yuri to his feet, Kotetsu brought him back into his bedroom. "Where do you keep your First Aid kit?"

"Bathroom cabinet. There's no need to be so frantic, I'm really fine." He sat down on the bed while Kotetsu went to get the kit.

"Even so! Here's a towel, too." The concerned brunet handed it to Yuri as the taller man peeled the wet shirt off his skin.

"I can do this myself." Yuri scowled at Kotetsu's insistent care, but the shorter of the two was most insistent, and soon the judge gave up and sat quietly with the towel wrapped around his waist as Kotetsu sat next to him, carefully picking stray glass out of his hands and dabbing the wounds with disinfectant.

"Where is she now?" he asked in a gentle voice that made Yuri oddly uncomfortable.

"In her room, I believe. Probably resting." He let out a small, derisive chuckle. "Usually her aim is much worse than this."

Kotetsu glanced up at him. "This happens often?"

Yuri shrugged his shoulders, noticing the other's gaze move briefly to the scar there, gained from his brief fight with Maverick's android. "When she remembers.. certain things.. she tends to lash out. At me, especially."

"Why? Uh.. Sorry." Kotetsu quickly took back his question, realizing a little too late how personal it was.

Somewhat to his own surprise, Yuri did not mind telling him. As much as he could afford to, that is. "She blames me for my father's death. In her eyes, I may well have been the one to kill him, myself. ..Perhaps in a way I was."

Kotetsu looked up again, a fire in his eyes. "That can't be!"

Yuri sighed. "Don't concern yourself with my problems, Mr. Kaburagi. I've dealt with this since I was a boy."

"I'm sorry," Kotetsu said genuinely. Wrapping the last bandage around the other's hand, he sighed and leaned back. "Looks like you barely tried to defend yourself. Just stood there and took it, huh? Punishing yourself?"

"Someone like you wouldn't understand."

"'Someone like me'?"

A pent-up emotion deep inside Yuri briefly surfaced, and he looked back at Kotetsu with clenched teeth. "Yes, someone like you. With such a lenient sense of justice, so frivolous and easily betrayed. And yet, even though your powers are declining, even though you will one day have to quit being a Hero, you..!" Sucking in a deep breath, Yuri turned away again, taking firm control of his emotions. "You haven't changed at all. Someone like you, so full of hope and forgiveness.. You could not possibly understand my justice."

Kotetsu was silent for a long moment, and just when Yuri began to think that he never would, he spoke.

"I'm a bad father," the Hero said softly, staring up at the ceiling. "I put my job before my family because I believed that it would be worth it to save the lives of other families, if it was in my power to do so. Perhaps the worst of it is, I still believe that. So my daughter ended up hating me, because I could only let her down and leave her alone in the end. She's starting to understand it now, but.. The disappointment I've caused her isn't something that's ever going to leave her heart, and I know that. To say that I've never questioned if my justice was naive would be lying, but I'll continue to believe that people are more good than evil, and that everyone deserves a second chance."

Yuri smiled to himself. "Actually, I think.. You're a very good father. One day she will understand how important it is to stay true to your morals; I know it."

"Well if I can't do that, I couldn't even consider myself a good human being."

"Indeed."

Kotetsu shrugged and laid down, putting his hands behind his head. "And it doesn't matter that my powers are declining. Even if they disappear completely, I still have the suit, I can still save peoples' lives. I'll become a cop or something, you know? I remember a time when all I wanted was to lose my powers!" He laughed, then grew serious again.

"I guess I just ended up too much like my old man. He was a great dad, really he was, but he was also always away when I was a kid. He worked himself to the bone for us, and I remember often just wishing that he could stay home with me. But I grew up to understand his feelings, and the sacrifice he made to build our house and then keep us comfortable in it. I forgot what it was like to be a kid wanting their parent. Kaede is a lot more understanding now that she knows what I actually did for a living, though. Maybe it was a mistake to keep it from her for so long..."

Heaving a long sigh, Yuri laid back next to him. "My father..." he began quietly even as a voice in his head screamed in warning. Stop. Stop before you say too much! "You remind me of him, a lot. You have the same sense of justice. But in the end... There were circumstances that would force him to lose the job he loved so much, and it broke him. He abandoned his morals, his justice. He changed, and then the alcohol made it worse."

Kotetsu looked over at him. "Yuri..."

Yuri shook his head. "Don't apologize. Alcohol, depression, stress... In my profession I've seen just how often those things can ruin lives, so my case is hardly special. Loving family men will beat their wives and children as if possessed, and sometimes there's just nothing you can do to bring them back."

"I.. can't imagine how that must feel.."

Changing the subject somewhat, Yuri turned to Kotetsu. "I really am glad that you've returned. You're the only Hero left that cares more about saving people than getting points or becoming the most popular. The only one that has truly carried on Mr. Legend's will."

Kotetsu seemed surprised. "You think so?"

Yuri nodded and propped himself up on one elbow. "It's true, isn't it? Being a Hero has become a sham, a mockery of what it was meant to be. We had Maverick to thank for that, but even though the truth has come out, nothing has changed. Criminals still flock to Sternbild for a chance to be part of this circus, risking only a few years in prison no matter what their crime. It's all rather hopeless without your honesty. Thank you."

Perhaps he had in fact sustained a head injury, perhaps his mind was still too addled from his mother's condemning shrieks, but whatever the reason, Yuri found himself leaning down to kiss the man's cheek without thinking.

Kotetsu blinked rapidly, absolutely floored by this development. He gaped at Yuri as he pulled back enough to look at him again, a strand of wavy grey hair brushing his face. "Yuri..."

Before he could say anything else, Yuri kissed his lips, slowly and sensually as one pale hand came up to tilt his face closer. It had been a very long time since Yuri had kissed anyone, and Kotetsu's lips were warm and experienced. Kotetsu remained dumbfounded for a moment, and then the sensation of Yuri's soft mouth reached his brain, and he began to tentatively return the kiss.

When they parted, Yuri examined the brown eyes before him and saw the same confusion and desire he himself felt.

"What is it about you..." he murmured softly. "We're so different, and yet I always find myself so attracted to you, to your simple, earnest foolishness. Your naive wisdom. I have to wonder if I'm being masochistic."

Kotetsu did not seem to fully understand what Yuri was saying, but in his own way, he shared the sentiment. "Maybe so."

"..Stay with me tonight," Yuri whispered, his green eyes alight with some smoldering emotion Kotetsu could not really understand.

Never until this moment had the Hero even thought about the judge in this way. It had just never crossed his mind to be attracted to him. But now that it had, he suddenly realized that Yuri was not only attractive, but attractive to him in a way he had never felt before. And even though normally he would decline to at least have the chance to think through these new feelings first, he got the sense that Yuri needed him. Needed to not be rejected, needed whatever it was he meant to Yuri. Kotetsu could not bring himself to deny the strange comfort he seemed to give the man.

"Ok," he murmured.

"I didn't expect you to actually agree... Why?"

"I don't know," Kotetsu answered honestly.

Yuri smiled wanly. "Then we're on the same level."

Shifting, Yuri straddled Kotetsu's waist and kissed him again. "But aren't there, uh.. Laws against us doing this, or something?" Kotetsu asked nervously as he felt his tie loosened. "You being a judge, and me being.. well, in your courtroom so often..."

"If you think.." Yuri nibbled the other's lower lip. "..that this is going to make me go any easier on you.." The tie was pulled off sharply. "Think again." Sitting up, now, he began to undo the buttons on Kotetsu's vest.

"Y-you know, it's been a while since I've done this..." Despite his obvious nervousness, however, Kotetsu helped Yuri pull off his vest, and kicked off his shoes and socks while his shirt was unbuttoned next.

"I can say the same." Yuri glanced up at him slyly. "Have you ever done it with a man?"

Kotetsu's cheeks flushed and he looked away. "My wife and I may have been childhood sweethearts, but we weren't always together... I was a teenager once, you know."

Yuri chuckled as he removed Kotetsu's shirt. "Good to hear." He was not exactly experienced, himself. During his youth, such desires had been far from the forefront of his mind. Fear of losing control of his fire, fear of his scar being discovered, fear of people themselves, kept him from taking more lovers of either gender than he could count on one hand. But that hardly mattered, now. Kotetsu was... different.

Undoing the front of the other's pants, he slid his hand inside and grasped the man's cock gently, relishing the hissed response. After stroking him a few times, feeling the hardness growing against his palm, Yuri climbed off Kotetsu's lap gracefully and went over to his dresser in search of something.

Allowing himself a few deep, calming breaths, Kotetsu sat up and pulled off the rest of his clothes. He had no idea how this situation had come about, or what would happen when it was over, but it felt right, somehow. Yuri would be his first lover since Tomoe had passed away, and at that moment, he was fine with that. Even if tonight was the only time they were together like this, Kotetsu had a feeling that they both needed the intimacy.

Retrieving a bottle from the back of one of his drawers, Yuri returned to the bed, letting the towel around his waist fall away as he did. He took out his hair clips and ribbon, then laid down next to Kotetsu, handing him the bottle. "It's just simple massage oil, but it should work fine."

Their lips met again, adding hints of tongue and teeth as Kotetsu rolled on top of Yuri. Sleek muscle and scarred skin, they pressed themselves together, indulging in the closeness of another body after so long.

Hands roamed over sensitive flesh, through locks of hair, and between tangled legs. The quiet room began to stir with quickened breaths and small groans, and soon their erections were held together in Kotetsu's hand as he stroked them both.

"Yuri..." he whispered heatedly, brushing his thumb over the heads of their cocks, causing them both to gasp. "Just.. Just tell me when you're ready..."

"Now..." Yuri moaned back, arching up. "Don't wait..."

Getting onto his knees, Kotetsu moved between Yuri's legs and poured some of the thick, clear lotion from the bottle over his fingers. Rubbing them until it was warm, he was reassured by Yuri's trusting expression as he leaned forward and began to nudge the other man's entrance.

Yuri fought back a wince as one digit slowly worked its way inside him, but the uncomfortableness was soon forgotten as Kotetsu returned to give him a deep, soothing kiss. Yuri supposed the gentle care the man showed with every action should not be surprising, coming from such a kind person so very different from the few and superficial one-night-stands he had only known before. Ironic that Kotetsu of all people could at once stand as a living reminder of his father's betrayal and the single greatest threat to everything he believes in, would also be the lover that quieted the voices in his head, and calmed the madness that gnawed at his heart, better than any other.

With that said, though, Yuri was not a patient man.

"Kotetsu..." he breathed, arching again. "I'm not so fragile that you need go this slowly."

"R-right..." Yuri felt a swell of pride seeing his adversary flustered and wanting, such a change from his usual childishness. Another finger entered, carefully stretching and stroking until they found that place.

Unable to hold back a loud moan as pleasure shot up his spine, Yuri held onto Kotetsu's shoulders tightly while his hips bucked. It was extremely difficult to keep his composure now that a third digit joined the others in tormenting the bunch of nerves inside him, and he was beginning to wonder if there was even a point in trying.

Chest heaving, cock aching, Yuri forced himself to regain control and push Kotetsu away. "Enough. I'm ready." The breathy, yearning tone of his own voice surprised him, and for a second he felt a flash of embarrassment to be seen in such a state, but he quickly discarded the emotion. Like this, between lovers, it was alright to let the facade slip a little, right?

"Are you sure?" Kotetsu asked, even though he was breathing heavily as well.

Yuri nodded and wrapped his legs around Kotetsu's waist. This feeling of exposure, of being defenseless in someone's arms, it was yet another reason why he had never sought much of this contact. But Kotetsu... Kotetsu was...

"You're beautiful," The Japanese man murmured as he watched Yuri painstakingly lower his guard, for no one's eyes but his.

Surprised for a moment, Yuri blinked up at him, then smiled. "What a thing to say..."

"It's true. I've never really thought of another man as beautiful before, but you are. It's not just appearance, either. Your eyes are sad and full of pain sometimes, but when you're really smiling, or relaxed like this, it's beautiful. You should be yourself more often."

Yuri wrapped his arms around Kotetsu's neck and pulled him closer. "How very romantic. But you're taking for granted the fact that it's somewhat impossible to not be one's self around you." Drawing the man above him into another deep kiss, Yuri lightly dug his fingernails into Kotetsu's back, urging him to hurry.

Making a sound in his throat that reminded Yuri of a tiger's growl –oh, how amusing– Kotetsu pulled up the other's slender hips to rest against his and slowly pushed himself inside.

Wincing as pain stabbed at him, Yuri continued kissing the Hero fiercely, but both had to part for air when Kotetsu was fully settled inside him.

"You.. Ok..?" Kotetsu panted.

Yuri forced himself to relax again, to accept the closeness and intimacy and pleasure he was so unused to. "Yes... I'm fine..."

Gradually, Kotetsu moved, groaning at the friction of Yuri's tight body around him. His shallow thrusts made the grey-haired man's breath catch, and after a few moments, they fell into a smooth rhythm. Yuri clung to him, pressing his face into the crook of his shoulder in a vain effort to stifle his moans. It felt so maddeningly good, his eyes filled up with tears and all thought fell away from his mind. Nothing else mattered but the gentle, passionate man making love to him as though they had been together for years.

"Kotetsu... Kotetsu..." Yuri was barely aware of what he was saying, knowing only that he needed more.

Groaning in response, Kotetsu pulled them up to sit on the bed, Yuri now in his lap. Gasping when the new position drove Kotetsu's cock deeper inside him, Yuri kissed him again, sliding their bodies together as he moved up and down.

Yuri held onto Kotetsu like a lifeline, like the one thing that could anchor him to sanity. Just the feeling of a strong, warm body embracing him so tenderly was enough. It was addicting and frightening and comforting all at the same time.

A hand crept between them and wrapped around his cock, causing even more lights to flash before his eyes. Biting back a plea for more, Yuri leaned back on his hands so he could watch the muscles beneath Kotetsu's tan skin ripple and flex as he thrust upwards and pumped the other's aching hardness. Yuri did not have long to admire the view, however, because with a few more rolls of their hips, Kotetsu's cock began to rub against that spot inside him again.

Unable to contain his cry, Yuri only just managed to keep his arms from collapsing beneath him. Clenching his teeth, he tried to ride out the waves of pleasure now threatening to overcome him, but all he could do was frantically grind his hips against Kotetsu's.

"Yuri..!" the Hero groaned, his pace speeding up. "So good..!"

"Harder... Please..!" Yuri panted as he felt himself drawing near to the edge. Kotetsu complied instantly, driving himself more forcefully into the other. The faint pain that now joined Yuri's pleasure was what sent him into the abyss, orgasm washing his senses away like a typhoon.

As white spilled over his hand, Kotetsu nearly cried out when Yuri tightened around him, and he followed his lover into euphoria.

Together they collapsed on the bed, gasping for air. Kotetsu rolled off of Yuri and pulled the blankets up over them both while he tried to catch his breath, his whole body humming in the afterglow.

"So..." he said after a while. "How are we going to explain my being here to your mother in the morning?" With a sly grin he glanced over at the man next to him. "You were helping me with homework?"

To both of their surprises, Yuri laughed. "A passable excuse."

Chuckling, Kotetsu admired Yuri's features in the soft lamplight. "You should smile more often. Really smile. It's too nice to keep faking."

"I wonder if I can..." Yuri mused. It felt so alien to be this content. Kotetsu really was a mysterious person.

As they lay there relaxing, the sound of a familiar voice made Yuri's mind suddenly come crashing back down from where it had been comfortably drifting.

"Yuri, what are you doing?"

Green eyes snapped open to find the translucent figure of Mr. Legend standing near the bed.

Clenching his teeth, Yuri shut his eyes again and tried to block the apparition out. 'Go away, Papa,' he mentally pleaded. 'Not now. Just let me have one night of peace. I deserve at least this much.'

"Will you drag him down with you? Corrupt him with your bitterness and wrath?"

'This has nothing to do with anything!'

"You're fascinated by him because he reminds you of me, isn't that right? The me you want to forget. So why do you cling to him like this?"

Yuri glared at the masked face of his father as he sat up. 'What do you expect me to tell you?'

"Do you want him to save you?"

Swinging his legs out of the bed, Yuri paused. '..No. I do not want to be saved. Now leave me be.'

"Yuri?" Kotetsu was looking over at him groggily.

The grey-haired man tried to smile. "I'm going to take a shower. You don't have to wait up for me."

"Oh.. Ok."

Once in the bathroom, Yuri took the bandages off his arms and washed the cosmetics off his face. Stepping into the hot water, he let out a long sigh and tried to force the nagging doubts from his mind.

He was not sure how much time had passed before the shower door suddenly opened, and Kotetsu poked his head inside with a yawn.

"Hey, Yuri, mind if I jump in with..." He trailed off as he caught sight of the other man, and for a moment everything but the pouring water was still. It took that long for Yuri to realize what had happened, and just as it hit him, Kotetsu spoke.

"Your face..." he murmured, pointing at the handprint of burned flash stretching across the right side of Yuri's face.

Jerking back, Yuri covered the scar and turned away. "Get out!"

"But—"

"Out! Get out!" He felt a hand on his shoulder and blindly lashed out, but missed, hitting only air. "Don't look at me!"

He barely heard Kotetsu also yelling, his voice seeming distant behind the loud warning sirens going off in his head. It was all he could do to not kill the man right there.

"Yuri! For Pete's sake— Calm down! Just calm down! Your mother is going to hear!"

This broke through, and in an instant Yuri froze. Breathing heavily, his thoughts –though distorted– began to clear, and then grow numb. So Kotetsu had seen the one thing he kept as secret as his Lunatic side. So now he would have to think up another good lie to divert the truth. So what. Now he had a reason to distance Kotetsu and end the foolishness he had so unwittingly started.

Turning around, Yuri leaned back against the wall of the shower and smiled at Kotetsu, though his eyes could not quite hold the emotion. Ignoring the man's obvious confusion and apprehension, he pushed back his hair and revealed the extent of the scar.

"Go ahead," he said softly. "Look. Hideous, isn't it."

Kotetsu had grimaced as expected, but it was an expression of sympathy rather than disgust. "That.. That looks like it must have really hurt. ..Is it a handprint?"

Yuri's eyes slid away. "It is. My father's."

"Your..."

Weaving the lie was surprisingly easier than Yuri had expected. The words fell from his mouth as though perfectly rehearsed, and he wondered if perhaps some part of him had been prepared for this moment all along.

"He was going to kill us. Papa had snapped completely and he wouldn't stop beating Mama. I stepped in, I tried to make him stop, but he grabbed my head as though wanting to crush it in his hand. And then just like that, he was suddenly engulfed in flames. The NEXT who did it... He saved our lives. Mama's and mine. She may have lost her mind, my face may have been burned like this, but we're alive today because my father was murdered before he could beat us both to death. ..That's justice, isn't it?" Over Kotetsu's shoulder, he could see Mr. Legend standing behind the frosted glass of the shower, but he ignored it.

The Hero said nothing for a while as he took the information in. Yuri pulled his hair back down over his face and covered the mottled flesh with his hand again; just remembering that day was making his heart and head pound painfully, and the feeling of that scar exposed for someone to see only made it worse.

When the silence stretched on, however, he looked back up with a bitter smile. "Don't wrack your brain for words of comfort; there are none. But say something."

Kotetsu shook his head. "That's not what I was doing. I was just thinking; realizing.. that it really would be irresponsible of me to completely disagree with Lunatic. I was fortunate enough to grow up knowing good people, but not everyone is that lucky. It would be easy to end up like Lunatic, I think. To lose all faith in humanity and decide that it's best to kill everyone 'evil' without giving them the chance to repeat their crimes. How can I say that your father's murder is regrettable when it meant you and your mother were spared?"

"I don't blame Papa," Yuri whispered. "I never did. Because it wasn't him. He became a completely different person, so of course he wasn't at fault. But that.. That can't excuse the fact that what he was doing was evil, and nothing was going to stop him. Even so... Even so, I..." Were those tears running down his face? Before he could think about it, Kotetsu suddenly pulled him into an embrace.

"Don't blame yourself, Yuri. I'm sure you did everything you could. It's pointless now to keep regretting the past; I know that lesson well, myself."

"Kotetsu..." This was not going as he had hoped. It was not distancing the compassionate man at all, and he wondered why he had ever thought that it would. "Please don't.. tell anyone."

"Now why would I do that. Just trust me, ok?"

"I'm sorry..." Yuri whispered, feeling a terrible resignation settle inside him.

Kotetsu pulled back to look at him in confusion, and Yuri noted with warmth that he did not so much as blink at the scar now. "What are you apologizing for?"

Yuri sighed and shook his head. "For pulling you into my sordid life. It was selfish of me."

Flashing his usual cheeky grin, Kotetsu said, "No apology necessary."

"It will be."

Look forward to chapter 2 sometime soon~!