Their homecoming was everything they could have dreamed it would be. Kotetsu's recovery had prolonged their stay for an additional week, while Adam scolded him and made sure that he hadn't undone all of their hard work in restoring his Hundred Power. Fortunately, his Next abilities continued to hold for the full five minutes, and Barnaby's slowly increased as well, until it was as if it had never been otherwise.

Doc Saito had spoken with Barnaby over the phone and threatened to send their Hero suits if they were going to keep taking stupid risks in a country that had plenty of Heroes of its own. He had only subsided when Barnaby swore that neither he nor Kotetsu would leave the institution's grounds without an escort. If he neglected to inform the Doc that he and Kotetsu escorted each other, that was hardly his fault. He had his partner's health and well-being to worry about, after all.

Kotetsu had laughed when Barnaby had brought the subject up, and told Barnaby that he was awful sneaky for a cute little bunny. Barnaby had just nibbled on his ear and retorted that he had to be if he was going to tame a wild tiger. When a warm palm cupped Kotetsu's growing arousal, he had just gasped and agreed, arching upwards.

The two lovers hadn't had much time for playing around, as they suddenly found themselves in high demand, not only from Adam and his team of scientists, but for the local police force as well. The Next users that worked with local law enforcement wanted to know how the Hero system worked. They seemed surprised that it was mostly a televised contest, a battle to see who could save the most people or catch the most bad guys. When Kotetsu tried to explain the point system, they had stared at him like he was crazy.

And maybe he was, but as Barnaby pointed out, they fought the bad guys and saved people because they could. It was what they did. The fact that they were famous for it, and others made money off of it, was just a side effect. Even if they didn't have sponsorship, they'd save the people they could. But having a network made it much quicker to realize there was a problem and leap to the rescue. Besides, the competition wasn't really a competition. They complemented each other's strengths and weaknesses, and the end result was that the good guys won and the criminals were caught.

Barnaby had earned himself an extended kissing session for that one.

When they had finally returned home, all the Heroes were waiting for them. Nathan wrapped them both in a giant hug that nearly broke their spines, and flirted shamelessly. Keith shook their hands vigorously, commending them – repeatedly – for their valiant effort in thwarting Ouroboros. Neither Barnaby or Kotetsu bothered to correct him. Karina smiled at Barnaby and welcomed him home, then gave Kotetsu a quick hug, backing off with a blush. Kotetsu smiled at her; he'd have to come clean with her, eventually. It had taken Barnaby cluing him in for him to realize that she had a crush on him, but she was almost like his daughter. He would never be able to see her as anything more than that. Besides, he had his Bunny-chan now.

Huang Pao-Lin had greeted them happily in her young voice, smiling up at them. Kotetsu ruffled her hair and got a scowl in return as he knocked the small hair pin she always wore askew. Ivan stayed quietly in the background, but the teenager greeted Kotetsu with a nod of acknowledgment when the older man caught his eye. Standing next to Ivan, Anthony clapped the blond on the shoulder and smiled easily at Kotetsu. "Welcome back," he rumbled.

Kotetsu grinned happily. "Glad to be back," he replied just as easily, and they shared a look. The two men had never really needed to talk about anything. They were comfortable enough around each other that they could carry on entire conversations without words while nursing beers at the local bar. They had helped each other out of more scrapes that they could count, and until Barnaby had come along, Anthony had been the closest thing Kotetsu had to a partner. Even now, they were still best friends.

Before Barnaby could snag his attention, a familiar, welcome voice interrupted. "Welcome home, dad," Kaede greeted him, slipping around Nathan's tall form. "You were really cool over there," she said shyly, and Kotetsu felt his eyes tearing up at his daughter's praise. He knew he acted childishly around his only child, but he couldn't seem to help himself. Kneeling down, he opened his arms, and Kaede hesitated for only a moment before moving into his arms, allowing him to hug her. Kotetsu was so glad to be home.

Doc Saito was there as well, standing off to the side with their boss and the anchorwoman, Agnes. Even Ben was there, grinning like a loon, obviously as pleased at Kotetsu's recovery as the man himself was. "Wild Tiger's back in action," he laughed, his eyes sparkling with delight. Kotetsu laughed with him, relief and joy flooding through him.

There was a party after that, most of which Kotetsu couldn't remember. There was dancing and drinking and laughter. The younger ones had soda and fruit punch, the older had beer or wine, whichever they preferred. Kotetsu mingled and socialized, but a part of him kept track of his partner, who was wandering the room at a sedate pace, stopping occasionally to talk to somebody, or to dance with one of the ladies, but he seemed mostly content to lean against a nearby wall and watch Kotetsu in return. The older man did his best not to be self-conscious, but he knew what was coming, and he couldn't decide if he wanted the party to end soon, or go on forever.

While in America, Kotetsu had stopped Barnaby from going all the way. It wasn't just the fact that they were surrounded by strangers whose business had nothing to do with Kotetsu and Barnaby's relationship. Rather, it was more like he wanted it to be special, and that meant back home, in their own territory. He was sure that Sternbild could manage without them for one more night.

When the party finally started to wind down, Barnaby came forward and made his excuses. Kotetsu pleaded exhaustion as well, and bowed out. He checked on Kaede, but she had plans for the evening. Karina assured Kotetsu that she'd take care of Kaede, and that they were going to go and do "girl things" for a while, so there was no need for a father's presence. Assured that his daughter was in good hands, Kotetsu excused himself from the party, walking outside and breathing the crisp, fresh air. His breath blew out in a cloud of steam, and he turned to face Barnaby as the younger man called to him. "Ready to go?" he asked. Kotetsu could see the anticipation building in his lover's gaze, and he just smiled, shaking his head.

"Yeah, let's get out of here," he muttered. He turned away, aware of Barnaby's soft footsteps behind him. He paused for a moment, until the younger man caught up, then continued on his way. He hoped that everything was ready, but since he had spoken to Anju beforehand, he was reasonably assured that things had been done as he requested.

He let them in to his apartment, waving at the handful of residents still in the general living area, and slipped into the elevator. Kotetsu fidgeted, his body tight with nervous anticipation as he watched the numbers slowly climb. He muffled a surprised yelp as Barnaby's arms wrapped around him, tugging him backwards. One hand came up to cover his eyes and tilt his head back, while the other just rested on his hip, holding him steady as Barnaby kissed his way down his throat. "Bunny," Kotetsu groaned, his body already responding to the teasing caress. Lips curled upwards into a smile against his throat as Barnaby mouthed the side of his neck, nibbling lightly.

The bell dinged when they reached their floor, and Kotetsu could only be grateful that there had been no stops between the ground floor and his apartment suite. He was equally content that he had an entire floor to himself, being a Hero. It wasn't the most convenient place, but it was all his. He stagger-walked out of the elevator, laughing as Barnaby continued to cling to him, making it very difficult for them to get anywhere fast.

"If you don't let me go, we can't get inside," he tried to explain, but Barnaby wasn't listening. They took a few short steps across the hallway, and then Barnaby pressed Kotetsu hard against the door to his living quarters. Kotetsu turned his head, struggling ineffectually as Barnaby proceeded to molest him right there in the hallway. Nobody should come up to this level, but occasionally a cleaning lady would be working late or somebody would choose the wrong floor, and Kotetsu really didn't want to be caught out like this.

Twisting his body around so that his back was pressed against the door, Kotetsu fought back the only way he could against his partner-turned-lover. Grasping his face in both hands, Kotetsu forcefully brought up Barnaby's face for a kiss. The younger man didn't seem to mind the change, and hummed happily in his throat. Kotetsu fumbled behind him with a shaking hand, finally managing to slide the key in the lock, then they were tumbling through the door. Kotetsu grunted upon impact, Barnaby's body landing firmly on top of him.

The blond was perfectly content to continue their activities there on the floor, but Kotetsu refused. "Bunny-chan, if you don't let us get inside first, I'm throwing you out," he growled. They both knew he didn't really mean it, but Barnaby nodded, standing up and holding out his hand to Kotetsu. Reaching up to take it, Kotetsu was surprised to find himself yanked to his feet, and then swept off them entirely as Barnaby picked him up bridal-style. "Bunny-chan!" he yelped, mortified, but Barnaby just gave him a smug smile and walked him across the threshold.

The younger man glanced around the living space approvingly; the whole place had been cleaned up magnificently. One couldn't even tell that a bachelor lived here. Neither of them really cared for flowery and romantic; they knew what they wanted, and hardly needed courting. They had been friends and partners for far too long for it to work, anyhow.

Kotetsu squirmed, and Barnaby let him down, his eyes sparkling with mischief. Kotetsu scowled up at him, but reached out and took his lover's hand, leading him towards the bedroom. He glanced back once, and what he saw nearly made him stop dead in his tracks. Barnaby's expression hid nothing of what he intended, and Kotetsu swallowed nervously. Perhaps this hadn't been the best idea he'd ever had, but when those intense eyes met his, glittering brightly, like hard emeralds, he was lost. Taking a deep breath, he tugged the younger man to the bed, toppling back into it and bringing Barnaby with him.

Staring up at Barnaby, Kotetsu licked his lips, his hands resting lightly on the other man's jean-clad hips. The denim was rough against his palms, and the friction was wonderful through his own simple dress slacks. His hands stroked nervously up and down Barnaby's sides, and the younger man smiled at him reassuringly. Leaning down, so that he curled over top of Kotetsu, he murmured in his ear, "Just relax. I promise we won't do anything you don't want, okay?" Kotetsu's response was to hug the other man tightly for a moment before releasing him and claiming his lips in a kiss that Barnaby soon dominated.

Hands slid under his shirt, petting soothingly along his skin, intended more for comfort than arousal. Kotetsu arched his back, pressing himself up into his lover's heat with a low murmur of approval. Fingers flicked lightly across his nipples, and he shuddered, dropping back down to the bed. Barnaby's lips and tongue played across his collarbone, dipping into the small depression of his throat. Kotetsu squirmed impatiently, and must've made some sound, because Barnaby sat up suddenly, still straddling his older lover. Kotetsu whined his protest at the loss of touch, but quickly stopped, focusing on Barnaby as he lifted his shirt clean over his head and tossed it somewhere behind him. So much for a neat bedroom, Kotetsu thought ruefully.

With a nudge, Barnaby coaxed Kotetsu into a sitting position and divested him of his shirt, vest, and tie with ruthless efficiency before pressing him back into the bed. Kotetsu went willingly enough, his hands stroking across warm skin that shivered and trembled under his touch. His hands curled around to Barnaby's back, petting up his spine, and Barnaby arched magnificently for him, pressing his arousal hard against Kotetsu's. "Pants off, now!" Barnaby ordered, his voice strangled.

Kotetsu ignored him, wriggling to get more of that lovely friction going. Above him, his lover laughed breathlessly, his eyes glittering as he stared down at Kotetsu. A sudden twist, and suddenly Barnaby was between his legs, his hips pressed tightly against Kotetsu's groin. The older man froze and stared wide-eyed up at Barnaby, who repeated his order. Kotetsu managed to focus his scattered thoughts enough to nod, lifting his hips so that Barnaby could get his pants off, growling when the younger man had to shift off the bed to get his pants completely off and onto the floor. Barnaby's pants and boxers followed shortly after, and they were both finally, gloriously, naked.

Barnaby wasted no time in crawling back into the bed, and Kotetsu signed in pleasure as he felt his lover's heat pressed up against the whole front of his body. It had taken nearly four days for Barnaby's hands and body to stop feeling cool to the touch, and Kotetsu reveled in the body heat now. Sweat was already slick between them, and Barnaby leaned down, running his tongue in a long swipe up the column of Kotetsu's neck, making the brunette groan, his eyes sliding nearly closed with the sensation.

Teeth sunk deep into his neck, and Kotetsu arched up eagerly, pressing his flesh harder against that mouth. It had surprised both of them the first time Barnaby had bitten too hard, but Kotetsu had enjoyed it, and it was now a regular part of their play. Kotetsu teased the blond that he might be the tiger, but he apparently had nothing on a rabid bunny. Barnaby had just nipped him sharply in retaliation, and their love-making had quickly degenerated into an impromptu wrestling match.

Now though, cracking jokes was the furthest thing from Kotetsu's mind as he felt his partner's fingers circling his ass, already slicked with lubricant. Barnaby had slowly gotten him used to this, too, during their so-called vacation, but tonight, it would be so much more. A finger slipped inside, and Kotetsu sighed quietly, his body opening readily enough.

"Okay?" Barnaby asked, gentle concern in his voice. Kotetsu just grinned up at him wriggled, his erection brushing against his partner's toned abdomen. Taking that as a resounding yes, Barnaby leaned down to kiss him, and Kotetsu accepted his lover's tongue eagerly. He really did love their kisses, and was so involved in the slippery mess they were making with their mouths that he barely even noticed the second finger, and while the third finger made him squirm uncomfortably and break the kiss, a hand on his arousal distracted him enough that it wasn't an issue. Barnaby moved his body, so that his stomach rubbed straight across Kotetsu's cock, and the older man snarled, his hands grabbing hold of Barnaby's ass and pulling the other man down again, grinding against him. Barnaby's fingers inside of him froze, the blond's arm trapped by their movements.

"Kotetsu, let me do this, okay? Please?" Barnaby pleaded, and Kotetsu loosened his hold, basking in the loving, happy smile that was directed his way. Three fingers slid out of him, and Kotetsu felt himself tensing, even knowing that doing so would just make it hurt more. But Barnaby had seemed to anticipate that, and Kotetsu yelled as warm suction suddenly surrounded his cock. He hadn't been expecting Barnaby to go down on him so suddenly, and the pull and slide was too much.

He didn't even have time to give his lover fair warning before he was coming, spending himself down Barnaby's throat. He whimpered as the younger man continued to swallow around him, using his tongue to clean him off. The rasping texture made Kotetsu writhe with oversensitivity, but it had the desired effect. Kotetsu was too sated to tense up when Barnaby slid up his body, poised over him. "I want to see you. Okay?" Barnaby asked, not for the first time.

Kotetsu nodded, and Barnaby lifted his legs, pressing them up and back towards his chest. Kotetsu made an effort to help, but Barnaby just laughed and kissed him again, and Kotetsu let his arms drop to the side. There was the feeling of a large blunt object against his opening, then Barnaby was pushing his way inside. It stung, stretching him out further than even four fingers had done, but Kotetsu was boneless right now, so the movement was relatively easy, the lube slicking the way.

Barnaby paused only when he was fully seated inside of Kotetsu, allowing the older man to adjust to the new sensation. A part of Kotetsu wanted to pull away and hide under the bed, but the larger part of him was so awed by his partner's expression that he couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't given in to the other man sooner. He couldn't voice any of these thoughts, so instead he shifted, testing out the new fullness inside him. Above him, Barnaby gasped, his hips twitching, and Kotetsu felt the slide and pull of another cock inside his body. It was weird, and awkward, and a bit uncomfortable. But, Kotetsu realized, it wasn't exactly unpleasant.

His thoughts must have shown more clearly on his face than he realized, because Barnaby started moving, slow, shallow thrusts that made Kotetsu tilt his head back, arching up into each thrust. He could feel himself growing aroused again, and would have laughed if Barnaby hadn't managed at that exact moment to send him into utter bliss, so that he cried out under his lover, writhing. Kotetsu had heard about the prostate before, of course, but he hadn't realized that it would be so abso-fucking-lutely amazing. "Bunny!" he keened, nearly wailing as Barnaby aimed deliberately for the same spot, his expression smug.

Kotetsu reached out blindly, looking for something to hold on to, and Barnaby shifted, Kotetsu's hands finding his shoulders and digging in, his nails raking across his lover's shoulder blades. Barnaby didn't seem to mind the stinging sensation, and Kotetsu just clung to him, holding on as the younger man brought him a second time.

His body spasmed around Barnaby's imbedded cock, and the blond groaned deep in his throat, pushing Kotetsu's legs further back as he released as deeply inside his older lover as he could, his hips continuing to make shallow thrusts even as he slumped over Kotetsu's body, breathing hard.

After several moments, during which Kotetsu enjoyed his second post-orgasmic haze, he shifted, whimpering as he felt Barnaby still inside him, his body tender and sensitive now. "Need to move," he managed, giving Barnaby a gentle push. The younger man took a few moments, but then managed to nod, slipping out of Kotetsu as he shifted just enough for him to lower his legs, splaying them on either side of his lover.

Barnaby slid up his body, ignoring the sticky mess between them, and nestled his head in the crook of Kotetsu's neck, his breath warm against the other man's flesh as he hummed contentedly. "That was amazing." Kotetsu had to agree, his hands petting up and down Barnaby's back in a soothing motion.

He tried to ignore the stupid alarm, he really did, but it was persistent, and Kotetsu glared over at the offending watch. Barnaby glared too, but he actually reached over and picked his up. With a wicked glance at Kotetsu, Barnaby turned it to volume only and answered the call. "Yeah, Agnes. What's up?" Barnaby asked, and Kotetsu grinned; that had sounded nothing like the prim and proper Barnaby T. Brooks. Rather, it sounded far more like a lazy, sated Bunny-chan.

"Barnaby!" Agnes exclaimed, and her voice was filled with relief. "Where's that useless partner of yours?" she demanded next. Kotetsu's eyes narrowed, and he would've told her off, but Barnaby gave him a warning look and a headshake, and he shut his mouth with an angry scowl.

"He's busy at the moment, but I'll snag him on the way in," Barnaby promised, his hand ruffling through Kotetsu's hair. "What's up?" Agnes informed him that there was a band of rogue Next users roaming Sternbild, and the other Heroes were currently occupied, since they had all spread out. She needed Wild Tiger and Barnaby to take a group that had taken over a nearby movie theater.

Barnaby nodded, and promised to be there as soon as possible. He asked that Doc Saito bring the truck with their uniforms to Kotetsu's apartments, and he'd catch up to them there. Agnes agreed, and disconnected the call, not bothering to ask why Barnaby hadn't given her visual.

Standing, Barnaby shook his head. "Well, that gives us about ten minutes for a quick shower. Might as well get started. We'll have to take one together, or we'll never been ready when Doc Saito shows up," he grinned, his eyes sparkling. Kotetsu laughed in delight, and Barnaby held his hand out to the other man.

"Shall we get going then, Tiger?" he asked, and there was so much more than just the current moment in that question.

Smiling up at his partner, Kotetsu reached out and took his hand. "Yeah, let's go," he agreed. Tiger and Bunny were back in business.